- After winning the Emile Bouchard Trophy for the QMJHL’s Defenseman of the Year last season, Ducks prospect Tristan Luneau has played sparingly in 2023-24 despite making the NHL roster out of camp. He’s appeared in just seven games with the Ducks – still yet to burn the first year of his entry-level contract almost halfway through the season. Luneau’s also played six games with AHL San Diego on a conditioning stint and has been on loan to Team Canada for the recently wrapped-up 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. However, a viral infection sidelined Luneau for the whole tournament, and he has yet to be recalled from his loan. That’s led to some speculation that the Ducks may return him to junior hockey when he’s healed from his infection, fuelled further today by the Victoriaville Tigres acquiring his rights from the Gatineau Olympiques for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2024 QMJHL Draft. The 53rd overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft had a banner year with Gatineau last season, leading the league in assists (63) and points (83) by a defenseman in 65 games while notching a +49 rating.
Ducks Rumors
West Notes: Terry, Wallstedt, Couture
Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune is reporting that Anaheim Ducks forward Troy Terry does not have a concussion but is dealing with an upper-body injury. Terry was placed on injured reserve yesterday which won’t affect his return date which could be very soon as Lee describes Terry’s status as, “Very day-to-day.” The wrinkle for the Ducks is that Terry was put on IR retroactively to December 30th, meaning that they can activate him on Sunday if he is fit to play. However, the Ducks currently sit at the 23-man roster limit so they will need to make a move to activate him.
Terry has struggled so far this season after signing a massive seven-year $49MM contract extension in the offseason. Thus far through 35 games, the Denver, Colorado native has just nine goals and 13 assists which is well off his offensive pace over the last couple of seasons.
Max Jones has filled in during Terry’s absence and even scored a goal on Sunday night in the Ducks’ lopsided loss to the Oilers. Despite the promotion to the top 6, Jones has not seen an increase in his ice time.
In other Western Conference notes:
- Joe Smith of The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Jesper Wallstedtis is expected to return tomorrow night for their AHL affiliate in Iowa and could factor into the NHL roster over the next week. The 20th overall pick in 2021 has been dealing with a lower-body injury and could make his NHL debut if he is recalled by the Wild to fill in while Filip Gustavsson is on IR. The 21-year-old has put up terrific numbers in the AHL this season, registering an 11-7 record with a .922 save percentage and a 2.43 goals-against average in 18 games.
- Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that San Jose Sharks forward Logan Couture could return to the Sharks lineup during their upcoming road trip. Couture is traveling with the team on their five-game road trip and is hoping to get back into the lineup having missed the entire season to date. Couture has dealt with several setbacks during his recovery after suffering a lower-body injury. The Sharks were already thin up front coming into the season and Couture’s injury has further exposed a weak forward core. The Sharks have flirted with the idea of using Couture on the wing once he returns, but not much is known about where he will play once he does return.
Lukáš Dostál Sets Franchise Record For Saves In A Regular-Season Game
- The Ducks may have lost in overtime to the Maple Leafs last night to extend their winless streak to three, but a team record was set in the process. 23-year-old backup Lukáš Dostál made 55 saves en route to the 2-1 loss, the most in a regular-season game by a Ducks goalie since the franchise began play in 1993. Anaheim’s third-round pick in 2018 has started 14 of the Ducks’ 37 games this season, posting a 6-8-1 record and a .901 SV% that sits just below the league average.
Ducks Place Troy Terry On IR, Activate Isac Lundestrom
Before their game tonight against Toronto, the Ducks announced (Twitter link) multiple injury news. Winger Troy Terry was placed on injured reserve, paving the way for center Isac Lundestrom to be activated from IR. Meanwhile, middleman Ryan Strome is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Terry missed Sunday’s game with an upper-body injury so it’s likely that the placement will be back-dated to that point, meaning that he could be activated as soon as this weekend, if healthy. The 26-year-old is off to a slower start by his standards, notching nine goals and 13 assists in 35 games; last season, he played in twice as many games while collecting 61 points. Still, Terry sits third on Anaheim in scoring and will be a noticeable absence for however long he’s out.
Lundestrom, meanwhile, will be making his season debut after recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. The 24-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2018 (23rd overall) and looked like he was on his way toward becoming a capable regular after putting up 29 points in 80 games back in 2021-22. However, he struggled offensively last season, collecting just four goals and ten helpers in 61 games. Lundestrom was supposed to miss at least six months from his injury sustained in early August so he is coming back a month ahead of schedule. Considering it’s a contract year and he’ll be owed a $1.8MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights, Lundestrom will be hoping for a big second half of the season.
As for Strome, he is also among Anaheim’s scoring leaders, ranking fourth on the team in total points. The 30-year-old leads the Ducks in assists with 17 and is on pace for his fifth straight season of at least 40 points or more. Benoit-Olivier Groulx will take his place in the lineup, making his first appearance in more than two weeks.
Ducks Move Top Rookie Leo Carlsson To Injured Reserve
- The Anaheim Ducks have moved Leo Carlsson to injured reserve. The prolific rookie suffered a scary knee injury last Thursday, ending up with a sprained right knee ligament that’s expected to hold him out for four to six weeks. The 19-year-old had managed eight goals and 15 points through his first 23 NHL games.
[SOURCE LINK]
Casey Terrance Listed As Reserve Player For Team USA
- Chris Peters of FloHockey is reporting that Aram Minnetian and Carey Terrance will be used as reserve players in case of injury for the U20 United States team at the 2024 World Junior Championship. Minnetian, who was drafted 125th overall by the Dallas Stars in the 2023 NHL Draft, is currently on the nation-leading Boston College program in the NCAA. Terrance, on the other hand, was drafted 59th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2023 NHL Draft and is in the OHL with the Erie Otters.
[SOURCE LINK]
Leo Carlsson Expected To Miss 4-6 Weeks
Ducks standout rookie center Leo Carlsson is expected to miss four to six weeks with a Grade I right MCL sprain sustained Thursday against the Flames, per a team release. In more minor news, the team also announced defenseman Radko Gudas will be out for tonight’s game against the Kraken with a lower-body injury also sustained Thursday. He will be evaluated when the team returns from their holiday break.
This is positive news for the Ducks and Carlsson, who avoids what most expected to be a much more prolonged absence after Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar fell awkwardly on his leg in the third period of Thursday’s matchup. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported earlier Saturday that Carlsson’s injury was not season-ending.
Carlsson, who will turn 19 in three days, has had a promising start to his NHL career. The 6-foot-3 Swedish pivot has eight goals, seven assists and 15 points through 23 games this season, averaging over 18 minutes per game. While some criticized the Ducks for selecting Carlsson over center Adam Fantilli with the second overall pick earlier this year, they’ve put up similar stat lines to begin their NHL career and look to be in the same tier of the league’s under-20 talent.
The Ducks have taken an interesting approach to Carlsson’s development this season, scratching him on multiple occasions to avoid playing the rookie in more than two games per week, regardless of his performance. Few expected Carlsson to be NHL-ready at the beginning of the season, so after he forced his way onto the roster with a strong training camp, it makes sense the team would want to be cautious of overusing the youngster who’s used to the more abbreviated and spaced-out schedule of the Swedish Hockey League.
Carlsson frequently centered their first line with Alex Killorn and Troy Terry when in the lineup. He will be replaced in that role by Trevor Zegras, who’s returning to the lineup tonight after missing 20 games with a lower-body injury. After a drawn-out contract negotiation process last summer, Zegras was off to a sluggish start pre-injury, posting just two points in 12 games. He’ll look to hit the ground running in his return to play as the team’s de facto number-one center.
Despite the better-than-expected news on his recovery timeline, it’s still an unfortunate bump in the road for Carlsson. Many had the sense Anaheim’s load management plan for him was beginning to ease, especially given his solid possession play. He’s posted a strong 52.4% Corsi share at even strength and a +0.3 expected plus-minus rating per Hockey Reference, exceeded only by Max Jones among Ducks forwards. His eight goals are tied for fourth on the team behind Frank Vatrano (14), Mason McTavish (10) and Adam Henrique (10).
Unfortunately for Anaheim, they’re losing two of their best defensive players this season at once. It’s unclear how severe the injury Gudas suffered is, but an absence of any length is a significant blow to their new-look defense. After reaching the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers last season and promptly signing a three-year, $12MM contract in Anaheim, the 33-year-old has been their best shutdown player.
Gudas has scored five goals and nine points through 31 games, although he’s relied upon more for his defensive acumen and physicality. He’s knocked it out of the park in both regards, posting a team-high +7 rating and 65 penalty minutes while playing second-pairing minutes.
Tristan Luneau (Viral Infection) Won't Play In The World Juniors
- Those two being added to the roster means that two players have to come off. Those are Predators blueliner Tanner Molendyk and Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau who are both out due to injury. Molendyk was dealing with a wrist issue while Luneau had missed pre-tournament games due to illness which has turned out to be a viral infection. Molendyk was off to a nice start with WHL Saskatoon before making the team as he already has 28 points on his season in just 24 games. Luneau, meanwhile, cracked Anaheim’s roster in training camp although playing time has been limited; he has played in seven games for the Ducks and six more while on a conditioning loan with AHL San Diego.
[SOURCE LINK]
Ducks Activate Trevor Zegras Off IR
After welcoming back two key young players in Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale on Thursday, the Ducks are getting another one back tonight. The team announced (Twitter link) that Trevor Zegras has been activated off injured reserve and will suit up against Seattle.
The 22-year-old took quite a while to re-sign with Anaheim over the offseason as it took until early October for the two sides to agree to terms on a three-year, $17.25MM contract. As a result, he was limited to just two preseason appearances.
The lack of training camp and exhibition action certainly seemed to take its toll in the early going this season as Zegras got off to a slow start offensively, notching just one goal and one assist in a dozen games. Meanwhile, new head coach Greg Cronin called his defensive struggles to attention. Things got worse soon after when he suffered a lower-body injury on November 7th and he has missed 20 games since then.
With Zegras’ activation, Anaheim now actually has 24 players on its active roster, one over the maximum. However, with the roster freeze rules in effect, the Ducks don’t have any skaters who are allowed to be sent down. As they’re cap-compliant, they’re now temporarily permitted to be over the roster limit.
Meanwhile, the Ducks are still awaiting word on how long Leo Carlsson will be out of the lineup after he left Thursday’s game with a lower-body injury. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that the initial prognosis is promising and that it won’t be a season-ending injury.
Trevor Zegras Could Return Tonight
The Detroit Red Wings have announced that defenseman Olli Määttä will be unavailable for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. Määttä is dealing with an upper-body injury that forced him out of last night’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. There’s no word on a timetable for Määttä to return to the lineup but that could be provided in the coming days as Detroit gets set to head into the break. The Red Wings won’t be action again until Wednesday against the Minnesota Wild and an update should be provided before that time.
A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Määttä has settled into a role with the Red Wings since signing with the team as a free agent back in July 2022. Määttä had bounced around to a few teams after being traded away by the Penguins but has since found a home in Detroit. In 27 games this season, the 29-year-old has a goal and six assists and is +6 while playing almost 15 minutes a night.
In other morning notes:
- The IIHF has announced that Team Canada forward Macklin Celebrini will not face any supplemental discipline for his boarding incident that occurred in Canada’s second pre-tournament game as they get prepared for this year’s World Junior tournament. Celebrini is projected to be the first overall selection in the 2024 NHL entry draft and would have been a huge loss for Canada had he been suspended. The 17-year-old had two assists in the first half of the game against Switzerland before he was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding. Canada plays their final pre-tournament game today against the United States and will begin the official tournament against Finland on Boxing Day.
- NHL.com is reporting that Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras could return to the Ducks lineup tonight as they take on the Seattle Kraken. Zegras reportedly practiced yesterday on the Ducks’ top line alongside Alex Killorn and Troy Terry. The 22-year-old has missed the Ducks’ last 20 games with an upper-body injury and would presumably slide into Leo Carlsson’s spot as the top center as Carlsson is being evaluated for an injury as well. The native of Bedford, New York has had a rough start to his season as he started with just a goal and an assist in his first 12 games before going down to injury.