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Jamie Drysdale

Prospect Notes: Drysdale, CHL Agreement, Nappier

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The Anaheim Ducks will have the future on the ice tonight when they take on the Arizona Coyotes. Jamie Drysdale is expected to make his NHL debut, in the lineup along with fellow top prospect Trevor Zegras, who will be in his 11th. The 18-year-old Drysdale has dominated the AHL so far this season, scoring ten points in 14 games. The young defenseman was the sixth overall selection in the 2020 draft and has almost limitless offensive upside.

The Ducks, who have lost four straight and scored just 67 goals in 30 games this season have nothing to lose by testing Drysdale at the NHL level, though a few games down the road they’ll have a decision to make. The team has already elected to burn the first season of Zegras three-year entry-level contract when they could have theoretically had it slide forward, keeping him in the minor leagues all season. The same would happen for Drysdale if he plays in more than seven NHL contests this season. With the OHL still hopeful that a season could begin in April, Drysdale wouldn’t be able to return to the AHL if his junior team is in session. If he shows he can compete at the highest level right away, it might not matter.

  • That CHL agreement, which states that players drafted out of the WHL, OHL, or QMJHL cannot play in the AHL while the junior league is in session until they are 20 years old, will actually expire once again at the end of this season. Frank Seravalli of TSN reports today that there is a growing appetite for some sort of an exception to be included in the renegotiated deal for players like Drysdale, who have shown an obvious ability to perform at the minor professional level. Seth Jarvis and Connor Zary have already been sent back to the WHL after it started, despite strong showings in the AHL.
  • That agreement won’t matter for the players named today to the 2021 Biosteel All-American Game, a showcase for the top draft-eligible players in the USNTDP and USHL. The group includes Luke Hughes, the younger brother of Quinn Hughes and Jack Hughes, and many other picks that will end up going off the board relatively early in July. The game takes place in Plymouth, Michigan on April 7.
  • The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have signed undrafted Ohio State University goaltender Tommy Nappier to an unusual three-year AHL contract that will kick in right away. Nappier, 22, posted a .906 save percentage this season but had been almost unbeatable in years past. His college career ends with a .925 in 82 appearances and his professional one is just getting started.

Poll: Should The Anaheim Ducks Call Up Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras?

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The Anaheim Ducks can’t score. In fact, their current goals for per game rate of 1.94 would be the third-lowest mark of the last decade, only behind two Buffalo Sabres teams (’14 and ’15) that finished at the very bottom of the NHL standings. That rate is lower even than the 2019-20 Detroit Red Wings who won just 17 games and posted a historically-low points percentage.

The Anaheim Ducks can’t score.

Somehow though, the Ducks aren’t at the bottom of the NHL standings. They aren’t even in last place in the West Division, instead sitting at 6-7-3 through their first 16 games. Their relatively low mark of 2.56 goals against per game would indicate that if they could just score a little more, they actually might be a formidable opponent. Perhaps even push for a playoff spot this season.

Enter Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale, the team’s top two prospects who are currently dominating in the AHL.

Zegras, 19, was the ninth overall pick in 2019 and has seven points through his first five professional games. The tournament scoring leader and MVP at the recent World Juniors, Zegras has almost limitless offensive potential and could likely help the Ducks’ powerplay the moment he steps on the ice.

Drysdale, 18, meanwhile has five points in his own first five pro games and given he’s a defenseman, has heads turning already. The sixth-overall pick in 2020, Drysdale is an elite puck-moving option, and though his actual scoring upside may not be quite as high as Zegras, his mobility and ability to get the puck quickly to his forwards would help the Anaheim attack.

Remember though that player development is a tricky, always evolving thing. The Ducks obviously have high hopes for the pair and want them to be ready before forcing them into NHL games. The fact that the team wasn’t really expected to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season may be a huge factor as well, given many organizations don’t want to bring their top young players into losing situations.

In Drysdale’s case specifically, they might not be able to keep him in the minors forever. The 18-year-old would normally not be eligible to play there, but with the OHL still suspended he is allowed to suit up in the minor leagues. Once that changes—recent developments have provided some encouragement that the OHL can hold a shortened season in the coming months—Drysdale would need to move up to the NHL or be returned to his Erie Otters team.

For Zegras, there’s nothing forcing him out of the AHL at the moment. As a college player who turned pro last spring, he is eligible for the minors even though he’s just 19.

It’s important to note that in both cases, playing in more than seven NHL games would activate their entry-level contracts. Currently, both Zegras and Drysdale are slide candidates, meaning the three-year deal wouldn’t kick in until next season, keeping them away from restricted free agency longer. But with the Ducks struggling to score and the AHL proving no trouble, is it time to call them up anyway?

Cast your vote below, making sure to explain your plan in the comments.

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Snapshots: Bratt, WJC Prospects, Kerfoot

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The New Jersey Devils could be without Jesper Bratt to start the season, as the restricted free agent is still unsigned. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the 22-year-old forward is still in Sweden, noting that it would be tough even now to get in on time with visa complications and quarantine. Even those things would need a contract to be worked out first, something that may not be all that close. Friedman writes that though the two sides are still communicating there is “not a ton of talk, and there’s a bit of a gap at this time.”

Bratt, who was a sixth-round pick just a few years ago, has been one of the bright spots on a Devils team that has struggled the last few seasons. Though his play has certainly not been consistent, he still put up 16 goals and 32 points in just 60 games last season and figures to play a top-six role on the team this year once he signs. Of course, every day he misses leaves the door open for other players to impress, including newcomer Andreas Johnsson who has been skating next to Jack Hughes and Kyle Palmieri so far.

  • Speaking of missing time, several prospects at the World Junior Championship will waste none at all after their championship game this evening. Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, Arthur Kaliyev, and Tobias Bjornfot will all be on a chartered flight back to Southern California to join the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings respective training camps. Because they are coming out of the bubble and will not be flying commercial, McKenzie reports that these players will likely not have to quarantine for seven days (though they will still have to adhere to NHL testing protocols). The same process will take Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn to Buffalo Sabres camp.
  • Injuries are already popping up around the league and in Toronto the Maple Leafs could be without Alexander Kerfoot the next few days. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that Kerfoot is day-to-day after suffering an injury today in practice. The Maple Leafs had split their training groups quite distinctly, meaning if Kerfoot is held out it would open the door for one of the expected non-roster players to get a chance.

Hockey Canada Announces Final World Junior Roster

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After a month-long selection camp that included a two-week quarantine period, Hockey Canada has finally made their final cuts and announced the roster that will be competing at the upcoming World Junior Championship. The event starts in two weeks in Edmonton, Alberta and will host teams from all over the world. The best junior-aged players will compete for gold in a year unlike any other.

Because the NHL has not started yet, players like Kirby Dach and Quinton Byfield will get the chance to compete for Canada at the end of 2020. Dach missed the tournament a year ago thanks to his commitments with the Chicago Blackhawks but should be a leader this year at the tournament. Byfield meanwhile will get a chance to convince the world that his struggles at the event last year were not indicative of his talent, while trying to add a second gold to his trophy cabinet.

Canada’s roster is loaded up front, with incredible offensive talent all the way to the final forward spot. But perhaps their defense too will be a force with names like Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale leading the way. In net, somewhat unheralded prospects will get the chance to prove they are winners, with Taylor Gauthier the only undrafted player on the final roster.

The full roster is as follows:

F Kirby Dach (CHI)
F Connor Zary (CGY)
F Dylan Holloway (EDM)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Jakob Pelletier (CGY)
F Alex Newhook (COL)
F Ryan Suzuki (CAR)
F Connor McMichael (WSH)
F Peyton Krebs (VGK)
F Quinton Byfield (LAK)
F Dawson Mercer (NJD)
F Dylan Cozens (BUF)
F Philip Tomasino (NSH)
F Jack Quinn (BUF)

D Braden Schneider (NYR)
D Kaedan Korczak (VGK)
D Bowen Byram (COL)
D Thomas Harley (DAL)
D Jamie Drysdale (ANA)
D Jordan Spence (LAK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Justin Barron (COL)

G Devon Levi (FLA)
G Taylor Gauthier (undrafted, eligible for 2021)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)

This means that Mavrik Bourque, Samuel Poulin, Donovan Sebrango, Ryan O’Rourke, Jamieson Rees, Seth Jarvis, Graeme Clarke, Gage Goncalves, and Lukas Cormier were the team’s final cuts.

Prospect Notes: 2021 Draft, Team Canada, Merkley

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The focus for hockey fans right now is on the upcoming NHL season, but for many 2021 draft-eligible prospects, the concern is just trying to get on the ice at all. The OHL and WHL haven’t started yet, while the QMJHL is about to shut down for a month due to increasing coronavirus numbers. Several NCAA schools have shut down their hockey programs for the year, while overseas leagues are routinely dealing with outbreaks of their own. It makes determining a draft ranking exceptionally difficult, but Scott Wheeler of The Athletic (subscription required) tried anyway, putting together his top-64 today.

At the very top without much surprise is Owen Power, the University of Michigan freshman that has dominated at every level of minor hockey. Power has the size—he stands 6’5″ and is well over 200 lbs—and skating ability to be a difference-maker in the NHL, potentially at a very young age. That said, he doesn’t project to have quite the same offensive upside as someone like Rasmus Dahlin, which means he isn’t a sure thing for the first-overall selection just yet. The 18-year-old defenseman was in the middle of some controversy last month when his college team wouldn’t release him for Team Canada’s World Junior selection camp, meaning he (likely) won’t get a chance to show what he can do on the world stage. Still, playing (and dominating) at Michigan should be more than enough for scouts to form a strong opinion on the young defender and decide whether he’s worth that top spot.

  • Wheeler’s colleague Corey Pronman does his best to project what Canada’s roster will be like when the coaching staff cuts it down from 49 to 25 for the tournament later this month. Among his “locks” to make the team are Bowen Byram and Jamie Drysdale, who will return on defense and are a big reason why the loss of Power won’t really matter to the Canadians. Byram, the fourth-overall pick in 2019, and Drysdale, the sixth in 2020, could make up one of the most dynamic and skilled pairings in World Junior history should they play together for Canada. Both players can score at an elite level and skate among the best in the world, which should put them in the NHL before long.
  • One young forward that never managed to make Team Canada at the WJC is now trying to lock down a role in the NHL, as Nick Merkley’s loan with Assat in Finland comes to an end. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick in 2015 but has just two NHL games under his belt so far and is now with his second organization. In his 19-game stint overseas the New Jersey Devils forward scored 13 points, all of them after going scoreless in his first four. Merkley signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Devils in October, accepting his qualifying offer amount to try and prove he can hack it at the NHL level.

Ducks Sign Jamie Drysdale

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Earlier this week, the Ducks signed one of their first-round picks in Jacob Perreault to an entry-level deal.  They’ve now done the same with their top selection, announcing the signing of defenseman Jamie Drysdale to a three-year, entry-level contract.  CapFriendly reports (Twitter link) that the deal pays $925K in the NHL and $80K in the AHL (both entry-level maximums) while having an additional $850K in potential performance bonuses each year.

The 18-year-old was the sixth-overall pick last month and the second blueliner off the board after a dominant season with Erie.  Drysdale hovered around the point-per-game mark for most of the year (no small feat for a draft-eligible defender) and wound up with nine goals and 38 assists in 49 games with the Otters.  He also was part of Canada’s entry at the World Juniors and while he had a somewhat limited role, he still had a goal and two helpers in seven games.  As things stand, he’s expected to be a key part of Canada’s entry this time around with that tournament set to run next month.

As Drysdale is ineligible to play in the AHL next season, his options will be Anaheim or Erie.  There’s a good chance that he’ll get a look with Anaheim at camp but with Josh Manson and Kevin Shattenkirk already in place on the right-hand side of their back end, there may not be much of an opportunity to play impact minutes right away.  Drysdale is one of a few players from this draft class that could conceivably play right away but if management deems that top minutes in Erie are better than a third-pairing role in Anaheim, he’ll return to junior.  He will be subject to the entry-level slide rule which means he could normally play up to nine NHL games before his contract officially begins but that number could be pro-rated based on the length of the shortened schedule.

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