3 Under-The-Radar Ducks Prospects to Watch at the Arizona Rookie Faceoff

Ducks hockey is officially back, sort of. The 2021-22 campaign is getting its unofficial kickoff event this weekend in Arizona, as Anaheim’s group of prospects is set to take part in a tournament involving the host Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks.

The Ducks boast one of the more star-studded rosters of the event thanks to the presence of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Both players were essentially NHL regulars during the 2021 season, and figure to dominate given the significant step down in competition. 2021 first-rounder Mason McTavish will be in attendance as well. If his play during development camp is any indication, he should be able to impose his will from the first game on thanks to his NHL-ready frame.

Anaheim’s top selections from each of the last three drafts in Zegras, Drysdale, and McTavish will clearly be players to watch. That being said, they probably won’t be tested nearly as much as some of the others on the Ducks roster, nor do they have much to prove in this kind of setting. Zegras definitely doesn’t see it that way, if his development camp comment of being focused on making the team is to be taken at face value. The top guys will still bring it, so here are three players to keep an eye on over the weekend.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx

Groulx’s name seems to be on everyone’s mind around the Ducks organization. There’s certainly an internal satisfaction about the progress he’s made in the last year, as well as an appreciation for the kind of responsible, two-way brand of hockey that he brings to the table.

Anaheim currently has a severe logjam at the center position. Zegras, Ryan Getzlaf, Sam Steel, Adam Henrique, Isac Lundestrom, and Derek Grant are all centers, and should they all be on the roster come opening night, it stands to reason that two of them will either be shifted to the wing, or scratched. A member of the organization I spoke with noted that the team views Steel as a center, and did not show much enthusiasm towards the idea of him moving to the wing. Henrique, Getzlaf, Zegras, and Lundestrom all had stints as wingers last season, but the Ducks have made it publicly known that they want Zegras at center, while Lundestrom’s best moments happened down the middle.

So yes, there is much enthusiasm for Groulx’s game, and a strong showing over the weekend would only add fuel to that fire. The Ducks are currently trying to re-establish a culture of internal accountability, and if Groulx’s strong play were to carry over into the pre-season, it’s not unfathomable to see him dislodging an NHL regular for a few games.

Jacob Perreault

As reported by Eric Stephens of The Athletic, Perreault — Anaheim’s second pick of the first round in 2020 — is set to begin the tournament flanking Trevor Zegras on the power play, as well as at five-on-five. To watch Perreault’s post-practice shooting routine last week was simply to be mesmerized. The 19-year old generates so much power on his one-timer without any wasted movement — it’s a clean, compact backswing that proceeds to violently hammer the puck.

In their latest prospect ranking, Elite Prospects mentioned how Perreault’s respectable point totals as an AHL rookie didn’t tell the whole story. In my own admittedly limited viewings, he did not appear completely out of place but was also clearly adjusting to the elevated pace of play that pro hockey brings.

With that baptism-by-fire year under his belt, Perreault ought to shine in Arizona. Both on a line with Zegras and with a spot on the first power-play unit, don’t be surprised to be hearing Perreault’s name over and over during the next few days. He will almost surely need another year of development before making the jump to the NHL, but the Rookie Faceoff could springboard him into a very fortuitous season.

Brayden Tracey/Hunter Drew

Sure, the title of this post says three players. But hey, if you’ve managed to make it this far, there should be some kind of reward, right? Tracey’s star has faded a bit since the excitement surrounding him after being selected in the first round in 2019. Thanks to Byron Bader’s excellent Hockey Prospecting model, we can see how his chances of becoming an impact player have fared since being drafted (Perreault included for comparison):

Of course, as Bader would even acknowledge, these trends are subject to change, but it’s clear that Tracey has been going in the wrong direction. Although he likely won’t become a significant point producer at the NHL level, he still has some of the physical attributes to potentially become a solid depth contributor. A strong showing in Arizona would go a long way in getting his year off to the right start.

As some sharp eyes may have noticed, Hunter Drew is listed as a forward on the Ducks’ tournament roster. Drew has been called up to Anaheim in the past as a defenseman, but he’s managed to stick at forward at the AHL level. He was only used when necessary on the blueline last year, according to Defend the Nest, spending the grand majority of the season up front. It will be interesting to see if he can eventually parlay that into an NHL call-up. He has to look no further than Nicolas Deslauriers on the Ducks fourth line, who was originally drafted as a defenseman.