Anaheim Ducks put the final touches to what will likely be their training camp roster as training camp and preseason approaches. After a news-heavy start to their offseason, they’re following it up with a news-heavy finish.
Former Duck Boyle Announces RetirementKevin Boyle isn’t a household name by any means, but he did have some memorable moments while he was a member of the Ducks organization. He was the sole NHL winner of his career, as he shut out the Vancouver Canucks in the second game of his career. His career was mostly spent with the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he was a reliable starting goaltender.
After spending four seasons with the Ducks, Boyle played one season in Detroit Red Wings before moving overseas to play in the International Central European Hockey League. On August 7, Boyle announced his retirement and concluded his professional and four collegiate playing careers.
Zegras stated that No. 11 had been a number that he’s tried to wear at every level he’s played at, while Drysdale wore No. Canada’s World Juniors team wore 6. With Drysdale’s preferred No. Cam Fowler occupied No. 6 was always going be the frontrunner for Canadians.
Zegras Named NHL Cover AthleteSpeaking of Zegras, the young sensation will grace the cover of this year’s NHL video game alongside Sarah Nurse. It’s a first for the Ducks as they’ve never had a player adorn the cover of an NHL game in North America (Teemu Selanne and Jonas Hiller were previously cover athletes for it in their respective countries).
Trevor Zegras, Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)With his dazzling set of moves on the ice and colorful personality to match off the ice, the decision to put Zegras on the cover marks another transition toward marketing the league’s young stars. While he can’t quite be deemed a “star” just yet in the realm of say, an Auston Matthews or Alex Ovechkin, he’s certainly one in the making, and being named a cover athlete so early into his career confirms it.
Trio of Ducks Prospects win Gold at World Juniors. After the 2022 World Juniors Tournament had been postponed earlier in the year, Ducks prospects Mason McTavish (Ducks) and Olen Zellweger (Ducks) were scheduled to shine at the tournament. They were joined by Nathan Gaucher (2022 NHL Draft choice), who was also added to the new Team Canada roster.
McTavish was the Canadian offensive leader, while Zellweger was also a key player. Together they scored 17 points and 11 points respectively to win a gold-medal. McTavish was named tournament MVP and McTavish was named to the World Juniors All-Star Team. McTavish was also named Canada’s team captain and made a crucial goal-line save in overtime against Finland. McTavish swung the puck out of danger just before it passed Dylan Garand, goaltender Dylan Garand. Moments later Kent Johnson scored to secure gold for Canada.
McTavish should be able to join the Ducks from training camp. Zellweger is likely to get a shot at the NHL roster. Gaucher will return to the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he’s coming off a terrific season.
Ducks Sign Osipov. PTODmitri Osipov will be a winger. Or, he was last year. Before that, he was a defenceman. What did you do with all that? The Russian hybrid was signed to a professional tryout (PTO), with the Ducks, on Aug. 11. He presumably will be at training camp within a few weeks.
After previously being a defenseman, Osipov spent the majority of the last season as a winger with the Rockford Icehogs AHL. The Ducks have Hunter Drew and Nik Brouillard in their ranks, so Osipov’s transition is similar to that of Hunter Drew.
Related: Anaheim Ducks 5 Bold Predictions For The 2022-23 Season
At 6-foot-4, Osipov is a large body and could be a beefy addition to the bottom six of the Ducks or Gulls. At the very least, he’s another depth piece in the minors.
Clang Loaned to Rögle for 2022-23 SeasonWith the abundance of goaltenders in the Ducks’ system, it felt a bit like a nest full of too many mouths to feed. With John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz entrenched in the crease at the NHL level and Lukáš Dostál and Olle Eriksson Ek holding down the fort in the AHL, there isn’t much room for another goaltender to come in and get playing time.
Calle Clang, who was acquired last season in the Rickard Rakell deal, spent last season in net for Rögle BK and will do so again this upcoming season after the Ducks loaned him back to them.
Calle Clang of Rögle BK (Rögle BK)Clang is coming off a strong performance at the World Juniors, where he and fellow netminder Jesper Wallstedt helped backstop Sweden to a bronze medal. With Stolarz’s contract up after the 2022-23 season and Dostál expected to step in as the next backup, there could be a spot on the Gulls for Clang in 2023-24 if he performs well for Rögle again.
Ducks Acquire Kulikov from WildAfter signing John Klingberg and Olli Juolevi, the Ducks weren’t done adding to their defensive depth. They acquired Dmitry Kulikov, a Minnesota Wild player, in exchange for future considerations.
Kulikov is a left-handed defenseman who has a lot of NHL experience. Kulikov could allow the Ducks to give Urho Varakanainen more protected minutes as part the third defensive pair after Drysdale’s limited time was in vain.
Kulikov’s addition has given the Ducks a solid blue line, with Fowler and Shattenkirk, both veterans, leading the pack in terms games played and Klingberg.
Ducks are in on RodriguesThe Ducks could still be adding to their forward line. Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Ducks are one of the teams interested in former Buffalo Sabre and Pittsburgh Penguin, Evan Rodrigues. The 28-year-old had an impressive season this past season with 43 points, falling just one goal short of the 20 goals mark.
Rodrigues’ positional versatility also means that he can play all three forward spots, though this past season was the most faceoffs he’d taken since the 2018-19 season when he was with the Sabres. Adding him would strengthen the Ducks’ bottom-six and give them another player capable of playing on both the power play and penalty kill.
Following the series of moves the Ducks have made this offseason, the team should perform better than last season’s edition. If results don’t improve, it’s likely that players like Klingberg, Kulikov and perhaps Stolarz will be dealt at next season’s trade deadline.
Derek has been a hockey and sports fan for more than 10 years.
Prior to graduating from UCCS in Colorado Springs, CO in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Communication, he spent two and a half years as part of UCCS’ on-campus student newspaper staff–both as a sports reporter and editor. He is currently creating Ducks-related content in Southern California.
In his spare time, he enjoys playing FIFA video essays on YouTube, curating Spotify playlists and creating his own.
The post Ducks News & Rumors: Zegras, Kulikov & More first appeared on Raw News.
