Time for the Kids to Shine
Rookie camp opens this week at Anaheim Ice. Its a chance for fans to get a free look at “The Ducks of the future.… The week long camp is highlighted by two games over the weekend in San Jose against the Sharks. As I looked over the roster, I wanted to share some observations.
Forwards
Stefan Noesen – If there is someone in this group that needs to have a good showing it's Noesen. It's a pivotal pre-season for the native Texan. At 22, he certainly isn't old, but this is his third year in the organization. At best, he will be fighting it out with Chris Wagner for the 13th forward spot on the main roster. At worst, he plays top six minutes in San Diego.
Nic Kerdiles and Nick Ritchie – We are probably a year plus away from these two talented left wings being impact players for the Ducks. Their respective pedigrees show that they could be holding down the top two LW jobs in Anaheim for many years.
Julius Nattinen – Admittedly, I don't know much about this year's second round pick. What I have heard I like. Nattinen was ranked 15th among European skaters by the ISS heading into the draft. He is likely headed back to Finland after camp, but it will be interesting to see how he stacks up as he is probably the top center invited.
Defense
Shea Theodore – The stage is set for the 2013 first round pick to show he is ready to take on bigger and better competition. Without getting into specifics in this column, he is the wild card in upcoming contract negotiations with defensemen Sami Vatanen and Simon Despres (Hampus Lindholm isn't going anywhere).
Brandon Montour – The hype and focus of Anaheim's future blue line group is on Theodore. Brandon Montour is a darn good hockey player as well. In a 14 game “cup of coffee… last year with Norfolk, the rookie put up 10 points. The big question on him is whether his defensive game is up to par.
Josh Manson – Manson's poise and maturity were impressive as an emergency fill in last season for the Ducks in 2014-15. He hits like a truck and plays a steady defensive game. Heading into the off-season, it seemed like he had a decent shot to make this year's Ducks team. Since then, Korbinian Holzer was re-signed and Shane O'Brien joined the organization as a free agent. How will he handle it?
Jacob Larsson and Marcus Pettersson – This year's first and last year's second round draft picks respectively are not attending rookie camp. It would have been nice to see the Swedish pair on the ice. For Larsson it isn't a big deal. Pettersson, on the other hand, is already behind all the other defensemen mentioned here. He may be trade bait.
Goalies
Ryan Faragher is likely ticketed for a return trip to the Ducks ECHL affiliate in Utah. Landon Bow and Brendan Burke are with the team on an amateur tryout. None of these goalies really weigh into Anaheim's future.
If any of the readers are attending one of the open practices or rookie games, please feel free to pass along your scouting reports to me. I am happy to share your observations with others.
Coming up - Who are the long shots in camp and who is on a short leash.
-Ed