Prospect Update: Steven Ruggiero
By Thomas Harrington
Anaheim drafted Steven Ruggiero in the sixth round (178th overall) in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. He just completed his freshman year of NCAA hockey at Providence College and will return there for his sophomore season this coming year.
Ruggiero struggled to get consistent ice time at Providence, appearing in only 10 of Providence’s 38 games. Given the season and roster that Providence had, it’s not surprising. Overall, the team went 27-7-4 on the season, and boasted a defensive core that had five upperclassmen. Due to the amount of depth that Providence had on defense, Ruggiero was essentially the team’s eighth defenseman, and he played that role well in the limited action that he saw. In his 10 games of action, Ruggiero recorded one assist and no goals. He’s more known for his physical, defensive style of play, so the lack of offense isn’t a big surprise. What’s more important is that he provided Providence with a reliable defensive presence when he was called upon. His lone assist came in a game in December, where he also registered a personal best three shots on goal. He matched those three shots in a game again in February.
This coming season, the first thing I’d like to see Ruggiero do is appear in more games. 10 games as a freshman with an older defense isn’t bad, but he’s going to need to force his way into a lot more games this coming season. Some of the defensive core will have graduated, but there will still be a lot of competition for playing time. After being the eighth defenseman a year ago, he’s going to need to force himself into the top six if he wants to play on a regular basis. Even if it’s just on the team’s bottom pair, Ruggiero is going to need to see consistent ice time this coming season if he wants to make his way to the professional ranks at the end of his college career. Some goals and points would be nice, but they aren’t a necessity for him. As long as he can contribute reliable defense and not take himself out of the play, I’ll be happy with his development next season.
The Ducks own Ruggiero’s rights all the way through his NCAA career, and right now, I’d be very surprised if he turned pro before his senior season. When Ruggiero was drafted, he was viewed as a long-term prospect who the Ducks wouldn’t see anytime soon. Given the amount of youth in Anaheim and San Diego on defense, there’s no need for Ruggiero to rush his development. As long as he can play the next three seasons at Providence and develop into a solid defenseman, the Ducks will be happy.
Ruggiero’s future is probably as a sixth or seventh defensemen, and that’s a point that he won’t be hitting for a while. When his NCAA career is over, I think it’s likely the Ducks sign him to a deal and bring him to San Diego, assuming he continues to develop over the next three seasons. However, if he’s not able to get consistent ice time at Providence, especially when he is an upperclassman, then I would expect the Ducks to let him become a free agent at the conclusion of his college career.
My next prospect profile will be on Michael Sgarbossa.
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Filed under: Meet The Ducks' Prospects Tagged: Anaheim Ducks, Ducks, ducksnpucks, Steven Ruggiero