Prospect Update: Alex Dostie

Photo: San Diego Gulls

By Thomas Harrington

A fourth-round pick from 2016, Alex Dostie just completed his third professional season, spending the entire season in the AHL playing for the San Diego Gulls.

Despite the AHL season being canceled early, Dostie had his best season for the Gulls. He played in 40 games, one off of his career-high, and his 11 goals and 15 points were both new career highs for him. If the season had continued, he would have had an outside shot at 20 points. Dostie’s 11 goals were tied for fifth on the Gulls, along with Justin Kloos and Daniel Sprong. Dostie didn’t have a great start to the season. Like the rest of San Diego’s roster, he struggled to put up points and didn’t record his first goal of the season until November. That goal lit a fire under Dostie, and he had the best month of his career, scoring seven goals and helping the Gulls turn their season around. He cooled off after that but did record a goal in his final game of the season.

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Dostie more than met my expectations from a year ago. After getting time in the ECHL in each of his first two professional seasons, I wanted him to spend the entire year in the AHL, which he was able to accomplish. Second, I wanted him to set career highs in goals, points, and games played. Well, he was able to do that in goals and points, and undoubtedly would have done that for games played if the season had not ended prematurely.

This coming season is an important one for Dostie. Assuming the Ducks re-sign him, he needs to build off of what he did this past year. He had a great November and was one of the early catalysts for San Diego’s turnaround. However, he needs to have more than one great month. He doesn’t even need to have a month as good as he did this past November; I’d settle for his offensive production being more consistent game in and game out. He’s a player who primarily gets time on the third and fourth lines, so that’s not always easy. But as a veteran of several years, I’d like to see him be more consistent going forward.

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Dostie is a restricted free agent this summer, and there’s no guarantee that Anaheim gives him a qualifying offer. Similar to Deven Sideroff, the Ducks have a number of options. First, they can qualify Dostie and then re-sign him. It will probably be on a short term deal, one or two years, and it will definitely be a two-way deal. Second, then can not qualify him, and then try to get him back in San Diego on an AHL-only deal. Finally, they could not qualify him and let him leave as a free agent. Given Dostie’s growth over the last season, I think Anaheim will try for one of the first two options. Dostie won’t ever be a great goal scorer, but he could become an important player in San Diego going forward.

The next prospect update will be on Jack Perbix.

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Prospect Update: Simon Benoit

Prospect Update: Deven Sideroff

Prospect Update: Chase De Leo

Prospect Update: Hunter Drew

Prospect Update: Olle Eriksson Ek

Prospect Update: Jack Badini

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September 20th, 2020