Prospect Update: Sam Colangelo

By Michael Walters

A second round pick from 2020, Sam Colangelo didn’t play a ton of hockey this past season because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and is easily one of the most impacted Anaheim prospects by the ongoing pandemic.

Colangelo was a freshman at Northeastern University this past season, but he ended up playing in eight games for them. Freshmen often don’t get a ton of playing time, but I was hoping he’d play more than he did. Part of this is because of his time at the World Juniors, which caused him to miss the first month of the season.

However, upon his return to Northeastern, he only played in eight games through the rest of the season. Colangelo suited up for his first NCAA game in January and was used sporadically after that. There were 13 games that Colangelo could have played in, so he missed another five by being scratched. In the eight games he played in, Colangelo recorded three assists.

Besides his few NCAA games, Colangelo also suited up for Team USA at the World Junior Tournament. He was the team’s spare forward and didn’t see a ton of ice time throughout the tournament. Despite limited playing time, Colangelo impressed me when he was on the ice. He went to the net and made himself noticeable several times. He finished the tournament with one goal in seven games.

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This coming season, I have two sets of expectations for Colangelo. First, at Northeastern, to play significantly more hockey. I think Colangelo is a very solid prospect, but I do worry that the few games he played last season will have a negative impact on his development. If he can have a bounce back season where he plays a ton, I’ll be very happy.

Second, for him to make the Team USA roster for a second time and be a more integral part of the team. I’m not expecting a Trevor Zegras type tournament out of him, but I want him to see more playing time and score a few more points. Unfortunately, he was not part of the summer showcase for Team USA. However, if he has a great start to the season, he can still make the roster, it’s just going to be that much harder to do.

Colangelo is still a couple of years from turning pro, especially given how little hockey he played this past season. If he had played a full NCAA season and put up solid numbers, I think he had a chance to turn pro a year from now. However, I think he’s got at least two, if not three, more seasons of NCAA hockey ahead of him before he turns pro and joins the San Diego Gulls. From there, I think he’ll spend a season or two in the AHL before getting a shot at the NHL.

Colangelo is currently unsigned and will be until he’s done in the NCAA. As long as this past season doesn’t have too much of a negative impact on his development, I do fully expect him to sign his entry-level deal with the Ducks in two or three years. 

The next prospect update will be on Bryce Kindopp.

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Prospect Update: Hunter Drew

Prospect Update: Bo Groulx

Prospect Update: Simon Benoit

Prospect Update: Lukas Dostal

Prospect Update: Jack Badini

Prospect Update: Ethan Brown

Prospect Update: Matt Berkovitz

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August 17th, 2021