Prospect Update: Jaxsen Wiebe

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks signed an undrafted free agent, forward Jaxsen Wiebe, to an entry-level contract at the end of 2022-2023 season. He played in both the AHL and ECHL this past season.

With the Gulls, Wiebe played in 24 games and scored four goals and five points. He was a healthy scratch many nights and played primarily on the fourth line. He was also injured for about a month from mid-February to mid-March. He was twice assigned to the ECHL, once in November and again in March. He recorded an assist in his first game with San Diego, and had goals in back-to-back games in January.

In the ECHL, Wiebe played for the Tulsa Oilers. He scored four goals and six points in 11 games for them. During his first assignment to Tulsa in November, Wiebe scored two goals and three points in three games and was promptly recalled to San Diego. His second stint with them wasn’t quite as successful, but he still put up some points. The Oilers made the playoffs but were swept by the Kansas City Mavericks in the first round. Wiebe appeared in all four games and was scoreless.

I had two expectations for Wiebe last summer. First, for him to play in a majority of San Diego’s games, which he missed. He ended up playing in a third of the team’s games. Second, for him to get better as the season went on. While he did finish the year in the ECHL, he’s a hard-working player who fits in well on a team’s fourth line and penalty kill unit. Wiebe was playing well when he was assigned to Tulsa again; I think it was more of a numbers game to make sure that he got some playing time instead of being a healthy scratch most nights, so I’ll give him at least partial credit for this expectation.

Wiebe will be back with the Gulls this coming season, and depending on how he plays and what the roster looks like, he could see more time in the ECHL as well. The Gulls have lost some players to free agency, but there will also be more Anaheim prospects joining the team next season, which means a roster spot in San Diego is far from guaranteed for Wiebe.

Wiebe is still a number of years away from the NHL, if he makes it at all. If he does make it, it will most likely be as a fourth line player. He plays a physical game and doesn’t score a ton of points. If he can establish himself as an AHL player over the next couple of seasons, then I could see him getting a shot at the NHL somewhere down the line. However, if he continues to bounce between the AHL and ECHL, the odds of him making it to the NHL will decrease.

I have a couple of expectations for Wiebe in his second professional season. First, for him to set a career high in games played with the Gulls. He doesn’t need to play in every game, but I’d like to see him suit up for more than 24 games. Second, while it won’t surprise me if he does see some time in the ECHL, I’d like to see him play fewer ECHL games next season. If he can increase his AHL time and decrease his ECHL time, that will be a good season for Wiebe.

Wiebe has two years left on his entry-level deal, and he’ll be a restricted free agent when it’s over. If he can consistently play in San Diego over the next two years and become one of their veteran players, I could see the Ducks extending him for a year or two. The Ducks could also choose to not qualify him and try to get him signed to an AHL-only deal. However, if he spends a lot more time in the ECHL, the Ducks will probably let him leave as a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on defenseman Tyson Hinds.

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Graduated Prospect: Leo Carlsson

Graduated Prospect: Drew Helleson

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August 4th, 2024