Prospect Update: Nico Myatovic

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks chose forward Nico Myatovic in the second round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, 33rd overall. He played for the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL this past season, and when their season ended, he joined the San Diego Gulls on an ATO.

With Seattle, Myatovic played in 34 games and scored nine goals and 30 points. Unfortunately, he suffered a lower body injury in October and didn’t return to action until January. He didn’t score in his first game back but did record four shots. In a strange twist, he also played some defense for a game for Seattle in February. Despite the injury, Myatovic finished seventh on the team in both assists and points, and was second on the team in points per game with .88. Seattle was in a rebuilding year, but it was nice to see Myatovic have a strong finish to the season with eight points in six games.

With the Thunderbirds missing the WHL playoffs, Myatovic joined the Gulls and played in a dozen games to end the season, going scoreless in them. He was primarily used on the team’s third and fourth lines. Despite not scoring, he provided a strong fore-checking presence for San Diego. Of all Anaheim’s prospects who joined the Gulls late in the season, Myatovic far and away played in the most games.

Myatovic stands at 6’3”. Once he fills out his frame with some more muscle, he could become a significant force on the ice. He’s an excellent skater who can play on just about any line and fill any role. He can score a big goal, lay a big hit, get in on the fore-check, play on the penalty kill, play on the powerplay, and even be a defenseman if needed.

Myatovic is still just 19 and is eligible for another year of junior hockey. However, he has a December birthday, so he could play for the Gulls next season instead. Last season, Nathan Gaucher was in a similar situation, and the Ducks chose to have him play in the AHL instead of going back to juniors for another year. Given that example, I believe that Myatovic will likely play for the Gulls this coming season, unless he has a poor showing at training camp and in the preseason.

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Myatovic’s dozen games of AHL experience will hopefully give him a leg up heading into this season, but at 19, I don’t want to set expectations too high for him. First, I want him to play in at least half of San Diego’s games. Especially after missing so much time due to injury last year, I’ll be happy if he’s part of the regular rotation in San Diego’s lineup. Second, for him to get used in a variety of situations. I don’t expect him to be counted on to be one of the team’s leading scorers, but I want to see him out on the penalty kill, when the opposition team has their goalie pulled, and even some powerplay time. Finally, I want him to put up some points. He doesn’t need to score a ton, but I’ll be satisfied with something in the 10 goal and 25 point range, similar to what many of San Diego’s rookies did last year.

Myatovic is still a few years away from the NHL. This is even more true after missing half a season of development. He’ll likely spend the next two years in the AHL, and then have a shot at making his NHL debut in 2026-2027, with a chance at a full time roster spot in the following year.

Myatovic signed his entry-level contract with Anaheim in March, at the same time he signed his ATO to join the Gulls. Given his age, his contract will not begin this coming season, unless he plays in 10 NHL games. Instead it will begin in the 2025-2026 season. When it expires, Myatovic will be a restricted free agent. If he has become a regular NHL player by then, he’ll definitely be re-signed, possibly for several years. If he’s still bouncing back and forth between the NHL and AHL, he’ll probably get extended by a year or so. If he has yet to make his NHL debut or has spent significant time in the ECHL, the Ducks will probably choose to not qualify him and let him leave as a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on defenseman Rodwin Dionicio.

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September 4th, 2024