Ducks Make Several More Cuts

By Thomas Harrington

Before Monday’s preseason game against Los Angeles, the Anaheim Ducks made another round of roster cuts. They assigned goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets, forward Ryan Carpenter, defenseman Rodwin Dionicio, forward Pavol Regenda, and defenseman Noah Warren to San Diego and released forward Boris Katchouk from his professional tryout.

Then on Tuesday, the Ducks assigned defenseman Drew Helleson, forward Jan Mysak, and forward Yegor Sidorov to San Diego, and placed forward Carson Meyer on waivers. If Meyer clears, he’ll be assigned to the Gulls. Most of these moves were expected, but Regenda being sent down is definitely the first surprise cut of the preseason.

Buteyets was a sixth round pick from the 2022 draft. He started two games at the rookie tournament, picking up the loss in one game and playing half of the other. He did not play in any preseason games for the Ducks. While it was known he was going to San Diego at some point, I am a little surprised he didn’t see any preseason action given how long he stayed in Anaheim. Regardless, with Tomas Suchanek out for much of the season and John Gibson missing the beginning of the season, he’s going to get a much bigger chance with the Gulls sooner than expected.

Carpenter had signed a two-year AHL deal with the Gulls back in July. There was no question that he’d be heading to the AHL; the only question was when. He’s bounced back and forth between the NHL and AHL throughout his career. Hopefully he’ll help the Gulls get back to the playoffs this year.

Dionicio was a fifth round pick from 2023. He played in three games at the rookie tournament and was scoreless, while picking up an assist in two preseason games. Despite recording no points at the rookie tournament, Dionicio really impressed me with his overall play. This will be his first professional season. It’s great that Dionicio played in two preseason games; hopefully that experience will help him this season. There was never any question that he’d be going down to San Diego during training camp. However, if he has a good enough season with the Gulls, he is on my dark horse list to make his NHL debut this year.

Regenda is the first surprise cut for me this preseason. He was signed as a free agent in the summer of 2022. He did not attend the rookie tournament and was scoreless in three preseason games. As one of Anaheim’s older prospects with 19 games of NHL experience, a lot is expected out of him this season. His lack of production despite leading Anaheim’s rookies with three games is likely the reason for his demotion. While it’s disappointing to see him cut so early, I do believe that he’ll play himself back up to Anaheim at some point this season.

Warren was a second round pick from 2022. He recorded an assist in two games at the rookie tournament and was scoreless in two preseason games. This will be Warren’s first professional season, and he’s another player who was ticketed for the AHL this season. Similar to Dionicio, hopefully those two preseason games will be beneficial for Warren’s development. He’s also on my dark horse list to make his NHL debut this year if he plays well enough with the Gulls.

Katchouk has bounced between the NHL and AHL for much of his career. Given the youth movement Anaheim is currently going through, it’s not surprising to see him cut. It’s possible he signs with the Gulls or looks elsewhere in the NHL to continue his playing career.

Helleson was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche back in 2022. He did not attend the rookie tournament and had one assist in three preseason games. He made his NHL debut during the 2022-2023 season, getting three games with the Ducks. He has yet to make it back to the NHL since then. Helleson isn’t guaranteed to make it back to Anaheim this year, but if he’s playing well enough for the Gulls, he’s one of the prospects who is more likely to do so.

Mysak was acquired from Montreal this past March for Jacob Perreault. He was then assigned to the Gulls and played most of the rest of the year on the fourth line. He did not attend the rookie tournament and was scoreless in one preseason game. It would be amazing to see him make it to the NHL this year, but to me, this season is more about Mysak being able to take on a bigger role with the Gulls. He didn’t get much of a chance last season, hopefully he will this year.

Sidorov was a third round pick from 2023. He played in all three games at the rookie tournament and was tied for the team lead in goals with two. Sidorov played in two preseason games and scored a goal. This will be his first professional season and will likely spend the entire year with the Gulls. However, he was one of Anaheim’s most impressive forwards at the rookie tournament. If he can elevate his play to an even higher level, he has a chance to make his NHL debut this year.

The Ducks signed Meyer to a one-year contract back in July. He’s primarily played in the AHL throughout his career but does have some NHL games under his belt, playing in a career high 14 games twice. Similar to Carpenter, Meyer was brought in to try and make the Gulls a better team this season and get back in the playoff race.

Once Meyer is assigned to San Diego, the Ducks will have 33 players left in training camp, meaning they need to cut 10 more players. Rookies like Sam Colangelo, Nikita Nesterenko, and Tristan Luneau are battling veterans like Jansen Harkins and Gustav Lindstrom for those final few spots. There are two preseason games left, it’ll be interesting to see who makes it and who doesn’t.

Related Articles:

Ranking Anaheim’s Prospect Positions

2024-25: Anaheim’s Top 10 Rookies

Prospects We Could See In NHL This Season

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October 1st, 2024