Prospect Update: Judd Caulfield

By Thomas Harrington

Acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Thimo Nickl, forward Judd Caulfield completed his second year of professional hockey with the San Diego Gulls this past season. Pittsburgh had originally drafted him in the fifth round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 145th overall.

Caulfield played in 67 games this past season, scoring 11 goals and 25 points. He played in six more games than his rookie year, scored one more goal, and finished with two fewer points. He spent most of the year on San Diego’s third line and saw time on the penalty kill as well. He finished ninth on the team in goals and points.

I only had one expectation for Caulfield last year, to be better than his rookie season, which he didn’t quite do in terms of his offensive production. I was hoping for something around 15 goals and 30 points out of the young winger. He missed both of those marks. However, while his offense didn’t really improve, his overall consistency certainly did.

This coming year, Caulfield will be back with the Gulls for a third straight season. He’ll never be a big time goal scorer or point producer. Instead, he’s a solid bottom six forward with some offensive ability. I have a couple of expectations for him this coming season. First, I’d like to see him get to those 15 goal and 30 point marks I set for him a season ago. Second, for Caulfield’s overall game to continue to improve. If he does make it to the NHL, it won’t be because of his offensive ability, but instead the other skills he brings to the ice.

Caulfield is still years from making it to the NHL. After a solid rookie season, I had him on my darkhorse list of candidates to make the NHL last season, but that was really only if he took a big step forward in terms of his overall game. While his overall game did improve, it wasn’t enough, especially with his offensive numbers not seeing improvement. As a result, I don’t think he’ll even make my darkhorse list this coming season. Instead, if he can have a solid season with San Diego, maybe he gets a shot at the NHL in the 2026-2027 season or beyond.

Caulfield is currently a restricted free agent and Anaheim controls his rights for the next several years. However, he has already signed a one-year deal with San Diego. What that means is he will be able to play for the Gulls even though he isn’t under contract with the Ducks. While not a unique situation, it certainly isn’t all that common. This likely means that Anaheim wants to see more out of Caulfield before using one of their 50 contract spots on him. It could also mean that the Ducks don’t anticipate him being in the NHL this year, so having him on an AHL-only deal gives the Ducks some more flexibility. Caulfield could also sign an extension with Anaheim whenever the two sides choose to do so. For now, it’s clear that he will be in San Diego this coming year, and if he signs with the Ducks, we may see him in Anaheim as well.

The next prospect update will be on forward Jaxsen Wiebe.

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Graduated Prospect: Sam Colangelo

Graduated Prospect: Drew Helleson

Graduated Prospect: Cutter Gauthier

Graduated Prospect: Nikita Nesterenko

Prospect Update: Ian Moore

Prospect Update: Kyle Kukkonen

Prospect Update: Nico Myatovic

Prospect Update: Yigor Sidorov

Prospect Update: Vyacheslav Buteyets

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July 25th, 2025