Prospect Update: Drew Helleson

By Thomas Harrington

The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman Drew Helleson from the Colorado Avalanche as part of the Josh Manson deal. Colorado originally drafted him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, 47th overall.

Helleson’s second professional season was a good one, but he didn’t take a huge step forward. After playing in 65 games for the Gulls and making his NHL debut in the 2022-2023 season, Helleson suffered through injuries and only played in 59 AHL games this past season while not seeing any NHL action. Overall, he scored four goals, 14 assists, and 18 points, which was one goal fewer, one assist more, and the same number of points as the previous season. I think he actually had a good chance to be called up to Anaheim when Radko Gudas was injured in March, but Helleson himself was injured at the time.

I had two expectations for Helleson last summer, and he managed to hit one of them. For the first, I wanted him to continue to be a top four defenseman for the Gulls and improve his game defensively. Most nights, he was on the team’s top pairing, and was a steady defensive presence for San Diego. Second, I wanted him to get some NHL time and show that he could be a full time NHL player someday. That didn’t happen, but again, I think injuries and timing definitely played a part in that. That being said, even with the injuries taken into account, I still would have preferred him to play well enough to force a call up to Anaheim at a different point in the season.

This coming year, Helleson will be back with the Gulls for a third straight season, with maybe some time in Anaheim as well. I have a few expectations for him. First, if he spends enough time with the Gulls, to set a new career high in AHL games played. Second, for him to make it back to the NHL. Progress is not a linear path for most prospects, and while it was disappointing for him to not see any time in Anaheim this past season, that doesn’t mean he has no future in the NHL. It just means last season either didn’t go as well for him, it never made sense for the Ducks to utilize his skill set, or he was injured when he could have been called up. This year, he needs to play well enough to force his way back onto Anaheim’s ice. It’s not a make-or-break season for Helleson, but another year of just AHL action will be a definite concern for where he’s at in his development.

Helleson has one year left on his entry-level contract, and at this point, I don’t think it’s a guarantee the Ducks qualify him next summer. If Helleson can spend some time with the Ducks and be one of the best defensemen with the Gulls, he’ll likely get extended. But if he stays in the AHL for the year and struggles in his third professional season, the Ducks may let him leave as a free agent.

The next prospect update will be on forward Judd Caulfield.

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July 21st, 2024