Ducks Cut Several Over Weekend

By Thomas Harrington

Over the weekend, the Anaheim Ducks made several roster cuts. First, on Friday, the Ducks assigned forward Carey Terrance to the Erie Otters of the OHL, where he was named the team’s captain. On Sunday, the Ducks sent 12 players to San Diego: forward Judd Caulfield, forward Ruslan Gazizov, defenseman Dillon Heatherington, defenseman Tyson Hinds, forward Travis Howe, forward Josh Lopina, forward Nico Myatovic, defenseman Roland McKeown, forward Sasha Pastujov, forward Coulson Pitre, defenseman Konnor Smith, and forward Jaxsen Wiebe. None of these moves were a surprise, and with San Diego’s training camp starting soon, many more will follow these 12 down to the AHL in the coming days.

Terrance was a second round pick from 2023. He played in all three games at the rookie tournament and recorded two assists. He played in one preseason game and was scoreless. As the Otters’ new captain, a lot will be expected out of him this season. He had 52 points in 56 games last year, and he’ll hopefully put up better numbers than that this season.

Caulfield was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March, 2023. He did not attend the rookie tournament and was scoreless in one preseason game. He was a rookie in San Diego last year and was one of the few players with the Gulls to impress me. Caulfield isn’t going to score a ton of points, but he’s a hard-working player who doesn’t take a shift off. While it’s unlikely, he’s one of my dark horse candidates to make his NHL debut this year. If he doesn’t, he should spend the entire year with the Gulls.

Hinds was a third round pick from 2021. He played in two games at the rookie tournament and scored a goal, while going scoreless in one preseason game. Similar to Caulfield, last year was Hinds’ rookie year with the Gulls. He’s more known for his defensive play than his offensive abilities. He’s another player who is a dark horse candidate to make his NHL debut this year, but if he doesn’t, he should be with the Gulls all season.

Lopina was a fourth round pick from 2021. He did not attend the rookie tournament and was scoreless in one preseason game. Last year was his sophomore campaign in the AHL, and he took a big step up from his rookie year. Hopefully he can continue to elevate his game this season. He should be in the AHL all year.

Myatovic was a second round pick from 2023. He played in all three games at the rookie tournament and had one assist, while going scoreless in one preseason game. This will be his rookie year with the Gulls. Given how much time he missed last year with an injury, he should spend the year in San Diego.

Pastujov was a third round pick from the 2021 draft. He had one assist in three games at the rookie tournament and was scoreless in one preseason game. He had an up-and-down rookie season with the Gulls, but finished the year on a high note. If he can continue the kind of production he had at the end of last season, he has a chance to make his NHL debut this year. If he doesn’t, he’ll spend the year with the Gulls.

Pitre was a third round pick in 2023. He played in two games at the rookie tournament and scored a goal and two points, while going scoreless in one preseason game. After being a point-per-game player in the OHL for the past two seasons, this will be his rookie season in the AHL.

Smith was a fourth round pick from 2023. He played in two games at the rookie tournament and was scoreless. He also played in two preseason games and was scoreless. Smith is more known for his physical play than his offensive ability. Despite being assigned to the Gulls, there’s still a chance he goes back to the OHL when the season starts. To stick with the Gulls, Smith will need to have a solid training camp with them, and then sign either an AHL-only deal with the Gulls, or his entry-level contract with the Ducks.

Wiebe was signed as a free agent in March, 2023. He was scoreless in two games at the rookie tournament and did not play in any preseason games. Wiebe split last season between the AHL and ECHL. Depending on how San Diego’s roster shakes out, he may end up playing in both leagues again this year.

Gazizov, Hetherington, Howe, and McKeown were all invited to Anaheim’s camp, and none were expected to earn a roster spot. Gazizov just signed a one-year deal with the Gulls and figures to be with them for this season; he played for the London Knights of the OHL last year. Howe has played in 68 games for the Gulls over the past two seasons and has one assist. He’s signed through this year with a club option for the 2025-2026 season. He should also spend the year in San Diego. Heatherington and McKeown have primarily been AHL players throughout their careers, but have some NHL experience under their belts. Neither are currently signed, and both will be trying to earn a contract before training camp ends.

The Ducks currently have 43 players left at training camp, so have 20 more cuts to make. However, there are a few players, like John Gibson, who will start the season on injured reserve, so the Ducks could actually have more than 23 players on their roster when the season starts. Most spots are spoken for, and several more players will be joining the Gulls soon. Among Anaheim’s prospects, Pavol Regenda leads in preseason games played with three, but is scoreless in those games. No prospect has recorded more than one point. With three preseason games left, the battle for the final couple of spots should be very interesting to watch.

Related Articles:

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Prospects We Could See In NHL This Season

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September 30th, 2024