CHL Prospect Pipeline – Anaheim Ducks

By Chris Wahl May 25, 2021

Tags: Canadian hockey league victoria royals

Introducing the CHL Prospect Pipeline presented by Kubota, the premiere feature highlighting current CHL talent that has been drafted or signed by each of the National Hockey League’s 32 teams.

Anaheim Ducks

Jamie Drysdale

Selected sixth overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Drysdale is a new-age defender who brings a deft skating style and a strong acumen to quarterback a powerplay. Originally chosen by the Erie Otters with the fourth pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Drysdale debuted with the Pennsylvania club later that year and made an immediate impression across his 63-game freshman campaign as he recorded seven goals and 33 assists for 40 points to finish eighth in scoring among all first-year skaters and top spot among all rookie rearguards, earning the 2002-born blue-liner a spot on the 2018-19 OHL First All-Rookie Team. Drysdale then followed up that performance by wrapping up 2019-20 with near point-per-game production as he posted nine goals and 38 assists across 49 contests, good for 13th among defencemen league-wide and third in Otters team scoring. This season, Drysdale competed on loan in the pro ranks, splitting time between the Ducks as well as the club’s top minor-league affiliate, the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. In Anaheim, Drysdale dazzled with eight points in 24 games, while with the farm club he finished with 10 points in 14 outings, highlighted by AHL Rookie of the Month recognition in February after he posted four goals and five assists over 11 appearances. Internationally, the Toronto native has been a frequent representative with Team Canada, with his many accolades including a gold-medal win at the 2020 World Juniors.

https://twitter.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1372804262091132934?s=20

Maxim Golod

Inking a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks last October as an undrafted free agent, the move came after Golod led the Erie Otters in scoring in 2019-20 in which he finished with 25 goals and 53 assists for a career-high 78 points, more than doubling his production from the prior campaign. In all, the product of Concord, Ont., spent three seasons with the Otters, amassing 54 goals and 92 assists for 146 points over 178 career contests. Chosen in the 13th round of the 2016 OHL Priority Selection, Golod paid dividends shortly thereafter for the Otters, putting up 33 points in 61 games during the 2017-18 campaign to finish tied for sixth among all first-year skaters league-wide and earn a spot on the OHL Second All-Rookie Team. Competing on loan in the pro ranks this season, Golod split time between the AHL’s Gulls and the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers. Prior to signing with the Ducks, the 20-year-old left-wing earned training camp invites with the Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

NEWS: It's official, veteran forward Maxim Golod has signed a three-year entry level contract with the @AnaheimDucks. @max_golod led the Otters in scoring in 2019-20 with a career high 78 points (25G-53A) and was named team MVP. Congrats, Max! Full release in link below.

— Erie Otters 🦦 (@ErieOtters) October 14, 2020

Mathew Hill

Standing 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds, Hill is a throwback defender who plays a classic stay-at-home style. A sixth-round selection in the 2019 NHL Draft, Hill has skated three seasons with the Barrie Colts and has continued to round out his offensive game since being taken in the fourth round of the 2017 OHL Priority Selection. In all, the Oakville, Ont., native has collected 25 points across 158 appearances with the Colts. The 2001-born rearguard then further flashed his offensive potential this season over a brief three-game loan with Esbjerg of the top professional Danish league in which he notched two goals and three assists.

Big 6-foot-3 @OHLBarrieColts blueliner Mathew Hill’s #NHLDraft surprise courtesy the @AnaheimDucks has him eagerly anticipating the start of another season.#OHL20in20 Summer Spotlight ☀️: https://t.co/LYblB6MYfl pic.twitter.com/MYQVm2vvjb

— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) August 9, 2019

Thimo Nickl

Competing in Sweden this season due to quarantine challenges, the big blue-liner saw 27 total appearances split between Rogle and Mora in which he registered one goal with four assists. Originally chosen 51st overall by Drummondville in the 2019 CHL Import Draft, Nickl debuted with the Voltigeurs later that year. In all, it was an impressive first season for Nickl, whose 58 games saw him register 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points, good for fifth in team scoring, 11th among rookies league-wide, and third among all first-year defencemen. The 19-year-old Austrian then impressed on the international stage, helping his home country to a first-place finish at the 2020 Division I World Junior Championships and a promotion to the 2021 World Juniors. A participant in the 2020 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, Nickl was later selected by Anaheim in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft.

Jacob Perreault

The son of longtime NHL centre Yanic Perreault, the younger also lines up at the forward ranks, but at right-wing, where he is able to flash one of the best releases in the circuit. A noted sniper who finds the back of the net with a hard, accurate shot, Perreault finished last season with 70 points in 57 games, highlighted by 39 goals that tied for second league-wide among first-year NHL Draft eligibles. Chosen at No. 19 in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection, Perreault started with the Sting later that year and ultimately finished as one of only two first-year skaters to reach the 30-goal plateau, while he was also later honoured as part of the 2018-19 OHL First All-Rookie Team. In all, two seasons with Sarnia has seen the 2002-born forward collect 69 goals and 56 assists for 125 points in just 120 games. Selected 27th overall by the Ducks in last summer’s NHL Draft, the Illinois native landed his first contract with the club soon after, putting pen to paper in November. Perreault shifted to the pro ranks on loan this season where he amassed 17 points over 27 games with the AHL’s Gulls.

Brayden Tracey

Rounding out the recent first-round selections by the Ducks, Tracey has been a consistent offensive producer over his time in the WHL, beginning with a dominant freshman campaign in 2018-19 in which he led all first years in goals (36), assists (45), and points (81) and was later awarded with the Jim Piggott Trophy as the WHL Rookie of the Year. Originally chosen 21st overall in the 2016 WHL Draft, the Calgary native has split 145 career contests between the Moose Jaw Warriors and Victoria Royals in which he has amassed 67 goals and 98 assists for 165 points. Prior to puck drop in the WHL this season, the 2001-born left-wing saw a 12-game showing with the AHL’s Gulls before returning to the Royals where he led the squad in scoring with near point-per-game production in tallying nine goals and 12 assists through 22 appearances.

2019 first-round pick Brayden Tracey was on a mission this week.

Read the full Prospect Report ⬇️https://t.co/ge6dSXtcLD pic.twitter.com/4aCqqMJjEJ

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) April 7, 2021