2020-2021 AHL Pacific Wish List AKA Trade Targets I Like

I promised I would write something in the lead up to the Trade Deadline and then all of a sudden it is upon us (literally ending in eight or so hours) and I haven’t even started.

I am absolutely sure I wrote something similar a year or so back but for the life of me I cannot find it, perhaps I wrote it at Anaheim Calling. Oh snap here it is, turns out I did.

So essentially – I try to write about players I have noticed on the opposition this season and lay out my reasons for why I would like them in the Anaheim organization. Note; these are complete hypothetical pipe-dreams and I have deliberately left out certain teams (Reign) and players (Soderstrom) because there is slim to no chance that Anaheim ever makes a swap regarding prospects involving that club or that player.

Pavel Dorofeyev – Henderson Silverknights (Vegas)

Position: LW

Age: 20

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 176lb

I know a certain Locked_On Ducks podcast personality disagrees with me on this one but Dorofeyev caught my attention in that first three game series against the Gulls earlier this season. He didn’t get on the scoresheet in the first two games but he played a part in two important goals in the third and final match of the series and was all over the ice for the majority of the game. The Las Vegas 2019 third round pick is described by Elite Prospects as

“A highly creative and gifted offensive player. Dorofeyev reads the game impressively and is also equipped with a good release and sweet puckhandling skills. Compete level has been questioned.”

EliteProspects.com

That last note sums up the inconsistency surrounding the overall numbers he has put up in his career thus far – including his first pro season in North America, he has 5 points in 12 games this year on a tops in the division Henderson team. Before coming across from Europe he had 7 points in 48 games for Metallurg in the KHL last season and 31 points in 19 games for their junior club in the MHL the season before. Las Vegas has a wealth of talented forward prospects and are only growing it year on year, if Dorofoyev fails to develop to their expectations next season perhaps he becomes spare parts and they look to make a swap to bolster their weaker blue-line pipeline. Anaheim on the other hand seemingly cant help drafting and developing from the back-end, even if has not looked as plentiful as it has in years past. Vegas also still has a Cup Contention window available and Anaheim has some rapidly approaching UFA-status forwards and defense men that could help the Golden Knights. At the 2019 draft a lot of prospect analysts did not deny his pure talent but also re-iterated the overall inconsistency and lack of compete on occasion. I feel he could be worth taking a flyer on should Vegas eventually give up on him.

Michael Carcone – Tucson Roadrunners via Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville)

Position: LW

Age: 24

Height: 5’10”

Weight: 172lb

This one might feel like a bit of recency bias and I admit I was very surprised to find he is tad older than I expected but the guy put up six goals over two games against the Gulls this past weekend, there is no denying that. He also scored the majority of those goals in style – much like the highlight above against the Reign a couple of months back. An un-drafted free-agent, Carcone might be a late bloomer. He had 27 points in 59 games for Belleville last season and 44 points 42 games split between Utica and the Marlies the year before. This year he has 12 points in 23 games on an unfamiliar roster with players he has never spent time with before. His size is likely why he was never drafted but what he lacks in height he makes up in speed and hands, he also has a nose for the net that reminds me a lot of Kevin Roy (sigh). He fits the age range of players that Murray is quoted as wanting to re-create his roster with moving forward but may not fit the desired pedigree. I’ll end this by noting that one Andy MacDonald – also 5’10” and also un-drafted, put up remarkably similar numbers across two partial seasons in the AHL before getting his NHL shot.

Max Gildon – Bakersfield Condors via Charlotte Checkers (Florida)

Position: Defense (Shoots Left)

Age: 21

Height: 6’3″

Weight: 192lb

Bakersfield have a veteran heavy roster this season so it was hard to remember any youngsters that really stood out to me. Markus Niemelainen was one name and I do like his overall game but I am not sure how well it would translate to the NHL level – it seems too one-dimensional for me; I could be wrong though. Marcus Petersson was thought of much the same way. Gildon however – made the case. I distinctly remembered a game back in early March where he scored a goal and an assist in a 3-1 Bakersfield win over the Gulls. A 2017 third round pick for the Panthers the left shooting defender spent three seasons at the University of New Hampshire putting up very good numbers including 29 points in 34 games in his Junior year and final season. He is described at EliteProspects.com as:

“A minute-muncher who can contribute at both ends of the ice… a steadying presence in his own zone… strong and physical”

EliteProspects.com

The highlight above shows him attempt to rush the puck through the neutral zone before fumbling it and narrowly avoiding a hit from Poturalski but then following up on the play and joining the rush unnoticed to get the easy put in for his first AHL goal. I don’t know if you have noticed lately but the Ducks/Gulls game plan has been embracing the defencemen joining the rush a lot of recent times and Gildon is the kind of player that fits that mold.

Sampo Ranta – Colorado Eagles (Colorado)

Position: LW

Age: 20

Height: 6’2″

Weight: 205lbs

This one is going to fall into the pipe-dream category because I am fairly sure Colorado knows what they have in their late-blooming 2018 third round pick. Then again, the Avalanche are also very stacked at forward and are currently contending while the recently turned pro Ranta is likely a few years away from contributing at the NHL level. Anaheim and their scouts will be very familiar with Ranta given he spent much of the last three seasons playing alongside Blake McLaughlin and Jackson LaCombe at the University of Minnesota where he put up a total of 67 points in 102 games including a breakout 31 points in 31 games this season. Since signing his entry level deal he has one goal in two games for the Eagles and I am eagerly anticipating when the Gulls next meet Colorado at the very end of this season. He is described as having the ability to play in all situations and excelling in zone entries – a skill set becoming increasingly important in the modern NHL game. More of a finisher than a play-maker, he can pull off some amazing passes and it has been noted that the biggest strengths in his game are his skating and ability to win puck battles. Interestingly he was supposed to play for the University of Wisconsin but failed to gain admission and transferred to Minnesota – no other back story to that but the Golden Gophers program clearly honed his talents. I shouldn’t need to point out the obvious- the Ducks need goal scorers and a guy whose whole game centers around winning puck battles can’t hurt either.

Noah Gregor – San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)

Position: C (shoots left)

Age: 22

Height: 6’0″

Weight: 185lbs

Ok this one is a massive not-going-to-happen but I didn’t really know who else on the Barracuda to single out other than maybe 2020 first round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt and well – the Sharks have been pretty fool hardy with their first round picks lately but not that foolish. Gregor has already seen time in the NHL over the last two seasons putting up a total 8 points in 44 games in a mostly grinding energy-line role. The Gulls have seen him once this season and he got a goal an assist in a 4-2 Barracuda win. The Sharks 2015 fourth round pick is noted to have a similar development curve to the Ducks Rickard Rakell – which timing wise – is somewhat ironic given Rakells time with the Ducks might be quickly running out. He has 9 points in 10 games with the Barracuda this season and had 19 points in 25 games last year – interestingly he appears to have spent an extra year in the WHL as an over-ager where he put up 88 points in 63 games for the Prince Albert Raiders. His draft profiles described him as a sleeper and near the top of the CHL among a talented group of penalty killers with speed and versatility being the biggest strengths in his game. I can’t see San Jose and Anaheim doing a deal anytime soon given they are both at the same end of the NHL standings-spectrum but if for some reason San Jose did decide they still had a Cup window (lol) maybe they look to add some more veterans while dealing some possibly surplus to requirements center depth… ok I cant keep a straight face with that last one.