San Diego Gulls 2021 Grades

The season of the Upside Down (TM) has come to a close and it is time to assign the San Diego Gulls player grades. Forty four regular season games. Three “post season” games. One hundred and thirty three players that didn’t want to play in the “post season”. Four defense-men converted to forward. Two free-agent college signings And One heart-breaking trade (OK technically two but Kopacka didn’t hurt as bad).

I will do this years grading in alphabetical order in the hopes that I don’t miss anybody, some I may miss on purpose due to sample size and some because it still hurts to see their name still on the AHL team stats after they were tra.. I cant. I just cant..OK on with the show.

I say “mostly” showed up and that is my only criticism of Agozzino this year, one that is shared across the other veteran forwards as well. There were games where he and his line were desperately needed to pick up the slack when the kids weren’t firing and well, they didn’t.

That said, I would be happy if the Ducks brought the pending UFA back as part of the Gulls veteran core next season.

As I wrote in some post game recaps – his play took me completely by surprise and he grew on me as the season went on. I tried to find flaws in his game but could only see the obvious sometime size mismatch against the heavier forwards, that said – even that part of his game surprised me sometimes as he won more board battles than lost. He did not look out of place jumping up in the rush and showed some promise on the Power Play – but I was never concerned with his offensive skill, his defensive game was what took my notice. He made some very good and key defensive blocks as well as looking very good in transition.

This was the first year of his three year entry level deal and I am excited to see how he develops, he just needs to bulk up a bit (179lbs) but other than that everything is trending in the right direction.

I joked that if the Ducks somehow ever rid themselves of Derek Grants contract, Badini is the heir-apparent but in reality; Groulx is the far better option there with more upside. Badini has one more year left on his entry deal so next season he will need to step up his game if he hopes to earn a new contract.

This season Badini was consistently great at getting in the dirty areas, finishing his checks and in some flashes – being a menace in front of the net. If he can develop that game further – he might find his way to the NHL, maybe even as an Antoine Vermette face-off specialist type. Time will tell.

I said at the start of the year that Benoit was looking to be next on the depth chart for call-up (not really counting Mahura or Guhle, nor expecting Drysdale to make the jump so quickly) and I was proven right! Sort of. Anyway, Ill take it. He also didn’t look too out of his depth at the NHL level, applying his game and gaining favorable reviews from most pundits. He has two more years left on his entry level deal, plenty of time to get more game-time with the Ducks next season or campaign for a spot with another club by the time he eventually becomes a UFA (still a few more years away).

I should have looked back further. Brouillard spent time in the Toronto system, getting a game with the Marlies in 2016 and looked to have a potential promising pro-career when he finished the season with 21 points in 39 games for the Solar Bears in the ECHL but he opted for the collegiate route, smartly ensuring he had an education and options after Hockey before deciding to try the pro-route again.

He turned out to be one of the surprise standouts of the season despite playing half if not more of the year as a converted forward. He looks composed on the breakout, has great confidence with the puck in transition and even better quarterbacking a Power Play. He also plays a lot bigger than his size and has some bite to his game that would often inject some tenacity to a tilt whenever there was energy lacking. At 26 he is on the old-side for a prospect but I am excited to see what he can do with a full year at defense should the Gulls do the right thing and bring him back for another term. There is the question of the veteran rule coming back into play and how that changes things though.

For the Gulls, my only gripe is I wished he had matched the Condors veteran leader Adam Cracknell in intensity toward the end of the season and perhaps San Diego might have gone further in the “playoffs” but he like much of the other players, seemed checked out.

He seems committed to Anaheim and the Gulls long-term, especially now that his brother Trevor has been acquired and looks to remain with the organization to help mentor incoming young defensemen. Both are pending UFAs with the exact same salary. I would hope the Ducks bring the Gulls Captain back next year.

But I did not love his tendency to take a penalty at the worst possible time; I even called him out for it early in the season and saw that he um.. potentially appreciated my feedback. Perhaps he did because I dont particularly remember him doing it again throughout the rest of the year. I would like the Gulls to bring him back and given he is the brother of the Captain it would make the most sense that they do, but there is also the issue of the veteran rule coming back into effect next year. I will write a separate article on that later but as it is I can name well over five veterans off the top of my head already and something will have to give. Who stays and who goes?

Curran looked at times to be like a man playing against boys, which I guess – given he is 31 and the average age in the AHL is I am guessing 25, was a pretty acute assessment. Always so confident with the puck, effortless in his skating, calm under pressure and always making the right play. The only fault I could see in his game was a lack of motivation on some nights, particularly toward the end of the season.

One has to wonder – were this a normal season without the complications of Covid – the Ducks would have likely kept Drysdale in the OHL and Curran would have been given more of an opportunity, I am guessing that was the initial plan. That said – the Ducks did the same thing with Jani Hakanpaa a year ago, signing him to a two year deal and giving him a year in the AHL to get him acclimatized to the Norther American game before graduating him to the big club this past season. I realise Hakanpaa and Curran aren’t the same calibre of player, same same but different. You get the idea. I am not counting his Danish or Norwegian league games toward professional experience which puts him 109 games under the veteran rule cap but if they did count he would have just 26 games left of eligibility of veteran exemption. Either the way – the Ducks/Gulls get at least one more year of him not being counted as a veteran and if he continues to get passed over for looks with the big club I would start lobbying for a trade if I were him.

He got into one NHL game this season while making several Taxi squad appearances but is now at the end of his first (one year) UFA deal, obtained after the Ducks did not qualify him then offered a 50k pay-cut but a 40k bump on his minors salary. De Leo came into this season motivated to quiet the nay-sayers wrong and put up the points to prove it, he counts as one of the Gulls many veterans again next season so the future is up in the air as he decides whether to bet on himself to make the Ducks next season or perhaps venture to greener pastures with guaranteed ice-time in their system with a pay-rise. Given the leadership role he was given this season, I hope he sticks around.

Anyway, with Luke Gazdic announcing his retirement recently we might see Devane back next season but I dont really have any qualms with that either way.
UPDATE: Devane has signed with Wilkesbarre Scranton so nope, see ya Jamie.

But he soon found his game again in the final stretch, stringing together eight straight wins before doing all that he could to keep the Gulls season going while the rest of his team appeared to be mentally checked out. He had a 0.935 save percentage and 2.55 GAA through the three game series with Bakersfield – the best of any goaltender in the “post season” and even saw time on the NHL bench as a backup this year. Dostal saw stiff competition from a surprisingly resurgent Olle Eriksson Ek and made a statement with his super-human head turning play to end the year, I am excited to see how he fares with a full season and a less condensed schedule next year.

I’ll be happy to see him back again next year, it will be his last before being counted as a veteran which could prove valuable – but I also hope he gets a chance. He deserves it.

He was forced to play at forward for the majority of the season but did not look out of place as I wrote several times that the position is much better suited to his game. He used his size to drive the net, his deceptive release to fool goaltenders and his power to create space for line-mates. Where I would prefer to see Brouillard play his natural position of defense next season, I would like to see Drew continue on the converted forward path – but it’s not up to me.

Although we had seen him make appearances in relief last season this years saw a lot of firsts for the brother of the Minnesota Wilds Joel Eriksson Ek. His first career AHL start was also his first career AHL win, a 3-2 overtime victory against the Barracuda on March the 6th. As Coach Dineen rode the hot hand Eriksson Ek won five of his next six starts before falling into a pattern of wins and losses in his final eight starts of the season – losing the net to Dostal in the process.

Dostal and Eriksson Ek could not be any more different in skill-set, what Dostal lacks in size he makes up for in elite-reads and athleticism. But Eriksson Ek finally showed us what he can do this year, his size and positional play shone while his greatest strength lay in his steely calm under duress. There was one memorable game where he faced down two partial breaks – one of which was a clear cut breakaway, both he stopped but the breakaway he did in an almost mic-drop fashion. With the retirement of Ryan Miller the depth chart now shifts to Dostal now being the next call-up should Gibson or Stolarz fall to injury which means Eriksson Ek may be relied upon to carry the Gulls for stretches next season. I think this year he proved he is ready for that.

Once he eventually made it to the Gulls it took a while for him to make his AHL debut, eventually doing so on the 5th of March against the Barracuda. He did not get on the scoresheet for that game but rebounded with a two assist night on the back to back playing on a line with Hunter Drew and BO Groulx.

Golod showed flashes of promise throughout the year but ultimately suffered from rookie inconsistency as he went three and four game stretches without getting on the scoresheet broken up by the odd multi-point night. A similar and frustrating story to that of Jack Kopacka before the Ducks dealt him to start this season in the final year of his entry level deal. His point total translates to 4 points less than Kopacka had in his debut AHL season but here is hoping the future with the Gulls is brighter for Golod.

He drove play, visibly made his line-mates better while the eye-test proved his importance to the Gulls success by how often his line not only started almost every single game, but was also called upon for important offensive or defensive zone face-offs. He started the season slow but by early March had settled into a groove, notching multi-point efforts every second game, once Alex Limoges joined the squad his game was elevated that much more as the play maker and sniper found instant chemistry. By seasons end he finished fifth in the rookie scoring race and tied for second in shorthanded goals with four other players including Bryce Kindopp. The only negative thing I have to say about his season is he is the likely reason Antoine Morand became expendable, where Morand was once the Gulls best penalty killer – Groulx took that mantle after the first month of play. It was a joy to watch the exponential development of Goulx this season and although I will be happy to see him possibly make the Ducks next year, I hope Gulls fans get at least a year of seeing him in person before he does.

A lot among the Anaheim fan-base have already given up on the player the Ducks acquired along with a late first round pick that turned into Brayden Tracey in a deal with Buffalo for Brandon Montour. Defencemen generally do take longer to develop and Guhle is still just 23, he has one year left on a two year extension he signed last summer but he has been plagued by injuries during his tenure with the Ducks/Gulls. I still have faith that he can develop into a serviceable puck-rushing and responsible defender but if he cannot stay healthy for a full season next year, he might find himself being moved on.

Starting the season slow – at least on the scoresheet, it wasn’t really until after the departure of Antoine Morand on March 24th that Kindopp saw increased opportunity on the penalty kill and some instant chemistry with BO Groulx and Alex Limoges when he arrived two days later. The tandem of Kindopp and Groulx proved to be the most consistent and dangerous of the Gulls forward penalty killers, combining for four of the five total short handed goals on the squad. It should also be noted that two of his ten goals were game winners, the most by any rookie on the team – perhaps a portent of a certain clutch aspect to his game. Twenty points in thirty nine games isn’t a bad start for a first year pro fresh from Juniors not to mention showing definite promise as a valuable special teams player, that said – if Groulx see’s time with the Ducks next year it will be interesting to see how Kindopp fares without him.

Finishing the regular season fifth on the team in scoring despite playing just twenty two of the total forty four games, he then added a goal and two assists in the three game series with Bakersfield. He is once again a UFA after completing the one year two-way deal he signed in October and I for one would love to have him back – here is hoping he does stick around.

Finding instant chemistry with BO Groulx and joined by Kindopp on the other wing, the trio became the Gulls most consistent and reliable line down the stretch. Limoges plays a blend of power forward and skill that reminds me a lot of Corey Perry, nimble enough to slip through defenders while also over-powering and winning board battles with his size. His nose for the net was a perfect complement to BO Groulx and his deadly release saw him finish fifth on the Gulls in goals with eleven, the most by a rookie and tied for seventh overall in league rookie goal scoring. Worryingly he was only initially signed to a PTO and we have had no news of an ELC or other deal as yet – as I said several times through the first week after he joined the Gulls. Sign. This. Kid.

He didn’t seem to get on the right side of Coach Dineen, spending stretches in the press box in a season where the veteran rule had been temporarily suspended while defenders played out of position in forward line spots he could have filled. He was last seen in two of the final three games against Colorado before being shelved again for the three game series with Bakersfield. I don’t think we will be seeing him back.

His physical shutdown game may not have amounted to much on the scoresheet but he often helped the Gulls to preserve a win by making several key shot-blocks in the clutch and in critical moments of a game. The veteran rule coming back into effect makes it hard to justify bringing both he and Trevor Carrick back but given how Lowe was an important part of introducing Drysdale and Anderson to their pro careers I hope we do see him again next season.

There were games (such as the one he is pictured in here) where he seemed the only guy giving it his all and even though you might expect some frustration and disenchantment with how his career development was progressing he never took a night off or had a bad game. He was not quite the obvious number one defensemen that Drysdale instantly became during his short tenure with the Gulls but he was more often than not – the quiet stalwart that they could always rely on. His future now depends on how the Ducks continue to reshape their blue-line – the acquisition of Haydn Fluery does not help his case, but if Jacob Larsson is dealt or taken by Seattle in the expansion draft there is still hope. Of course – Mahura’s name has been the one most commonly spoken in terms of the Krakens likely Duck selection, I am hoping it doesn’t end up that way but have made peace with it if it does.

Perhaps most surprisingly – he also showed a pest-like facet to his game, drawing several penalties and finding himself the target and ire of near-all of the Pacific division. This did not come without consequence as he had to come back from injury twice as well as being unavailable to the Gulls at the end of the season as well as the three game series with Bakersfield. The run of injuries may be of concern but it should also be noted that he was playing as a 192 pound 18/19 year old against seasoned pros and defenders with 20-30 pounds on him. I can confidently say based off what I saw of him this season that he is too good for Junior but unless the Ducks elect to give him a spot and consistent ice-time on their roster next year, he will be stuck in Junior for one more year.

There were times where he single-handedly created goals with patient puck play, amazing shot-passes or drew in opposing defenders and found an open line-mate with a last minute pass. There were also times where he seemed only half interested. I guess that would be my main gripe for him this year – he led he Gulls and created a lot of their offense this season but was largely invisible in the three game series with Bakersfield; perhaps he was one of the many players that voted against the additional “playoff” games – who knows. His one year “lets try that again” deal has expired and he should be expecting a pay bump based off his play this season, I for one would like him back but we will see if the Ducks see him in their plans.

Once the WHL started back up again he had to return to Victoria where he scored 9 goals and added 12 assists in 22 games, leading the Royals in points but still only good for 53rdish overall in the high scoring league. He will look to start his first FULL professional career season next year – drafted as more of a play-maker, I would like to see more of that side of him along with some more poise with the puck as he gets more comforable with the pro-game.

He had 9 points in 8 games as a winger before being called up and contributing a further 13 points in 24 NHL games for the Ducks. Upon his return you got the sense he didnt exactly feel on board with the decision and rationale behind his demotion. Officially announced as a move to re-establish the BU standout in his natural position of center, he had some games where he absolutely dominated in both the face-off circle and on the scoresheet and others where he appeared for want of a better expression – not all there. He had 12 points in 9 games during this second stint, including a four point night against the Reign before getting called up again with time left in the Anaheim season – but not enough that he would have the year counted against his years of service. He was tied with Carrick and Lettieri for second in scoring in the three game series with Bakersfield but also did not do enough to get them passed the eventual division champions. Much like Drysdale – this was the first and last time we will see him with the Gulls and I cannot wait to see what exciting players the Ducks manage to build their new franchise cornerstone in future drafts.

Honourable Mentions

Greg Printz – C+

13 Games – 1 Goal, 2 Assists – 3 Points

Printz had the misfortune of inheriting Antoine Morands number so it was always going to be difficult for him to look good in my eyes and he had a very rough start in his debut; but then as he got used to the pro game and settled into a groove we got to see the kind of player he is. A real throw back meat-and-potatoes kind of banger and grinder with an edge that quickly got under opposing teams skin, add to that some flashes of deft one-touch passes to create a goal here or there and his number quickly reminded me of another formerly in the organization – Chris Kunitz. I am unsure where the connection is as to how he was initially signed to the PTO but if we do see him back next season I am assuming it will be under the same tryout kind of arrangement.

Jeremy Roy – C-

16 Games – 0 Goals, 2 Assists – 2 Points

Roy seems to have been brought in after Madison Bowey jumped ship for Rockford after just one exhibition game. He – like many other of his fellow blue-liners this past year – was forced to play as a forward in more than half of the action he saw and I am sure it didnt help his game much but when he did get a chance to play on the backend, he seemed more of a liability than a help. I did like his hard-nosed style, but didnt like his awareness. I can’t see him being back next year.