San Diego Gulls 2024 Grades

Welcome to the San Diego Gulls 2023-2024 Player Grades. It has been by most accounts – another disappointing year albeit with some more overall positivity and hope for the future to look forward to. As I stated in my final post-game notes:

As mentioned on the broadcast, this was a much better Gulls season. They finished with 26 wins, six more than last season and 63 points, 20 more than last season. They finished 16 points out of a playoff spot in a much more intense and improved Pacific Division. Were the Gulls to have finished with 63 points last season they would have only been six points shy of the final playoff spot. They are a young team – the fourth youngest in the league, playing under a brand new coach and brand new systems for the fourth time in as many years. Next season they will still be young, but they will have the same coach and the same systems with – hopefully – mostly the same roster minus some graduations and plus some newcomers from Junior. Things can only get better from here. The natural progression of things means that some of the other teams in the Pacific should hopefully get weaker as their star players graduate with lesser talent filling in the spaces left behind due to their parent clubs drafting lower and less frequently in an effort to stay contenders. Have heart and look ahead to next season, it will be better.

As always I will do this years San Diego Gulls 2023-2024 Player Grades 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 I was pressed for time. I will also disperse awards throughout to those that I felt worthy of greater recognition – much like I have done in previous years.

Fun Fact: This years roster featured only 11 out of 34 returning players covered in last years grades. This shows how big an overhaul this club saw and was once again – one of the many reasons they had such a slow start that could not be recovered from.

He was acquired early in the off-season for a soon-to-depart-to-Europe Andrej Sustr and in his second tour of duty he provided not only the clutch scoring and all-around play we had seen from him during the shortened 20-21 season but also a much more calm and stabilizing presence to his young team-mates.

Always fearless he never hesitated to go to the dirty areas night in and night out but was just as often seen leading a rush or finishing it with expert precision and timing.

He is at the end of a two year deal he signed with San Jose last season, this was a two-way contract which he saw the majority of in the minors. Given his age I would guess his agent would request a one-way deal next season and as one of only three players to take to the ice in all 72 games I would say he has earned it. Needless to say I want to see him back next season but I feel like I say that every year and every year Ducks management does not seem to agree. Hopefully this year is different.

He did not set any career highs in goals, assists or points and put up two less than last season in twelve more games but he also didn’t take as many stupid penalties as he used to. Yes there were still a few regrettable mistakes here and there but overall I could not complain about what Carrick brought this season. Even though he was the teams second leading scorer by seasons end – his most important quality was how he helped the young defenders paired with him.

He slotted in and took on Power Play minutes after Olen Zellweger was permanently recalled and although he could not fill those shoes, he kept the man-advantage somewhat respectful until it found a new format that started to really click in the final few games.

He only signed a one-year two-way deal last off-season but with his brother Sam now moving on from the organization in a trade to Edmonton at the deadline I would not be so sure about him coming back. The Ducks will always have need of a steadying veteran left shot defender both as a depth call-up and also as a mentor but they will likely need to choose between he and Colton White and White is currently cheaper and younger.

Starting with training camp and growing from there he surprised myself and a few others with both his speed and willingness to attempt a myriad of complicated moves with some shockingly soft hands for such a big man. His ten goals this season have given more than an initial impression of a burgeoning power forward that is more than just a two-way reliable forward. His play-making ability also was on full display and growing each game as he finished with 26 assists and five multi point games.

He also added an element of bite to his game this season and could not be seen as the main target of ire by opposing defenders during post-whistle scrums around the net.

He starts the final year of his two year entry level deal this coming season and I am looking forward to seeing all the reactions from Ducks fans as he impresses and potentially earns a very late cut at camp.

He started the season in the Gulls opening action with a win but then went 0-6-2 before he saw another victory in December. It was not until Tomas Suchanek got the team starting to roll with some consistent point streaks that Clang started to get his game back as he seemed to regain his faith in both his own and his team’s abilities to defend in front of him. From there he strung together the odd win and loss, largely dictated again by how the squad in front of him was performing on a nightly basis – which as often was the case this season – inconsistent. His best stretch came in March as he put together three straight wins and a 2.26 GAA and 0.938 SV% over that span. Clang’s style is still much the same as what we saw to close out last season – conservative with little-to-no-energy lost in moving between stops, using reads and positioning to make saves that generate no rebounds. It could not be anymore different to the aggressive game deployed by Tomas Suchanek but I feel it makes for a great Yin to his Yang in their partnership.

Again like Caulfield – Clang will be entering the second year of his two year entry level deal this season where he will likely share the net with Suchanek on a hopefully more improved but not too unfamiliar squad.

Missing time at the start of the year due to an injury sustained at the hands of Arthur Kaliyev in a preseason game, once he joined the team in November he did manage to stay healthy for the most part, as the Gulls Captain and one of their most important veteran forwards he only missed the odd game here and there on the sidelines with either illness or unexplained reasons.

It was a year of milestones as he became the Gulls all-time leading scorer with an assist on Andrew Agozzino’s game opening goal in a 7-3 loss to the Roadrunners March 30th. He also recorded his 200th career AHL assist on March 5th. He moved up to second spot on the Gulls all time goal-scoring ladder with a goal against Calgary Feb 11th and went on to score another five before the seasons end.

At this point De Leo has more than settled into his role as Captain of the Gulls and for all intents and purposes appears to be here to stay. It seems a good bet we will see him signed to a new deal and return as Captain again next season where things can only get better in terms of staying healthy and continuing to put up point per game numbers with yet more talent hopefully joining the team.

As is usually the case with first year players coming straight from Juniors his production was inconsistent, he collected his first AHL point – an assist – in just his second game and his first goal eight games later but those were his only two points over a ten game span.

He put together his first career multi-point night on the 8th of December against Rockford, scoring a goal and adding two assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Icehogs. By the mid point of the year he started to find his game right at the same time his line became one of the go-to consistent play driving forces on the team. It also felt like they were relied on to go head to head with any opposing dangerous offensive trios as a somewhat pseudo shut-down line. The winger on the left side might have changed on a weekly basis but for most of the year he and Judd Caulfield were a consistent force both on the fore-check and the back-check. They were sometimes joined by Nikita Nesterenko, sometimes Sasha Pastujov but in general the two-some of Caulfield and Gaucher were a reliable no-nonsense foundation for a line.

On special teams he was asked to fill the very large shoes of the now-permanently graduated BO Groulx and did an admirable job. Proving just as effective in the face-off circle as his predecessor and almost twice as tenacious on the fore-check. The only thing he appeared to lack in comparison would be soft hands but that was never something he was known for, although by seasons end he did surprise me by showing some sneaky good moves in close.

Ducks fandom may yet still be impatient with his development but management have publicly stated that he will need at least another year in the AHL if not more and I don’t see a problem with that. Gaucher is a natural born leader with a well rounded two-way game that may be lacking in the offensive skill side but is more than made up for with his non-stop motor and ability to get under opponents skin. Look for him to put up better numbers next season and emerge as a leader on this team.

As it were; Gawdin only got the one call-up this season despite having a career year setting career highs in goals (22) and points (55). He also set a career high in game winning goals – finishing second only to Andrew Agozziono with three.

I will admit I was initially skeptical of his signing at the time – familiar with his game in Stockton but not exactly blown away by what he could bring as a relied upon veteran especially given the caliber of veterans the Gulls have had in the past. He more than proved himself this year as he never took a night off – even in the low scoring games or the blow-outs he nearly always found the scoresheet.

He is due for a pay-rise and although I would love to have him back I am bracing myself for the inevitable disappointment when he is likely poached by a Pacific Division rival.

Signing a one-way one-year deal with Anaheim in July he was likely expecting to see more NHL action than he did and although he was the designated “I-5” shuttle guy for this season he only saw a total of 5 games with the Ducks. After all of his call-ups and subsequent returns he managed to see a total of 47 games with the Gulls and lead the team in +/- with a 7+ which I know is an unreliable stat but leads me to my next point that he was by far and away the most consistent and reliable defender in his own end all season.

Offensively his booming shot from the point was also an important factor in helping to turn around the ailing Power Play once Olen Zellweger became a permanent recall and was always a threat when the team was able to get set in opposing team’s zone at five on five.

I would love to see him back next year but given the lack of NHL action he saw he will likely move on and try find another club that offers a better chance at the big clubs roster.

Starting the year alongside the veteran Trevor Carrick on the first pairing by season’s end Helleson had become a reliable and permanent compliment to the rangy but still slightly raw rookie Tyson Hinds. His numbers may not have improved (although he did set a new career high in assists by one more helper) he did drastically increase his +/- from -17 to -7. Again not a reliable stat but could that be indicative of improved development in his own end or did the long-reach and shut-down abilities of Tyson Hinds help?

He has one year left on the entry level deal he signed in March 2022 and will likely hope to elevate his game that much further to stand-out from a quickly crowding Ducks defensive prospect pool. As one of their more ready right-sided defenders he will need to take every opportunity he can next season as there are a lot of talented right-shooting defenders coming up behind him.

The Ducks second third rounder (acquired mid-draft from the Canadiens) in 2021 earned his first AHL point (an assist) in just his second game of the season but then would not see another point until early December some 18 games later when he scored his first AHL goal against the Rockford Icehogs.

His game has always been more defensively minded with his skating ability allowing him to contribute on the attack with the right timing. What I saw this season was the honing and sharpening of all of those skill sets as he grew more into the professional game. From the get-go he was frustrating opposing forwards with his reach and ability to snuff out plays along the boards but it took until the mid-way point to see him start to gain in confidence in the offensive zone. By seasons end he was consistently joining or jumping into a rush as well as confusing opposing teams defenses with how aggressively he would fore-check. The amount of times I saw him at or near the other teams goal-line and wondered “when did Tyson Hinds become Scott Neidermayer?” it soon became something I realised was a part of his game whether for good or bad.

He has two years left on his entry level deal and will look to lead the Gulls young defensive core next season but with how loaded the Ducks are on the left side it might take him a bit longer to make the jump to the NHL.

Howe was probably one of the feel good stories for the season – setting career highs in games and collecting his first AHL point – an assist on Ben King’s first AHL goal in the Gulls second game of the season. The fan favorite and all-round players’ player was named the teams winner of the IOA/American Speciality AHL Man of the Year award for his contributions to the San Diego community this season.

He was – to put it succinctly – no nonsense. Doing his job both on and off the ice, fighting for his team-mates and in turn having them fight for him as you got a real sense that when his first AHL goal does eventually come – the celebrations will be raucous. Offensively he did show some surprising skill toward the end of the season and I feel if he can get some consistent ice time with similar meat-and-potatoes type players he could be a part of formidable energy line. He and Nico Myatovic did start to show some spark during the youngsters brief black ace campaign toward the end of this year.

He signed an extension in April to come back next season so we will see at least one more year of one of newest fan favorite tough guys.

For the first half of the season he was possibly the Gulls most consistent rookie, compiling 16 points in his first 25 games. He started the new year in somewhat of a slump – producing three points in ten games after the All Star break before getting hot again toward the end of February and earning a promotion to the top line.

As a scoring threat with a nose for the net he eventually became a permanent fixture on the first Power Play unit, the lone rookie in an all veteran group and finished the year with three Power Play goals.

King doesn’t have a heck of a lot of flash to his game but he isn’t afraid to go to the dirty areas and gave the Gulls a net-front scorer not seen since the days of Corey Tropp.

Signed to a one-year AHL deal just before the season started in October last year King likely would have hoped to have been offered an ELC from the Ducks by now but might have to settle for another year of proving himself after finishing third on the team in rookie scoring this season.

Again – as mentioned on my last seasons grades commentary about him, he requires play-drivers on his line to be of any help offensively but more than makes up for that with his work on the defensive side of things.

A quick glance at the most recent goals he scored in isolated contests through February, March and April sees Brayden Tracey assisting on pretty much every one – which rests my case regarding his need for a play-driver alongside him.

He has one more year left on his entry level deal and it will be interesting to see how he slots into next seasons line-up, with the fourth line pivot role seeing some rotation at seasons end with the arrival of Jan Mysak.

Setting career highs in games played and points he once again failed to put one in the back of the net – after scoring his first AHL goal as black ace at the tail end of the 2021-2022 season. I had hopes for McLaughlin and wondered if McIlvane could help turn around the ailing Ducks 2018 third round selection but it seems he might need yet more time.

He finished the year in Tulsa where he enjoyed much better production than his longer (43 games and 34 points) stint in the ECHL last season, putting together 25 points in 21 games as well as another 4 assists in four playoff games which was tops on the squad for their short postseason. Only Eddie Matsushima was a better than point per game player for the Oilers which indicates McLaughlin still has a lot of potential, it’s whether or not the Ducks are willing to be patient. He is an RFA with arbitration rights and if the Ducks do not qualify the Grand Rapids native I could see him looking to join his step-brother in the Las Vegas organization.

Due to who went the other way in the deal he will always have high expectations to live up to but Perreault – despite being still quite young – had been unable to impress in the auditions he was given both at the NHL and AHL level. With Sasha Pastujov and Yegor Sidirov quickly developing he had become surplus to requirements.

It is somewhat interesting the Canadiens chose to deal Mysak given he was having a career year in all categories – but perhaps expectations were higher for him in Montreal.

Mysak never quite got settled which is understandable given it took the rest of the team the first half of the season to show cohesion with the new systems introduced by Coach McIlvane but he did make an impression with his tenacious fore-check. He needed help to convert turnovers into high danger opportunities and a lot of the time it felt as though his line-mates were not exactly on the same page. That should hopefully not be an issue next season.

He has one year left on his three entry level deal and looks to be one of the Gulls better defensive centers next season creating competition for a spot that up until now, Josh Lopina had free reign over.

He never seemed to mope or lament his demotion after getting a taste of the NHL last season and quietly went about learning the new systems as well as working to create chemistry with line-mates even as the losses piled up and I am sure team morale was at an all time low.

His speed was obviously a cut above and combined with his hands he easily stood out as a player that was clearly too good for this level but I held back from giving him an A+ because he wasn’t always consistent. There were games where he took over; whether it be rushing from his own end through multiple layers of defenders on his own or reading and intercepting a play to translate that to a direct counter attack and then were games where he completely disappeared.

He was also one of the most defensively responsible forwards on the team, seen multiple times bailing out team-mates by using his speed to catch and snuff out partial breaks before they could turn into something more dangerous – finishing the year as a +6, the best among forwards.

This was the last year of a two year deal he signed late last year so he will need to be qualified and given a new deal this summer, with the recent NHL-only retirement of Jacob Silfverberg another winger spot has opened up but he still needs to compete with the likes of late-season acquisition Ben Meyers. Will we see Nesterenko back with the Gulls next year? It is hard to tell – he is most definitely too good for the AHL but it’s a matter of what opportunities there are in Anaheim.

Coming into his first professional season with high expectations after finishing his final year in the OHL with 98 points in 60 games the Ducks 2021 early third round selection appeared more than over-whelmed at the start of the year. Finding himself in the bottom six and with a rotating set of line-mates he looked lost for the first few months of the season. As he slowly developed chemistry with Nathan Gaucher he started to find the scoresheet and earned a spot on the second Power Play unit which also helped his confidence grow.

Missing the entire month of December with an injury he made his return mid January and appeared to finally announce his arrival with a hat-trick against Iowa January 27th but after collecting an assist in the next game he went pointless for the following eight. It wasn’t really until late February and early March that he really started cooking – staying hot until the very last game where fittingly; he scored the game winning shootout goal in the final game of the season. From March 6th to April 21st he put up 13 points in 19 games to finish with 23 points on the year and tie him with Josh Lopina for 12th on the team and sixth by Gulls first year players. He was also tied with six other players for third on the team in game winning goals with two and owned the teams best shootout percentage at 66.7%.

At the start of the year you could see his skating was slightly an issue as he was often a step behind or late to arrive to a shooting position but once he turned things around and his confidence started to grow in January you could see his game start to elevate. On the second Power Play unit he provided a genuine threat on the right side which opposing defenses either had to waste resources to cover or leave open at their peril. He also exhibited some great play-making ability – shifting the puck with great timing and execution that indicates great hockey smarts. Most importantly – he also grew on the defensive side of his game, something he was never known for. This feels like a McIlvane influence and possibly something the Ducks organization is instilling from the top down. Where at the start he shied away from the corners or defensive puck battles by seasons end he was actively getting his hands dirty both defensively and offensively – even surprising himself with how easily he appeared to get under opposing teams skins with his stick work. The only thing I would look for him to improve on next season is shot volume. As a sniper that is blessed with a shot that can either beat goaltenders clean or at the very least create a rebound I was surprised to see him finish way down the list in 13th on the team for shots on net.

Once the Ducks brass were sure his development was on track they appeared to make the call to move on from Jacob Perreault so the pressure will remain on for Pastujov to continue to progress next season in the second year of his three year entry level deal but I have confidence that he will build off his stellar play at the end of this season to be one of the Gulls top goal scorers next season.

While his offensive numbers were worse he finished the year as one of only nine players to finish with a positive +/- and one of only two defenders to do so. That is said with the caveat that it is an unreliable stat but as a guide it does match up with the eye test that he was not only one of the most physical but consistently one of the most engaged defenders down low and at the blue-line. I don’t have numbers to back me up on this but from memory I would say that he and Tyson Hinds were among the leaders for turnovers at the blue-line.

Signed to another one year AHL Standard Player Contract in early July Profaca was again likely only intended to provide injury depth cover and indeed spent some time this season in Tulsa where he tallied 12 points in 29 games but for most of the year he was the first choice call-up. That may change next season as the late arrival of Andrew Lucas turned a lot of heads and the emergence of Anthony Costantini also creates more competition among the undrafted free agent category of defenders for spots.

Profaca is a more than capable defender in his own end but if he wants to stay in the AHL he will now need to work on his offensive game and particularly his break-out pass. His first pass has always been his weakness and if he cannot improve on it than I don’t see him getting as many call-ups next season.

He did look faster this year perhaps advised to work on his skating over the summer as on a few occasions this season he surprised defenders by blowing past them one on one. Setting career highs in all categories Regenda was involved all over the ice, seventh on the team in points, third in goals, fourth in Power Play goals and tied with four other players for the team-lead in shorthanded goals with two.

Looking over the year he really only had two cold stretches between late November and late January when he missed significant time due to injury and took some time to get going again once he returned. But from January 23rd through to the final game of the year he had 21 points in 32 games separated by a span of seven games in March where he was kept off the scoresheet.

Now at the end of the second year of his two year deal he becomes an RFA with arbitration rights looking to secure a more favorable two way deal with more term. He has a chance of making the Ducks next season but also faces a lot more competition given the next wave of talented prospects arriving in combination with the additional cash Verbeek has made available to lure talent via free agency.

Joining the team in November after earning a call-up from Tulsa he turned the Gulls fortunes around – stepping into the net and going 4-0-1 in his first five starts including a shutout in only his fourth game. He went 11-4-3 with two shutouts between November and March before ending the season on a much colder record of 3-6-2 and the one more shutout.

By February rival team blogs had picked up on his exploits and the realization that he was not yet under contract which lead for some very anxious times for one particular San Diego Gulls writer but thankfully news broke March 21st that the Ducks had finally seen sense enough to ink him to a three year entry level contract that kicks in next season.

Suchanek finished 8th among rookie goaltenders for Save Percentage with a .910 and 12th in GAA with a 2.92 which would have been much much lower had he not been blown out in the 6-0 loss to Colorado in April. He also finished third among rookies in shutouts and in the top ten by all goaltenders.

I wrote in several post game recaps about his style being slightly reminiscent of vintage Dominik Hasek, he is extremely aggressive to the shooter and relies on his reads and reflexes to make the second stop if required. Earlier in the season he got the better of many teams that were clearly not familiar with his style but you could see teams eventually got the book on him and his main weakness – the aggressive nature in which he challenges the shooter – was exposed. To his credit he adjusted and managed to play a much more conservative game down the stretch to the point where teams seemed to only be able to beat him with traffic in front – similar to his friend and country-man Lukas Dostal.

He will surprise many in training camp next season as he likely challenges for a job in Anaheim before being one of the last cuts but I have no doubt he he will carry on where he left off with a much improved and better team in front of him in San Diego.

I will always have a soft spot for Tracey and if I could make a case for keeping him around – even if it does potentially mark him as falling into the AHL-journeyman-come-failed-first-rounder tier; when looking over the game by game stats for some of the other players on this list – Tracey’s name popped out the most as either assisting on their goal or being on ice for it. So I feel its a matter of – the numbers don’t show everything here. Tracey is a play-driver, always has been and now that he has had three full years in the AHL – I would give him one more chance to prove himself; particularly because he joined the organization during a weak time of incoming prospects as well as seeing three different coaches and three different systems over that time. Other than Perreault he wasn’t exactly given a supporting cast of talented snipers to work with and just seeing his name pop up as being a contributing factor on this next wave of kids production – Gaucher, Pastujov and next season Sidirov I think he deserves one more shot.

His game didn’t change much this season other than possibly taking a further step back from going to the front of the net like he used to in his first season but he was also a lot more mature, taking less penalties and somewhat embracing the role of the third year pro as he helped the incoming fresh-from-juniors acclimate.

He isn’t a Pat Verbeek era draft selection and his expiring three year deal was not signed by him but it is also incredibly cheap and although he would likely like and deserve a small pay-rise, I feel – as stated above – he should get another shot with this next wave of prospects to take his game to the next level.

Should he have put up way more points than he did? Yes. Was his production hurt by the lack of developed scoring personnel around him? Also yes. White missed 13 games between March and April with a lower body injury, the Gulls went 3-10-0 in that span. He also missed the Gulls mid-western swing where they went 2-1-0 against slightly weaker central division opponents.

He was cool, calm and calculated at all times. Defusing rushes, tidying up loose pucks and sometimes sending plays back the other way with a quick heads up pass. At times he would be the first player on a loose puck in the offensive zone or even sprung on a breakaway more than once or twice but towards seasons end he appeared to make less of an impact than he had back in October.

With his two year deal expired he becomes a UFA and as I mentioned earlier – with roster spots looking less and less scarce next season I am thinking it comes down to a choice between he and Trevor Carrick for which veteran left-side defender is brought back.

Former Ducks assistant coach Brad Lauer had this to say about him after his signing last season.

“He’s a guy who can skate, shoot the puck and do a lot of things. He plays a heavy game and works hard.”

Starting the year in Tulsa, Wiebe was recalled and given his first AHL game October 25th in Tucson where he also notched his first point, an assist on a Trevor Carrick goal. He struggled to nail down a spot in the line-up and eventually got sent back to the Oilers where he spent most of November before getting called back up again in December as injury cover. He saw three games before the Christmas break and stuck around until January where he scored his first AHL goal on the third of January against Henderson. He spent January and February with the team before eventually being sent back down for good at the end of March when the Black Aces started to arrive.

He has a fearless nose for the net and makes himself a royal pain in the ass, either drawing calls as he gets under an opposing players skin or dropping the gloves to answer a request after a heavy hit. Handy on the penalty kill he won’t ever be a top line player but he does bring a lot in terms of drive.

Although I initially did not really think much about him to begin with, I came to want to root for him as the underdog undrafted kid with an infectious work ethic. I felt he was more than a little hard done-by with his final demotion after he had clearly played his best game as a Gull yet but I am sure he will be back next season either again as an injury call-up or a camp surprise.

The 6’4″ Minnesota native did manage to secure more game-time despite being the odd-man out in terms of veteran defenders on the roster. Setting career highs in games played he managed as many points as he did in his second professional season in 21-22 where he played 14 less games.

Competent in his own end but a penalty-taking liability against teams whose Power Play could and did punish the Gulls for any infraction. Wolff did ease back on the frivolous indiscretions as the season started to come to a close and although his one year AHL Standard Player Contract is up I can see management wanting to bring him back – if only for his rugged defensive style. He might still struggle to stay in the line-up but is a perfect seventh defender that can come in at a pinch without being too much of a hindrance in his own end. He won’t ever lead a rush or be found on a highlight reel play but he did show some ability at generating offense from the point via a hard and heavy shot.

Watching his game grow as he acclimatized to the professional game was one of the few highlights this season. Did he frustrate me with how he could take over a game one day then be no-where to be seen the next? Yes. However that inconsistency quickly faded as he started to put up points effortlessly game after game. He had 15 points in 12 games before his final call-up including five multi-point efforts.

I did see initially why the Ducks opted to give him time in the AHL to begin with before making the jump to the NHL as his defensive side of the puck did need some work at the start of the season and sometimes his decision making left a little to be desired. But again – he cleaned that up by the All Star break.

Most impressively by seasons end he was still tied for the lead in Gulls rookie scoring despite having played 26 less games than Nikita Nesterenko, he also finished as best in assists by rookies on the team and first in Power Play goals by first year players with six.

Ultimately his puck-rushing ability, sneaky good wrist shot, Power Play prowess and extreme hockey intellect mean he won’t be back with the Gull next year but it was fun watching him grow this season.

Honourable Mentions

Sam Colangelo

4 Games – 1 Goals, 3 Assists – 4 Points

Nobody else in recent memory can say they were a point per game player for the Gulls as a Black Ace before rightfully earning an entry level deal with the big club out of the gate. Colangelo took a while to finally turn pro but it also allowed time for his game to mature as he did not look out place playing on a line with fringe NHL veterans on debut in the AHL. It is tough to say if we will see him back in San Diego next year as I could have said the same about Nikita Nesterenko last season so it will depend on the kind of camp he has in the coming fall and whether or not there is space available for him. If we do see him in San Diego next year his ability to shoot from any and everywhere will be greatly appreciated.

Anthony Costantini

8 Games – 0 Goals, 2 Assists – 2 Points

I didn’t know what to make of Costantini when his Standard Player Contract with the Gulls was announced at the end of July. He was clearly a byproduct of scouts getting in so many hours in their assessment and eventual drafting of his OHL team-mate Pavel Mintyukov. He spent most of the season in Tulsa, compiling 19 points in 55 games, 13th on the team in scoring and fourth by defenders. He saw time with the Gulls in January and separate stints in March before the roster grew to crowded and he was sent back to Tulsa. There was not anything flashy about his game, he kept things simple and mistake-free. A good reliable depth call-up on the back-end that won’t step in and set the world on fire but also won’t be a liability either. He likely remains with the Gulls/Tulsa next year in much the same position but the emergence of Andrew Lucas will make his call-ups that much harder.

Kyle Crnkovic

6 Games – 0 Goals, 0 Assists – 0 Points

I will admit I did not see much of Crnkovic in action, only one of the six games he saw was a win and in that one he was used sparingly with limited ice time on the fourth line. I remember I did like what I saw in terms of both tenacity and ferocious fore-check but the rest of his game remains very raw at the AHL level. In Tulsa he was a standout forward – finishing the year as their leading scorer with 54 points in 60 games so there is a lot of promise there. He was signed to a Standard Player Contract by the Gulls – along with Andy Carroll in August after compiling 68 points in 67 sames with Seattle in his final year in the WHL where he was a team-mate of 2023 early second rounder Nico Myatovic. He clearly has the tools and sense to be a dangerous scorer but his size might be the only factor holding him back translating that ability at the next level. His deal was only for a year but given the production at the ECHL level I can’t see why he would not be brought back next season.

Andrew Lucas

6 Games – 0 Goals, 3 Assists – 3 Points

Lucas joined the team near the end of the year as the token undrafted college free agent signing and I wrongly assumed he would quickly get lost in the shuffle of all the other black-aces joining the team given his numbers in the NCAA were not exactly world-beating in his final year at the University of Connecticut but he did put up 24 points in 35 games the year previous to give some indication of the kind of point producing blue-liner he is. In just six games he slotted in with ease, showing great poise and sense with the puck while using quick outlet passes to catch out of position defenders unawares.

He collected an assist in his first game and another two in his final two contests of the season but likely would have piled on a lot more if he had joined the team earlier. I cannot say enough about how poised he looked out there, looking like a veteran on both the defensive and offesnsive side of the puck. He seemingly has no weakness in his game – showing signs of great puck rushing ability, dangerous head-man passing skill and an ability to turnover pucks down-low that would normally take newcomers at least a few months to master.

I had to look back through the archives and the last undrafted college free-agent the Gulls signed was actually Alex Limoges (and Greg Printz) which was a couple of years back; coincidentally (or not?) Lucas and Limoges are both Virginia natives. Brought in on an ATO here is hoping he is asked back to camp this coming season and offered at least an AHL deal to begin with as I feel he has been one of the better undrafted players that have made an immediate impact lately.

Nico Myatovic

12 Games – 0 Goals, 0 Assists – 0 Points

Myatovic played the most of all the Black Ace’s to join the team at the tail end of the year owing to his Seattle Thunderbirds losing a lot of its star players after their memorial cup run last year and failing to make the post season in 2023-2024. I had Myatovic slated as being eligible and likely to join the Gulls in the 2025-2026 season but he is actually eligible to join them this coming season as he turns 20 before December 31st. Given how much opportunity he was given in this 12 game stretch (including an elevation to the third line) I would say he is unlikely to be returned to Junior next season. He did not find the scoresheet and we were not given an opportunity to see much of his NHL calibre wrist shot, but he did regularly prove a nuisance on the fore-check, giving an idea of what his game is about. His lanky 6’3″ frame and long reach closes on defenders quickly and he delights in smothering to force turnovers down-low. Given time to develop chemistry with potentially the likes of Jan Mysak and Travis Howe next season he could possibly be a part of the most dangerous fourth line the Gulls have ever had.

Konnor Smith

6 Games – 1 Goal, 0 Assists – 1 Point

Drafted by Anaheim in the fourth round in 2023 as a physical shut-down defender it was a very pleasant surprise to see Smith score his first AHL goal in his first professional game as he joined the rush and finished a pass from Judd Caulfield at the far post. In the remaining five games he was active with his stick in defusing plays but also stepped up to lay a huge hit at the blue line on a couple of occasions. Down low he was equally adept at using his 6’6″ frame to suffocate opposing forwards, pasting them against the boards at will. Much like Myatovic I had not anticipated him making the jump to the pros until the 2025-2026 season but he too is eligible for this coming season and given he already has the size to handle the professional game it makes sense to start his development now.

Alex Stalock

15 Games – 2 Wins, 9 Losses, 2 OT Losses, 3.82 GAA and 0.888 SV%

I considered not acknowledging Stalock under the old “if you dont have anything nice to say dont say it at all” adage but it also didn’t feel right to leave him out. Stalock clearly was not the same goaltender he used to be after missing the majority of the 2021-22 season due to post covid complications. He seemed slow, under-confident and it didn’t help that his team was trying to learn a new system in front of him to start the season. As a result he appeared to shoulder too much and lost his mojo when his reads and positioning constantly failed him. After losing the net he was eventually given some token starts at seasons end in what appeared to be a farewell gesture as it was noted that his friends and family were in attendance during an emotional shootout victory over the Barracuda. With the Ducks announcing the signing of 2022 sixth round selection Vyacheslav Buteyets as well as the tandem of Suchanek and Clang looking more than capable to continue the rotation in the Gulls next season it would appear there is no room for Stalock to come back.

Gage Alexander

0 AHL Games This Season

19 Games – 5 Wins, 8 Losses, 1 OT Loss, 3.76 GAA and 0.887 SV%

Even though Alexander did not feature in San Diego this season – a brief update on his progress. It wasn’t a great first professional year for the Ducks 2021 fifth round selection. Starting the year in Tulsa he struggled to see ice time while battling with Suchanek for the crease – once Suchanek was called up he didnt inspire enough confidence in the Oilers coaching staff who brought in the veteran Julian Junca as cover. Eventually losing the net to Junca, Alexander saw the rest of the season as the backup and finished with a 5-8-1 record and a 3.76 GAA. He finished in the bottom ten in the league for GAA and SV%. He has one year left on his entry level deal and things will get that much harder next season as the recently resigned Vyacheslav Buteyets likely joins him in Tulsa.

Final Notes

If you would like to take a trip down memory lane you can check out the previous years grades here.

• 2022-2023 San Diego Gulls Grades
• 2021-2022 San Diego Gulls Grades
• 2020-2021 San Diego Gulls Grades
• 2019-2020 San Diego Gulls Grades

If you want to yell at me at Twitter for my grades being too high I will give the same excuse I give every season. The New Zealand system (where I grew up and live) assigns grades from A+ to C- all of which are a pass, everything under a C- is a fail. Also I genuinely like watching and following these players so I (mostly) hate to say terrible things about them.