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Jackson LaCombe

Anaheim Ducks Sign Tristan Luneau To ELC

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Eric Stephens of The Athletic is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have signed their 2022 second-round pick Tristan Luneau to a three-year entry-level contract. Luneau’s game took a dramatic step in the right direction this past season as the native of Victoriaville, Quebec took home the Emile Bouchard Trophy awarded to the QMJHL Defenseman of the Year.

The 19-year-old nearly doubled his offensive output from his draft year to this year, as he went from 12 goals and 31 assists in 63 games back in 2021-22, to an offensive explosion this past year posting 20 goals and 63 assists in 65 games.

Luneau will join the Ducks farm system that is arguably the best in the NHL, and although he is joining a first-class prospect pipeline, he will likely spend one more year in the QMJHL. Barring unforeseen injuries he should dominate once again, as many predicted he would when he was taken first overall by the Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL Entry Draft.

With Luneau now under contract, he joins Leo Carlsson, Jackson LaCombe, Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras, and a slew of other players under the age of 25 who should make up the Ducks core over the next decade in what should be an exciting time to be an Anaheim Ducks fan.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Jackson LaCombe

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Another Minnesota Golden Gopher is turning pro after a crushing loss in the NCAA Championship. Jackson LaCombe has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, ending any speculation that he could test free agency later this summer.

The contract will begin immediately, meaning LaCombe is eligible to play in the Ducks’ final two games and will burn the first year of the deal in 2022-23.

LaCombe, 22, was a second-round pick in 2019 and developed into the most consistent two-way defensemen in the country, racking up points and playing big minutes for the University of Minnesota.

In four years at the NCAA level, he registered 99 points, including a 35-point senior campaign. Had he decided to wait, he could have become an unrestricted free agent in August, allowed to sign with any team in the league.

Few organizations can give more opportunity to young defensemen though, as Anaheim goes through a complete rebuild. Kevin Shattenkirk, Nathan Beaulieu, Michael Del Zotto, Andrej Sustr, and Scott Harrington are all pending unrestricted free agents, leaving plenty of spots to fill with players like LaCombe.

He’ll also be reunited with some familiar faces from the US junior program. In 2021, LaCombe was part of the team that took home gold at the World Juniors, a group led by Trevor Zegras, who had 18 points in seven games, and included recent Ducks call-up Drew Helleson.

College Notes: Farrell, Boston University, Minnesota, Gibson

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John Buccigross of ESPN reports Sean Farrell is going to sign with the Montreal Canadiens in the next few days. The skilled left-winger was a fourth-round draft pick of the Canadiens in 2020, and could add some scoring punch to a struggling offence in the near future.

The 21 year old just wrapped up his second college season and it was an impressive showing. Though his Harvard squad bowed out rather meekly in a 8-1 drubbing at the hands of Ohio State, Farrell was phenomenal all season. He had an assist in that NCAA Regional Semi-Final, and it gave him 53 points in 34 games, a big improvement from his 28 points in 24 games in 2021-22.

Farrell is a smart player with incredible vision, who had 33 assists in 34 games this season. Add in his 20 goals and he has the second best points-per-game average in college hockey, trailing only Adam Fantilli of Michigan.

Though it is just his second actual college season, it counted as Farell’s junior campaign because the 2020-21 counted as his freshman season even though Harvard did not play due to Covid restrictions. So, Farrell could choose to return for one more season and then become a free agent in August of 2024, but it sounds like we will not get that far as Buccigross suggests the Canadiens could get his name on an entry-level contract soon.

  • Also in college hockey, Boston University punched its ticket to the Frozen Four national semi-final with a 2-1 win over Cornell. Wilmer Skoog scored his 16th goal of the season to give BU a second period lead and Ethan Phillips scored the game’s winning goal in the third period on his own rebound. Dalton Bancroft scored in the final minute for Cornell, but BU was able to hold them off and advance to the Frozen Four in Tampa Bay on April 6.
  • BU will face Minnesota who also advanced to the Frozen Four today. Minnesota was led by Logan Cooley, the Arizona Coyotes third overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, who had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over St. Cloud State. Jackson Lacombe, an Anaheim Ducks prospect also had a goal and an assist, as did undrafted Jaxon Nelson who sealed the game with an empty net goal.
  • Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic reports one of Farrell’s teammates is close to signing as well. Goaltender Mitchell Gibson was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft and just saw his Harvard hockey career come to a close. The 23 year old’s final NCAA game was not flattering as he allowed seven goals before being pulled in that blowout loss, but he had a stellar college career. He finished this season with a 2.25 GAA and a .919 SV% in 27 games. He would add some youth to the Capitals goaltending pipeline as they have been relying on 27 year old goalies Zach Fucale and Hunter Shepard at the AHL level.

Pacific Notes: Flames, LaCombe, Oilers, Studnicka

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With the Flames entering tonight’s action in a tie for the final Wild Card spot, GM Brad Treliving told NHL.com’s Aaron Vickers that he’s not prepared to commit to being a buyer just yet.  While he acknowledged that adding another forward would be nice (a desire that goes back to training camp), he will wait to get a better sense of where things stand closer to the deadline before making that call.  Treliving also acknowledged that he hasn’t received clarity on Oliver Kylington to know if the defenseman will be able to return this season from his personal leave.  That answer will go a long way towards determining what the Flames can or can’t do with his $2.5MM AAV and will also help to shape their trade deadline planning.

More from the Pacific Division:

  • With Ducks prospect Jackson LaCombe playing in his final college season, some wondered if the defenseman might opt to not sign with Anaheim and instead go to free agency in the summer. However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts column, that won’t be the case as the 22-year-old has indicated to the team that he will sign at the end of his season at Minnesota.  LaCombe is averaging just shy of a point per game this season with 26 in 28 contests, helping him earn a nomination for the Hobey Baker Award.
  • Oilers GM Ken Holland acknowledged to TSN’s Ryan Rishaug, Mike Johnson, and Pierre LeBrun on the Got Yer Back podcast (audio link) that he’d like to add before next month’s deadline but isn’t sure if he’ll be able to do so. Once Kailer Yamamoto returns off LTIR, Edmonton will be trimming down its roster simply to stay cap-compliant so they’ll be in a dollar-in, dollar-out situation.  However, with winger Jesse Puljujarvi and his $3MM AAV being on an expiring contract, he’s someone that could be moved as a salary offset to help facilitate a move.
  • The Canucks have sent Jack Studnicka back to Vancouver and the forward won’t play on the rest of their road trip, relays Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre (Twitter link). The 23-year-old is dealing with a non-COVID illness that is slowly improving.  Studnicka was acquired from Boston early this season and has four goals and two assists in 30 games with Vancouver so far.

Tristan Broz, Cruz Lucius Leaving University Of Minnesota

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What is happening in Minneapolis? Fresh off of a Frozen Four appearance, the University of Minnesota is having a nightmare offseason – and the hits continue. Freshman Tristan Broz (PIT), and 2021 second-round pick, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after just one year, while incoming freshman Cruz Lucius, a promising 2022 draft-eligible prospect, has de-committed and will play elsewhere next season.

Lucius follows older brother Chaz Lucius out of town; after previously committing to return to the Gophers next season, the 2021 first-rounder reversed course last week and signed his entry-level contract with the Winnipeg Jets. Chaz joined Ben Meyers (COL)and Blake McLaughlin (ANA) in leaving Minnesota for the pros, but NHL departures are to be expected for such a talented team. The real shock comes in the transfer market, as Broz makes it seven players to enter the portal since the end of the season. That list includes Jack Perbix (ANA), Ben Brinkman (DAL), and Grant Cruikshank, who had just transferred to Minnesota for this past season. Add in the younger Lucius’ de-commitment and the Gophers are bleeding talent.

Fortunately for the program, there is still plenty of talent to go around. Ryan Johnson (BUF) is expected to return for his senior year to lead a roster that (for now) is set to return Matthew Knies (TOR), Jackson LaCombe (ANA), Sammy Walker (TBL), Bryce Brodzinski (PHI), Rhett Pitlick (MTL), Aaron Huglen (BUF), Mike Koster (TOR), and Brock Faber (LAK). They also add an impressive recruiting class that includes Cal Thomas (ARI) and 2022 first round hopefuls Logan Cooley, Jimmy Snuggerud, and Ryan Chesley. 

The Gophers are also not the only programs falling victim to the transfer portal. The May 1st deadline to enter the portal and be eligible to play next season has now passed, but just beforehand two other NHL prospects hit the transfer market. Ryder Donovan (VGK) has decided to move on from Wisconsin, while John Fusco (TOR) has opted to leave Harvard.

Snapshots: Orlov, Toropchenko, Athanasiou, LaCombe

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6:03 pm: Orlov will be in the lineup tonight for the Capitals.

4:36 pm: According to the Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov could return to the lineup tonight in Montreal against the Canadiens (Tweet Link). Capitals’ Head Coach Peter Laviolette told El-Bashir that he hopes Orlov will be in the lineup tonight, but did not appear certain on the issue. Orlov has missed two games with a lower-body injury, last playing on April 10th.

Getting the veteran Orlov back in the lineup will certainly be a boost for the Capitals as they look to finish their season strong, and potentially catch the Boston Bruins in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, or the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division, five points back of either, and with three games in hand on Pittsburgh. Orlov has long been a staple of Washington’s defense and locker room, and his presence could have a strong impact as the team plays important games from here on.

  • As the Capitals may get Orlov back, the Blues are going to be without forward Alexey Toropchenko, at least for today’s game against the Minnesota Wild, reports Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Toropchenko was injured Thursday when he took a puck in the leg in the Blues’ game against the Buffalo Sabres. Fortunately for St. Louis, Toropchenko appears only to be day-to-day, so he should be able to return soon for the Blues down the stretch of the season. Forward Dakota Joshua took Toropchenko’s place in the lineup against Minnesota Saturday.
  • The Los Angeles Kings announced that they have activated forward Andreas Athanasiou ahead of tonight’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at home. Athanasiou’s return to the lineup is impactful for the Kings, as they deal with injuries while trying to hang on to playoff position in the Pacific Division. The forward has played in just 22 games this season, dealing with injuries, last playing March 10th, but he does own an impressive nine goals and five assists in that time.
  • The University of Minnesota announced that All-American defenseman Jackson LaCombe would be staying with the Gophers for next season, his fourth and final of NCAA eligibility. LaCombe was the Anaheim Ducks second round selection, 39th overall, in 2019, and would be eligible to become a free agent after this coming season if he chooses not to sign with Anaheim. While that is clearly of-note on LaCombe, it’s not yet apparent if that is of concern to Anaheim. LaCombe’s return could easily be a bit of unfinished business with Minnesota, much the same as it is for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Matthew Knies, who is also returning to the Gophers. Minnesota lost in the semifinals of the Frozen Four to Minnesota State, who was then defeated by the University of Denver in the final. In three years on Minnesota’s blueline, LaCombe has 10 goals and 54 assists in 103 games.

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