Checking in with the Ducks of the Future: A Midseason Prospect Update

As the NHL calendar turns to the All-Star break, Ducks prospects across the world are nearing their ends of their collegiate, juniors or European professional league's seasons.
AnaheimDucks.com checks in on some of those prospects below.

Olen Zellweger, D, Kamloops Blazers (WHL)

Considered as maybe the top defenseman in all of North American junior hockey, Zellweger's value was on full display at the Western Hockey League's trade deadline, when the offensively inclined blueliner headlined a trade to Kamloops in exchange for up to 10 draft picks.

Zellweger leads WHL defensemen in goals (15) and ranks second in points per game (1.32) and tied for ninth in total points (15-23=43).
Zellweger has points in seven of his eight appearances as a Blazer, including four multi-point performances.

On Jan. 21, he led Kamloops to a 6-5 OT victory over Tri-City, factoring in each of the Blazers' final five goals for second career five-point game.
A year after losing in the Western Conference Final, Kamloops will host this year's Memorial Cup from Late May to early June, affording Zellweger a chance to shine on one of Canada's brightest stages.

Zellweger also helped Canada to its second consecutive World Juniors gold in January, etching his name in his country's WJC record books and finishing as one of its all-time top scoring defensemen.
Turning 20 on Sept. 10, Zellweger will complete his junior career this season and is eligible for the American Hockey League in the fall.
Pavel Mintyukov, D, Ottawa 67's

Like Zellweger as the centerpiece of a massive trade deadline deal, Mintyukov has continued to show the dynamic offensive and skating abilities that led Anaheim to select him 10th overall in last summer's draft.
Mintyukov, who won the Ontario Hockey League's Defenseman of the Month award for October, November and December, fetched nine picks himself for Saginaw, joining an Ottawa team tied for the league's best record and well on its way to an East Division title.

Mintyukov is tied for eighth among all OHL skaters in scoring (16-41=57), while pacing league defenders in goals, assists and points.

An older player for his draft class, Mintyukov will turn 20 on Nov. 25 and is eligible for the American Hockey League next season.
Nathan Gaucher, C, Quebec Remparts

Anaheim's second first-round pick last July, Gaucher has excelled on both ends of the ice in his fourth Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season.
Known for his two-way prowess and goal scoring touch, Gaucher is fourth among qualified QMJHL centers in faceoff percentage (58.1%).
Gaucher is one of six Quebec skaters averaging more than one point-per-game, currently fifth at 1.06.
Gaucher also joined Zellweger as one of 10 Canadian players to win two World Juniors golds in less than six months, as they were also members of the 2021 team that stood atop the podium at the postponed tournament in August.
Like his fellow first-round draftee Mintyukov, Gaucher will conclude his teenage years in November and is in his final junior season. He will also be eligible for the American Hockey League for the 2023-24 campaign.
Tyson Hinds, D, Sherbrooke Phoenix
The final of Anaheim's three World Junior champions, Hinds has established himself as one of the top defensemen in the QMJHL this season.
Usually lauded more for his defensive instincts and athleticism, Hinds has taken his offensive game to a new level this season, averaging more than one point-per-game and already with a career-best 27 assists in just 35 appearances.
Hinds' 37 points on the season places him seventh among league defensemen, while his 10 goals are good for fifth. He also ranks third in plus/minus (+34).
Just over a month from his 20th birthday, Hinds is also eligible for the American Hockey League next season.
Sasha Pastujov, RW, Sarnia Sting
Now one of the most explosive offensive players in the Ontario Hockey League, Pastujov has scored at every stop along the way throughout his junior career.

A year after scoring 34 goals in 65 games, the Florida native has 26 so far in 37 contests this year. With seven points in his last two games, he claimed the top spot among qualified OHLers in points-per-game (1.62).
With 41 points since the trade to Sarnia, Pastujov is second among Sting players in scoring this season in just 23 games. He owns a +17 rating in that span and has recorded multiple points in 11 of those games.

The 2021 third-round pick has 123 career junior goals in four seasons across the OHL, United States Hockey League (USHL) and United States National Team Development Program (USNDP). Turning 20 in July, Pastujov will age out of junior hockey this season and is eligible for the American Hockey League next fall.
Tristan Luneau, D, Gatineau Olympiques
The latter of two Gatineau defensemen selected by Anaheim in the second round of the 2022 draft, Luneau has taken the momentum gained at an impressive training camp showing and turned into another season as one of the top defenders in the Canadian junior hockey.
The former QMJHL #1 overall pick, Luneau ranks third among league blueliners in scoring (13-26=49), assists and points-per-game (1.09), and second in goals.

Now in his third QMHL season, Luneau's 49 points marks a career best in just 45 games played. The right-shot blueliner has multiple points in five of his last seven games (1-9=10).
Luneau has also been a weapon on the power play for Sherbrooke this season, with four goals and 18 points on the man advantage.

Yet to sign his entry-level contract, Luneau turned 19 last month and will play his final junior hockey season in 2023-24.

Noah Warren, D, Gatineau Olympiques
Selected six picks prior to his teammate and longtime friend Luneau, Warren already looks the part of an NHL defenseman at just 18 years old.
The Montreal native stands at 6-5, 225 lbs. with impressive mobility for his size and impressed his Ducks teammates and coaches with his poise and tenacity in training camp. Since then, while fighting through the recovery from foot surgery, Warren has shown his defensive chops throughout the season as a trusted rearguard for Gatineau.

Warren has collected 2-12=14 points with a +6 rating in 25 games this season, including points in four of his last seven appearances. Over his last five games, he owns three points (1-2=3) and a +4 mark.
Like Luneau, Warren projects to return to Gatineau for his final junior hockey season next year. He turns 19 in July.
Connor Hvidston, LW, Swift Current
A fifth-round pick last summer, Hvidston is enjoying a productive second season in Swift Current, with 38 points in his first 37 games.
The Saskatoon native ranks second among Swift Current skaters in assists, third in scoring and points-per-game, and fourth in assists. He co-leads the club in plus/minus (+7).

Hvidston tallied 12 points in 14 January games, including three multi-point efforts. He has found the scoresheet in four of his last five games (2-3=5) and has become one of the top faceoff options for head coach Devan Praught.

Also yet to sign his first professional contract, Hvidston will return to junior hockey next season. He turns 19 on Sept. 11.
Sean Tschigerl, LW, Calgary Hitmen
A 2021 fifth-round pick, Tschigerl has caught fire of late, with seven points in his last five games.

Tschigerl sits third among team leaders in scoring (16-20=36), goals and assists, while he co-leads with six power-play goals.
Tschigerl has not inked an entry-level contract yet, but now just over two months from his 20th birthday, he will be eligible for the American Hockey League next season.

Ben King, C, Red Deer Rebels

A fourth-round selection by Anaheim last July after leading the WHL with 52 goals, King returned to the Red Deer lineup for the first time since Oct. 22 this week.
Despite missing three months of the season, King has nine goals in 11 games so far, good for seventh among Red Deer team leaders. The Vernon, B.C. native has multiple points, and at least one goal, in six of those 11 games. He has also points in five of six appearances since returning to action.

At 20 years old, King could sign an entry-level contract and turn pro at any point this season. He is currently in his final season of junior eligibility.
Jackson Lacombe, D, University of Minnesota

Now in his senior season as a Gopher, Lacombe has become one of the best offensive defensemen in the NCAA this year, currently tied for third among all collegiate blueliners in points (7-18=26).
Lacombe opened the season with a nine-game point streak and has five points in his last four games (2-3=5). He posted a season-best three-point performance on Jan. 20 (1-2=3), helping top-ranked Minnesota to a 4-3 win over #6 Michigan.

Lacombe is able to sign his entry-level contract at any time, but doing so would forego any remaining college eligibility, so he will all but certainly wait until the end of Minnesota's season before deciding on his hockey future.
Henry Thrun, D, Harvard University

Another collegiate blueliner in a similar spot to Lacombe, Thrun is heralded more for his two-way prowess than the raw offensive upside of Lacombe.
Thrun has been an all situations ace, and the team captain, for Harvard this season, leading the Crimson blue line in points (3-15=18) while taking on a critical defensive role. A native of nearby Southborough, Thrun has 10 points in his last five games (2-8=10).
In three seasons at Harvard, Thrun owns a +41 rating and 76 points in 87 NCAA games.
Like Lacombe, Thrun will decide on his hockey future following the end of Harvard's season.
Sam Colangelo, RW, Northeastern University
A big, burly winger with some finishing touch, Colangelo has come on strong in the second half of the season, with 12 points in his last 14 games.
Colangelo ranks fourth among Northeastern skaters in points, and tied for third in goals and assists.
Should he sign an entry-level contract this summer, Colangelo would be eligible for the AHL next season. If he does not, he would return to Northeastern and Anaheim would retain his rights for another year.
Calle Clang, G, Rögle BK

Acquired from the Penguins in last year's Rickard Rakell trade, Clang has quietly put together another strong season in his native Sweden.
The lone goaltender under 21 years old to appear in at least 10 Swedish Hockey League games this season, Clang owns a 9-7-0 record with one shutout and his 2.64 goals against average ranks 13th among league leaders.
The former third-round pick won five straight starts from late December up until this past week, posting a .911 save percentage in that span.
Clang is eligible to join Anaheim or San Diego following the end of his season with Rögle.
Vyacheslav Buteyets, G, Chelmet Chelyabinsk
A Russian netminder standing 6-4, Anaheim's final selection in the 2022 draft owns a 14-11-3 record in Russia's second division this season.
Buteyets is 5-0-1 over his last six starts, allowing two goals or fewer in four of them. He owns a .938 save percentage in that span.
The 20-year-old projects to return for another year in his native Russia next season.