Anaheim Ducks: 2 Breakout Candidates For Next Season

With each season that passes, it seems as though every team has players who improve significantly. They often turn out to be prospects naturally, but players who have some experience in the league also can. In this segment, we will be looking at two potential breakout candidates from each team. We will also be setting a max age limit of 26 years old, so older players are not eligible for discussion.

In this piece, we will be starting the Pacific Division and discussing the Anaheim Ducks. Although the Ducks have not been very active this off-season, they do have a lot of young players who should be able to improve this upcoming season. We will be going over the two main ones, but also will have a handful of honorable mentions worth noting, too.

Jamie Drysdale D: It would be criminal not to include Jamie Drysdale on this list. The sixth overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft already looked ready for the league this season. In 24 games with the Ducks, he scored three goals and recorded eight points. He also spent some time with the San Diego Gulls and looked very impressive. In 14 games, he scored four goals and had 10 points. The hockey world knows that Drysdale has all the potential to turn into a top-of-the-line offensive defenseman and at just 19-years-old, he should be able to progress significantly next year.

Trevor Zegras C: Again, how could we not include Trevor Zegras? Like Drysdale, Zegras played very well with his first taste of NHL action. In 24 games, he scored three goals and had 13 points. He also lit up the AHL. In 17 games, had 10 goals, 11 assists and 21 points. The 2019 first-round pick will quite easily cement himself as a legitimate top-six forward this season. He already looks very good and is still just 20-years-old. Him and Drysdale make the future of this team look very promising.

Honorable Mentions: As previously stated, the Ducks have a lot of young players. Three other former first-round picks worth paying attention to this year are Max Comtois, Sam Steel and Isac Lundestrom. Out of the three, Comtois has had the most success, as evidenced by his 33-point campaign in 55 games this past season. He should be able to have an even better season this go-around. As for the other two, although they have yet to take off, they have the potential to turn into solid scorers in this league. Perhaps this will be the season it occurs.