Updates on the Anaheim Ducks Organization’s Top Prospects
By Jacob Robles
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft is just around the corner. This is a good time to look at few recent high profile Anaheim Ducks draft picks.
Maxime Comtois
In sixty-seven appearances (playoffs included) with the Victoriaville Tigers this season, Maxime Comtois had 48 goals and 48 assists. Overall, Comtois would post 97 points in total with Victoriaville before their season ended in the second round of the QMJHL playoffs.
Internationally, Comtois had six points with the U20 Canadian team at the WJC-U20 tournament this past January. Canada took home gold after beating Sweden 3-1.
The 19-year-old winger has signed an entry-level contract, it begins this summer.
Antoine Morand
Antoine Morand, Anaheim’s selection in the second round of this year’s draft, played his third season in QMJHL for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan’s this year. The second-year alternate captain for the Titans, Morand would best his career high in points.
He put up 76 points (26G, 50A) for the season. Morand would go on to tally another 19 points in 20 games during Acadie-Bathurst’s championship run. Moran and the Titans are representing the “Q” in the Memorial Cup this year.
At age 19, Morand is unsigned and will probably remain that way, staying in the QMJHL, unless he stands out at training camp.
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Sam Steel & Josh Mahura
In his first year as Captain of the Regina Pats, Steel had another phenomenal year. While falling a whopping 48 points short of last season’s 131 point total. Steel scored 33 and chipped in 50 assists in 54 games. In the WHL playoffs, Steel scored once but, registered 10 assists in 10 games.
The Steel led Pats advanced to the Memorial Cup finals. Mahura, one of Anaheim’s touted defensive prospects, had a career year with the Regina Pats alongside fellow prospect Steel. Mahura would more than double his career record of 33 points (9G, 24A), set in Red Deer during the 2016-2017 season, with a total of 69 (22G, 47A).
Internationally, Steel also played for the U20 Canada with his fellow draftee, Comtois. Steel registered four goals and nine assists in Canada’s seven-game tournament run.
Both Steel and Mahura are currently in year two of their Anaheim Ducks entry-level contracts and will be on the Gulls roster starting next season.
Max Jones
Max Jones was the Anaheim Ducks 2016 first-round selection (24th overall).
Jones barely made any appearances this year in the OHL. In thirty-one games split between the London Knights and Kingston Frontenacs, Jones would post only twenty-four points (19G, 5A). Shortly after he was dealt to the Frontenacs, Jones suffered a finger injury, He was out of action for the remainder of the season. Jones did return for the playoffs and tally four points (3G, 1A) in nine games.
Jones represented Team USA at the WJC-20 tournament. He was fairly unnoticeable, scoring a goal and added an assist in seven games. Team USA went on to win the bronze medal.
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Like Steel, Jones will be in San Diego next year. Both are officially ineligible to play juniors again because of age.