Four Anaheim Ducks Prospects in the World Junior Showcase
It’s only August, which means most of us will monotonously be counting the seconds off the clock until October. The good news is, the World Junior Summer Showcase is underway. Four Anaheim Ducks elite prospects are representing their respective countries in this year’s event. It’s the perfect cure for our mid-summer blues.
The competition is heating up in Kamloops, B.C. this week as a surge of young hockey players have taken over the ice at the Sandman Center. Prospects from Canada, Finland, Sweden, and the United States will compete against each other over a series of eleven games.
Although this is a friendly competition between countries, it is also a competition between teammates. The members of each team will be vying for a chance to represent their country at the IIHF World Junior Championships in December. Think of the World Junior Showcase as an audition. The coaches will look at more than just the overall performance of the team.
Every player that participates has only a few opportunities to showcase their skill set. Everything from their speed to how well they play against each opposing team will be taken into consideration. They will be closely evaluated to determine whether or not they have what it takes to represent their country at the IIHF World Junior Championship this December.
There are currently four prospects in the Anaheim Ducks system that are hoping their skills on the ice will be adequate enough to earn them a spot on their countries IIHF World Junior team. There are only a few more games left in the showcase, which means our players only have a few more days to prove they have what it takes to earn a coveted roster spot with their team come this winter.
Isac Lundeström Is Shining For Team Sweden
One of the newer faces to the Anaheim Ducks prospect pool, Isac Lundeström, is making his mark at the World Junior Showcase this year. The young forward was drafted first by the Anaheim Ducks during the entry draft in June, he is taking advantage of the opportunity to represent his homeland.
Last year, Lundeström made a positive impression during the World Junior Showcase with his smart on-ice tactics. The impact he made resulted in him being invited to represent Team Sweden at the IIHF World Junior Championship. He is looking to repeat that again this year with an invitation to Vancouver in December.
Lundeström seemed to come into the showcase with even more confidence this year. Team Sweden has been consistently looking to him as their second line center, and reasonably so. After game three on Tuesday, July 31, which ended in a 4-3 shootout loss against Finland, Lundeström was named the player of the game.
This game didn’t result in any goals for Lundeström, nor did his first, but he impressed the coaches with his strong two-way game. His keen sense of when to play offensively versus defensively made up for the fact that he had yet to put any points on the board.
All of that changed during game six on Wednesday, August 2. Sweden faced-off against team USA early in the afternoon. His teammate, Rickard Hugg, put Sweden’s first two goals on the board. Nevertheless, Lundeström was given the chance to shine during the first period.
At 15:07, after he turned a pass from teammate Jonatan Berggren into his first goal of the showcase. Although Sweden started off strong in game six, Team USA came back from behind and won 5-4 in overtime. Despite the loss, Lundestrom was in the top three for point production on Team Sweden for game six.
Isac Lundeström and Team Sweden still have two more games in the showcase over the next two days. With his performance throughout the earlier games, it is likely we will continue to see him in the second line center position. This will give him plenty of opportunities to impress his coaches and hopefully solidify his roster spot in the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Olle Eriksson Ek Brings Home A “W”
It comes as no surprise that Olle Eriksson Ek has somewhat lived in the shadow of his older brother. Especially considering that older brother, Joel Eriksson Ek, wore the “C” during the 2017 Junior World Cup. The timid goalie is ready to emerge from that shadow and make a name for himself.
Eriksson Ek, who was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2017, is one of three goalies representing Team Sweden this year. He has been hard at work, competing with his two teammates, for a chance to possibly lead Sweden at the net at the IIHF World Juniors.
Last year, Eriksson Ek made the Team Sweden Roster at the 2018 WJC. However, he played second fiddle to Filip Larsson and Filip Gustavsson and never had the opportunity to play. This year, he has confidence stemming from his experience watching how things work in the championship. That should give him the upper hand when competing for the starting role.
During the three games Team Sweden has played, each goalie has been given the opportunity to start in one game while their coaches closely evaluate their technique. Olle Eriksson Ek was given the opportunity to start in goal during their first game against Team USA-Blue on July 30.
During Sweden’s first game against Team USA, Eriksson Ek saved 26 shots, only allowing team USA to score one goal. He ended the game with a .963 save percentage (SV%). His effort in the net contributed to Sweden’s first win, helping the team to start off on the right foot with a 3-1 win
Since his debut in the net, Olle Eriksson Ek has not had the opportunity to play again. The other goalies have been given a fair shot to showcase their talent as well. Sweden lost the next two games without him.
As hard as it must be for the other goalies on the team, it will serve to benefit Eriksson Ek. He is the only goalie on the team with a win to his name so far. With two more games left on the agenda for Team Sweden, it is reasonable to assume he will be given another shot to start. Eriksson Ek could prove he has what it takes to possibly be the starting goalie for the rest of the showcase. It could also earn him an invitation to come back to the Championships in December.
Maxime Comtois Leads Team Canada To Overtime Victory
I have made it no secret that I believe Maxime Comtois and Antoine Morand, after a little more development, will be the next Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks. Drafted by the Ducks back in 2017 and recently signed to an entry-level contract, the poised forward is set to bring a much-needed layer of speed and skill to the Anaheim Ducks. Although he is set to hopefully make his Ducks debut in the next few years, he is still loyal to and has found plenty of success with Team Canada.
Team Canada is still basking in the glory of their victory over Team Sweden during the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship Finals. When you partake in winning the gold, there is even more pressure for you to come back and impress your coaches the following year. A roster spot for Comtois is probably already a guarantee, especially considering his performance last year, he still needs to play up to par in the showcase to solidify his position.
For this year’s showcase, Team Canada was split into two different teams during their face off against Team USA. Maxime Comtois was assigned to Canada White, to play against USA Blue during the July 31 game. Team USA Blue prevailed in a 3-2 victory over Canada White. comtois was held off the scoresheet.
The two Canadian teams converged again for the August 2nd game against Finland. Both teams made a valiant effort on the ice, sending the game into overtime. Comtois took a penalty early in the first period, giving Finland the advantage they needed to score a power-play goal. However, things would take a better turn for the young forward during the OT period.
With the score of 3-3, 4:33 into overtime, Antoine Morand faked a shot and made a beautiful pass to Comtois. Taking full advantage of the opportunity, Maxime Comtois shot the puck and scored the game-winning goal for Team Canada. With two games left, Comtois has plenty of time left to provide solid proof that he has everything it takes to continue to make an impact on Team Canada.
Antoine Morand Is Taking Strides To Make His First WJC Appearance
Antoine Morand is one of the only Anaheim Ducks prospects playing in the showcase this year who did not make an appearance at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship last year. This year, he’s trying to turn that around. This rings especially true when you take a look at his performance with Team Canada so far.
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Unlike his teammate and longtime friend, Maxime Comtois, Antoine Morand represented Canada Red during the Canada vs. USA games. Morand’s team fell to the same fate as Canada White and lost when they played against USA White. Although game five, on July 31st, ended with USA W winning 7-5, Morand still made a few wonderful plays during the game.
He picked up two points during the game, starting with an assist on Noah Dobson’s goal 8:56 into the first period. Morand took charge of the power play during the third period and scored Canada R’s fourth goal o the night. Despite the loss, Morand was one of three players on his team to earn the most points, making him one of the top contenders for team Canada.
During his next game, while Canada was now one team again, Morand took strides to further impress his coaches and the fans. Although he did not have any points credited to his name in any of the first three periods, his assist on Maxime Comtois game-winning goal helped lead team Canada to their first victory.
I have a feeling we will see Antoine Morand do great things during the rest of the showcase. He has immense talent, and it will most likely guarantee him a spot on Team Canada when they compete at the IIHF World Junior Championships in December.
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Although the World Junior Summer Showcase is not an NHL event, Ducks Nation has a lot to be excited about. Anaheim prospects are taking significant strides in developing their game. Their performances in the showcase will further solidify their future with the Anaheim Ducks.