What are the Anaheim Ducks’ prospects up to this week? A pair of players continued their hot streaks and many prospects found their names on the scoresheet.
If any player scored a goal for the Everett Silvertips this week, there’s a good chance that it was assisted by Olen Zellweger. The defenseman tallied five helpers along with two goals in three games this week (two wins, one loss) and is now tied for the scoring lead among defensemen in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
Zellweger continues to light up the WHL in his second full season in the league. His 12 points in 58 games during his first full WHL season with the Silvertips are a far cry from his current total of 46 points in 34 games.
The Ducks certainly found a gem with Zellweger when they took him 34th overall in the second round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The hope will be that he’s ready in a couple of seasons when Cam Fowler is starting to reach the tail end of his career.
Sam Colangelo has been one of the hottest players in college hockey since returning from an injury on Jan. 7. He had two goals and two assists in two games this week and has 16 points in 10 games since returning from his injury.
Colangelo’s scoring has come at the most crucial point of the season for Northeastern University, who is close to claiming a top-3 seed in the Hockey East playoffs. Northeastern currently sits in fifth place with 32 points, just two points behind the fourth-place University of Massachusetts and three points behind the University of Connecticut and Boston University, who are tied for second.
Not to mention, Northeastern will be facing off against Boston University in the Beanpot Tournament final on Monday at TD Garden. Having another goal scorer on the ice in Colangelo gives Northeastern a better chance of taking down BU.
Though Colangelo has been plagued with injuries through his collegiate hockey career thus far, the sophomore has still been able to perform when healthy. He could do with another full season at the college level before trying his hand at turning pro, but things are trending in the right direction for the forward.
Some short notes on Mason McTavish, who is currently at the Winter Olympics with Team Canada. The 2021 third-overall pick hasn’t seen his name on the scoresheet just yet but has had a few good chances offensively while playing on Canada’s top line with Josh Ho-Sang and NHL veteran Eric Staal.
There’s a great article that came out recently about McTavish’s wild 2021-22 season and how much he’s traveled this season alone.
It’s no secret that the Ducks’ organizational depth is teeming with talent. With the recent hiring of Pat Verbeek, there is assurance that the cupboard will continue to be filled as the seasons progress.
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