Ducks Prospect Update with Assistant GM Martin Madden

It is officially draft week in Nashville as the Ducks are set to make just the third No. 2 overall selection in franchise history Wednesday night at Bridgestone Arena.

After checking in last week with Assistant General Manager and Director of Amateur Scouting Martin Madden for a preview of the draft, AnaheimDucks.com continues that conversation today with an update on the Ducks prospect pool.

Note: some answers have been lightly edited for style and clarity.

Olen Zellweger just finished a remarkable year as the Canadian Hockey League's Defenseman of the Year. What has impressed you most about his growth?MM: What Olen has accomplished at the junior level is all we would've hoped for and thought he could accomplish. What we saw as potential in his draft year, up to this point, he's maximized it certainly offensively, but I believe he's made some major, major strides defensively as well.

Tristan Luneau had a similarly great year as the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's (QMJHL) Defenseman of the Year, setting some Gatineau records in the process. How far has his game come in just a year since his draft day?MM: I think it was about how much of an impact him getting his knee fully recovered had on him. He was feeling comfortable and strong to move in every direction. You saw how much that has had an impact on his confidence with the puck and his ability to show everyone just how creative and how aware he is on the ice. He just couldn't show us that, in the first half of his draft year, just because the knee didn't allow him to do that. This year, clearly, it did (laughs). He proved just how much of an impact that it had on his game.

His now former junior teammate Noah Warren impressed in training camp last year at just 18 years old, but battled injuries of his own throughout the season. How has his recovery gone?MM: That's what happens sometimes. Noah came into camp, both rookie and main camp, and showed what he can be as an NHL player. That picture was fully formed for everybody who was there. There is no doubt that he can be a solid defensive, physical partner on a second or third pairing. Will he be able to do that on a first pairing in tough minutes? We'll see. This year, unfortunately, his season started late, and it was cut by a number of injuries. He had a fine season but let's see what another summer of training does for him and how well he shows in camp. I think he made a really strong impression in September.

The third and final of the Ducks' CHL Defensemen of the Year winners, Pavel Mintyukov took off after a midseason trade to Ottawa (OHL). Where have you seen the most progress from him?MM: I think it was a great opportunity for Pavel moving from a team that was really offensively minded team, one that let everybody play with a lot of freedom, to a successful system at the junior level in Ottawa. They were one of the most successful junior teams in the regular season this year and play a most structured approach. Pavel was able to adopt that and continue developing defensively while still figuring out how he can impact the game offensively. That's what was most impressive for me with his season, that after a month of being there and learning the system, he was able to find his spot in a different way than he was doing in Saginaw. He still produced as much, and obviously some of that comes from the power play, but anybody who saw him 5-on-5 saw the evolution of his game, how aware he is on the ice and how quickly he anticipates what's coming at him. I think it was a great, great opportunity for him this year.

Pivoting up to the forwards, Nathan Gaucher just won the Memorial Cup with Quebec (QMJHL) to go with his two World Junior gold medals. How will his maturity, versatility and defensive prowess aide in his march to the NHL?MM: Nathan played all kinds of roles this year, starting last August with Team Canada, being a support player and getting a little bit more ice time as that tournament progressed, to playing quite an offensive role in the first half of the year for the Remparts. I would say he probably played first line minutes, but on the second line centering two offensively minded wingers. Then, he transitioned to a shutdown role for Team Canada in December and came back to a Remparts team that had added some pieces and were trying to build the best team they could to compete for Memorial Cup. And, so the second half was a little bit of a mixed bag.

He played some wing. He played some second line center. He moved to a third line when they wanted a matchup line against the opposition's top line. He was playing lots of minutes on the penalty kill, and I think it's his versatility that showed the best over the course of the year. I was happy with the strides he made with his skills in the first half, and I think he'll be able to build on that production over the course of the summer and come into camp with some confidence.

How about Sasha Pastujov?MM: I think he would be the first one to tell you that his first half of the year was disappointing after putting in such hard work over the summer, rebuilding a little bit of his body and working on his skating, to not get the same level of success he had the previous season.

I think he was probably disappointed that he didn't get an invite to the World Juniors this year, and it spurred him on in the second half with the trade to Sarnia. That got him playing on a different type of line and as the second half progressed. I got to read lots of reports on his performances, and it was a steady progression with his best play coming in the playoffs. So that perseverance paid off, as did the work on his skating and his fitness. It paid off because the previous year he had finished on probably a lower level compared to how we had started that year. This year he started a little lower but finished on a high note. I think that's motivated and spurred a lot of energy for his summer of training.

Finally up front, Connor Hvidston surprised some in prospect circles with a big post-draft year. Selected in the fifth round last summer, how much has his stock risen?MM: Well, first of all, he continues to grow into his big frame. And as he got stronger, he became more confident with the puck. The reason why we drafted him was because he's a really smart player. He understands the game both offensively and defensively. This year, we saw him take the biggest strides in terms of his confidence with the puck and holding on to it, looking to make plays and take charge a little bit more. I think he's not done growing. When he fully fills out his frame, he should be a force.

Now in goal, Calle Clang got his first taste of North American hockey with a short stint in San Diego at the end of the regular season. Where is he at in his development process and what are his strengths as a goaltender?MM: He's super competitive. He reads the play really well, and he's super competitive, both on the ice and off the ice. I think that those are his two main qualities. I'm sure you wish he would've played more in Sweden, but when we draft and sign a goalie out of Europe, the year we signed them is a development year. They have to stay in Europe...So teams will lean on their veteran netminder. He didn't get to play as much, but he continued to work on his game. He then got a taste of the American League and got a sense of what North American ice looks like and how it feels. As he works during the summer, he is not coming in cold from that perspective going into San Diego's camp.

Lastly, how about Russian goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets, a sixth-round selection last summer?
MM: Both Sudsy (Ducks goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj) and KK (Ducks Russian Scout Konstantin Krylov) were really pleased with his strides this year. He got to play a lot in the VHL (second Russian division) and got a taste of the KHL. He has one year left on his deal over there. We're looking forward to having him join us a year from now in North America.

He's a big, big kid. I think his game will translate. He's athletic and he's big. He's gotten some good coaching. He'll just need to adapt to our ice sheet a year from now.