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Ducks News & Rumors: Zegras, Gudas, Suchanek & More

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Corey Abbott | Last updated 3/27/24

The Anaheim Ducks began a five-game road trip with a 4-0 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday (March 26). The Ducks were shut out for the fifth time in seven contests. Still, getting Trevor Zegras back from a 31-game absence in the defeat was a bright spot. The Ducks have not returned to full health yet, but the club’s core forward group is finally back together. That will be something to monitor down the final stretch of games.

The latest edition of News and Rumors provides a slew of injury updates and some prospect news.

Zegras’ Return Could Provide a Spark

Zegras has been limited to only 21 appearances. He sat out 20 games due to a lower-body injury earlier in the season and missed 31 straight contests because of a broken ankle. Despite Tuesday’s disappointing result, the Ducks stand a good chance of showing some offensive improvement in the final 10 games of the 2023-24 campaign. Prior to Tuesday’s contest, Zegras and Leo Carlsson suited up in the same game a mere eight times this season. The Ducks went 5-3-0 during that time with 3.38 goals per game. That’s a significant difference from the team’s average of 2.44 goals per match in 2023-24, which ranks 30th in the league.

Zegras started Tuesday’s outing between Isac Lundestrom and Brett Leason on the third line before moving up to play right wing alongside Mason McTavish and Frank Vatrano. He has logged the majority of his playing time on the wing because the Ducks have locked Carlsson and McTavish into the top-two center roles. Zegras got off a terrible start this season and has been the subject of plenty of trade talk, but he could still go into the summer on a high note if he can provide the Ducks’ offense with a boost.

Gudas Unavailable for Start of Road Trip

Radko Gudas missed his sixth consecutive contest after he didn’t make the trip to Seattle with his teammates. It’s unclear at this time if he will join the Ducks at some point during the team’s road swing, which concludes April 2 against the Calgary Flames.

Gudas leads the Ducks in penalty minutes (124), hits (213) and blocked shots (142) this season. Gustav Lindstrom has been filling in on the back end during Gudas’ absence.

McGinn Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery

The Ducks announced on Tuesday that Brock McGinn had successful disc surgery last week to repair a back injury. The 30-year-old winger is expected to need four months of recovery time, so he might be ready for the start of training camp.

He only appeared in 24 games during the 2023-24 campaign, collecting one goal, two assists, 24 shots on target, and 37 hits. McGinn still has another season remaining on his four-year, $11 million contract, which he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2021.

Ducks Sign Suchanek to Entry-Level Deal

Tomas Suchanek agreed to a three-year, entry-level contract with the Ducks last Thursday (March 21). He has performed well for the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) this campaign, posting a 12-8-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.73 goals-against average (GAA) and a .914 save percentage (SV%) through 23 appearances.

The 20-year-old netminder shined during the 2023 Rookie Faceoff tournament after backstopping Czechia to a silver medal at the 2023 World Junior Championship. He led all netminders with a 1.52 GAA and finished second with a .934 SV% at the tournament. Suchanek attended training camp with the Ducks and signed an AHL contract with the Gulls on Oct. 10, 2023. As a result, his entry-level pact will begin in 2024-25. Despite being passed over a few times in the NHL Draft, Suchanek could prove to be a valuable addition to the Ducks’ prospect pool.

Signing Colangelo Should Become a Priority

Eric Stephens of The Athletic believes the Ducks should try to add Sam Colangelo on an entry-level deal following the completion of the forward’s season with Western Michigan University. After transferring from Northeastern last summer, the 22-year-old senior has 23 goals and 42 points through 37 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) outings in 2023-24. Colangelo was selected in the second round (36th overall) by the Ducks in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.

If the two sides can’t come to terms on a contract, he will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in August. Western Michigan will face Michigan State University on Friday (March 29) in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Frozen Four. If Colangelo’s team gets knocked out early, he could make for an interesting addition to the lineup for the Ducks. The right-handed shooter may be able to carry over some offensive momentum to a team that desperately needs a jolt, especially from the right-wing position. An entry-level contract for top prospect Cutter Gauthier could also be on the horizon. However, Boston College is among the favorities to advance deep into the tournament, so he may only get to make his NHL debut before the Ducks enter offseason mode.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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