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The Ducks have lent a 21-year-old defensive prospect Hunter Drew at HC Banska Bystrica of the Slovak League. According to a report on Hokej Portal, the Ducks front office has contacted the club to allow Drew some playing time ahead of the 2020-21 season.
Drew was drafted by the Ducks in the sixth round (178 overall) of the 2018 NHL Draft in Charlottetown Islanders of the QMJHL. His career story so far has been one of quiet resilience – first, making the Charlottetown roster as a guest at camp in 2016, then doubling his 8-16 goals on the season after being an end-of-round pick by the Ducks. His first 29 games with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL earned Drew an entry-level NHL contract in March.
Although being sent to a European club might seem a bit of a demotion, Banska club manager Július Koval says otherwise (translation via Google Translate, here is the original text in slovak):
“After Montreal, the Anaheim Ducks also approached us with the possibility of welcoming their player under contract. He’s a young hockey player who needs to play. It’s also beneficial to us economically, so we have complied with Anaheim. Hunter is a hard-working defenseman who has gone very high in recent years, winning an NHL contract. Anaheim wants to work with him. They want him to be busy before camp starts. He’s a good skater, he knows how to start an attack well, he likes to play in the body. He’s only 21, which is an interesting leaflet. We believe the government’s measures will change so that Slovak viewers can also see it. “
One important thing to take away is that the Drew should be at camp – hopefully in great shape – as they’ll want him to compete for a spot on the roster sooner rather than later. While his AHL stat sheet isn’t overwhelming, with just seven points in 29 games, the 6-foot-2, 198-pound Drew has been compared to just a little bigger. Josh manson, who had a 37-point season once. What the Ducks see in him is a hard working player who has learned to use his size.
Drew will likely compete for the Gulls again this season, but he could quickly become the prospect to watch his NHL debut – a bit sad thinking if you think about it too much, but it does. is the organization that comes from Ranked 21st in Cory Pronman’s Annual Prospect Ranking.
There’s not much to get excited about yet, but the 2020 draft, scheduled for October 6-7, should help shake things up a bit.
