Tristan Luneau’s path to Anaheim looks a lot more open now than it did a year ago.
The Ducks’ second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, 53rd overall, spent most of last season in San Diego, where he put together his most productive AHL campaign yet. In 70 games - a career high - Luneau scored 10 goals and finished with 41 points.
That made him second among San Diego defensemen in goals and the team’s leader on the blue line in assists and points. Across the whole roster, he tied for third in assists and placed fifth in points.
His 10 goals topped the nine he scored in his rookie year.
He was a steady fixture on the Gulls’ second pairing, often alongside Tyson Hinds, and he also logged time on both the power play and penalty kill. In the playoffs, he was held off the scoresheet in two games.
Anaheim gave him a late-season look in mid-April, and Luneau made it count. Against Nashville, he played just over 11 minutes, scored a goal, and fired two shots. He skated on the third pair with Hinds, his San Diego partner, but did not appear on either special teams unit.
That NHL cameo was a small sample, though it fit into a bigger picture from last season. The expectation was for Luneau to set a new high in NHL games played after appearing in seven games during the 2023-2024 season.
Instead, he got into just one. Part of that was Anaheim’s right side already being crowded with Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas, and Drew Helleson.
Part of it was that Ian Moore got the first callup from San Diego and quickly became a regular in Anaheim’s rotation.
Even so, Luneau delivered on the other side of the job description: he remained one of San Diego’s top defensemen all season.
Now the opportunity looks much bigger. Anaheim’s right side is about to look very different, with Trouba, Gudas, and John Carlson gone.
The Ducks currently have only three right-shooting defensemen under contract: Nick Jensen, Moore, and Helleson. The exact shape of the blue line still has to be sorted out, but Luneau being part of it feels close to a given.
That sets the bar for this season. The Ducks need him playing more NHL games than AHL ones, even if he still gets some work with the Gulls.
When he is in Anaheim, he should get some power-play chances too; he’s already shown in the AHL that he can handle the point there. And if he does go back to San Diego, the standard should stay the same: be one of their top defensemen.
Luneau has already made his NHL debut and has played at least one game in each of the past three seasons. This doesn’t necessarily have to be the year he locks down a full-time role, but it sure feels like it could be.
If not now, then the Ducks need him to be a full-time NHLer by the 2027-2028 season. Anything later would suggest the development has stalled or that the pace of the league is still giving him trouble.
He has one year left on his entry-level contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer. Barring a complete collapse in his game, Anaheim will extend him. The real question is the kind of deal he gets, and the guess here is something similar to the two-year contract Tim Washe signed last summer, with the first year on a two-way deal and the second year one-way.
The next prospect update will be on defenseman Stian Solberg.
In Other News...
Ducks Make Unusual Chris Kreider Move As Cap Crunch Intensifies
Chris Kreiders short stay in Anaheim appears headed for an unusual ending, with the veteran forward expected to be placed on waivers for contract termination after both sides agreed it was the cleanest way to move on. The Ducks explored trade options first, but general manager Pat Verbeek and Kreider ultimately settled on ending the deal a year early, a notable turn for a player brought in to help the club push forward.
The backdrop here is the cap squeeze Anaheim is working through after locking up Leo Carlsson on a major extension, a move that has left the Ducks with tight financial room as they try to get Cutter Gauthier signed as well. Kreiders exit creates needed flexibility, but it also underscores how quickly the roster picture can change when expensive young talent starts stacking up and every dollar has to be accounted for. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Prospect Stian Solberg May Be Closer Than Fans Think
Stian Solbergs first full North American season gave the Ducks plenty to think about after they took the defenseman 23rd overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. Working with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL, he handled the jump well for a teenager adjusting to a new league and a new continent, and he even added another layer to his resume by representing Norway at the World Championships, where he helped the national team to a bronze medal finish.
For Anaheim, the question now is less about whether Solberg belongs in the organizations plans and more about how quickly those plans can start to include him. His development path still points toward more seasoning in the AHL, but the Ducks have reason to keep a close eye on him, especially if the NHL roster opens up an opportunity before anyone expected. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Prospect Tarin Guite Now Faces His Biggest Development Test
Tarin Guites rise in junior hockey has been hard to miss. After winning QMJHL Rookie of the Year in 2023-24, he backed it up with 25 goals and 57 points in 61 games and helped his team capture the league championship, a strong showing for a player still early in his development. For Anaheim, its the kind of progress that makes a prospect worth tracking closely, especially when the on-ice production is paired with winning experience.
Now comes the next step in his path, and it is the one that will tell the Ducks the most about what kind of player he can become. Guite is heading into a new environment, one that should challenge him in ways junior hockey no longer can, and he remains unsigned as he looks to keep building his game before eventually pushing toward the Anaheim organization. [Read more 🡒]