A New Top D Pair in Anaheim

How the rookie defensive pair of pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe has found success. Will they stick together moving forward?

The Anaheim Ducks entered the season with eight defensemen on their opening night roster, Cam Fowler, Jamie Drysdale, Pavel Mintyukov, Radko Gudas, Ilya Lyubushkin, Urho Vaakanainen, Jackson LaCombe, and Tristan Luneau. Of those eight, three entered the season set to begin their rookie campaigns (Mintyukov, LaCombe, and Luneau), and four (the three mentioned and Drysdale) were 22 years old or younger. The Ducks were set to deploy one of the younger blueline groups in recent memory.

In the early stretches of the season, Head Coach Greg Cronin and the coaching staff were steadfast in their efforts to ice a nightly lineup that featured three left-shot defensemen and three right-shot defensemen. Injuries have piled for the Anaheim Ducks in 2023-24 and the blueline hasn’t been an exception. Jamie Drysdale (before his trade to the Philadelphia Flyers), Pavel Mintyukov, and Radko Gudas have all missed significant time this season due to various injuries. An infection in Tristan Luneau’s knee in December brought his season to an early end.

The injuries sustained to the defensive core compounded with a couple of trades as the season progressed have necessitated an adjustment to the deployment of the Ducks’ nightly defensive lineup. Along with a lineup adjustment, some tweaks to the style and system of the Ducks breakout were needed.

The Ducks were running a “quick-up” style where nearly every puck above the defensive goal line was moved up the strong side wall and very few D-to-D passes were called for. That required a left-shot defenseman on the right boards to either send a weaker backhand outlet up the ice or pull a puck off the wall from their backhand to their forehand. Several turnovers occurred as a result of those plays.

Since there is currently only one healthy right-shot defenseman on the roster, the Ducks coaching staff has seemed to adjust their asks of the two players on their off-sides. More east/west passes are incorporated along with more regroups and reverses.

Jackson LaCombe (23) and recently recalled rookie Olen Zellweger (20) are being asked to play on the right side of the ice despite their left-handedness.

Over the last two games (Tuesday’s 4-0 loss to the Minnesota Wild and Thursday’s 4-0 win against the Chicago Blackhawks), Pavel Mintyukov (20) has been paired with Jackson LaCombe. Over those two games, the Mintyukov-LaCombe pair has led the Ducks D pairs in TOI at 5v5 and when that pair has been on the ice, the Ducks have outscored their opponents 1-0 and outshot their opponents 11-10. Throughout the season, Mintyukov and LaCombe have played 88.4 minutes together at 5v5 and hold a 57.1% expected goals share.

“It’s easy to make adjustments when we need to,” LaCombe said of why the pair has been successful on the ice together. “We’ve just been playing well together and we like it.”

Traditionally, the styles and brands of hockey Mintyukov and LaCombe play wouldn’t have been thought of to work. Both are similar in that they skate well in all four directions, snap pucks up ice quickly on outlets, stay low on cycles when pressure is sustained in the offensive zone, and often are quick to join or lead a rush.

Despite their handedness and similar styles, the pair of defensemen complement each other well on the ice and are positively effective in all three zones.

Both are tremendous rush defenders and use their skating ability to properly gap opponents. MIntyukov is quick to physically engage and tends to cut off outlets when they reach their target. When he does, LaCombe is there to retrieve loose pucks. LaCombe defends remarkably well with his stick and regularly breaks up stickhandling or pass attempts.

Where the pair has been the most clever and effective has been during breakouts. They shift, reverse, and switch with comfort, ease, and without hesitation. It allows for the play to be more efficient and fluid as they head up ice.

Mintyukov and LaCombe’s off-ice chemistry is likely a factor in the success (however small the sample) they’ve seen recently.

“We live together. We’re roommates, so we give each other a little crap on the ice and stuff,” LaCombe joked of his friendship and repartee with Mintyukov bleeding over to the ice.

At the beginning of the season, if one were to guess which two defensemen could potentially make up a future top defensive pair for the Anaheim Ducks, it’s almost certain Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe wouldn’t have been a popular answer.

The sample size has been small, but the early returns have been positive for the pair of rookie defensemen. It will be interesting to monitor if they will remain together as the team gets healthier. The duo may have been put together purely out of necessity, but they may have all the makings of a significantly interesting, modern, and effective NHL defensive pair.