The Anaheim Ducks announced entry-level contracts for a pair of 2023 draftees
The Anaheim Ducks announced entry-level contracts for a pair of 2023 draftees
Wednesday afternoon the Anaheim Ducks signed Yegor Sidorov (19) and Coulson Pitre (19) to entry-level contracts that will begin in the 2024-25 season.
The Ducks drafted Pitre (65th overall) and Sidorov (85th overall) in last June's 2023 NHL Entry Draft.
Coulson Pitre
Coulson Pitre's entry-level deal is a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $858,333.
Pitre is a 6-foot-1, 174-pound winger playing in his third full season in the OHL and wears an "A" on his sweater for the Flint Firebirds.
Pitre is a career near-point-per-game player in the CHL with 75 goals and 84 assists in 166 games. In 2023-24, he recorded 27 goals and 55 points in 55 games.
Flint is currently down 3-0 in their best of seven series against the London Knights in the OHL playoffs. Pitre has two goals on eight shots in those three games.
Pitre is the epitome of a "high-motor" player. Though versatile and can play any forward position, he projects as a winger at the NHL level and is set to terrorize opposing defenders on the forecheck for years to come. He's a tenacious battler and entering into a battle against him will come at a cost.
Much like fellow 2023 Ducks draftees, Nico Myatovic and Carey Terrance, Pitre is a more than capable and effective rush forward, but he thrives in "dirty" areas of the ice (corners, below the goal line, and around the net). He fights to get to those small areas, has good hands, and a nose for the net.
When Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek and Head Coach Greg Cronin preach accountability and work ethic, one would be hard pressed to find a player who exemplifies that more than Coulson Pitre. He seems to be a perfect fit for the brand of hockey the Ducks are looking to play as they hopefully head into their contending window.
Yegor Sidorov
Yegor Sidorov's entry-level deal is a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $865,000.
Sidorov is a 6-foot, 183-pound winger who, like Pitre, is playing in his third full season in the WHL for the Saskatoon Blades.
Though eligible for the 2022 NHL draft, he went undrafted after only producing 23 goals and 35 points in 58 games in 2021-22. The Anaheim Ducks drafted him in the third-round of the 2023 NHL draft (with a pick they got from the Minnesota Wild at the 2022 trade deadline in exchange for Nic Deslauriers) after he tallied 40 goals and 76 points in the 2022-23 season.
In 2023-24, Sidorov joined elite company and produced the WHL's ninth 50-goal season in the last five seasons. He totaled 88 points in 66 regular season games.
The Saskatoon Blades are currently up 2-1 in their best of seven series against the Prince Albert Raiders in the WHL playoffs.
Sidorov is one of the more dynamic and electric players outside of the NHL. One would be hard-pressed to find a better in-game puckhandler and he uses that skill to manipulate defenders at will, allowing him the space needed to release his potent, quick, and accurate shot from dangerous areas.
While there was an emphasis in the 2023 draft for the Ducks to select more "North/South" players who fit the schemes and tactics they're trying to build around, Sidorov's pure skill is as tantalizing as it gets. If leveraged to it's potential, his play style can be an effective "East/West" compliment to the high-pressure style the team is striving for.
His abilities are unquestioned. What has yet to be answered is how those abilities translate to the best professional leagues in the world. When opponents are stronger and faster and the ice is seemingly smaller, can he adjust his approach to remain productive?
Barring beyond exceptional rookie and training camps, it's likely Pitre and Sidorov will play at least the majority of the 2024-25 season in San Diego for the Gulls of the AHL.
Nico Myatovic on Thunderbirds, injuries and signing his first contract