Gulls’ Blue Line Strengthened by Addition of Three Prospects

The Ducks' pipeline has long been considered one of their strengths, especially when it comes to developing defensemen. After recalling Stian Solberg from Färjestad BK and signing Will Francis and Ian Moore to amateur tryouts (ATOs), they have added some much-needed depth to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.

Solberg was drafted this past summer by Anaheim after they traded up with the Toronto Maple Leafs to acquire the 23rd overall pick. A physical presence, Solberg's ice time in his first season playing outside of Norway fluctuated as head coach Tomas Mitell attempted to find the best development for the young defenseman. Solberg was even a healthy scratch at times.

Anaheim recalled Solberg from Färjestad earlier this week, citing injuries in their organization as the reason for his recall. The recall came at a strange time, with Färjestad set to compete in the SHL Playoffs starting on Friday. Färejstad's general manager Rickard Wallin called it "surprising and unfortunate considering where we are in the season."

Solberg has yet to make his Gulls debut, with the next opportunity to do so this upcoming weekend against the Henderson Silver Knights. It might do Solberg well to get a few practices under his belt first before debuting, with there being a better chance of his AHL debut coming on Mar. 26 at home against the San Jose Barracuda..

Francis has been through a lot. After being initially diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2020, Francis has beaten the disease on three separate occasions. Most of his collegiate career was spent undergoing treatments, but he still managed to play in 37 games for the University of Minnesota Duluth from 2021-25. Drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Francis checks in at 6-foot-5 and weighs 215 pounds. Like Solberg, he too is a physical presence on the blue line.

Moore is the third addition to the Gulls' blue line, signing an ATO on Thursday. He's spent the last four seasons at Harvard University, where he was co-captain for the past two seasons. Moore missed several games last season with a sprained ankle but found his way back to seasons of the past in 2024-25. His playing style is a bit different from that of Solberg and Francis as he relies more on his skating ability rather than physicality to create plays.

Moore was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team in 2021-22 after putting up 15 points in 35 games. That same season, Harvard won the ECAC Championship. Moore was also on Team USA's World Juniors squad that season, playing bottom pair minutes.

Moore will likely play a handful of AHL games before signing his entry-level contract and getting an opportunity to dip his toe in the NHL. The Ducks did something similar last season with Sam Colangelo after his collegiate career concluded.

The addition of these three blueliners provides the Gulls with depth for not only the rest of this season, but for 2025-26 as well. Tristan Luneau, who's spent most of the season in the AHL, will almost certainly be up full-time with the Ducks next season. Drew Helleson started the season in the AHL and has graduated to full-time NHLer after being called up in November.

Behind Noah Warren, Jérémie Biakabutuka (who was recently reassigned to ECHL Tulsa) and AHL veteran Roland McKeown, the Gulls don't have many right-handed options. Moore and Francis will help shore up that area. Bringing in Solberg at this point of the season instead of at the beginning of next season will allow him to get adjusted to playing on North American ice and adapt to the physical nature of the AHL, something that he'll probably enjoy.