Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss if the Ducks could make any significant moves before the season opener Anaheim Ducks 2024 training camp is set to begin on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 9 am. Players to Watch at Ducks Rookie Camp, Rookie Faceoff [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/players-to-watch-at-ducks-rookie-camp-rookie-faceoff] Dailyfaceoff.com [https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/]'s Frank Seravalli reported on Wednesday that the Ducks were "bringing three players to camp on PTOs: Mark Pysyk, Boris Katchouk, and Gustav Lindstrom." Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is no stranger to offering veteran players PTOs (professional tryouts) to get a firsthand look and determine if he'd like to provide them with a contract. The most notable among them were Zack Kassian and Scott Harrington in 2023. Neither earned a contract with the team. Nathan Beaulieu was invited to Ducks training camp in 2022 and earned a contract, playing 52 games with the Ducks in 2022-23. MARK PYSYK Pysyk (32) is a veteran right-shot defenseman and first-round pick (23rd overall in 2010) with 521 games of NHL experience under his belt. Pysyk is considered more of a defensive specialist with his career-high for points in a season set at 18, achieved in the 2019-20 season. A chat with VICTORY+ CEO Neil Gruninger [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/a-chat-with-victory-ceo-neil-gruninger] He missed the entire 2022-23 season following offseason Achilles surgery and played the entirety of the 2023-24 season in the AHL, first in eight games on a PTO with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins affiliate) before signing a two-way contract with the Calgary Flames, where he finished the year playing 29 games on the Wranglers (Calgary Flames affiliate). The Ducks only have four right-shot defensemen on their organizational depth chart (Radko Gudas, Tristan Luneau, Drew Helleson, and Noah Warren). If Pysyk were to earn a contract with the Ducks organization, he would bolster the depth of the blueline core whether in the AHL or NHL. BORIS KATCHOUK Katchouk (26) is a depth forward option who has bounced around in the last two years, unable to solidify a role with a particular team in the NHL. Katchouk was drafted in the second round (44th in '16) and was ultimately a piece in the deal that sent Brandon Hagel to the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Katchouk, Taylor Raddysh, and two first-round picks. Ducks' Gauthier Speaks at NHLPA Rookie Showcase [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-gauthier-speaks-at-nhlpa-rookie-showcase] He was placed on waivers by the Blackhawks on Dec. 11, 2023, and sent to the Rockford Ice Hogs of the AHL, where he'd play six games before being recalled. He, again, was placed on waivers on March 7 and claimed a day later by the Ottawa Senators, where he'd finish out his 2023-24 campaign. The Senators did not opt to offer Katchouk a qualifying offer as a restricted free agent (RFA), effectively rendering him an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1. After having found moderate success in the AHL, Katchouk has struggled to carve out an impactful role for himself at the NHL level. He's well-suited to assume depth-forward responsibilities, providing impactful forechecking prowess and using his 6-foot-2, 205-pound frame to protect pucks and battle his way to the front of the net. He's managed to notch 36 points in 176 career NHL games. GUSTAV LINDSTROM The Anaheim Ducks organization is now familiar with Lindstrom (25) after claiming him of waivers on Jan. 10 and him playing out the remainder of the 2023-24 season on the Ducks roster. Lindstrom was a second-round pick (38th in '17) of the Detroit Red Wings and was traded to the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 15, 2023, along with a conditional fourth-round pick in exchange for defenseman Jeff Petry. Lindstrom only played 14 games for the Habs and four for the Laval Rocket of the AHL before he was eventually claimed by the Ducks. Gauthier, Zellweger Give First On-Ice Look at Full Ducks Uniforms [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/gauthier-zellweger-give-first-on-ice-look-at-full-ducks-uniforms] Lindstrom suited up with the Ducks 32 times to end 2023-24, tallying six assists. He provided dependable defensive prowess, displaying proper gap control, a disruptive stick, and unfaltering quality positioning. As an RFA, the Ducks did not offer him a qualifying offer before July 1 and he became a UFA. Ducks veteran defenseman Cam Fowler recently appeared in reports where he and the Ducks were "working on what his future could look like," so inviting a defenseman with Lindstrom's familiarity could provide a necessary insurance policy should a trade take place. Lindstrom has tallied 35 points in 174 career NHL games and averaged 15:34 TOI. Report: Ducks and Fowler 'Working on What His Future Could Look Like' [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/report-ducks-and-fowler-working-on-what-his-future-could-look-like] Potential Trade Destinations for Ducks Defenseman Cam Fowler [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/potential-trade-destinations-for-ducks-defenseman-cam-fowler]
