The Ducks have inked center Ethan Procyszyn to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced on Tuesday ahead of Game 2 of its first-round playoff series in Edmonton.
Procyszyn, 19, was a third-round selection of the Ducks in 2024, going 68th overall. After notching a modest 36 points in his draft year, he’s compiled 123 more in his past two campaigns in the Ontario Hockey League with the North Bay Battalion.
He led North Bay in points, goals, plus-minus rating, faceoff wins, power-play goals and game-winning goals this season.
His offense, however, is just gravy atop the heap of meat and potatoes that is his game. At 6-foot-3 and roughly 200 pounds, Procyszyn’s physical presence and disruptive defense have been his signature elements.
He’s a willing and often punishing hitter, but he brings discipline and nuance to the ice as well, jamming shooting and passing lanes while also using his stick effectively.
Though the Ducks have some similarly molded skaters in their system, Procyszyn projects as exactly the type of player they could use presently: one who is eager and capable in the dirty areas but that won’t hold back their free-flowing offense.
The walls, the corners and the netfront have all been unkind to the Ducks, who have on some nights turned 50/50 battles into 20/80 uphill climbs. Procyszyn excels in these areas and has some nastiness to his game as well, something General Manager Pat Verbeek undoubtedly valued.
If he can improve his skating and continue to refine his skills, Procyszyn could be a regular in the Ducks’ bottom six in time. He’s already not only bigger than many of his peers, but with a solid, well-proportioned physique and top-tier fitness testing. He has said that he models his game after a similarly sized and oriented pro forward, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Nick Paul.