With the 53rd pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks have selected Tristan Luneau from the Gatineau Olympiques of the QMJHL
About Tristan Luneau
Tristan Luneau is one of the better playmakers among the defensemen available in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. While he isn’t prone to taking shots himself, he is always looking for an open teammate, and relishes the opportunity to make plays from the back end. He is a future top-four defenseman, as well as a quarterback on the power play.
Related: 2022 NHL Draft: Live Tracker
Luneau’s season began by having surgery done on his knee, and he was a little slow to get back up to full speed upon returning. Once he did return, he finished his season in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with 43 points in 63 games. He uses his 6-foot-2 frame to his advantage at both ends of the ice; he’s not afraid of the physical aspect of the game, and that, coupled with his offensive creativity, is a big reason why he was a highly-rated prospect in this class despite any lingering injury concerns.
THW Prospect Profile Excerpt
“Luneau has quite a few things going for him. He has a solid 6-foot-2 frame that could use more muscle, but he hasn’t let that hinder his physical play. He’s not shy to throw a hit in corners and uses his body well to separate the opposition from pucks during battles. He possesses a very high hockey IQ defensively, as both his gap control and stick work are two strong points to his game. He’s shown great strides in two years regarding his ability to take away passing lanes and force turnovers, and he’s a good enough skater to take advantage of loose pucks and drive the play forward.
Related: 2022 NHL Draft Guide
“Offensively, he can quarterback a power play with relative ease. He isn’t much of a shooter, preferring to wait out the opposition and find open lanes to set up plays. He’s shown great precision when it comes to picking players in the high slot, and he has a strong tendency to overcome pressure when handling the puck at the top of the blue line. He continues to work on his shot, both in practice and during the summer, to improve on the strength behind his slap shot while making adjustments to his accuracy with his wrist shot. He’s still a pass-first type of player but adding that extra element will give him an edge of unpredictability that will keep opposing players on their heels.
“While his skating isn’t particularly a weakness, there are aspects of it that can be improved upon. His first step is good, but adding more speed and explosiveness between the second and fourth steps are areas he can work on. His edgework and pivot would benefit from this change, as he has been caught off guard several times this season when the puck is turned over. He’s still an exceptional skater, and he’ll be highly touted before the draft, but these minor tweaks could be what separates him from being good and great.”
Full player profile can be found here
How This Affects the Ducks’ Plans
With a defensive group that already looks to feature Jamie Drysdale, Olen Zellweger, and 2022 10th overall pick Pavel Mintyukov, the Ducks are starting to build a formidable future defense by adding Luneau. This is a defensive group that has size, skill, and strong play at both ends of the ice. Luneau could prove to be a steal in this range, and he should develop into a consistent contributor on Anaheim’s blue line.
