Anaheim Ducks Lockout Prospect Report: John Mitchell

Name: John Mitchell

Age: 26; July 10, 1986

Position: C/LW

Hometown: Neenah, WI

Draft Story: Undrafted

How did he become a Duck? On May 3, 2012, he signed a 2-year contract with Anaheim

Where did the Ducks send him for the lockout? Norfolk Admirals, AHL

2011-2012 League & Team: Syracuse Crunch, AHL

Extra hockey: Nope. Mitchell spent 4 years playing hockey for the University of Wisconsin (WCHA) before his days with the AHL.

Key Stats Last Season: During the 2011-12 season, Mitchell scored 8-10=18 points with a +7 rating. The 10 assists matched a career high and his +7 rating was a personal best.

What do the scouts say about him, pros and cons: There really isn’t much to be found on what Mitchell is doing, and I’m sure a big part of that comes from the fact that he went undrafted. A few interesting bits to note is that he’s a big guy, and built much like Ryan Getzlaf in terms of size. Mitchell comes in at 6’5’’, 216lbs.

Is he a work-in-progress, future trade-bait, or a keeper? Honestly, this guy is probably none of the above. He’s 26 and has yet to see any time at the NHL level. It’ll probably stay that way.

Your excitement level for this kid joining the big club and why? The Ducks have too many young wingers to look forward to, and Mitchell probably isn’t one of them. He’s may find himeself with a lucrative AHL career. It's more likely that there are a lot of other wingers on the watch list in Anahiem’s eyes, and most of them are probably ranked above Mitchell. Give the guy some credit for finding himself on any NHL teams radar as an undrafted college student. However, he probably won’t find the good fortune that players like Chris Kunitz or even Ryan Carter had.