A duck and a gopher walk into a barn…
Good Morning Orange County
As we near the start of the 2023 “It Literally Can’t Get Any Worse” season for the Anaheim Ducks, I thought it would be fitting to look into a new duckling coming into the lineup for this season. Ending the season with departures from veteran Kevin Shattenkirk, Nathan Beaulieu, and Simon Benoit, a clear opening on the blue line has appeared for one of the burgeoning Ducks prospects to take. With a stacked CHL farm consisting of Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Tristen Luneau, and Noah Warren, it can be easy to overlook our midwestern “corn-fed cornbread” 200 lb Minnesotan defenseman. Jackson LaCombe, Anaheim’s 3rd selection in the 2019 draft, is poised to become a regular on the blue line for the upcoming season in a hard nosed Greg Cronin system.
Beyond being the oldest of the Ducks’ top defensive prospects, he has also faced the strongest competition after playing in the NCAA in the Big Ten Conference (B1G). While playing for his hometown team at the University of Minnesota, LaCombe was able to elevate his game to nearly a point per game average by the end of his senior season. All the while, anchoring a staunch Golden Gophers’ defense that limited opponents to a mere 2.25 goals per game, good for 6th best in the NCAA. He was named an alternate captain for his senior year, a season in which he helped lead Minnesota to the top seed in the NCAA tournament and an appearance in the National Championship game. Despite not lifting the trophy, he does get to hold certain bragging rights after holding a certain someone’s Boston University to only two goals in the semifinals.
While this is all good, it’s better to look directly at the stats beyond the box score, looking towards how fans can expect him to come into Anaheim.
He Knows How to Play on a Team That Isn’t Contending
Despite being from the land of 1000 (frozen) lakes, Minnesota isn’t the collegiate powerhouse one would expect. For his first two years on the team, LaCombe’s Gophers didn’t make it to the Frozen Four. With his first year being cut short due to COVID and still earning B1G All-Freshmen honors, LaCombe was able to elevate his game his sophomore year to new heights. Earning Big Ten First-Team honors, and leading all B1G defenseman with 21 points, he was able to help Minnesota get to the NCAA tournament, where they would fall short to rival Minnesota State. LaCombe would avenge this the very next year though, when he took the Gophers to their first Frozen Four since 2014.
He Steps Up in Big Games
His sophomore year had one more accolade to it, winning a gold medal for the IIHF World Junior Championship with team USA. While he wasn’t getting much ice time for that stacked roster (only 2 out of the 25 players on that roster aren’t signed with an NHL team), it must’ve sparked something in him to want to win. That following year he jumped to 30 points with 27 assists in 39 games for Minnesota as they went to win the B1G 10 championship, leading to his magnum opus of a senior season. Posting 35 points in 37 games, including a jump in goals to 9 on the season, he was able to tally his best season with the team. However, I want to draw attention specifically to his performance in big games. In games against teams ranked in the top 10, he jumped his average to OVER a point per game, tallying 20 points in 18 such games. Beyond that, defensively he boomed in the NCAA tournament, leading all players in blocked shots with 11 in 4 games, and tallying 53 throughout the season. Could be a useful tool with how a certain new coach may emphasize playing defense without a stick. Overall not a bad two years to hone out the captain for the 2023 rookie tournament team.
All this being said, Jackson looks like he may be a mainstay in Anaheim for the season, if not a frequent taxi-er between the two clubs. While not the biggest standout defensive prospect for the Ducks, he absolutely projects to be a big bodied blue line presence for years to come in Orange County. With roster projections coming out, and Pavel getting the nod for this upcoming year (with a probable Olen call up later in the season once the trade deadline passes), it may be worth getting invested in a non-CHL winning defenseman that could project out to be a top 4 defenseman for years to come.
Hey Wait, Who Is This Guy?
Hello Anaheim Calling, my name is Chad, also online as @UCLAMaltese (yes, UCLA is taking over the Ducks, blame Stephen and Billy Z) and I’m excited to join this website as a writer throughout this 2023 “I Don’t Care if We Haven’t Played a Game Yet, it’s a Success Because We Have a New Coach” Ducks season. A few things about me:
1. I am an actual dog
2. I am a full-time chemist
3. I have never played ice hockey and I cannot skate
All of which make me extremely qualified for this gig. So enjoy, relax, and if you feel so inclined, leave a comment. You can always follow me @UCLAMaltese on Twitter if you want to watch me yell into the void about UCLA sports and Ducks hockey