‘Prospects’ Wait in Wings

The Mighty Ducks rank 24th out of 30 NHL teams in prospects, according to the Hockey News.

Barring need due to injuries or trades, forwards Jonas Ronnqvist and Maxim Balmochnykh and defenseman Antti-Jussi Niemi, all players touted as “prospects” within the Duck organization, are unlikely to get plane tickets to Anaheim for the final 18 games.

The Ducks’ two prominent prospects are center Stanislov Chistov and goalie Ilja Bryzgalov.

Chistov, who turns 19 in April, is stuck in Russia, embroiled in a squabble with his club team. He also has to do a two-year military stint, unless the Ducks can secure an early release. Bryzgalov is living up to his promise at minor-league Cincinnati, but the Ducks already have a talented young goalie in 24-year old Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Draft picks used in trades to acquire current NHL players are not figured into the Hockey News rankings.

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Forward Timo Parssinen will get another look, but only because the Ducks shipped Marty McInnis to Boston on Tuesday.

“This is a chance for Parssinen,” General Manager Pierre Gauthier said. “He has been more consistent lately. Young guys sometimes play better NHL than in the [American Hockey League]. We would like to give Timo a good shot.”

The thought that young players do better in the NHL than a minor league aside, Parssinen has had one shot already.

He was a fourth-round pick last June and Duck officials hoped he would be able to make the jump from Europe to the NHL immediately. Parssinen started the season with the Ducks after an impressive training camp, but he was sent to Cincinnati after having only one assist in seven games.

Parssinen had 14 goals and 38 points in 49 games with Cincinnati.