ANAHEIM, Calif. — A broken leg might have prevented winger Nico Myatovic from playing a full campaign with the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds in 2023-24, but that didn’t stop him from nearly playing at a point-per-game pace on a transitioning team.
Myatovic was the Ducks’ most recent prospect offered an entry-level contract, as on March 29 he inked his name to a three-year deal beginning in the 2024-25 NHL season. The Ducks selected the 19-year-old standout with the No. 33 overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and he immediately reported back to Seattle with a strong WHL title season under his belt from 2022-23.
The Thunderbirds’ championship-winning season featured a loaded roster that prevented Myatovic from having an everyday, top-line role. However, the Prince George, British Columbia native still managed to post an outstanding 60-point season with 30 goals and 30 assists in 68 regular season games. That came on the heels of a less productive campaign for Myatovic in 2021-22, as he tallied just 28 total points in 67 games, showing huge year-on-year improvement.
In 2023-24, the Thunderbirds didn’t have the championship-level dominance of the year prior, giving Myatovic time to shine in a bigger role, even with the broken leg he suffered in October. He was among Seattle’s most consistent contributors, posting 0.88 points per game and totalling 30 in 34 outings. He frequently skated for upwards of 21 minutes in games when healthy.
After he signed his new contract, Myatovic became an official member of the American Hockey League’s San Diego Gulls on an Amateur Tryout for the rest of this season. His deal will yield him an average of $950,000 per year.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 187 pounds, Myatovic’s size allows him to play the puck with a physical edge. He is a defensive-minded forward that forechecks without hesitation and can also stand his ground in the defensive zone.
In the offensive zone, Myatovic capitalizes on chances set up by his teammates; his fluid skating helps him find open lanes on rushes and position himself near the crease to tip in deflections and screen opposing goaltenders. His cerebral style of play allows him to perform in different roles alongside a variety of linemates, which will benefit him in the future as he transitions to the pro game.
Nico Myatovic continues to turn heads in the buildup to the #NHLDraft as he recorded his first @TheWHL hat-trick Tuesday in the @SeattleTbirds 8-0 win over Victoria! 🎩🎩🎩 pic.twitter.com/TScUf6EXy5
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) February 22, 2023
Myatovic doesn’t always lead attacks, but as a strong, elusive winger, he gets open and sets himself up to fire in wrist shots—his specialty. He’s not afraid to wait for a play to develop in order to take a high quality shot as opposed to a contested one. Myatovic’s biggest challenge will be taking initiative at the pro level. His numbers are solid, but he often depends on his linemates to do the dirty work.
But if Myatovic proved one thing during his amateur career, it was that he has the capacity to rapidly improve and adjust to change in a short period of time. His 22-point increase from 2021-22 to 2022-23 is one example of this and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek clearly took notice of Myatovic’s promising potential. The Athletic had the young winger ranked as 2023′s No. 45 draft prospect, which would’ve projected him as a mid-second rounder. Instead, the Ducks picked him first in round two, which might’ve seemed like a reach at the time. But almost a year later and at a young age still, he’s already risen to the AHL and will look for a potential NHL call-up in the coming seasons.
Since signing his entry-level contract, Myatovic has played in two AHL games. Spending time on the bottom lines, he’s yet to tally a point and will look to adjust to a much faster, more physical level of hockey with the Gulls. San Diego will likely miss the playoffs and only has 10 games left on the calendar, so Myatovic will have less of an opportunity to end the year on a high note heading into the first year on his new contract than Ducks brass would’ve hoped.
Myatovic will also have to stay healthy to have a smooth track to becoming an everyday Duck. Owning an NHL-level frame at just 19 years old, he should continue to build strength to better absorb contact and avoid missing a bulk of the season like he did in the WHL.
While not as highly touted as some of Anaheim’s other forward prospects like Leo Carlsson or Cutter Gauthier, Myatovic could be the kind of high-level bottom-six player that contending teams need to keep the lower lines afloat. And considering Anaheim’s future core might be filled with elite talent, Myatovic has a chance to be exactly that type of player who rounds out a roster.
Before then, though, the promising winger will aim to start next year’s AHL season on the right foot and rise up the lines.