The Anaheim Ducks announced today that forward Sam Colangelo has been reassigned to the team’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Colangelo, 24, was originally recalled to play in the Ducks’ game against the Los Angeles Kings on Jan. 16. He played nearly 11 minutes in that contest, but spent the next six games as a healthy scratch. He returned to the lineup for Anaheim’s Jan. 29 game against the Vancouver Canucks before returning to the press box for the team’s game last night. In nine NHL games this season, Colangelo has one goal for one point.
After last season, it looked as though Colangelo was well on his way towards carving out a more regular NHL role. Last year was Colangelo’s first full campaign of pro hockey, and he played very well, producing 40 points in 40 AHL games and 10 goals for 12 points in 32 NHL games.
But as the Ducks upgraded their roster and replaced Greg Cronin with Joel Quenneville behind the bench, Colangelo found landing a spot in the Ducks’ NHL lineup a tougher task than last season. He’s likely to end this year with fewer NHL games played than last season, and while he certainly hasn’t taken a big developmental leap forward, he remains under contract for another season and figures to remain a high-level depth piece for the Ducks moving forward.