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Ducks acquire rights to Judd Caulfield from Penguins

March 31, 2023

The Ducks could have another member of the 2019 draft class – specifically, one from the heralded U.S. National Team Development Program – in the organization after acquiring the reserve rights on Friday to right wing Judd Caulfield from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In exchange, the Penguins received the reserve rights to defenseman Thimo Nickl, who was drafted by the Ducks in the fourth round (No. 104) in 2020. Caulfield was taken in the fifth round, 145th overall, in 2019.

Caulfield, 22, has spent the last four seasons playing for the University of North Dakota and told the Grand Forks Herald last week that he intended to come back for a fifth season. But Friday’s trade could end up changing the game plan.

If he ends up signing with the Ducks, Caulfield would join USNTDP teammates Trevor Zegras and Drew Helleson in the organization. In 2019, Zegras was drafted in the first round (ninth overall) and Helleson went in the second round (No. 47) to Colorado and was traded to the Ducks last season in the Josh Manson deal.

UND men’s hockey coach Brad Berry praised the consistency and versatility of Caulfield, a 6-foot-4 power forward from Grand Forks who had 19 points (10 goals, nine assists) in 39 games this past season.

“Physically, he’s a grown man,” Berry told the Orange County Register. “He has an unbelievable character. He’s a guy that plays a 200-foot game. A guy that skates extremely well.

“He can also play all parts of the game and was called upon by us, our organization, to play in every situation – power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, 4-on-4, 6-on-5, everything.

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“He was part of a leadership group and a team that won three Penrose Cups, league championships, three years in a row here. I know he’s a guy that works hard every single day on and off the ice to get to that level.”

Berry spoke to the evolution of youth hockey in North Dakota.

“Fifteen years ago (it) wasn’t known as much for developing hockey players,” Berry said. “So you see now with Tyler Kleven, who just played in his first NHL game with Ottawa (on Thursday). It’s become an area where players have developed and same with Judd.

“At the end of the day, he’s done a great job developing. This is a day that he’s so excited about, as well as we are.”

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When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Where: Rogers Place

TV: Bally Sports SoCal

Orange County Register

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Ducks acquire rights to Judd Caulfield from Penguins

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