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Despite going all the way to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season, Anaheim was still committed to their youth in 2003-04. Seven rookies played a combined 156 games for the Ducks this year (compared to the 6 freshman who appeared in a total of 225 games in 2002-03). Only one player this year played more then half the season with Anaheim, the rest all playing 31 games or less. The following is an overview of the performance of the 2003-2004 rookie class.

Joffrey Lupul, RW - Age 20
Lupul was the only rookie who played most of the season in Anaheim. Selected seventh overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, Lupul was bounced around the lineup. He played a lot with Vaclav Prospal and Steve Rucchin before ending the season on the top line with Rob Niedermayer and Sergei Fedorov. He also saw time with Andy McDonald, Stanislav Chistov and Petr Sykora throughout the season. He also saw time on the second power play unit. With his hard accurate shot and goal scoring instincts, Lupul showed glimpses of why he was compared to former Islander sniper, Mike Bossy. The year was hot and cold for Lupul and in January, he was demoted to Cincinnati, the Ducks AHL affiliate, for three games. Lupul made the most out of that experience, registering 3 goals and 5 points in those games. The highlight of the season for Lupul was probably his three-goal performance for the Western Conference YoungStars Team during the NHL All-Star Weekend. This outburst (narrowly missing the MVP award) coupled with being placed on the top line with Fedorov, led to him ending the season off strong. Down the stretch, he was at his best, playing confidence and taking plenty of shots. His hard work in the games after the Ducks were officially eliminated from the playoffs was admirable, especially when it was widely recognized that Anaheim as a team lacked consistent effort this season.
Lupul ended the season with the second highest goal total by a rookie in Ducks History. His 13 goals are second to only Paul Kariya, who had 18. He still needs to work on his defensive play and he needs to beef up his 6'1" and 194 pound frame, but Lupul looks to be on the road to being a dominant sniper.

Cam Severson, LW - Age 26
Severson has been a depth guy for Anaheim for two seasons now, but this year was the first time he saw much time in the NHL. He was one of the hardest working Ducks on the ice, and played mainly as a fourth line energy player. Severson's big opportunity came in January after the Toronto Maple Leafs claimed Craig Johnson off of waivers. Severson was called up shortly after to take Johnson's spot on the fourth line and he held it for the rest of the season. He mainly played with Jason Krog and usually rotated in and out of the lineup with Garrett Burnett. Severson also saw some time with Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald.
What he lacks in offensive ability, he certainly makes up for in effort. Severson was arguably one of the only true physical and gritty players in the bottom 6 at times during the season. He makes good use of his 6'1" 215-pound frame on the ice, hitting hard and often. He split time between Anaheim and Cincinnati all season, playing in 38 games with 7 goals and 14 points along with 145 penalty minutes for the AHL Ducks.

Chris Kunitz, LW - Age 24
After a fantastic NCAA season in which he was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award and be named CCHA Player of the Year, Kunitz signed with Anaheim in 2003. He started the year in Cincinnati after being invisible in the rookie and training camps and was slow to get going. In December, Kunitz started scoring. He rocketed up the AHL rookie scoring race and was named Cincinnati's Player of the Month for December. Anaheim took notice and called him up on January 13th. At the time of the call up, he was leading Cincinnati in scoring as well as leading all AHL rookies in scoring. In Anaheim, he split time between the third and fourth line. He played with Cam Severson, Andy McDonald, Jason Krog and Garrett Burnett among others. On February 5th, he was returned to the AHL to play in the AHL All-Star Classic for the Canadian All-Stars. When he returned to Anaheim on February 10th, he was much improved and scored 5 of his 6 points during this month, including a two-point game vs. Edmonton on the 25th. Kunitz was then returned to Cincinnati for good on March 5th, where he is a part of their playoff run.
Kunitz seems to be progressing in leaps and bounds and could be a useful third liner as early as next season. He sees the ice well and can play the body, despite his average size (6'0", 186 pounds). The only thing that will keep him out of the lineup is Anaheim's depth at forward.

Mikael Holmqvist, C - Age 24
It was a rough year for Holmqvist, after signing with Anaheim and coming over from Europe. He made the opening day roster but was sent down in mid-October after only seeing action in two games on the fourth line. Strong play in Cincinnati prompted his return to Anaheim in the beginning of December. In January, he was starting to look good on the third line with Pahlsson, McDonald as well as seeing some time in the top 6. He had a two-goal game vs. Los Angeles on January 7th. But on January 17th, he pulled a stomach muscle that left him out of the lineup for 22 games. He only played two more games in Anaheim after the injury, before returning to Cincinnati, and then the injury flared up again, ending his season.
Holmqvist is another one of the third liners that Anaheim has an abundance of. He has good size (6'3") but is still very lanky (190 pounds). He can't play a rough physical game, because he lacks the strength. Drafted 18th overall in 1997, Holmqvist will need a strong camp for next year to get a roster spot. He has the skills, but there's plenty of competition.

Tony Martensson, C - Age 23
Martensson has been a bit of a surprise for Anaheim. Drafted in the 7th round (224th overall) in 2001, he led Cincinnati in scoring in 2002-03. He played well in Cincinnati again this year, being named the Player of the Month for the month of November. This prompted a call up in December for four games. He scored his first NHL goal on December 3rd vs. Detroit. He was then called up again in January for another 2 games, where he registered his 2nd NHL point and 1st NHL assist vs. Columbus. He mainly saw time as a fourth liner.
Martensson is skilled and could fill in on the top 6 if needed. However, he is soft and doesn't play well in traffic. He needs to add strength to his 6'0", 189 pound frame in order to really challenge for a roster spot in Anaheim. He'll have lots of competition for NHL time next season.

Mark Popovic, D - Age 21
After a strong camp, Popovic was sent to Cincinnati to start the season. At the time, it was said that he could have been a seventh defenseman in the NHL, but it would be better for his development to play top minutes in the AHL. Popovic was called up in mid December, but didn't see any playing time. Then on December 21st, he was re-assigned to the Canadian National Team for the Spengler Cup competition. He helped Canada win the Cup for their second consecutive year, and then returned to North America to make his NHL debut. He was paired with Kurt Sauer for the sole game he played, and was solid.
Popovic might not turn out to be a power play quarterback, but he's the best hope Anaheim has on the blueline. He's establishing himself as a team leader and a solid two-way defenseman in Cincinnati. He should get more of a look next season.

Ilya Bryzgalov, G - Age 23
Bryzgalov had a monstrous season that saw him be named Cincinnati Player of the Month for October, February and March. He led the AHL in minutes played, was tied for second in wins and saves, as well as being tied for seventh in shutouts and 20th in the AHL in GAA. He played in only his second NHL game this year, an overtime win over Phoenix (his first NHL experience was 32 minutes in 2001-02, letting in 1 goal on 12 shots for a 1.87 GAA and a .917 SV %). But his solid play has shown he has little more to prove in the AHL.
Bryzgalov could be backing up Jean-Sebastien Giguere within a year in the NHL. The only thing holding him back is Martin Gerber, who has been extraordinary as well in his two seasons in Anaheim. The Ducks have very little depth between the pipes, but surprisingly, plenty of quality. It will be interesting to see how they handle this situation.

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