We took a look at all 35 players in the system that are aged 25 or younger (as of October 1, 2023) and ranked them. Next up on our list in the 2023 Top 25 Under 25 within the Tampa Bay Lightning organization is the well-traveled Jaydon Dureau.
Bio
Age: 22
Position: Left Winger
Draft: 2020 Round 5 (#147 overall)
2023-24 Team: Syracuse Crunch
2022 Ranking: 17th
Stats
Scouting Report
Hopefully Jaydon Dureau was able to go somewhere nice in the off-season with all of the frequent flyer miles he built up by shuttling back and forth from Syracuse to Orlando. Let’s look at the transaction sheet for him last year:
Starts season in Syracuse
11/11/22 – Sent to Orlando
01/20/23 – Recalled to Syracuse
02/16/23- Sent to Orlando
03/03/23 – Recalled to Syracuse
03/14/23 – Sent to Orlando
04/12/23 – Recalled to Syracuse
It’s not quite Even Oberg levels of travel, but still a lot of back-and-forth for a young player in his first full professional season. While he did play consistently when he was in Orlando, he was used sporadically in his recalls in Syracuse. Moving around a lot has kind of been a hallmark in his career in the organization, though.
Drafted in 2020, he logged two games with the Crunch after he put up 31 points in 24 games with the Portland Winterhawks in the WHL. He then played for Syracuse to open the next season before finishing off his junior career the next season with a solid 66 points in 49 games. Following the 2021-22 season he signed his entry-level contract. So he’s actually had a bit more exposure to the pro game then some other prospects his age.
However, the drawback to all of that moving around is that it can be tough to get into a routine, especially for a teenager living on their own for the first time. Hopefully, a little stability this season can let him focus on his performance on the ice.
When he was drafted, Geo mentioned that he had shades of Jonathan Drouin in him, and the highlights below confirm that he is slick with the puck when attacking. Dureau is a skilled playmaker with excellent vision on the ice. He’s not the best skater in the world, but is solid enough that it won’t be a hindrance to him in the AHL or NHL. While his best play comes in the offensive zone, he’s not a slouch defensively, and works diligently to retrieve the puck in his own zone.
While he isn’t the smallest player on the ice, his slight frame (5’11”, 174 lb.) is a bit of an issue. Dureau can get knocked off the puck by larger players, an issue that will only increase as he moves up to the AHL and possibly the NHL. His playing time in Syracuse will be determined not by his offensive skill, but in his ability to maintain possession of the puck and ability to win pucks in the corners and along the boards.
He is also going to have some roadblocks in his way similar to the ones that face Alex Barre-Boulet. While the offensive skill is there to be a top-six player, in order to advance in the Lightning organization he’s going to have to show he can produce on the bottom-six lines and earn his spot on the top two lines. While Syracuse’s depth at forward isn’t as deep as it has been in recent years, he will still be fighting for playing time amongst the likes of Gage Goncalves, Gabriel Fortier, Cole Koepke, Mitchell Chaffee, and Barre-Boulet.
It’s not quite a make-or-break year for the 22 year-old, who still has two seasons left on his ELC, but it is an important one. After a couple of brief stops in Syracuse over the past two seasons, he has to show them that he is ready to earn a spot in the everyday line-up with the Crunch. Aside from consistent playing time, Orlando and the ECHL don’t have much more to offer him in terms of development. If Dureau is going to have a shot to make it with the Lightning, he’ s got to produce in the AHL this season.
Dureau’s ceiling right now in the NHL is likely as a third-line player that plays with energy and pace. He has the puck distributing skills to also earn some time on a second power play unit and provide a little depth offense for a team. To get there he has to be a maximum effort player every night for the Crunch.
In terms of individual ranking, Dureau made five of the six lists and ranged from 15 to 23 on the lists that he did make. That’s pretty much in line with a player that has all the tools, but has lacked consistency in his career so far. If he’s able to stick in Syracuse this season and put in the day-in, day-out effort that he needs to, it wouldn’t be shocking to to see him vault up the list next year.
