Ducks sign clutch prospect to entry-level contract

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman prospect Rodwin Dionicio to a three-year entry-level contract set to begin next season, per a team announcement. Dionicio previously signed a three-year contract with Biel-Bienne of Switzerland’s National League, but he’ll now stay in North America, having earned the first NHL contract of his career.

Dionicio recently wrapped up his third season in the OHL, where he ranked third among all defenders with 73 points in 60 games. It was an electric season, largely thanks to Dionicio being dealt to the Saginaw Spirit at the OHL trade deadline. He formed a formidable duo with OHL Defenseman of the Year Zayne Parekh — a top 2024 draft prospect who led defensemen scoring with 96 points in 66 games. Saginaw is now one of the four teams competing in the upcoming 2024 Memorial Cup and could earn an edge over their championship-winning competition thanks to the offensive upside of their defensemen.

Dionicio totaled 154 points through 167 games in the OHL, the 16th-highest point-per-game pace of any OHL defender since 2010. But his strong scoring hasn’t kept Dionicio from criticism. He’s been highly scrutinized throughout his OHL career, with many pointing out concerns about his skating mechanics, defensive positioning and ability to create outside of his teammates. Dionicio went undrafted in the 2022 draft in part because of those critiques, but a strong 2022-23 season and 2023 World Juniors performance were enough for Anaheim to draft him in the fifth round of the 2023 Draft.

The critiques have made it hard to gauge just how high Dionicio’s upside could be, but his 17 points in 17 playoff games this season speak to his ability to perform in the clutch. An NHL contract will offer Dionicio the perfect opportunity to show just how strong of a player he can be. He’ll likely move to the AHL next season, where he’ll join a list of strong Ducks prospects, including defenders Tristan Luneau, Noah Warren and Tyson Hinds.