Mark Mitera was assigned to San Antonio of the AHL today, further clearing the Ducks’ defensive logjam. That leaves nine defensemen still in training camp: Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, Nick Boynton, Steve Eminger, Luca Sbisa, Jassen Cullimore, Sheldon Brookbank and Brendan Mikkelson.
The 21-year-old Mitera was the Ducks’ first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2006 entry draft. He finished last season with the Ducks’ former AHL affiliate in Iowa, notching two assists in five games. Mitera’s final season at the University of Michigan was cut short by an ACL tear in October 2008, and remaining in the Ducks’ camp so late into the preseason was the surest sign of his recovery.
Mitera appeared in one preseason game, Sept. 17 against the Vancouver Canucks, and finished minus-2 in just over 14 minutes of ice time.
