ANAHEIM – Nick Ritchie got the early promotion while Shea Theodore turned heads when he got his call-up to the Ducks last season. Lurking behind those two top prospects was the one who quietly made the greatest surge of any hopeful.

Little fanfare came Brandon Montour’s way but that didn’t stop the word from getting out about his continued rapid rise in the organization. All Montour, 22, did in his first full pro season was rank second among American Hockey League defensemen in scoring.

His 57 points also tied for the lead on the San Diego Gulls. Montour made the AHL all-star first team, becoming the first league rookie to do so since Justin Schultz and Sami Vatanen in 2013. Schultz and Vatanen both were also Ducks draft picks.

And with all that, Gulls coach Dallas Eakins felt Montour, a second-round selection in 2014, was deserving of greater recognition.

“The biggest thing with Brandon is I was surprised at his output points-wise,” Eakins said. “These young defenseman that come into the league — the American Hockey League, it’s a tough league. It’s an extremely hard league. And the overall season that he had was highly impressive and obviously caught the ice of people everywhere.

“I’ve got a history coming out of Toronto and I had reporters media calling me about him from there. So he’s a guy that became very high profile very quickly.”

Vatanen was in the NHL for good in 2013-14 and became a big-minute fixture the following season. Montour could be on the same trajectory and join the Finn sooner than later.

Similarities are plentiful with their games. Like Vatanen, Montour is a right-handed shot that plays bigger than his smallish frame. There is a creative element that makes him highly effective in the attacking zone, especially when he’s operating on the power play.

And like Vatanen had to do as he developed into an everyday NHL player, Montour has had to tame down his risk taking on the ice and become more responsible about defending without losing that offensive creativity.

“I like to join the rush and kind of create offense,” said Montour, who added five assists in nine Calder Cup playoff games. “But I think in this past year, I really focused on my defensive aspect. My defense has come a long way and I take a lot of pride in that.

“I feel like I’ve become more of a two-way guy and I’m just playing [better] in my own end. This past year has really helped me a lot and it’s really exciting. I’m just ready for the next step.”

As training camp opens Friday, Eakins is hoping that Montour makes its difficult for the Ducks’ brass to leave him off their opening night roster. Eakins said the defenseman really began to grow when he became more calculated in his risk-taking and formed a strong relationship with Gulls assistant Marty Wilford.

“The biggest thing is Brandon decided to accept the coaching,” Eakins said. “At that level, as soon as you get to that, you release yourself and you accept it. And if you want it, good things will happen for you. I think that was the biggest thing.

“Marty’s direction, Brandon’s willingness to listen and Brandon’s passion for the game have all stacked up to him having an incredible season. And now it’ll be interesting to see where he is at this year. Whether he can do the same or improve.”

Within two years, Montour has gone from the junior-level United States Hockey League to the NCAA level with Massachusetts-Amherst to the AHL. There is one problem with his swift ascension. Many are now blocking his way.

The Ducks have one of the deepest defense corps in the NHL. Theodore, 21, impressed the brass enough in his 19 games last season that he was called upon in their playoff series against Nashville when Josh Manson was sidelined.

Even with that showing, Theodore is far from fixture status. General Manager Bob Murray didn’t make any changes on the blue line. Vatanen, Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm are set as their top three, while Manson, Kevin Bieksa, Simon Despres and Clayton Stoner fill out the remaining four spots.

Despres and Manson, who battled injuries throughout last season, should be fully recovered. The Ducks also re-signed Korbinian Holzer so Theodore would have to force his way onto the blue line. It means that Montour likely will have to wait his turn.

“They know what they’re doing up there,” Montour said. “They have a plan for me. I had a good year last year and I was happy with the results. I improved in all aspects and I got stronger.

“I was happy with the summer. Just going to come in here and work my legs off. Hopefully there’s a spot for me.”