How Ryan Kesler Slots In With Anaheim

1. Even Strength

Mar 29, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Ryan Kesler (17) picks up a puck against Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Getzlaf (15) during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

I believe that Ryan Kesler will center Andrew Cogliano and Jakob Silfverberg on the second line, replacing Saku Koivu on what was the Ducks’ primary checking line (third line) late last season. This line should bear the toughest assignments, being responsible for trying to shut down the opponent’s toughest lines. The four forward lines next year should be projected to look like this.

Beleskey-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Maroon-Perreault-Palmieri
Etem-Rakell-Smith-Pelly

Using this line should help Getzlaf and Perry a bit offensively. Throughout the playoffs, Bruce Boudreau used the Getzlaf and Perry line to match up defensively against the opponent’s toughest forward groups. Though the two combined for 26 points in the postseason, both Getzlaf and Perry had their moments and entire games when they were not very effective.

Kesler, who won the Selke Trophy in 2011 as the best defensive forward in the league, can now center a line that can face the opponent’s toughest forwards, similar to how Boston deploys Patrice Bergeron. This lessens the defensive responsibility of Getzlaf and Perry, and they can look to produce more points instead of having to both score and keep the opposition’s best forwards from doing so.

Easing the load off the top line should help the team, both in the regular season and the postseason. Look at the postseason series against the Dallas Stars as an example. While the Ducks tried to match up the Getzlaf line against the Jamie Benn line offensively and defensively, Lindy Ruff decided that the best way to help his team was to split up the responsibilities. Instead of having the Stars’ top line of Benn and Tyler Seguin defend the Ducks’ top line, Ruff used the line of Antoine Roussel, Cody Eakin, and Ryan Garbutt to face Getzlaf and Perry instead.

By easing the quality of competition Benn and Seguin had to face, the Stars’ dynamic duo was then able to focus more on scoring. This was a huge reason as to why Jamie Benn had a tremendous impact against the Ducks, scoring four goals and generally wreaking havoc on the ice.

Ryan Kesler can have the same impact for this team. If he can be a force against the opposing team’s top lines and limit their effectiveness, then it gives the rest of the team easier minutes to play on the ice. Had the team had Ryan Kesler in the playoffs this year, Benn and Seguin most likely would not have had the same success offensively against the Ducks. The same goes for the line of Marian Gaborik, Anze Kopitar, and Dustin Brown in the Ducks’ second-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.