Anaheim Ducks Player Grades: Mathieu Perreault
Feb 3, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Mathieu Perreault (22) celebrates after scoring a goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the third period at Honda Center. The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
On September 29, 2013, the Anaheim Ducks traded AHLer John Mitchell and a fourth-round draft pick to the Washington Capitals for a small center who had gotten lost in the plans. That small center would go on to finish fourth on the Ducks in scoring in his first year in Anaheim. Anyone who said that Mathieu Perreault would come here and provide as much offense as he did is obviously a liar. But, he was an excellent surprise and yet another steal by Ducks GM Bob Murray.
Mar 29, 2014; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Anaheim Ducks forward Mathieu Perreault (22) scores against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Eddie Lack (31) during the third period at Rogers Arena. The Anaheim Ducks won 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Regular Season:
Matty P got off his Ducks career off on the right foot. He tallied 16 points in his first 16 games with the Ducks, including four multi-point games. However, that pace wouldn’t last. I mean, who would expect it to. After that span, he register only one point over the course of about the next month. Then, he suffered a lower body injury and missed four games. He would return from the injured list by recording four points in four games.
Even with the hot start, Perreault’s best month was March. After missing the first four games due to an arm injury, Perreault would score 10 points in ten games, excluding the nightmare that was March 12th in Calgary. Perreault put up very good numbers for the regular season, 43 in 69 games played. During the regular season, Perreault averaged almost 14 minutes TOI, which is almost two minutes higher than his previous career high.
Regular Season Stats:
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69 | 18 | 25 | 43 | 13 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Regular Season Grade: A
May 12, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Mathieu Perreault (22) celebrates after scoring a goal in the second period against the Los Angeles Kings in game five of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Playoffs:
It’s tough to talk about player grades from the playoffs because that Dallas Stars series was a strange one. Perreault tallied a goal in Game 1 and then totaled three points in Game’s 4 and 5. So, Perreault was continuing to provide some depth on offense, but it would end in the next series. Perreault only registered one point in the seven games against the Los Angeles Kings. He even saw a drop in his minutes to below 10 minutes in Game’s 5 and 6. However, with all this said, Perreault missed Game 7 of the Stars series and Game 4 of the Kings series, both the same lower body (groin) injury that forced him to miss time back in December. So, he could have been fighting through that all playoffs, which could have been the reason for his drop in TOI and performance.
Playoff Stats:
| GP | G | A | P | +/- | PIM | PP | SH | GWG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -4 | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
Playoff Grade: B-
Top Highlight:
Future:
Perreault added a spark to the Ducks’ offense and was more than a pleasant surprise. His playmaking abilities and hockey sense, along with his quickness, created a more diverse Ducks offense. Despite the struggle on the power play, Perreault helped create plenty of opportunities. Like I said earlier, getting Perreault for what they gave up was an absolute steal.
Matty P is now a restricted free agent. With the season he just up, it’s hard to imagine the Ducks not bringing him back. His previous contract was a 2-year/$2.1 million and you would expect him to be up for a raise. As far as his positioning within the roster, Perreault provides versatility because he can play on the wing as well as center. The Ducks have some young forwards ready for more ice time, but I don’t think that any of that ice time is going to come from Matty P.
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