Where Does Clayton Stoner Fit in the Ducks Defense?

May 3, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (22) and Anaheim Ducks defenseman Bryan Allen (55) battle for the puck in the first period of game one of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Bryan Allen

At first glance, it seemed obvious that Clayton Stoner was brought in to replace Bryan Allen. Stoner’s playing style most closely resembles Allen’s.

Allen has only one year remaining on his contract, and some think that Stoner was signed to give the Ducks flexibility in case they decide to not re-sign Allen. Others believed that the Stoner signing signaled an inevitable Bryan Allen trade.

While either of these scenarios may still come true, it’s also possible that Murray wants the Ducks to become bigger and more physical on the blue line. Following his signing, Stoner told reporters that:

"“Anaheim made it known they were looking for more size. They like physical defensemen on the backend.”-Clayton Stoner"

Following the Ducks’ loss to the LA Kings in the Western Conference Semifinals this year, it’s understandable that Murray would want his defense to get bigger, as they were overwhelmed by Los Angeles’ hefty forechecking forwards throughout the series.

Perhaps Murray wishes to follow a similar strategy laid out by defensive juggernauts like LA and Boston, by pairing puck moving defensemen (such as Drew Doughty and Dougie Hamilton) with big-bodied defensive defensemen (like Jake Muzzin or Zdeno Chara).

If this is the case, then it may be so that Stoner and Allen may both play, albeit on different pairings alongside more able-bodied defensemen such as Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, or even Cam Fowler.