Following a second round exit in last year’s playoffs the Anaheim Ducks recognized they needed to be an overall tougher team. To compete and survive the Western Conference playoffs the Ducks needed to add size and edge, become more reminiscent of the 07 team that brought the Cup to Anaheim. Moves up front achieved that goal in the acquisitions of Ryan Kesler and Nate Thompson. However the only move to bolster the Ducks D core was bringing in rugged Clayton Stoner from Minnesota.
The Ducks signed Stoner on the first day of free agency last summer to a 4 year 13 million dollar deal. Though a bit of a head scratcher, signing him did add bulk and physicality to a mostly young D core and Stoner was coming off a good showing with the Wild in the post-season. Stoner also seemed to be a better replacement for the aging Bryan Allen. Fast forward to now Allen has long since been traded away and Stoners first year in Anaheim has been a marginable one at best.
Stoner has looked awkward more often than not, his turnovers have been costly, and more fans hold their breath when he’s on the ice than anything else. To this point Stoner has appeared in 67 games with a 1-7-8 stat line and a -2 rating. Of all the Ducks defenseman only deadline acquisitions James Wisniewski and Simon Despres have fewer points as Ducks. And they have only played in ten and thirteen games respectively.
The Ducks bringing in Wisniewski and Despres showed they wanted to improve the blue-line for the post-season and Stoner now drops below the Ducks top 6. For the Ducks to have their best possible line-up the pairs should be as followed: Cam Fowler-Despres, Hampus Lindholm-François Beauchemin, and Sami Vatanen-Wisniewski.
Fowler and Despres have played as a pair in every game they have both appeared in since Despres came over from Pittsburgh. Despres and Fowler are both about the same age and have played great together. Despres has a nasty edge to his game and loves to throw his weight around; Fowler isn’t as physical but is able to separate the opponent from the puck just as well. Both Fowler and Despres love to join the rush and are great skaters which allow them to be offensive threats and get back into position on the defensive end.
Fowler to this point has 7-27-34 line and has really improved his shot and been able to get it to the net more. Counting his points while with the Penguins Despres line reads, 2-20-22 with five of those assists occurring in his now thirteen games as a Duck. Fowler and Despres have been making great plays and know what it will take for the Ducks to bring the Cup home. Fowler, a recent healthy scratch vowed that upon returning he would get his “swagger back”. He has and the Ducks will be better for it. Both have shown immediate chemistry and with them both only 23 years of age they could be the Ducks top pairing for years to come and allow for more than one Stanley Cup championship in Anaheim in the coming years.
Stars and Sticks
Beauchemin and Lindholm have been a regular pair since Lindholms rookie year of last season. Beauchemin was on the Ducks 2007 Championship team so he provides the veteran leadership and know how to bring the Cup home. Beauchemin has a booming shot from the point but rarely will skate up on the rush. This allows Lindholm to use his great skating ability to start or join the rush and know his partner will cover him.
Lindholm like Fowler and Despres also has no problem rushing the puck and being able to get back in his defensive position. Lindholm 33 points and Beauchemin 20 points have been helping the offense as well as both have +/- of +23 and +17 respectively. This pair has the confidence in each other and trust level of playing together for so long. As a second pair goes this one is great in the seasoned battle tested Beauchemin and the up and coming superstar in Lindholm the Ducks need to keep them together.
Third pair will be interesting but good one none the less. Sami Vatanen and trade deadline acquired James Wisniewski could make a dynamite third pairing. Vatanen has had a great offensive season. His twelve goals lead all Ducks defenseman and he has 25 assists to go with it. Vatanen has been a great Power Play quarterback and really helped a unit that has largely struggled all year. Vatanen may not be the prototypical NHL defenseman standing at only 5’10” 180 pounds. But he puts all of that into his shot and it has been a catalyst for the team. Not to mention he’s another defenseman that loves to start the rush and has scored a couple goals this season going coast to coast.
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His partner Wisniewski was brought in for his booming shot and physical edge. He has showed both of those off and hopefully that shot will prove vital on the power-play during the playoffs to add another dimension to the Ducks. This pair also makes sense as Wisniewski is a lot like Beauchemin in that his slap shot is a big weapon but he won’t really skate the puck up like Vatanen or Lindholm. So having a couple stay at home defensemen paired with young offensive defensemen puts the Ducks in the best position to win.
Stoner should not crack the top 6 of this team and putting him in for anyone mentioned above weakens the Ducks overall. Although at the time of the signing he looked like he could provide some edge as a third pair guy the Ducks have improved vastly. And in the action he’s seen he has been more of a determent than anything else. If the Ducks want to win the Cup this season putting Stoner in a suit in the press box will be a big first step to doing so.
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