The Anaheim Ducks have a lot of 2016 restricted free agents needing new deals and without Cam Fowler in the lineup right now, it’s time for two of them to earn their money.
In a hard salary cap driven league it is difficult for any team to keep it’s core together, especially a budget team such as the Anaheim Ducks. Salary cap issues have created a lot of roster turnover recently, not just in Anaheim but in places like Chicago as well.
We saw the effects of these cap issues hit hard this offseason as Ducks general manager Bob Murray was forced to make a number of difficult moves in preparation for the future. Two 2016 RFA’s, Kyle Palmieri and Emerson Etem were traded as the Ducks were not going to have the money to re-sign them.
Defensemen James Wisniewski was also traded away to clear his enormous cap hit of $5.5 million.
Each move that Murray executed this past offseason was related to what lies down the road next offseason when five young crucial restricted free agents will be in need of new deals.
The most recent news of Cam Fowler being out with a sprained knee for the foreseeable future has opened the door for two of those 2016 restricted free agents to prove their worth and earn their money.
Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen will be incredibly important during Fowler’s absence if the Ducks are going to have any chance at keeping their playoff chances alive.
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When Fowler went down early in Sunday’s win against the Flyers, Lindholm stepped up and logged 28 minutes of ice time and Vatanen followed, playing a shade over 26 minutes. You can expect this trend to continue.
Lindholm, 21, and Vatanen, 24, are two young guys who will be up to the task of playing more minutes each game. Fowler had begun to play 24-26 minutes every game and anytime you lose someone like that, it is difficult to replace.
Boudreau and defensive coach Trent Yawney have already showed signs of relying on Lindholm and Vatanen. The two were jumping out on the ice every other shift after Fowler went down Sunday night and it was apparent that the Ducks coaches wanted one of them one the ice when at all possible.
You may even begin to see the two take numerous shifts together as Lindholm primarily plays on the left side and Vatanen on the right. The two may also be tasked with playing on their off side at times.
Shea Theodore was recalled from the AHL after Folwer went down and Boudreau eluded to him making his NHL debut on this three game Western Canadian road trip. If the 20 year old does play, it may be Lindholm or Vatanen who will be tasked with playing alongside him.
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The reason Lindholm and Vatanen will be so heavily relied upon is due to what we saw late in Sunday’s game. Clayton Stoner took shifts with Kevin Bieksa and that potential duo can only be described by the word “yikes”, and I don’t mean that in a good way.
No matter what pairings are shown to begin tonight’s game in Calgary, expect change throughout. When you think to look, odds are you see either 47 or 45 on the ice.
At the end of the 2013-2014 season Cam Fowler missed 11 games with a sprained ligament in his knee, this injury could potentially be of similar nature.
During those 11 games Hampus Lindholm, who was a rookie at the time, saw his average ice time go from 19:25 to 20:15 which is a significant jump for a 19 year old. Now in his third season, Lindholm is ready for another jump in ice time but that jump could far more drastic this time around.
I would now expect Lindholm to average 24-27 minutes per game in Fowler’s absence and Vatanen should not be far behind.
The true value of a player is not shown when his team is rolling and at full strength, it is shown when his team is down and out in the absence of top players. That is the situation Lindholm and Vatanen now sit in, it’s time for the two to show their worth and earn their money.