2017-18 Anaheim Ducks Season Grades: The Left Wings
We continue our series on Anaheim Ducks Season Grades. Today we hand out grades for the Left Wings.
Catch up on our Anaheim Ducks season grades. Click on the links for Management, Goalies, Defense Part 1.
Incomplete – Jason Chimera
The (cough, cough) big deadline day deal from Bob Murray this season. The 39-year-old Jason Chimera was brought in, from the Islanders, for Chris Wagner in what Bob Murray told the LA Times was a move that made the Ducks, “faster … upgrades on our speed”.
Chimera did not do much of anything positive for the Ducks. He appeared in 16 games following his move to SoCal going 1-1-2, -1. The playoffs were no better for Chimera. He played sparingly against San Jose in the two games he dressed for.
Chimera’s best days are far behind him. His NHL career is likely over.
Part Timers
Kevin Roy: B
Kevin Roy was a shot of life for the Ducks this season. He played in 25 games after his November call-up. During his stay in Anaheim, he went 6-1-7, +3 and was singlehandedly responsible for two wins both in St. Louis.
Roy is fast, creative, and has a great release on his shot. Still undersized at 5’9″ 170 lbs., he could use some more muscle on his frame. However, Johnny Gaudreau is of similar stature and seems to make it work in Calgary.
Had the sample size been larger, I would have been persuaded to bump that grade up. Roy has made impacts everywhere he has played. He put the Northeastern Huskies back on the map and is a top player for the Gulls down in San Diego. I fully expect to see Roy do the same for the Ducks next season. He could be the start of a vast youth movement in Anaheim.
More from Ducks News
- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
Chris Wagner: C
Chris Wagner was the good soldier this season for the Ducks. He and center Derek Grant were thrust into positions neither should have been but had to be. Wagner even temporarily shifted to center for a few weeks when Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler were out with injuries. He scored 15 points (6g, 9a) in 64 games for Anaheim.
Wagner isn’t flashy but battles every shift and plays with a huge chip on his shoulder. He is responsible in his own end, makes smart plays, and is an effective penalty killer (two of his 6 goals came short-handed).
His future as a Ducks player was a bit cloudy. Younger, more offensively talented prospects are on the way up. Maybe the change of scenery will benefit him long-term.
Nick Ritchie: C-
You can say its harsh, and maybe it is, but Nick Ritchie must be held to a higher standard. Ritchie finished his second pro season with 27 points (10g, 17a) in 76 games. An almost identical stat line to his first pro season in 2016-17.
There needs to be more growth to Ritchie’s game. Numerous times this season he was either invisible or too often became visible for taking a dumb, ill-advised penalty.
This is a player that was taken 10th overall in the 2014 draft. Young prospects take time to mature but Ritchie’s counterparts from the 2014 draft, Kevin Fiala, Dylan Larkin, Alex Tuch, David Pastrnak, and Adrian Kempe have become huge parts of their respective teams. Further, they were all selected after Ritchie. Whether the Ducks give Ritchie another shot is still a question that needs answering. It is however far from a sure thing he will be on Adam Henrique‘s flank again in October.
Andrew Cogliano: B
The beat went on for Andrew Cogliano this season. Aside from the complete sham of his two-game suspension (we won’t discuss that here), the Ducks “Iron-Man” had another good season in 2017-18. He finished with a 12-23-35 line in 80 games.
“Cogs” was a steady, bring it every game player, night in and night out. He was also a career-best +18 while being a mainstay on the Ducks PK and having to play half the season without usual pivot Ryan Kesler.
Cogliano isn’t the flashiest of players but his speed and toughness are hard to counter and he is showing at the age of 30. He still has the wheels to make things happen.
One of the best 200-foot players in the league, he is a spark plug and adrenaline rush for the team. 2018-19 looks like a full season with normal line-mates Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Another 35-40 point solid season is likely for the 2nd line LW
Rickard Rakell: A
If I could hand out an A+ I would. Short of John Gibson, Rakell was the Ducks MVP this season. A 34-35-69 stat line, first All-Star appearance, and numerous big games culminated in a breakout season for the 25-year-old Swede.
Rakell obliterated his former career high in points (51) this season. It’s terrifying to think where the Ducks would have been without him early in the season, or the whole season for that matter. He has speed, finesse, a nose for the net and finish ability. Having a premier passer like Ryan Getzlaf on his line for a full season should only inflate his numbers next season.
Rakell does need to improve his playoff performance. This year he scored just one goal in the four games against San Jose and was a dismal -4. However, I’m not holding that against him too much as the whole team was not in post-season form. He’s one of the reasons the Ducks were in the post-season in the first place.
Next: Ducks pending free agents who won't be back in 2018-19
80 points next season is not out of the question. He could be the next bonafide star of the Anaheim Ducks.