2017-18 Anaheim Ducks Season Grades: The Right Wings

We continue our series on Anaheim Ducks Season Grades. Today we hand out grades for the Right Wings.

Catch up on our Anaheim Ducks season grades. Go to our main page for links to other position grades.

The Incompletes

Logan Shaw: W/D

Do you remember the rush to drop classes before the two-week or so mark in the term back in college? If you didn’t drop in time, your permanent record had a grade like this W/D awarded to Shaw. It was a nice way of saying you didn’t bother to finish the class. But this W/D wasn’t Shaw’s fault. He performed admirably during his time in Anaheim.

When GM Bob Murray looked at Shaw, he saw a shiny object in the distance. The problem was, he left the 6′ 3″ 202 lb. Shaw for a 5′ 10″ 175 lb. Brown. This trade was never a good idea. Unfortunately, when the playoffs came around, the Ducks were stuck with Brown and his inability to play their system. Logan Shaw was always a better option.

J. T. Brown: D

The Ducks waived Logan Shaw in order to make room for J.T. Brown in January. They claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay. They should have known Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman knew what he was doing. To add insult to injury, Montreal claimed Shaw off waivers. The result was the Anaheim Ducks traded Shaw’s 14 points for Brown’s seven.

I know scoring isn’t everything, especially for a fourth liner. But Brown never seemed like he figured out how to play in Anaheim. Maybe he should have spent less time on his video games and more time improving his hands.

He reminded Ducks fans of Emerson Etem. He could go hard and fast down his wing. But he had no moves, and he didn’t know what to do with the puck when he got it. Brown was only good for hitting the opposition. But with almost zero threat of scoring, he was a liability for the team.

Luckily, Brown is a free agent on July 1. Bob Murray should immediately turn in his resignation if he re-signs Brown. Possession is too big a part of the game these days to have him on the roster at this level.

Corey Perry: B

I know, I know. Corey Perry sucks, right? I disagree. The first thing you should know is Corey Perry is still an all-world talent. I know he only scored 17 goals this season. And I know his cap hit is $8,625,000. It’s high at this point. But that’s a long-term deal. The contract has to be taken as a whole. That contract is Bob Murray’s fault if fault is to be assigned.

You think Perry is slow. He is. You think Perry is lazy. You’re mistaken. Have you seen the punishment he takes on a nightly basis? The man gets rocked often, but he’s rarely hurt.

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He’s Not Done Yet

If you think Perry is unskilled at his advanced age (32), you must not watch the games. He had to carry the Ducks early in the season. Imagine trying to face the opponents’ shutdown defensive pairing and forward line night after night with guys like Nick Ritchie and Antoine Vermette as your first-line partners. You’d be a little salty too, wouldn’t you?

Perry kept churning out good performances night after night. Take a look at Nick Ritchie’s goal the day after Thanksgiving in Los Angeles. If you think the man wearing number 10 isn’t good, you’re kidding yourself.

Not Done Yet

But, you say, Perry isn’t scoring as much as he did. That’s true. He has a career average of 0.80 points per game. This season he scored at 0.69 points per game. That’s due to playing a good deal of the season with sub-par line-mates. Now he is on a line with the new young gun in town, Rickard Rakell. His goal totals are going to be down under those circumstances. He also had a shooting percentage almost 3% below his career average.

The fact is Corey Perry continues to make opponents nervous almost every night. He may not be fast, but he’s still a magician with the puck at pedestrian speeds. Perry can make plays with the best of them these days. Number 10 had the third most points, third-most assists, and fourth most goals for the Anaheim Ducks this season.

70% of his points came at even strength. You’ll find him in front of the net whenever he doesn’t have the puck. Perry is still someone you want on your team. Luckily, the Ducks have him under contract for three more seasons and he has a full no-movement clause. If his shooting percentage reverts to career norms, watch out next season.

Jakob Silfverberg: B+

Are we going to fight again? Look, if scoring is the way you value every skater in the league, Silfverberg is not your man. But if you value a complete hockey player, you want Silfverberg on your team every night.

Silfverberg had the same 17 goals as first-line right wing Corey Perry. Not bad because he played on the shutdown line most of the season. That means his assignment was to shut down the opponents’ best forwards all night long, not necessarily score goals himself. He did that with either a center not fully suited for that line, or a broken down center once Ryan Kesler returned from off-season hip surgery.

Don’t you wonder what Silfverberg would do if given a season with the top offensive players and little defensive responsibility? Luckily, we’re unlikely to find out, because this Swede is too important on the shutdown line. Silfverberg’s goal on November 9 last season will give you an idea of what he’d look like there. His quick release and great skating make him dangerous.

As it is, he’s a perfect two-way right wing. His pairing with Andrew Cogliano on the opposite wing is a match made in heaven. The speed and tenacity of those two forwards put so much pressure on the opposing team as they dart back and forth pestering them, the top lines often get completely shut out at even strength.

What’s the best thing about Jakob Silfverberg right now? His cap hit is only $3,750,000. Unfortunately, he has only one year left on that contract, and he will be an unrestricted free agent after next season unless he signs an extension. As a Ducks fan, your job is to hope the Swedish forward’s agent and Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray has already worked out a deal. We should know in July.