Anaheim Ducks: Are They Championship Material?

This is the second installment of our three-part series. We go through the Anaheim Ducks roster, individual by individual and assess whether or not the person in question is championship material.

Rehashing the Intro

In addition to being a hockey fan (i.e. Anaheim Ducks fan) and blogger, I’m an avid fantasy hockey player and I’m very, very good at it. Everyone falls in love with a player or two whether it be real life or fantasy sports. I’m no different.

To snap myself back into “reality”, periodically, I ask myself some tough questions. If I were an actual NHL general manager, it would be a vital part of my job.

Question 1) Would a championship team have “Player X” on its roster?

Question 2) Is there some stat that “Player X” excels in that makes him valuable to my team and enough to cover his other flaws?

Question 3) Can I get someone else to do what “Player X” does for less and use my resources in other areas?

Question 4) Finally, a question that applies to real life teams. Does “Player X” have intangibles that don’t always show up on the stat sheet which makes him an important member of the team?

Using those questions, I will put the Anaheim Ducks roster and decision makers under the microscope.

This series is in three parts: 1) Tuesday – Management, Coaching, and Goalies; 2) Today-Defensemen; and 3) Thursday – Forwards. At the end of each analysis is a yes or no answer for that person.

Spare Parts

More from Pucks of a Feather

We know that Francois Beauchemin isn’t coming back. The same is likely for Kevin Bieksa. A championship team with Korbinian Holzer on it? No way. It’s also unlikely that rookies such as Marcus Pettersson, and Andy Welinski would get any playing time on a cup winning team. That doesn’t mean either of them can’t rise to the required level of play in the near future.

Cam Fowler

If General Manager Bob Murray or anyone else had questions about Cam Fowler’s value to the Anaheim Ducks; they were answered after April 1. That’s when the Windsor, Ontario native suffered a grade 3 separation of the AC joint in his shoulder.

Anaheim finished out the regular season on a roll, but the defense was shaky at times while they were making adjustments in Fowler’s absence. He was never more missed as when San Jose swept the Ducks in the first round of the playoffs. The defensive effort team-wide was awful, they left goalies, John Gibson and Ryan Miller, alone on an island surrounded by Sharks much too often.

Fowler is a good two-way player. His offensive abilities, especially on the man-advantage make him a prized commodity. Conclusion: Yes**

Josh Manson

Who would have thought that Josh Manson would lead all Anaheim Ducks defensemen in scoring? He played in 80 games and garnered 37 points. The Ducks have to consider every point over 20 from him as a bonus. Scoring isn’t even his forte.

Josh Manson is the type of hard-nosed defender that coaches love. He is big, strong, and proved that he can take care of himself when the gloves come off. This year his defensive game was top shelf, leading all NHL defenseman at +34.

He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty or do the little things to help his team succeed. Conclusion: Yes – Perfect for second pairing

Brandon Montour

At the outset of the 2017-18 season, Brandon Montour was forced to grow up in a hurry. Lindholm and Sami Vatanen started the season on IR, so Manson was the next man up for top-four minutes.

His defensive play is not on the same level as his offense (32 points). That cost Anaheim several times during the season. He lost his man and the opposing team was able to get in for close shots on Ducks goalies.

Montour, at this stage of his career, is not a top-four defenseman on a great team. In that situation, he would ideally play on the third pair and run the point on the second power-play unit. Conclusion: Yes – Third Pair

Hampus Lindholm

The former sixth overall draft pick in the 2012 entry draft is the type of player, every GM loves. Lindholm plays a solid two-way game and can be used in a multitude of situations.

Always a strong defender, Lindholm stepped up his offensive side in wake of Vatanen’s mid-season trade to New Jersey. He put up a career-high 13 goals in 69 games. Conclusion: Yes**

Next: 5 life lessons learned by watching the Ducks

** On a championship team, Fowler and Lindholm wouldn’t be partners on a top-pairing. I never thought I’d say it, but Anaheim needs a prime defenseman to get over the top and play Doughty-esque minutes. In short, they need a Scott Niedermayer.

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Anaheim Ducks: Are They Championship Material? – Part Two