This is the final 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.
An interesting player at the top of the list. J.T. Brown is kind of guy coaches point to as an example of what heart and determination are. He hustles and hits. The NHL is becoming a speed league and Brown has plenty of it.
While he isn’t a very gifted offensive player, his defense, and grit more than overcome that deficiency. Brown is the consummate fourth line or so contributor to a winning team. Conclusion: Yes
Anyone who tells you they don’t want Andrew Cogliano on their roster is lying. How could any winning team not need what he brings to the table? He is as fast as they come at this level. Additionally, his penalty killing is top notch. When Cogs combines the two, he is an offensive threat in a defensive situation.
Cogliano and Kesler is a match made in checking line/penalty killing heaven. They (along with Jakob Silfverberg) often play against the opposition’s top line and do it well. Add in a bit of finishing ability around the net and Cogliano is vital to a championship team. Conclusion: Yes, third line.
Cup winner, check, 2007. Leader, check, he is the Anaheim Ducks captain after all. Passer extraordinaire, check, Getzlaf led the NHL in assists per game for 2017-18. The face of the franchise, check, you see him both in the community and in team advertising.
Ryan Getzlaf positively answers all the criteria questions. Another thing, he’s a winner. A championship team has a Ryan Getzlaf excelling on the first line and making other players around him better. Conclusion: Big Yes.
Here comes the start of the controversy. Grant had a career year in 2017-18 for the Anaheim Ducks, but it isn’t enough. He comes off more as a one-trick pony than an important member of a championship team.
It’s almost implausible to see him on the ice playing for a Stanley Cup. He would be a good player to have on the AHL affiliate as a call-up in case of an injury. Conclusion: No.
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 06: Adam Henrique #14 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) /
Let the debate continue. Adam Henrique is a man without a defined role on either the Ducks or a championship team. Don’t get the pitchforks and torches yet. Look at the situation objectively.
With a career high of 51 points in a season, Adam Henrique isn’t a consistent enough scorer to anchor a true second line. Nor is he strong enough in the faceoff circle (only one season over 50%). He isn’t a shutdown center defensively either, so a third line role is out.
Henrique is in the last year of a contract that pays him $4M a season. He will certainly command more money for his next contract. That rules the fourth line out as well, he makes too much. Conclusion: No.
Kase made a big improvement this season with 20 goals and 18 assists. Early season injuries to key players had him bouncing between lines before he settled in with Henrique and Nick Ritchie.
If he continues on his current pace, Kase could be a key member of the second on the next Anaheim Ducks championship team. That’s more of a hunch based on his development. Kase has an “it” factor to him that says, “winner.” Conclusion: Yes.
Don’t go by last season’s injury-plagued abnormality. He missed the beginning of the season rehabilitating from surgery. Once he got back on the ice for the Ducks, he was a shell of his former self. Toward the end of it, there were glimpses of the old RK17.
Ryan Kesler is the quintessential NHL shutdown center and he has a Selke Trophy on his resume to prove it. He’s tough, hits hard, and has a mean streak. Kesler also has enough quality offense in his arsenal to keep his opposite member honest.
Rakell is the easiest decision among all the Ducks forwards. He scored 69 points in a season where he didn’t play with his regular center for almost a third of it. His point total has increased every season and it isn’t a stretch to see Rakell as an 80 point plus player. There isn’t a championship team that wouldn’t want Rakell on it. Conclusion: Yes.
He still has a quality game left in the tank. The problem is that Corey Perry doesn’t have enough of it to justify paying him $8.625M per season. There is hope. His skill and experience count for something. Perry can still be an asset to a championship team.
On a top team with a quality second line center, Perry could be a 60 point player. Additionally, his willingness to do the “dirty work” required to succeed can be an inspiration to the rest of his team. Conclusion: Yes.
Nick Ritchie
Despite his potential, it’s time to cut ties with the former 10th overall draft pick of 2014. There is no chance a championship team would have a player like Nick Ritchie on its roster. His penchant for taking bad penalties has short-circuited his team too often.
There are other reasons Ritchie wouldn’t be on a winner. No team worth its salt would keep a player with his lack of self-control around. He hasn’t shown enough offense for a top-six role and isn’t a defensive player either. Conclusion: No
Jakob Silfverberg
In a recent article, our Greg Johnson described Silfverberg as “a perfect two-way right wing.” I’m not as sure about that as he is. His tendency to disappear for extended stretches of the season makes it unlikely a champion would stick with him.
Greg also wondered what Silfverberg would be like if he played on a scoring line. He wouldn’t be on a scoring line with a great team. The Swedish right wing might excel with a good team, but that would say more about that team than it would Silfverberg.
Additionally, his contract situation is almost the same as Adam Henrique. The return on investment he’ll get on his next deal doesn’t justify his place on a championship team. Conclusion: No.
Antoine Vermette is the test case for question two. A 60% faceoff winner during the past two seasons, makes him one of the best on the draw in the NHL. As good as he is in the dot, it’s not enough to overcome his lack of offense (16 points in 2017-18) or matador like defense. Conclusion: No
Again, this was an exercise in what makes a player part of a championship team. It may have been harsh in some instances, but putting together a winner isn’t easy.
