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Anaheim Ducks: The Good, The Bad and Things Fans Want to Forget – Part 2

By Kennyth M

WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 23: Ryan Kesler #17 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the pre-game warm up prior to NHL action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on March 23, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 23: Ryan Kesler #17 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the pre-game warm up prior to NHL action against the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell MTS Place on March 23, 2018 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Another NHL season is officially in the books. Kenny Marcial takes a final look back at the Anaheim Ducks in 2017-18 with his three-part series. Today, Part 2 – The bad.

A hockey season has its ebbs and flows, and the Anaheim Ducks 2017-18 season was no exception. In part 1 of this series, I went over the good from this past season. In today’s second part, I am going to highlight some of the negatives. There was much to choose from, so if something doesn’t make it into this article, it will likely be addressed in “Part 3: Things Fans Want to Forget.”

Making the Playoffs

Eric Stephens, from the OCR, captured Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray’s thoughts on making the playoffs, “I think it’s remarkable that we made the playoffs. But in making the playoffs, did we screw up some other things? That’s where I’m trying to get my head around. Sometimes it’s better to miss (the playoffs).” 

As difficult as it is to hear, his point rings true. Tanking is bad business, but the new lottery system is making fringe playoff teams reconsider being “buyers.” Since the top 3 picks are now up for grabs, missing the playoffs can really benefit teams. 

Both the Devils and the Flyers failed to reach the playoffs in 2016-2017. In a stroke of good luck, they won the lottery and acquired elite talent. Their “down” year has them poised for consistent success. 

For the Ducks, getting a player like Rasmus Dahlin or Andrei Svechnikov would help ease the concerns of the championship window closing. Even if the lottery didn’t fall our way, we still would have a top 15 pick and several highly talented players should be available there.

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