2018-19 Anaheim Ducks: Projecting the impact of Sam Steel
By Kennyth M
Memorial Cup Beast
The 2017-18 season began the same way the previous one ended. Looking strictly at the score sheet, Steel was not having a banner campaign. His stats, however, don’t tell the whole story and Steel remained the best player on the ice nightly. It’s amazing the affect talented line-mates can have on the score sheet.
At the World Junior Championships, the “Man of Steel. proved to be a beacon of light. After being passed over the previous season, he manned the first line center role for Team Canada. Steel scored nine points and played a key role in route to Canada’s gold medal.
Upon his return from the WJC, the Pats added some capable bodies to his team’s roster at the trade deadline. From that point on, Steel’s production returned to his expected elite level. Those deadline additions weren’t enough to get them over the hump. The Pats were ousted in the opening round of the WHL playoffs.
The sting of their early exit from the playoffs was negated by the team’s mandatory bid to the Memorial Cup Tournament. Steel led his team to the championship game by scoring 13 points in only 5 games. Fellow Ducks prospect Antoine Morand and the Acadie-Bathurst Titans defeated Steel’s Patriots in the final, but Steel walked away as the tournament MVP.
An Early offseason Audition
Following this year’s draft, Steel participated in the Anaheim Ducks development camp. The young center’s physical development was noticeable, he appears to have added size necessary to compete. During the scrimmage, it was easy to see he was Anaheim’s top prospect (along with Troy Terry).
Engaged in every shift, Steel was driven to make an impact with the Ducks’ brass. He’d skate with the puck into the boards and all the sudden, his linemate was releasing a one-timer from the slot to everyone’s surprise. The added muscle allowed him to battle pucks away from Team Black’s defenders and control the pace of play.
There were plenty of young prospects participating in the camp. It was expected, older players, Steel and Terry would dominate. Still, it was refreshing to see them rise to the occasion. Their performance gave Murray something to ponder during the offseason.