Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks mid-summer review: Are they better now?

By Ed Stein

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 18: The San Jose Sharks shake hands with the Anaheim Ducks after the Sharks sweep the Ducks to win the Western Conference First Round in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 18, 2018 in San Jose, California. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 2-1. (Photo by Scott Dinn/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption ***
SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 18: The San Jose Sharks shake hands with the Anaheim Ducks after the Sharks sweep the Ducks to win the Western Conference First Round in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 18, 2018 in San Jose, California. The Sharks defeated the Ducks 2-1. (Photo by Scott Dinn/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /
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Anaheim Ducks
ANAHEIM, CA – OCTOBER 11: Patrick Eaves #18 and Ryan Getzlaf #15 of the Anaheim Ducks celebrate Eaves’ goal in the third period against the New York Islanders on October 11, 2017. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Forwards

This is a tough area to gauge because there are a few variables to consider. The most important variable is Ryan Kesler. Last season he was a shell of himself after he returned to the lineup following hip surgery. There are rumors that RK17 may miss all of 2018-19. If he does, the middle two lines are in flux. The Ducks will most likely promote another center from San Diego.

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The other “X” factor is Patrick Eaves. He missed all but two games last season with what was thought to be Guillion-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a debilitating auto-immune condition. Months of seeing doctors around the country and undergoing many many tests, GBS was ruled out. He spent the last seven months in arduous rehabilitation. Eaves said he’s been given a clean bill of health and will be ready to start the season.

Adding Eaves to Corey Perry, Ondrej Kase, Brian Gibbons, and Jakob Silfverberg creates somewhat of a logjam at right wing, but its a pleasant problem to have. Either Gibbons or Kase would move to the left side. One issue that Murray has to account for is Perry’s decline. He is playing his way out of a top-six role. If anyone on the Ducks needs to have a bounce-back year, it’s Perry

Speaking of left wings, the Anaheim Ducks have players for each of the four slots filled. Scoring leader Rickard Rakell, fast skating Andrew Cogliano, and enigmatic Nick Ritchie, and either Kase or Gibbons will play on the top three lines. It’s a position still in need of an upgrade Here are the potential lines. One group has Kesler, the other doesn’t.

With Kesler

Rakell-Getzlaf-Eaves

Kase-Henrique-Perry

Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg

Ritchie-Rowney-Gibbons

Without Kesler

Rakell-Getzlaf-Eaves

Kase-Henrique-Perry

Cogliano-Rowney-Silfverberg

Ritchie-Steel/Terry-Gibbons

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The re-addition of Eaves makes the forwards better. Kesler’s presence, however, is the final determinate of whether or not the group is improved. One thing Murray hasn’t done is make the Ducks appreciably faster on the ice. For that to happen, more changes have to be made.

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