The Anaheim Ducks are incredibly deep on the right side
The Anaheim Ducks have six NHL caliber right wings on their roster and four slots. Some players have guaranteed spots and others don’t. We look at the Ducks deep right-wing corps.
Positional depth is a luxury most teams lack. The Anaheim Ducks are fortunate enough to be extremely deep in one area, right wing. They are so deep that unless someone is traded, one player will have to change positions while another misses the boat entirely.
Let’s take a look at the six players that are competing for four slots.
Corey Perry
He’s an all-time Ducks great. At one time Perry was a premier player in the NHL. Now 33 years old, it seems as if his best days have passed him by. Over the last four years, he’s scored 55, 62, 53, and 49 points. Additionally, a former 50 goal scorer, he hasn’t broken 20 goals since 2015-16.
His General Manager, Bob Murray practically called him out in an interview earlier this summer. Murray said he had some issues with the leadership core of the team, not setting an on-ice example. Getzlaf had over 50 assists and Kesler missed a good part of the year. That leaves Perry.
Is he finished? No, but he isn’t an offensive weapon either. Can he bounce back? To 50 goals, no, but there is no reason to believe he can’t score 25 goals. He still has some skills and the savvy to beat opposing goalies. This season, he’ll either play on the top line with center Ryan Getzlaf or on the second with Adam Henrique.
Patrick Eaves
One thing that can be said about Eaves’ career as an Anaheim Ducks player is that it’s been different than anyone else who’s ever played for the franchise. He came to Anaheim at the 2017 trade deadline from Dallas in exchange for a conditional draft pick.
At the time, he was having a career year. Only once in his 13-year career had he scored 20 or more goals (2005-06, as a rookie). Eaves scored 21 goals for the Stars when he was traded to Anaheim. “The Beard” as he is also known, continued his success in SoCal by scoring 11 goals with three assists in the regular season. That was followed up by four points (2g, 2a) in seven playoff games before he was injured.
“The Beard” parlayed his fantastic season into a three-year contract with Anaheim. All was looking well until the season started. Long story short, he missed the entire 2017-18 season with what was believed to be Guillian Barre’ Syndrome (an autoimmune condition). It turns out that was an incorrect diagnosis and he is expected to return to 100%.
When he did play, Eaves meshed well with Getzlaf and Rakell on the top line. The hope is that he can return to his previous production levels at the age of 34. If he can, its a bonus, if not, he can fit in on either the second or third lines.
Jakob Silfverberg
Look up versatile in the hockey dictionary and Jakob Silfverberg‘s picture is probably there. He’s filled a variety of roles since coming to the Ducks in the summer of 2013, playing throughout the lineup. Silfverberg has never been a huge scoring threat as evidenced by his career high of 49 points.
His current role is one he’s had for the past few seasons, right wing on the shutdown line. He has great chemistry with linemates Ryan Kesler, and Andrew Cogliano and they have been very effective. As a result, Silfverberg has received consideration for the league’s Frank J. Selke Award, given to the best defensive forward.
He has the ability to play on the left side, but it’s unlikely the Ducks break up their best defensive forward line.
Ondrej Kase
The 22-year-old native of Kadan in the Czech Republic came out of nowhere last season to score 38 points (20g, 18a). At the end of the season, he was playing on the second line with Adam Henrique and Nick Ritchie. On many nights, they were the best line Anaheim had.
Kase is expected to be an even more prolific scorer this season. He may, however, have to do it from the left side if he wants to stay in the top six. The Ducks certainly need his speed and skill in the lineup. At this point, its a matter of where he fits in, not if he fits in. The most logical place for him is on the left side of the second line with Henrique and either Perry or Eaves.
Brian Gibbons
Brian Gibbons one of Murray’s two forward free agent acquisitions this offseason (the other is center Carter Rowney). It’s unlikely Gibbons would get a one-way contract for $1M if he wasn’t expected to play. It’s still a good chunk of change to pay a fourth line player, but that’s another issue.
More from Pucks of a Feather
- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
The left hand shooting wing is everything a team wants in a character player. He moves well on the ice, possesses a nice shot, and will do what it takes to be an NHL player. To his detriment, Gibbons is only 5’8” and 175 lbs. His lack of size causes him to get muscled off the puck at times.
Kevin Roy
There’s no room for sentiment in a competitive environment like the NHL. However, if there was a sentimental favorite to land one of the four right-wing slots, it would be Kevin Roy. A former fourth-round pick, Roy has been with the organization since he finished up at Northeastern in 2016.
Next. Are Ducks fans losing confidence in team management?. dark
It looked like Roy had a decent shot at making the team, until Gibbons was signed. He’s lightning fast on the ice and a terrific playmaker. His issue is the same as Gibbons, size. Roy is only 5’9,” 170lbs. If the Ducks are serious about becoming a faster team, then the Greenfield Park, Quebec native is a must.