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.