Anaheim Ducks: 25th Anniversary All-Decade Teams, The 2010’s
After a long summer, we are just about a month away from the Anaheim Ducks kicking off the 25th anniversary season. With that in mind, we are celebrating in a proper fashion here at Pucks of a Feather. This is the Ducks All-Decade team of the 2010’s.
We are concluding our three-part series looking at all-decade teams for the Anaheim Ducks. You can read about the 1990’s team and the 2000’s team here. The Ducks have made the playoffs every year of this decade except for one. Have advanced to the West Finals twice and provided fans with multiple great memories.
You could also call this decade one of missed opportunity. The Ducks have been close but haven’t been able to break through. With 2 years still left in the decade, the pieces are there for them to, they just need to execute. So with that here are the picks for the Anaheim Ducks all-decade team 2010’s.
Goalie- John Gibson
This was the only decade of Ducks hockey where the goalie position is up for debate. The 90’s with Guy Hebert there is no discussion, and the 00’s with J.S. Giguere there is no contest. The Ducks have had three big goalies in the 2010’s and a case could be made for any of the three.
I went with the numbers and the eye-test. Actually watching the game and not having my head buried in the stats. So if you want to say Jonas Hiller or Frederik Andersen should be this pick you may have a case but for me its John Gibson hands down.
John Gibson has been a part of the Ducks since the 2013-14 season but was finally handed the starting reigns two years ago. Gibson has been nothing short of stellar since coming to Anaheim. Even more so as he’s been given the number one job. Through his 178 games, he is 93-55-16. Both the games played and the wins rank him fourth all-time among Ducks starters. Gibby also has a career 2.29 GAA and a .923 Sv%. Both of those are tops among Ducks starters all-time. Not bad a for a 25-year-old netminder who seems to only get better and better.
Gibson brought the Ducks to the West Final in his first year and with the team severely depleted for the first half of his second year, he kept them afloat and to the playoffs. Without him, in either year the Ducks wouldn’t have reached the post-season. It seems the Ducks knew that too.
They gave the Pittsburgh native an eight-year contract extension this summer ensuring he’s the Ducks netminder for the next decade. He could win them a Stanley Cup in this decade and the next.
Defensemen- Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm
With all the defenseman that have played for the Ducks from 2010 to now, its hard to argue against these two being the best. Cam Fowler fell to the Ducks at 12 in 2010 and there should be a number of teams kicking themselves for that. Hampus Lindholm the Ducks plucked at number six in the 2012 draft. Both have played like top end talent ever since they touched the ice in Anaheim.
I think the Ducks were shocked that Cam Fowler was still sitting there when they picked at 12. How could they pass him up? Incredible skater, offensive prowess, and a teenager when he would be coming into the league. While he went through his growing pains period, he was mentored by none other than Scott Niedermayer. The Ducks have one of the top 30 d-men in the league and one of the best ever to wear the Webbed D.
This could be a career stat year for Fowler, as it stands he has played 561 games and put together a line of 53-196-249. If Fowler stays healthy he will pass both Ruslan Salei and newly retired Francois Beauchemin for most games by a Ducks d-man. With just 16 more points he will pass Scott Niedermayer for the most by a Ducks defenseman. To get those points his goals and assist totals will also move him to tops all-time.
Fowler could achieve all these Ducks records and he is only 26. Fowler still has 10+ years left in him and could also be the Ducks captain down the road when Ryan Getzlaf calls it a career. The only thing Fowler needs to add to his resume is a Stanley Cup and he has the skills himself and the skill to lead his D-core to get it.
Hampus Lindholm is no slouch either. The big Swede has brought it all to the Honda Center ice. He can score, escape his zone, make a great first pass and is tough in his own zone. He is arguably the 1B to Fowler’s 1A. Being able to play them on different pairs only spreads the wealth on defense. Defensively especially there is a case Lindholm is the better defensemen but Fowler has it in the offensive category.
Currently, Lindholm sits at 371 games played with a 42-101-143 stat line. His goal total has him fifth all-time among Ducks defensemen with his assists. Points and games played totals rank him sixth. With a good year, he could vault all of those numbers to fourth all-time. It will be him and Fowler that continue to destroy the Ducks record books.
Lindholm and Fowler will be leading the Ducks defense core for the next decade and they have the tools and leadership ability to bring a second Cup to Anaheim. They will finally get the chance this season to lead the group with no “veterans” brought in as they are the veterans. The two need to take their chance and run with it.
Center-Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf is a generational talent and has been just that for the Anaheim Ducks. To some Getzlaf has already done enough for his #15 to hang in the rafters on Katella Ave one day. While I believe he is close, he needs to be responsible for bringing a Cup to Anaheim. Yes, he has his name on hockey’s greatest prize but he wasn’t the focal point of that 2007 team. With that said, he has been close a couple times getting back to the pinnacle.
Getzlaf will be one game shy of 1000 if he plays all 82 this season. He will, however, break legend Teemu Selanne’s current 966 tops all-time game total. Getzlaf has a career line of 247-628-875 over his illustrious career.
His assist total is tops all-time and his goals and points sit him fourth and second respectively. While it would be tough to be the top goal scorer for the Ducks, he could break the points record next season with two good years. The Ducks go as Getzlaf goes and for him to be the captain to lead the Ducks to the top he needs to bring it, night in and night out.
Getzlaf has been the captain of the Ducks for close to a decade now. He has led the team to two West Finals. Getz has shown he can take over a game and put the team on his back when he wants to and he needs to do that this season.
His window is beginning to close and he may have the perfect blend of veteran leadership and youth injection to get it done this season. It’s truly now or never for Captain Getz.
Wing- Rickard Rakell
This was the toughest decision on the list. The player pool was all the wings from 2010 to now. A strong case can be made that Bobby Ryan could be here. Despite him never having the success in Ottawa, he did in Anaheim he had some big great moments on Katella Ave. Considering all factors, if you’re asking me to choose Rickard Rakell or Bobby Ryan, I’m going Rik-Rak Attack.
Rakell has really burst on to the scene the last two seasons. Ricky Rak was a first round pick in 2011 and he is certainly living up to that selection now. Coming off a career year where he should get just as much credit as John Gibson at keeping the Ducks afloat.
With the team healthy heading into this season, he should only build off those stats. So far in his 313 games, which have him ranked eighteenth all time his stat line is 96-102-198. Those statistics already have him in the Top 10 in all offensive categories. Depending on the year he has this season and next he will pass Bobby Ryan in all categories.
Rakell had his coming out party last year and he is poised to be a 70-80 point player this year. One day soon, Rakell will be the leader of the Ducks offense. He got a taste of that early last season and passed with flying colors. He can get the job done no matter the players around him and can be used in virtually all situations.
Rakell has the skills to be special with the veteran core of the Ducks now and the extremely talented young group that is coming up to Anaheim.
Wing- Corey Perry
Despite his dip in play the last year or so there is no one else that could be here. Corey Perry has scored big goal after big goal for the Anaheim Ducks since he arrived. Perry has won a Stanley Cup, Hart Trophy, and Rocket Richard Award. The All-Star will play in his 1000th NHL game this season and has a career stat line of 366-400-766.
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His 957 total NHL games will pass Teemu Selanne’s, 966 in the first month of the season. His assists and points are firmly placed as third all-time on the Ducks list and his goals are second only to Selanne’s 457. If Perry can return to form he does have the chance to pass Selanne’s goal total but we need vintage Perry for that to occur.
Perry still has the skill set to be a vital and crucial member of the Ducks this season. He can find the back of the net, is a better passer than he ever gets credit for and is dangerous everytime he touches the puck.
He needs to get faster and with any hope, he has done just that with his off-season training program. A faster Perry is definitely more dangerous. Like it’s been since he broke into the league his legacy is running parallel to that of Getzlaf.
Perry has the stats to have his #10 hang from Honda Center’s rafters one day. He has the stats to potentially be a Hall of Fame inductee one day. But Perry, like Getzlaf, needs to prove himself on the sports biggest stage. He needs to be the key member of a Cup winning team to cement his status. Perry is facing a crossroads deep in his career. Be remembered as a great player that lost his way, or find a resurgence in the late stages of his career.
Next. Top 5 Ducks defensemen of all time. dark
If its the latter we may be talking about Perry as one of the greatest Ducks of all-time all while he is hoisting his second Cup in June 2019.