Sunday Editorial: Is This a Career Season for Jakob Silfverberg?
The Anaheim Ducks don’t have a lot of important free agents to think about at the end of the season. However, there is one very important free agent who may or may not be given a contract extension. The fate of Jakob Silfverberg depends solely on how he performs this season.
This off-season the Anaheim Ducks had a couple of important restricted free agents (RFA’s) to sign. Ondrej Kase, Brandon Montour, and Nick Ritchie, if you place him in the group, all needed to be signed this summer. While the saga with Ritchie has been well documented, the other two were signed with relative ease. Yes, Montour went to arbitration but the negotiations there were figured out quickly.
On top of that, GM Bob Murray also extended Adam Henrique and John Gibson avoiding free agency negotiations this summer. One player, who was in the same boat as Henrique and Gibson, hasn’t received an extension at this point. That is one Jakob Silfverberg.
Will that decision come back to help or hurt the Ducks next summer?
Major Trade
Just days after free agency began in 2013 the Ducks sent shock waves through the NHL when they sent high scoring forward Bobby Ryan to Ottawa for Jakob Silfverberg, Stefan Noesen, and a 2014 1st round pick (which interestingly enough brought the Ducks, Nick Ritchie.) Silfverberg, at the time of the trade, was a 22-year-old kid who had 48 games total in the NHL.
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His 2012-13′ season was spent splitting time between the Senators and the AHL. At the NHL level, he posted a 10-9-19 line and a 13-16-29 line in 34 AHL games. The Ducks were getting a young player who hadn’t found his footing in the NHL yet. Nevertheless, all the signs pointed to the reality that he could.
Fast forward to October of 2018 and Silfverberg, though not as flashy as Bobby Ryan, has definitely succeeded more than Ryan. I’m not sure there are many who would argue the Ducks lost the trade. Silfverberg has come to the West Coast and posted an 83-107-190 record in 371 career games.
Those are good stats but it may be his post-season stats that are even more impressive. Silfverberg has played in 57 playoff games for the Ducks and posted 41 points. He seems to bring his best when it matters most. There is no denying that if Ryan Kesler is able to come back this season, the chemistry between them and Andrew Cogliano is undeniable. Nevertheless, with the influx of young forwards the Ducks have coming up the system, is Silfverberg needed on this team?
Is #33 Needed?
Rickard Rakell, Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves, Andrew Cogliano, Ondrej Kase, Troy Terry, Max Comtois, Max Jones, and Kevin Roy. This list doesn’t include some of the other fourth line players the Ducks could bring in or up. It is, however, the main list of wingers the Ducks will have for at least the next three years. Does Silfverberg fit into that group? I believe he not only fits in but can be a huge contributor to the Ducks for years to come.
Silfverberg has been streaky in the past with his offensive production. I think the main reason for that is how the Ducks utilize him. There is no denying the chemistry that he has with Kesler and Cogliano on what has been dubbed the Ducks “shut-down line”. While all three are able to chip in offensively, it has been stated by all three on the record, that when they’re on the ice there first priority is to stop the opposing teams top line. They are all good at their job, but when you spend most of your time defending your offensive production can drop.
Kesler should return this season and a reunion could be in the cards when it happens. However, Kesler has a few more miles on him than Silfverberg and the shut-down line won’t always be a thing. Silfverberg will have to find that scoring touch again to lead the up and coming young guns as a seasoned veteran. If Silfverberg is to remain in SoCal the only question left to ask is how much will it cost Bob Murray and Co.?
Prove It
Silfverberg is coming off a deal that saw him paid $3.75M per season. He is an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at seasons end, so the Ducks will need to move quickly or risk him hitting the open market come July 1st, 2019. Silfverberg was drafted in the second round of the 2009 draft. It is far from an exact science, but the easiest way to look at his worth is to see how he stacks up against his contemporaries. This draft saw the likes of John Tavares, Matt Duchene, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson in the top 10. These players are superior to Silfverberg but players that were taken in late round one and the second round such as Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson are more on par.
Palmieri is the closest comparison pointwise but the other two are only a bit ahead of Silfverberg. The Devils have Palmieri locked up for the next three seasons at $4.65M per and Johansson at $4.58M per. With similar numbers, age, and draft year it looks like we have a number that Silfveberg should make. Giving him 4.6 over 4-5 years should keep him in the fold as well as not cash strap the Ducks. The cap looks to continue to rise and that coupled with some bigger contracts coming off the books in the coming years should be fine.
The fact Silfverberg wasn’t extended could be a sign that management needs him to prove it. With that said, we could get the best we’ve seen from #33 this season seeing how he needs a contract next season, whether it’s with the Ducks or another team. In one game he is already off to a good start. He picked up 3 points in San Jose on Wednesday night, two of which came on the power play. The Ducks are a better team with Silfveberg than without him. Is $4.6M too much to give the Swede going forward?
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What say you Ducks Nation? Do you want to #33 on the Honda Center ice for years to come? Sound off in the comments below or on Twitter/Facebook.