Anaheim Ducks: It’s Time For Us to Face the Hard Truth
The Anaheim Ducks are continuing their stumble down the standings. Something has to be done, and it’s time for us to take a look at the hard truth about this team.
Every time the Anaheim Ducks seem to take a step forward, as they did in their hard-fought shootout win against the Nashville Predators, they almost immediately take a massive step back, like the 5-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights the very next game that saw John Gibson mercy pulled.
The outcry for the Anaheim Ducks to fire their head coach has reached a fever pitch, there’s been countless articles, petitions, and anger-tweets calling for his head. Is a coaching change needed? Yes. Will it solve all the problems? Not in the slightest.
The fact is, the Ducks will make a change with their head coach. It’s a matter of when not if. I foresee a zero percent chance that Randy Carlyle gets an extension following his contract expiring after this season. Short of a miraculous turn-around that leads to a deep playoff run and culminating in a Western Conference Finals appearance, at least, I think the longest Carlyle will be coach of the Anaheim Ducks is the last game of this season.
Don’t worry Ducks Nation. I think it’ll happen sooner than that, but worst case scenario is that he stays until the end of the 2018-19 season.
So, in addition, what do the Ducks need to do to turn this team around? It’s a difficult truth to swallow, but the Ducks need to seriously consider re-tooling their roster. As it stands now the Ducks top 9 forwards, when fully healthy, includes 5 players who are over 30. The three highest-paid Ducks are all 33 or older. The remaining four players in that top 9 include only 2 players who are 25 or younger.
The Ducks are not a team of spring chickens, and as the league continues to move towards a youth movement, it’s become more and more imperative to have a deep cupboard of impact players. Yes, the Ducks do have some great young players who have played in the NHL this season. Maxime Comtois, Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Kiefer Sherwood, and Isac Lundestrom should all be every-day NHLers relatively soon which is great.
However, none of them are projected to be true, elite, top-line forwards. As the Ducks core continues to age, it’s going to be difficult to replace their production with the team and prospects the Ducks have in the organization currently.
I’m not saying the Ducks need to rebuild completely and tear the team apart, but this team is a bit of a mish-mash of puzzle pieces that don’t come together to make a truly coherent picture. I would like to see this team define what they are. In order to do that, changes will have to be made to the team, and they’re going to be hard to accept as some fan-favorites will not be part of the team long-term. Let’s take a look at the roster and break it down into some different categories.
The Foundation of the Anaheim Ducks
These are the guys that the Ducks should build their future around who are on the current roster. They should be as close to untouchable as possible, in terms of today’s NHL where seemingly anything goes.
John Gibson- It goes without saying, franchise goalies don’t come around often. Gibson has shown that he has the talent to be among the best in the league. Short of a long-term 5-year rebuild, Gibson should be the guy for the Ducks.
Rickard Rakell– Rakell has been the Ducks best offensive player the past couple season. He’s consistently putting up points even when doing so quietly. He’s gotten some flack this season for not scoring, but to this point, he’s still the Ducks leading point producer.
Ondrej Kase– The closest the Ducks have to a young, elite goal scorer is Ondrej Kase. He’s a spark plug for this team, and has fittingly been nicknamed the “Energizer Bunny.” He’s signed to a team-friendly deal and the Ducks should keep him around in hopes he continues to develop.
Hampus Lindholm– In my opinion, Lindholm is the best defenseman currently on the Anaheim Ducks blueline. He’s consistently among the league leaders in fancy stats and watching him is a thing of beauty. He’s the Ducks highest draft pick this decade and he’s on a great contract.
Cam Fowler– The Ducks longest-tenured defenseman, also signed the longest out of anyone on the roster not named John Gibson. He’s sneaky good and outside of the freak injuries that have become common-place for him, he almost always has a positive impact on the ice.
Those are the five that this team should at all costs protect. They’re young, they’re successful at the NHL Level, and for the most part, are locked up for the next few years.
The “Should” Keep
These players are all valuable, they are all useful and good at what they do, but for one reason or another as of this moment aren’t ones that I would mark as franchise cornerstones. These are the guys I wouldn’t seek to trade. However, they are either unproven for a long period of time or aren’t exactly looking like long-term viable options.
Ryan Getzlaf– I don’t see Getzlaf ever playing for another NHL Team. He’s on the “Mt. Rushmore” of Ducks, in my opinion, and he’s the captain. He’s signed through until he’s 35 and while he’s a very valuable player, father time is undefeated and eventually it’s going to hit Getzlaf.
The Rookies- I’m grouping all of the rookies into this section. That encompasses Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson, Max Jones, Lundestrom, Comtois, Steel, Sherwood, Terry type players. They’re all young and deciding their future at this point is difficult.
Currently, none of them seem to be guaranteed hits. However, at this point, it’s too early to give up on them. As the season progresses, if any of them become expendable or don’t take the next step, there might be one or two who could be moved. Nevertheless, since they haven’t exactly been given the chance to prove themselves, this is where I’d put them.
Adam Henrique– “Uncle Rico” is one of the locker room guys. He plays with heart, he’s signed long term, and he’s someone who will be able to take a mentor role when Getzlaf inevitably hangs up his skates. He’s not elite, 40-50 points is his ceiling, but he brings more than points to the team.
The Wild-Cards
These players are question marks. They could prove themselves to be invaluable or expendable as the season progresses. The good thing about them is that they’re not locked up long term, and are on very cheap deals. So, low risk but potentially high reward. Anyone of them could move up or down, as far as their importance, depending on how things play out.
Pontus Aberg– A highly skilled player, Aberg has shown flashes of absolute brilliance. This includes the goal of the year for the Ducks, thus far. He has surprised all of us so far this season and from the looks of it, I think he’ll be a solid top 9 type player for an NHL team long term.
He’s shown chemistry with the Anaheim Ducks, especially the top line of Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf. If he continues to progress and gel with the team, I’d be happy to see him signed to a 2 or 3-year deal at a low cost.
Jake Dotchin– Dotchin is a talented defenseman who had his contract terminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning during the off-season. He’s still young, at 24-years-old, and has NHL experience. The young defenseman is his own worst enemy at this point. if he straightens out his play, learning to not take bad penalties, and most importantly can stay in shape, he could be the Ducks next sleeper, turned stud, defenseman.
The “Don’t Shop Them, but if Someone Asks, at Least Listen”
There is only one player here. It’s an oddly specific category, but I don’t think it’d be appropriate to put him anywhere else.
Josh Manson– I love Manson, he has a rare set of skills in today’s NHL, and even more impressively he has found a perfect line between physical and dirty. He hits heavy but does not take too many rough penalties.
I would be very happy if Manson was locked up long-term and he and Lindholm were a permanent fixture on the Ducks defense for years to come. If he is the sticking point for a team on a game-changing talent for a trad, however, hard decisions might have to be made regarding Manson.
The “We’re Probably Stuck With ‘Em”
These players are likely going to be Ducks for the remainder of their contracts for differing reasons. Mostly due to the contract that they’re currently on.
Patrick Eaves– Eaves is an inspiration! He’s a phenomenal player who’s gotten unfortunate results due to so many injuries. He is always good when he’s on the ice, unfortunately, he just can’t stay on the ice. This is through no real fault of his own.
The story of Patrick Eaves is enough to make the contract, and lack of games played easy to swallow, but I cannot see Eaves being moved. Again, as I said, Eaves is an inspiration, and even though I say we’re stuck with him, I don’t mean that negatively. He’s been a great addition to this team, even though he hasn’t been able to play much.
Corey Perry– Perry’s best days are behind him. He’s 33-years-old, he’s never been a particularly strong skater (it’s gotten worse as he’s aged), and he’s currently suffering from a very serious injury that could make his skating even more strained when he comes back.
Perry has given so much to the Ducks over the years, so many great moments, and a Hart Trophy to boot, but let’s be honest here. $8M for Perry is an overpayment, and unless the Ducks eat the majority of that, he’s not going anywhere. Even if the Ducks did eat the majority of that money, he’d have to approve a move which is unlikely for a player who’s been with one team his entire career.
Ryan Kesler– Much like Perry, his best days are behind him. Last season it was hard to watch him. This season, he’s been better but, at 34-years-old, it’s only a matter of time before his play deteriorates permanently. The Ducks are on the hook for $6.8M for another 3 years after this season. Short of again, eating a big chunk of money, and Kesler deciding he wants to play elsewhere, he’s not going anywhere.
The Expendables
These are the guys who have some value but are either replaceable with someone else in the organization, don’t fit the team long-term, or could be used to acquire younger talent. Some of them are fan favorites and some are beacons of fans disdain.
Andrew Cogliano– Cogs is a fan favorite. He’s a spark plug, he’s fun to watch, he finds more breakaways than just about anyone I’ve ever seen (Even if he basically never scores on them), he’s quite possibly the best penalty killer in the league, and seemingly scores more short-handed goals than he does even strength! However, in a re-tool, older players who still have value are some of the best chips you can have. He’s on a really good contract with some term left and would likely fetch a decent return for the Anaheim Ducks.
More from Ducks News
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- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
Jakob Silfverberg– I’m just going to get this out of the way. Silfverberg has one of the best wrist shots I’ve ever seen. It’s a laser, it’s awe-inducing how quick his release is. Silf is 28-years-old and he’s on the last year of his deal. He is going to want a raise from his current deal. He’s been really good this season after a down year last season.
Silfverberg has the potential to be a 25-30 goal scorer but needs to find some consistency. Seeing as he’s due that big raise and the Ducks do not exactly have a ton of cap room until after next season, Silf may be the best trade chip the Ducks have. Moving him should not be difficult, and when you look at some of the rental prices teams have paid, it’s not a bad idea to attempt to cash in rather than paying Silf the money he’s due.
Nick Ritchie– Fresh off the heels of a holdout that saw him only end up with a $4.5M dollar deal over 3 years, Ritchie is slimmer this season and is playing some decent hockey. Nevertheless, he’s by far the fans favorite whipping boy, due to the high expectations of a top 10 pick. Even if you take that out of the equation, it’s hard to see his ceiling anything more than the 3rd line.
However, Ritchie is young, he’s big, and has a pretty good shot. Teams looking for size usually have a glut of skill players they want to protect. Trying to move Ritchie for a player who relies more on skill than size, would be a good option to make a good hockey trade, and we all know Bob Murray loves himself a good hockey trade.
Brandon Montour– Montour, like Ritchie, was given a new deal during the offseason. His deal got surprisingly close to arbitration. Fortunately, it didn’t go that far, and Murray got Montour signed on a two-year deal. This isn’t ideal, but it gives the Ducks a better chance to evaluate what they have in Montour, as opposed to the small sample size they had to go off of entering this season.
Unfortunately, Montour is struggling to find a spot on the Ducks. He’s been expected to be a top 4 defenseman, but the problem is, there are three other defensemen on the Ducks who are seemingly better than him. What is worse, is he doesn’t mesh well with any of them.
Next. Q&A With Rikard Gronborg. dark
It’s not necessarily that the Ducks should give up on Montour, but if the opportunity arises for them to find a better fit for the core of the Ducks defense is a potential solution.