What Can the Anaheim Ducks Expect Under Their Christmas Tree?
Santa is making his rounds, his bag filled to the brim with gifts. The Anaheim Ducks, like many of us, are waiting to see what Jolly Old Saint Nick has left under their tree’s this holiday season.
NOTE: This is all meant as a lighthearted, fun article, none of this is meant seriously and is meant for entertainment purposes only.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, with the Ducklings lamp lighting and Dotchin’s fighting filling us fans up with cheer! Christmas is coming at an alarming pace and I may have found a way to hack into the North Pole’s database of good and bad little Anaheim Ducks.
I know everyone hate’s spoilers, but I have to do my due diligence and let my fellow fans know what each of our favorite players can expect wrapped up under their Christmas Tree on Christmas morning. Some players can expect some lovely presents while others may be getting lumps of coal.
First things first, let’s start with the GM and the coach before diving into the players.
Bob Murray- General Manager
Bob Murray has had a fairly typical year. He’s signed some bargain bin players, to slightly questionable contracts. He’s made a trade for another team’s underwhelming player in hopes of restoring their image into what they were expected to be initially.
GMBM has preached wanting change but doesn’t actually do much to make those changes. To this point, he’s about 50/50 in his additions. Luke Schenn, Andrej Sustr, and Brian Gibbons all seem like duds. Jake Dotchin, Daniel Sprong, Ben Street, and Carter Rowney have been varying degrees of good.
So, because of that, he hasn’t been bad enough to get coal, but he hasn’t done quite enough to get a shiny new toy. Since Murray loves to shop at the clearance aisle, his gift this year will be a “20% off one item” coupon for Dick’s Sporting Goods to stock up on some golf equipment.
Randy Carlyle- Head Coach- 19-13-5
Less than a month ago, it seemed the sky was falling in Anaheim. It seemed like every game that passed was “the” game that put the final nail in Randy Carlyle‘s seat behind the Anaheim bench. Since then, however, the Ducks have gone on a fairly impressive string of games that included a lengthy road win streak.
For the most part, it seems to be the players moving more towards the Carlyle brand of hockey we’re all accustomed to, and moving further away from the faster game Murray preached in the off-season. It’s somewhat working, and the Anaheim Ducks are winning more than they’re losing recently.
Going 7-3 in their last 10 games. The Ducks continue to play a mind-numbingly boring style of hockey, and their wins never come easy. Nevertheless, they’re winning, and because of that Carlyle will get a gift this year…
Do you have a situation where you have to begrudgingly give someone a gift despite knowing that you’re not wrong in your assessment of them? That’s kind of the situation we have here, and because of that Randy Carlyle can expect a nice Edible Arrangement under his tree, it says “I was obligated to get you a present, but I didn’t really want to put much thought into it.”
It is kind of similar to the mindset I have watching the Anaheim Ducks play the dump and chase.
Jacob Larsson- Defenseman- 26 Games Played
The young Swede has taken advantage of the injury-riddled roster of the Ducks. He has outplayed Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr and found himself slotted into the lineup for the majority of the Anaheim Ducks games thus far this season.
He hasn’t leaped off of the page stats wise but has been serviceable in his young career. He only has 2 assists to this point and is a minus 7. His advanced stats don’t look much better, but a lot of that probably has just as much to do with the team around him seeing how the slump in late October and into November really hurt a lot of player’s stats.
Overall he hasn’t been phenomenal thus far, but he hasn’t been bad either. He’s young and has shown some rookie mistakes. However, he has also shown glimpses of why he has been so coveted by the Anaheim Ducks.
He has a lot of growing left to do and for that reason, he’s going to get a tennis racket. Jacob Larsson is quite fond of tennis, read the interview here where you can learn more about him.
He hasn’t played well enough to get Wimbledon tickets, but he deserves a little something. Probably just a racket you can get at your local sporting goods store, not a top of the line one.
Jake Dotchin- Defenseman- 14 Games Played
Jake Dotchin is one of the more interesting stories in the entirety of the NHL thus far this season. His contract was terminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning for violating the terms of his contract, allegedly because he was not in shape when he arrived for training camp.
He went unsigned for a while and eventually signed with the Anaheim Ducks. He worked hard in San Diego playing in the AHL and earned a call-up. Dotchin has played a physical game, adding a level of grit that has been missing from the Ducks blue-line in the absence of Kevin Bieksa.
So far, he has only played in 14 games, has 1 assist and is a -1, but he has brought a presence to the Ducks blue-line that they were missing. He’s been fairly impressive and I have liked what he’s brought to the lineup in his short time with the team.
Jake is not exactly ready to take on the role he had in Tampa Bay, but he’s slowly working himself into playing shape and I have high hopes for him moving forward.
For Christmas, Jake Dotchin can expect to find a nice Everlast Punching bag, a present that will help him hone his skills as a gritty defenseman. Maybe he can practice some superman punches to pay homage to Bieksa.
Josh Manson- Defenseman- 33 Games Played
Josh Manson is an interesting case. The past few seasons he’s shared a line with Hampus Lindholm, forming one of the best shutdown pairs in the entire league. This season Carlyle shook things up a bit, putting Manson with Cam Fowler while pushing Brandon Montour up with Lindholm, and it was rough.
Manson and Fowler just did not mesh well together. As the season has gone on, he’s found his game a bit, but his statistics still look rough. He has one of the worst relative Corsi ratings on the Defense.
Nevertheless, Manson has been playing his game, and historically he’s been very good. Hopefully, his hot and cold game will lean more towards the hot as the season continues to progress.
Manson’s present is actually a joint gift. A local movie theater will hold a private screening of Goon 1 and 2 for Cam Fowler and Josh Manson to help them bond and prepare to be linemates again once Fowler is back from injury.
Brandon Montour- Defenseman- 37 Games Played
The Ducks leading defensive scorer, he’s played the most games out of all the Ducks defenders and has really been on fire recently. He has found his groove with Hampus Lindholm and starting to emerge as one of the top 4 defenders the Ducks expected him to be when they gave him a pay raise in the off-season.
Montour season started off pretty rough, similar to the rest of the team. However, he has the highest relative Corsi among Ducks defensemen and had a truly remarkable 4 point night against Dallas earlier this month. ‘
Brandon Montour and his linemate Lindholm have been two of the biggest reasons for the Ducks turn-around thus far into the season. Due to his performance, he can expect a gift under his Christmas tree this season.
Montour has several tattoos, most with important dates, or ties to his heritage. He could certainly use some fresh-ink and a tattoo at one of the best shops in SoCal appears to be waiting for Montour Christmas morning.
Hampus Lindholm- Defenseman- 31 Games Played
Much like Montour, and the rest of the Ducks for that matter, Hampus Lindholm started the season off slowly. He and Montour didn’t exactly gel together. As they’ve played more together they’ve found chemistry and have been a force together.
His stats aren’t as flashy as his linemate, but he’s always been more of a two-way player. Lindholm’s points are on pace for what he usually averages and that’s pretty impressive given the slow start.
Hampus is similar to Larsson in his affinity for sports other than hockey, and he deserves a bit better of a gift than Larsson given his play this season. Lindholm can expect a Table Tennis Table adorned with the Ducks logo with matching paddles to let him know he’s never allowed to leave the Anaheim Ducks.
Josh Mahura- Defenseman- 11 Games Played
Josh Mahura hasn’t played a ton, but he’s made an impression on fans. He’s a skilled player, a fast player, and he has followed in the footsteps of Brandon Montour and Sami Vatanen before him.
He is a smart puck moving defenseman who outplays those who were thought to be ahead of them in the hierarchy of prospects. He’s got some growing to do, and he’s not perfect, but he’s fun, very fun to watch, and I think he’s got a really bright future ahead of him.
Mahura’s present is 2 months of rent paid in Anaheim, he’s earned a longer look, and his expenses should be paid for!
John Gibson- Goaltender- 30 Games Played
John Gibson has been the driving force for the Anaheim Ducks this season. He’s having a season that most goalies in the league can only dream about, posting record-level numbers and even getting some recognition as a Vezina if not a Hart Trophy candidate.
That is somewhat unheard of for Anaheim who usually flies pretty far under the radar. If Gibson continues playing at the level he’s been playing at since the start of this season, the sky is the limit.
He’s currently on pace to have the most “goals saved” in a single season over the last 10 years at 54. For reference, Sergei Bobrovsky currently leads that list with 41.94, and Gibson is already 17th on that list, despite playing only 30 games this season.
So basically, Gibson has earned any present he wants. He can expect the biggest and best presents. As a matter of fact, he can expect a Pony, the stereotypical present that you ask for when asked what you want for Christmas.
Well, Gibson is getting one, one that will appreciate all that he does for the Ducks.
Ryan Miller- Goaltender- 10 Games Played
Ryan Miller has been a consistent goaltender despite being two years shy of 40. During his 10 games with the Anaheim Ducks this season, he’s gone 4-2-1 with a SV% of .922.
Ducks Nation is able to rest easy when Miller is in the net during a back to back or at the relief of John Gibson. He’s no spring chicken, but he’s one of the best back-ups in the league.
He has earned bragging rights this season with the milestone’s he’s reached. The 374 career games he’s won has earned him the title as one of the best American born goaltenders in the NHL.
This Christmas season, Ryan Miller should expect to see a copy of Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook under his tree. Maybe he can learn a few new cooking tips from his new best friend while he’s healing from his knee injury at home.
Brian Gibbons- Right Winger- 27 Games Played
Brian Gibbons was one of the free agent castoffs that Murray signed in the off-season. He was a budget version of the type of game that the Ducks were looking to move towards. He was “fast”, skillful, again, budget-friendly, and able to play both ends of the ice.
To this point in the season, we haven’t seen any of that. Gibbons has been the worst of the free agent pickups. Despite that, he still remains on the active roster inexplicably. Luckily Murray came to his senses with Sustr and Schenn, but for some reason, he hasn’t given up hope on the Gibbons experiment.
Santa has, however, and for that reason Brian Gibbons will be getting a big ol’ lump of coal in his stocking this year!
Ryan Kesler- Center- 34 Games Played
There were times this off-season that Ryan Kesler was thought of not even playing this season. It then became a case of “he’s going to play, but will take a night off when needed.” Fast forward, and that has turned into Kesler playing the 3rd most games of any forward this season so far (Behind Adam Henrique and Kiefer Sherwood.)
That has been 34 games of ups and downs. We’ve seen some vintage Kesler moments and some reminiscent of his good friend, Kevin Bieksa, last season in that fans don’t want to see him on the ice anymore. The old adage goes “Father Time is Undefeated” and I think that he has Kesler on the ropes. Kesler needs to find the fountain of youth, and fast.
Unfortunately, Santa doesn’t quite know where that fountain of youth is either. To make up for it, he has given Kesler a timeshare in Napa for the next 3 years, that way he has the incentive to leave the team for a week at a time and recoup.
This is an odd gift, in that it’s more of a gift for the Ducks fans in hopes of rehabbing Kesler than it is in hopes that Kesler has a great time. That would just be an added bonus!
Nick Ritchie- Left Winger- 22 Games Played
Nick Ritchie has had quite an eventful season. He spent far longer than anyone thought “holding out.” Most fans had seemingly moved on from him, but Murray had not.
He played hardball but ended up finally getting the deal done with Ritchie. Ritchie came in with a head of steam looking to prove to management that he was worth the contract he was asking for.
Looking leaner and much faster, Ritchie has looked smarter with the puck, and despite a few textbooks boneheaded penalties, he’s been impressive. If you look past the expectations that come with being a top 10 pick, he’s been a solid NHL player to this point in his career, and he’s got a long career ahead of him.
Ritchie has played well enough that he should expect a gift. That gift is a membership to a meditation class nearby. Seemingly hoping that he can find “Zen” that will help him continue to progress as a positive influence on the ice, while also limiting the boneheaded penalties.
Pontus Aberg- Left Winger- 31 Games Played
Pontus Aberg was a waiver wire pickup from Edmonton. He likely earned the eye of Bob Murray after his strong performance against the Anaheim Ducks while on Nashville during the 2016 playoffs.
Murray picked him up to little fanfare, and even lower expectations. Since then, Aberg has consistently outperformed expectations and has been one of Anaheim’s best offensive threats.
Playing alongside Ondrej Kase and Ryan Getzlaf, he has found his groove and has been a positive addition, including leading the team in goals. It’s safe to say that Aberg has earned a present this year.
Aberg can expect to find a new contract under his tree! He has been such a strong addition to the team, that he should be signed as soon as possible to a new deal, even if only short term. He has fit in well and while he hasn’t been a world changer, he’s had plenty of positive moments that he could very well be a big piece of the team moving forward.
Ondrej Kase- Right Winger- 19 Games Played
Ondrej Kase suffered a concussion in the preseason that sidelined him for several games to start the season. He finally made his debut mid-way through November and has made his mark almost immediately.
Kase has continued to be a spark plug with phenomenal offensive tendencies, posting an impressive 16 points in 19 games, including being second in goals despite playing significantly fewer games than the rest of the forwards.
Kase can expect to find a puppy under his Christmas Tree. Someone who is always as happy as Kase, who you’d be hard-pressed to find a photo where he’s not smiling, should always be surrounded by something equally as energetic. Hopefully, Kase likes dogs!
Ryan Getzlaf- Center- 29 Games Played
Ryan Getzlaf continues to do Getzlaf things. He is the spoon that stirs the drink that is the Anaheim Ducks. He and Gibson are the two biggest factors that will determine how far this Ducks team goes, and to this point, Getzlaf has shown no sign of slowing down.
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Yet again, he is leading the team in points with 29 in 31 games played. Getzlaf has played great, he’s made the most of an injury-riddled season, and continues to be a great captain for the Ducks.
Of course, El Capitan will get a present, and under his tree, he can expect a special edition collectors edition of “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
It appears that Santa shares my viewpoint that Freddie Mercury actually retired from music and started playing hockey under the alias “Ryan Getzlaf.” This could also explain why Getzlaf went bald so early in his career.
Rickard Rakell- Left Wing- 30 Games Played
Rickard Rakell has consistently found himself as a fan-favorite. He is almost exclusively finding himself on the list of “the most underrated players” and “best contracts” in the league due to showing 30 goal scoring potential and an evolving offensive game each year.
This year, however, Rakell has found himself snake-bitten, only finding the back of the net 5 times through 30 games. Uncharacteristic of the Swedish forward, he’s found himself on the wrong side of the more cynical side of the fanbase for the first time and that’s unfortunate. Nevertheless, he’s certainly due to rebound.
Rickard Rakell hasn’t done quite enough to expect a big gift under his tree. Santa has left Rickard a copy of NHL 19, in hopes that by playing he can see that he can score in many different ways that don’t require fancy moves. Just shoot it at the net and good things will happen!
Next. Is John Gibson a Hart Trophy Contender?. dark
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