Anaheim Ducks: Flight Path to the Future of the Franchise

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 3: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche reacts as ;the Anaheim Ducks celebrate after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in the game at Honda Center on March 3, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 3: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche reacts as ;the Anaheim Ducks celebrate after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in the game at Honda Center on March 3, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images)
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ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 3: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche reacts as ;the Anaheim Ducks celebrate after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in the game at Honda Center on March 3, 2019, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 3: J.T. Compher #37 of the Colorado Avalanche reacts as ;the Anaheim Ducks celebrate after defeating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 in the game at Honda Center on March 3, 2019, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images) /

With the playoffs officially off the table, it’s time for the Anaheim Ducks to start thinking about their future.

The Anaheim Ducks are in the last month of the regular season and, for the first time in a long time, we aren’t thinking about the playoffs. Losing slumps, injuries, and coaches have pretty much made it doom and gloom for the year. However, it doesn’t have to be that way for good.

Despite this year not having a lot of good spots, there have still been some bright spots that us Ducks fans have been graced to see, and that’s the future stars that will be playing for us next year and beyond. Which begs the question: what will the roster look like next year? Who will stay and who will go?

HCGM Bob Murray has made some small changes, but he hasn’t been known to make the splash move that gives the Anaheim Ducks an edge over teams like the Chicago Blackhawks or Nashville Predators. Nor has he made moves that can help Anaheim match up well against teams like the Calgary Flames or Vegas Golden Knights.

Now, with the veterans getting older, it’s starting to look like it’s time to move some player out of the pasture. It may be hard for some of the fans who have been accustomed to certain players, but if the Anaheim Ducks are going to focus on the future, then they need to make some tough decisions.

VANCOUVER, BC – FEBRUARY 25: Anaheim Ducks Center Ryan Kesler (17) faces off against Vancouver Canucks Center Bo Horvat (53) during their NHL game at Rogers Arena on February 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 4-0. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – FEBRUARY 25: Anaheim Ducks Center Ryan Kesler (17) faces off against Vancouver Canucks Center Bo Horvat (53) during their NHL game at Rogers Arena on February 25, 2019 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver won 4-0. (Photo by Derek Cain/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Who The Anaheim Ducks Should Move

Ryan KeslerThe first move that I would make is moving Ryan Kesler. The hard part, however, is convincing him to waive his No Movement Clause, but it’s not impossible. He’s been a great addition to this team. The fact that we didn’t win the Cup in 2015 or 2017 after we made the Conference Finals is disappointing because he has helped us out tremendously, especially considering he used to play for one of our division rivals, the Vancouver Canucks.

He’s been injured the last few seasons, his hip getting the best of him, and this year has been no exception. Although he’s picked up his game lately, it’s quite evident that the Anaheim Ducks need to part ways with the veteran center if they really want to get younger and keep up with the other teams who rely on speed.

Nick RitchieAnother player who I would move on from is Nick Ritchie. Though he has improved drastically and hasn’t been taking as many penalties. However, bringing up Max Jones has shown that there are other players who are better for the vision of the Anaheim Ducks going forward. If Ritchie does stay, I would definitely suggest that Jones move up the forward depth chart.

Ritchie has shown all of us that he can improve, and he will probably continue to do so as the season winds down as well as in the offseason. Nevertheless, if we can get someone in the offseason that’s better in the scoring department, as well as faster, that would be yet another reason why I would consider moving him.

Where Does This Leave Getzlaf and Perry?

Now, some people have been asking whether or not the Ducks should keep Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, and honestly, I think we should. Yes, Perry hasn’t done much this year, but he’s been out with an injury for most of the season. Though his production has dwindled some in the past few seasons, I think a bottom 6 forward role, or a least a checking line move, would be better, particularly if the Ducks bring in someone who is faster and can match the other team’s top two forward lines.

As for Getzlaf, it is true that he hasn’t been completely perfect, but he’s the captain for a reason. He’s tried to keep the team together and we can’t blame all of the struggles on him. He cannot carry the entire team on his back, so the Anaheim Ducks should, without a doubt, consider bringing him back next year.

ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 3: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck during the third period of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Honda Center on March 3, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 3: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks skates with the puck during the third period of the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Honda Center on March 3, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Foster Snell/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Who Should Stay in the Flock?

Now, we move to who stays in the OC, and while there are several options, I’ll go to the more obvious choices:

Rickard RakellHe’s probably my favorite option to succeed the current captain, Ryan Getzlaf. While he’s struggled this year, he’s had far more good seasons in OC than bad. I doubt that he will continue to struggle next year, and he could mentor players like Max Jones and Troy Terry, who will more than likely have a full-time position with the team come next season. Rakell has shown that there are areas he needs to improve, but I believe that he will definitely have a bounce-back season next year.

Ondrej Kase: Though he’s been out, Kase was a spark plug for the Ducks, coming up huge with goals before a shoulder injury befell him. Kase is young enough to be a part of the core the Ducks have and if he stays on board with the others, his game will flourish with the new additions.

Adam Henrique: In the next few seasons, Henrique can be one of the veterans the Ducks can lean on, and particularly under a new coach, Henrique will bounce back in the stats column. He’s not old like Getzlaf and Perry and if Kesler is gone, along with a possible retirement in Eaves, the Ducks do need to have some veterans on the team, and he would be a good mainstay for the Ducks.

What About the Rest of the Roster?

As for the rest of the team, I’m kind of on the fence with whether they leave or stay. On offense, I’m not too quick to move any of the younger guys. Some of the newer additions deserve a chance to have some time under a new coach before the Ducks move on.

On defense, I’m torn about whether Anaheim should keep Hampus Lindholm or Cam Fowler. I know both have struggled mightily this year, but with Montour gone, and the defense getting younger, I would want to keep one of the two, particularly Fowler. I’ve slowly, yet surely, lost hope in Lindholm with some of the mistakes I’ve seen him make this year.

BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 28: Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) skates in warm up before a game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 28, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – FEBRUARY 28: Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) skates in warm up before a game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on February 28, 2019, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Out with the Old, In with the New

It’s no surprise that changes are coming, behind the bench as well as who will be on the roster. For example, there have been talks about having Dallas Eakins behind the bench as the new coach, there has also been talk about fans wanting Coach Q, aka Joel Quenneville, who is more proven. If it would be up to me, I would consider Eakins, partly because he knows the younger guys and can implement his new system to the big leagues.

However, if we do get someone like Coach Q, I wouldn’t mind that acquisition at all, because there would be championship experience. Either way management goes, one thing needs to be made clear: keep up with the times. As much as the team must play defense, they need to play the type of game that everyone else is, and that is playing with speed and efficiency.

As for who I would go after in free agency, I’m going to split it up into offense and defense. On the defensive side, there are a few options I would go after:

Jake Gardiner: He’s in his prime, at the age of 29, and though he doesn’t have a lot of points in Toronto, I think a new change in scenery in the OC would be awesome for him. We could trade him for either Manson, Lindholm or Fowler. Gardiner can also be a better quarterback on the power-play, allowing Fowler to focus on more of the defensive responsibilities and saving his legs.

Tyler Myers: like Gardiner, Myers is in his prime as well with the Jets, and he might be another option that the Ducks should consider going after in the offseason. He would be a good option, considering that he wouldn’t be lost in the shuffle in the OC like he is in Winnipeg. He would improve the power-play considerably.

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Zach Werenski: A young defensemen like Werenski in Anaheim would be a good addition to the Ducks. Though he’s a restricted free agent, Murray could do some finagling and bring in someone who can use his defensive skills. Though I know some people wouldn’t want to lose someone like Megna, Werenski would be a serious upgrade. His style under Eakins or Q might be used as a plus instead of a minus.

I would use Jaycob Megna with either Lindholm or Manson as trade bait to snag one of these three. The reason why I don’t have a lot of options for defense is that the younger players in the AHL affiliate in San Diego are going to get better in the next few seasons. That is why I look at these three as the main options the Anaheim Ducks might look at to trade for.

Now for the offense. To start off, I’m keeping the younger guys on the team, like Terry, Jones, and Sam Steel, as they are the future Ducks for years to come. As for some of the players that can be used as trade bait, along with those I mentioned above, I would also consider Daniel Sprong as another trade option along with Carter Rowney or Devin Shore.

One of the options to look at is Artemi Panarin, but he’s a bit out of our reach since his salary wouldn’t allow us to get more players to add to our young offense. Another option that could be considered is Brayden Point from Tampa Bay. He’s a cheap restricted free agent but he’s also an elite scorer, eighty points for the best team in the NHL and thirty-six goals so far. He’s gritty, fast and can help in the top six forward lines.

Another young forward that Anaheim could go after that might not cost much would be Alexander Kerfoot from Colorado. He’s young and the type of forward that the Ducks need; right now, he has 33 points, and that’s impressive, considering that he’s on a team with probably one of the most dangerous forward lines in Mikko RantanenGabriel Landeskog-Nathan Mackinnon. I would also consider JT Compher or Gabriel Bourque, but they may be tougher to get since they have been productive as well, but maybe a Silfverberg or Henrique with some picks might go a long way to persuading the Av’s to trade him away.

Travis Konecny is also an option from Philadelphia, someone who can put the biscuit in the back of the net, as well as create space for everyone else. With a willing passer in Getzlaf, Konecny could spread things around for the rest of the guys like Henrique or Rakell. Though he’s not considered an all-star, he would be a welcome addition for the Ducks because of how much he could rise up in a new system.

A wild-card option is Michael Ferland in Carolina. With the Ducks money-strapped at the moment, someone like him might be less expensive as well as someone who can fit right into the system that the new coach may implement. He’s also in his prime, so that’s another thing to include as well.

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In the end, the Ducks must make several moves if they want to return to being Stanley Cup contenders, and though it might be a few years before they win the Stanley Cup, it would be nice to dethrone teams that have knocked us out such as Nashville, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vegas, and the like. Though this year wasn’t special like we hoped, maybe a fresh start and some new guys in the mix may be what we need next year.

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