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 Rakell: He’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.