Five Players the Anaheim Ducks Should Consider Moving On From
It’s time for the Anaheim Ducks to make room for their youth, and by doing so mean moving on from a few of their other players.
Moving on; it’s never easy, but sometimes it has to be done. With the Anaheim Ducks current cap situation, as well as their growing roster, it’s quite possible that it’s time for them to scratch some names off of their list, acquire what they can, and bid them adieu.
Next season, the youth will be given bigger roles as they are asked to shoulder more responsibility. While it would be great if the Anaheim Ducks could make room for everyone, cuts must be made in order to become a more effective team. Currently, they are just a few wise decisions away from becoming playoff contenders yet again. In order to reach their full potential, they must separate the wheat from the chaff.
Chad Johnson
The Anaheim Ducks have one of the best goaltending tandems in the league in John Gibson and Ryan Miller. Both were asked to take on way too much responsibility this season, and did so, for the most part, with grace and tact. However, things got a little sticky when Ryan Miller succumbed to a knee injury that would keep him out for several weeks.
Kevin Boyle seemed like an obvious choice to take on the role as the Ducks backup goaltender, but with the San Diego Gulls so hot, keeping him down on the farm was the best option. He would make his NHL debut later in the season, shutting out Vancouver in his first game. Nevertheless, the temporary solution was picking up St. Louis Blues back up goaltender, Chad Johnson, off of waivers.
Surprisingly, after making a few smart choices regarding their goaltending, the St. Louis Blues forged a path for themselves to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, knocking out the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1. The Anaheim Ducks struggles, however, were about to get exponentially worse.
Johnson made his debut with the Anaheim Ducks on December 18, 2018, against the New York Rangers. He made his debut so soon after being picked up off of waivers, that he had no choice other than to wear his St. Louis Blues mask. During this game, he would allow the Rangers to score two goals and the Anaheim Ducks would lose. Thus began a 12 game losing streak that lasted well into January.
Of course, it was not completely Johnson’s fault. However, when you put a sub-par goaltender in the net with a team who has lost the will to win games, that is a recipe for a huge disaster. In only 9 games played with the Anaheim Ducks, he posted an average save percentage of .872%. His less than stellar performance on the season makes goaltenders like Martin Jones look like Carey Price.
The good news is, Ryan Miller made a full recovery, and Johnson was no longer needed. However, as is common among the Anaheim Ducks, he too succumbed to an injury. He would spend the rest of the season on LTIR. Therefore, the Ducks were unable to cut ties and move on.
With a new season approaching, and newfound confidence in San Diego Gulls goaltender, Kevin Boyle, Johnson is no longer needed. Going into the summer as a UFA, he will not receive a new contract from the Anaheim Ducks. More than likely, they will let him walk, and either another team will pick him up or he will be waiting in the wings, similarly to Kevin Bieksa, for a new contract to come his way.
Derek Grant
When the Anaheim Ducks traded Joseph Blandisi to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Derek Grant, I have to admit, I was rather livid. If the Ducks would have just resigned him, they wouldn’t have lost a valuable AHL asset. Plus, Grant wasn’t particularly having his best season with the Pens. Although, he certainly wasn’t having his worst. It was clear that his time with the Anaheim Ducks had done good things for him and boosted his confidence. However, why move on in the first place?
It wasn’t long before I had to eat my words. While he may have only had 9 points with the Anaheim Ducks in 31 games, he proved, yet again, that he could be a valuable 4th line center for the Ducks. This was definitely something they needed in the midst of Ryan Kesler‘s injury as well as Brian Gibbons‘ incompetence.
So, why move on yet again when he’s proven to be a valuable asset? The fact of the matter is, the Anaheim Ducks don’t have the resources, nor do they have the room, for Grant to continue on with the team. As much as Ducks Nation would love to keep him, if Bob Murray really wants to move in the direction of becoming a younger team, he needs to make room for Sam Steel. Keeping Grant would hinder Steel’s development and rob him of an opportunity that is very much deserved.
With the improvement he has shown over the past few seasons, there is no doubt in my mind that a team who desires a veteran 4th line center will pick up Grant in Free Agency this summer. He may not be of the same caliber as Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby, but he can still make a difference if given the opportunity.
Korbinian Holzer
Korbinian Holzer gets the benefit of the doubt after spending a majority of the season sidelined with a wrist injury. It isn’t easy to come back from an injury like that, but he managed to do so. However, Holzer was almost invisible on the ice this season. When he was noticed, it was for critical mistakes that would cost his team.
With the crop of defenseman down on the farm waiting to break into the NHL full time, this also makes Holzer extremely expendable. Andy Wilenski may have the same amount of points this season as Holzer, however, he is both younger and has shown to have a higher upside.
It is possible that he could benefit the Anaheim Ducks down in San Diego. Nevertheless, there are still plenty of defensemen down on the farm who are better suited for the job. If the Ducks don’t seem him as a part of their long term plans, it is better to cut ties now and use valuable resources to make the team younger and faster.
Carter Rowney
Carter Rowney blew his previous seasons out of the water this season with the Anaheim Ducks this year. Never eclipsing 7 points during his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, it seems as though Southern California did him some good. Call it what you will, vitamin D or Bob Murray’s ability to rehabilitate someone’s career, but he certainly impressed with his 20 point season.
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With Ryan Kesler’s struggles this season, Rowney brought some much-needed grit to the lineup this year, and we all know how much Bob Murray loves grit. However, again, as is the story with most of the players on this list, it’s time for the Anaheim Ducks to move away from some of their older players in order to allow their younger players bigger and better opportunities next season.
After almost tripling his previous point total, there is no doubt that a team looking for a bottom 6 forward would willingly take him. The Ducks may not be able to get too much in return, but just remember, they got a 6th round draft pick for Michael Del Zotto. If they move him before the draft, there is a possibility they could pick up an extra draft pick for either 2019 or 2020.
This would also free up much-needed cap space for the Anaheim Ducks as they look to resign a few of their rookies over the next few seasons. There is certainly nothing wrong with Rowney as a player, but like the next player on our list, he seems to be the odd man out.
Nick Ritchie
Nick Ritchie seems to be the Anaheim Duck everyone loves to hate. While he showed vast improvement this season, the power forward remained undisciplined throughout the year. At the beginning of the season, it seemed as though his days of untimely outbursts were behind him. Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before he was racking up penalty minutes and spending an inordinate amount of time in the sin bin.
His offseason training translated well into his point production. Still, he constantly made mistakes that left the Anaheim Ducks shorthanded and allowed for the other team to capitalize on the opportunity.
The good news is, he has value. Another team will likely want to pick him up in the offseason in order to add a physical flare to their lineup. A change of scenery could also do him good as well. It could allow him to mature and develop in order to reach his full potential.
While it is true that it takes a few more years for power forwards to develop, look at Tom Wilson for example, something has got to give. The Anaheim Ducks need to make room for the likes of Troy Terry and Max Jones, and someone has to be traded. Currently, Ritchie seems like the most expendable resource and it wouldn’t be surprising if he is on the move this summer.
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Who do you think the Anaheim Ducks should move on from in the offseason? Let us know who and why in the comments below.