Anaheim Ducks Expert Panel: Exploring 2019-20 Lineup Options

Fourth Line Combinations

Khalid Hart:

Nick Ritchie-Derek Grant–Daniel Sprong

This one is arguably the hardest to make, just because there are still so many options. To me, this is Ritchie’s last shot on the team before either being sent down or traded. Grant is a definite at C. Sprong displayed flashes of brilliance upon his arrival from Pittsburgh. This line is also the least permanent just because they’re so many options that are still available just in case any of these three aren’t playing up to Dalla’s Eakins standards.

Jonathan Maxfield:

Carter Rowney-Derek Grant-Troy Terry

Terry is my most likely candidate among the young kids to explode this season, so that’s little doubt in my mind that he will not be on the 4th line for an extended period of time. However, to start the season, putting him with two players who are fairly conservative and giving him the chance to take chances will do him well, in my opinion.

Rowney and Grant aren’t flashy by any stretch of the imagination, but they are capable. Rowney put up 20 points in 62 games last year, and grant put up 24 in his 2017-28 campaign with Anaheim. I know this isn’t the popular choice, but I think it’s the right one.

Jordan German:

Nick Ritchie-Sam Steel-Daniel Sprong

Ritchie doesn’t have the best history with Ducks, mostly being looked at as a draft bust that never really lived up to his potential. He’s gotten better with time, however, as he ended up with a career-best 31 points in 60 games last season. One area he does well in is laying the body on hard, and with his big stature, he adds a little grit to a very young team. Still, he needs more time to prove that he’s ready to take the next step to go up into the higher lines.

Sam Steel played 22 games with Anaheim last season, and he managed 11 points during that short stint. He was the second Anaheim Ducks rookie to ever record a hat trick during their March game against the Vancouver Canucks, and he did it via the penalty shot. He shows promise to be a second or third-line center and needs another year down with the fourth to show what he can do.

Daniel Sprong was a very lucky pick up for the Ducks, as he turned out to be one of their premier young players last season in his first real stint with an NHL club. He has some incredible shooting talent, and with a bit of accuracy practice, and some more development, he could flourish as one of the top scorers for the Ducks.

Ciara Durant:

Carter Rowney-Derek Grant-Daniel Sprong

Carter Rowney and Derek Grant have both proven that they are reliable fourth line players. Dallas Eakins needs to roll out a reliable fourth line and there is no better pair to spearhead it than these two. The two are rather reserved, Grant more than Rowney, and adding Daniel Sprong into the mix could really ignite the fourth line and make it something special.

Daniel Sprong is so much more than a 4th line guy, that much is true. However, when it comes down to having him in Anaheim vs having him in San Diego, I feel like the Ducks benefit more from having him in their lineup.  As previously mentioned, Anaheim needs to spread out their talent evenly and having a sprightly young sniper in the bottom 6 would do just that. I have a feeling he will work his way up the lineup, but with Terry and Steel having the added benefit of already having a close relationship with Eakins, I think he will utilize them higher up in the lineup first before he does Sprong.