How Do The Anaheim Ducks Fix Their Shortage of Right Handed Defensemen?
Do the Anaheim Ducks have a right-handed defenceman problem? Or perhaps put more aptly, is the lack of right-hand shooting defencemen a problem coming into the new season?
The question above is certainly one which is circulating amongst the fandom. Today, more than ever, the hand which a player shoots from has gained notoriety amongst fans. Having a player on his correct wing will open up the ice, easing the manner in which a player may assess passing options. For a defensive player, which is most likely to pick up points via assists, or even to spring the offense from out of the defensive zone, this can have a great impact. Alongside the fans, it would appear that the Anaheim Ducks GM, Bob Murray, also considers the Ducks blue line a little thin.
In a move that may have been to rectify shipping out the young right-shooting, smooth-skating, and prolific scorer, Brandon Montour, Bob Murray recently attempted to pry Justin Faulk away from the Carolina Hurricanes. Fan favorite, Ondrej Kase, and at least one additional piece was the rumored price to acquire Faulk. For all intents and purposes, it sounds very much like that was a trade Murray was willing to make, suggesting that he truly does believe that the lack of a further top-4 right-handed shooter is a glaring hole in the Ducks roster.
Fortunately, for Ondrej Kase fans, that trade was bogged down by a combination of Anaheim being on Faulk’s 15-team no-trade list and not being able to negotiate a lucrative enough contract extension to change his mind. Perhaps one day, and with hindsight, we the fans, will look back on this missed trade and perceive it as a blessing.
Given the contracts given out to defencemen Kevin Bieksa, Clayton Stoner, Sheldon Souray, and Bryan Allen in the past, and added to the extensions received by Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Adam Henrique, and more recently Jakob Silfverberg, perhaps Murray cannot be trusted to hand out sizeable multi-year extensions.
Certainly, Murray has handcuffed himself with financial woes. Not being able to build a genuinely strong team around two prime-aged, top-ten, players in the game, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, for over a decade is but a small glitch in an otherwise outstanding career for Bob Murray, dating back to his Chicago days. However, I digress.
With Faulk resisting the Anaheim Ducks advances to woo him, there are but four right-handed defencemen among the 48 contracts the Ducks are currently holding. Josh Manson, who is set to become Hampus Lindholm‘s, top-pairing partner once again. Korbin Holzer, the reigning 7th defenceman from last season. Chris Wideman, the former NHL player turned AHL veteran. The fourth is newcomer, and former St Louis Blues prospect, Jani Hakanpaa. At the time of Hakanpaa’s signing, the majority of Ducks fans were ecstatic with the acquisition of the large-bodied right-handed Finnish player. However, after less than a period into the first pre-season game, the tables had turned.
Let me be frank. Hakanpaa is not the answer to any question the Ducks may have in the near future. A 25-year-old player with no NHL or KHL experience is always going to be a long shot to secure a spot on opening night of the NHL season. This goes double for a player who has had limited experience on North American ice, although it should be noted that he has 20 points, and 86 PIM, in 132 AHL games back when he was with the Blues organization. However, it may not quite be time to throw the baby out with the bathwater either. It was only one preseason game after all. Certainly the player will shake some rust off and improve. Improve enough to hold an NHL roster position is certainly a debatable question, however, there is time to determine that yet.
So, where does that leave us? There are two simple ways to go about it, and it depends very much upon how the team is perceived. On one hand, the Ducks are a good young team that was only held back by Randy Carlyle chaining weights to their skates last year. Injuries weren’t really a factor, and the young up and coming ducklings are all generational talents in the making. They should be back to playoff hockey this season, and then back into contention next season.
On the other hand, after a lengthy period of playoff hockey, the Anaheim Ducks are in line for a rebuild. Having been involved with the postseason for so long, but drafting relatively safely, they have an abundance of NHL ready prospects coming into the team, but few genuine game-breakers. They’re entering into a time where they need to groom the next generation to take over from the aging Ryan Getzlaf and the now-departed Corey Perry.
The Anaheim Ducks are a Playoff Team
Suppose that the first thought is the correct one, and the Ducks are a playoff team poised to make some noise on the back of John Gibson’s exemplary play in net. In this instance, it should be noted that the Anaheim Ducks currently only have three bona fide top 4 defencemen. Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, make one right-left pairing. Leaving the left-shooting Cam Fowler without a ready-made partner. Certainly, he will be trialed with a number of youths, and while Brendan Guhle performed well in a short sample last season, it is always best to have surety and consistency when embarking upon a playoff run.
Like many players, Fowler has a number of strengths and weaknesses to his game. He is a wonderful skater, with and without the puck. He has a great pass. It’s with these skills in and around the neutral zone play which should win him applause. Fowler won’t be the player most likely to break up a defensive play and provide the outlet pass, however, he is excellent in a role allowing him to receive the puck and skate out of the defensive zone and into the neutral zone.
Nor will he be the player hammering home one-timers from the point, once the offensive zone has been breached. His smoothing skating allows him to create separation from the opposing team, and with time and space, he is then able to distribute the puck safely and effectively to a skating forward. Fowler does all of this on his natural wing so that he is facing into center ice.
With these factors in mind, it bears consideration that a key factor of building lines is to accentuate the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses of your players. In Fowler’s case, the Ducks don’t necessarily need another skating-passing defenceman (although those skills should always be in vogue.) They do, however, require a player who is strong at breaking up passing lanes and getting into traffic to disrupt the opposition’s offense. When they do reach the offensive zone, they could certainly use a penetrating shot, either by accuracy or speed and weight.
As mentioned above, Murray has already begun to explore the trade market, however, Faulk is not the only target that the Anaheim Ducks could pursue. Teams such as the St Louis Blues or the Buffalo Sabres currently have an excess of either right-shooting defencemen or defencemen in general. For instance, the Blues are currently looking at eight NHL ready defensemen, and while only three are right shots, Murray may be able to pry the 30-year old Robert Bortuzzo away from them for a reasonable price.
Bortuzzo, wouldn’t necessarily set the world on fire, but he would provide a sound and measured player that could fit on the third pairing and play on the second pairing in a pinch. It may be that his measured style would accentuate Fowler’s dynamic skating and pass rather than adding a wrinkle to the pairing. With two years left on his deal after this season, Murray wouldn’t need to worry about negotiating an extension, nor would he be required to trade salary to fit the player in going forward.
The Sabres, after acquiring Colin Miller, Henri Jokiharju, and Anaheim’s own Brandon Montour, seemingly have a glut of right-shooting defencemen and up to nine NHL defensemen on the roster. There are rumors that Rasmus Ristolainen is on the outward bound train in Buffalo, and could potentially be an acquisition target for Murray. Statistically orientated fans may cringe at the thought, however, it worth mentioning that the big Finn is only 24 years of age, meaning that even according to aging curve data he is likely to improve for a year or two yet before hitting his peak.
A simplified role may be what is required to change the perception around him and propel his game forward to what it was once predicted to be. On a pairing with Fowler, Ristolainen wouldn’t be required to rush the puck, but merely play the foil and use his long reach to disrupt lanes. Naturally, an ability to pass the puck is a boon, and Ristolainen can do that, it just wouldn’t be his primary role. It is also worth noting that the Anaheim Ducks are seemingly getting smaller and smaller over time, and that reach and length can still be an asset.
One trade option that may fit into both the playoff picture and the rebuild idea, would be the recently extended Tony DeAngelo. The Ducks potentially missed the boat by not sending him an offer sheet, as the Rangers would likely not have been able to match it and it would have only cost the Ducks a couple of mid-draft, draft picks (assuming the offer sheet was ~2 million dollars.) This would have been a young and talented acquisition for a very affordable price.
However, with those days gone, it is worth discussing his acquisition in a trade. The Rangers don’t really need DeAngelo as much as they did this year after acquiring Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox in the offseason, but they are short on cap space. It would seem a 2nd round pick and a prospect unlikely to play, would be enough to get the deal over the line.
The Senators may be another team the Ducks could leverage a defenceman away from. Certainly, the Senators only have seven defensive players signed, however, they are also not truly expected to matter towards the playoff picture overly much this coming season. If the Ducks aren’t necessarily willing to give their own prospects, such as the left-shooting Jacob Larsson NHL playing time, then a trade centered around him could be beneficial to both teams.
While it would likely require the Senators parting with one of their many draft picks, a Larsson for Ron Hainsey swap could potentially be something Bob Murray could pursue. While no longer a particularly effective hockey player, Hainsey oozes leadership and with Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler no longer with the team, perhaps a veteran voice is what is needed for a season.
Nonetheless, while right-shooting defencemen are somewhat harder to acquire than their left-shooting counterparts, there is a number out on the market for the Anaheim Ducks to inquire about. Should they truly believe that they are a playoff team, and should they decide that one of the Conferences heavyweights (Winnipeg Jets) rapidly falling from grace presents an opportunity to advance through the playoff picture, then leveraging one of their unused prospects for a veteran presence seems like a good idea.
The Ducks definitely have a lack of right-shooting defencemen and a lack of top 4 defencemen in general. Acquiring one would certainly provide some relief for new coach Dallas Eakins, and allow a solid platform to launch the offense from while reducing the workload star netminder John Gibson will certainly be tasked with handling.
The Anaheim Ducks are not a Playoff Team
Conversely, if the Ducks are not considering themselves as a true playoff team, or rather if they think they’re rebuilding and merely hope to make the playoffs as a bonus, then spending tradeable assets to acquire a defenceman may not make as much sense.
The Anaheim Ducks already have some youthful defensive prospects coming into the team, and actively traded for one (Brendan Guhle) last year prior to the deadline. While not right-shooting, it makes an abundant amount of sense to play these prospects and help to grow them. While young enough now, Fowler and Manson won’t be around forever. Even should they be formidable rocks for 5 seasons more, developing their own youth will provide the Ducks with valuable trade assets should they find premier acquisitions available about the league.
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With restricted free agents pushing for greater deals, it seems likely that teams will be more inclined to trade them now than in the past. This season we see a gulf between players such as Patrick Laine and the Jets. While a meaningful game has yet to be played, if the Anaheim Ducks had the ability to step in and help the Jets replace the recently lost Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers or Dustin Byfuglien, it seems likely that they may be able to leverage one of the hottest young goal scorers in the game away from the Jets.
Thus, I would argue that consistent game time for Brendan Guhle, Jacob Larsson, and to a lesser extent Josh Mahura, is the most valuable use of this season for a rebuilding team. While playing these players on their off-sides will certainly mitigate their ability to dish the puck, it would also provide benefits to them. All of these players have, at one time or another, struggled with the defensive aspects of NHL hockey, which should be taken with no disrespect to them. However, playing on their off-wing will allow them the disrupt passes with their stick on the forehand rather than backhand.
Should they become skilled enough, then provide one-touch passes to an outlet player by redirecting an oppositions shot/pass to the far side wall and towards their defensive partner; a partner who would be on their correct wing, and who would be able to direct more accurate passes to one of the high forwards which by this stage would be exiting the defensive zone.
While limiting their ability to see open ice and pass the puck, coming in as the late defenceman on their off-wing, would provide an opportunity for them to cut across the seam in the offensive zone. Consider the following scenario:
Larsson disrupts an opposition play from the right side and moves the puck to the far side wall, where it is picked up by Fowler. He either skates the puck up out of the defensive zone or passes up to a floating forward who accelerates down this wing until they reach the offensive zone. In the offensive, they are likely to move the puck towards the middle of the ice, or the opposite wing. In this scenario, the defensive unit of the other team is likely to move with the puck and/or the Ducks players who are tracking from left to right.
This provides an opportunity for Larsson to move in late and cut against the flow of play and behind the Anaheim Ducks players. This type of movement will help to freeze the opposition’s defense and give Larsson space to shoot the puck without defensive pressure. In this instance Fowler takes the defensive duties for a moment, covering in case of turnovers. Once the shot is taken, Larsson then backs off to resume defensive duties, and assuming the Ducks regain possession, Fowler re-enters the play once again as a pivot point of a puck movement offense.
While using Larsson in the example, the idea works as soundly for the other prospects. It should ease their ability to perform their defensive duties and allow them some growth on the offensive end. Shooting is a skill, and a good one-timer is a rare commodity in the NHL. A homegrown talent who can hammer the puck and remain defensive sound is a low-cost asset all teams want on their list.
The Ducks drafted or traded for these players for a reason, thus developing them should be a priority. In a year the Anaheim Ducks aren’t expecting to truly make noise in the postseason, they should be comfortable with the growing pains associated with defensive prospects learning their art. As Paul Mara once mentored Cam Fowler, it may be time for Cam Fowler to mentor the younger generation.
To conclude, it would appear the Anaheim Ducks are in a situation of their own making, with a shortage of right-shooting defensive players on the roster and in the system. If they have designs upon winning a cup, then there is certainly a place for a smooth skating right shot to make their own on either the Fowler pairing or the third pairing. However, it would be my personal suggestion that the Ducks hold off on making any hasty decisions, and take the time to see what they have already. Anaheim may not necessarily be a desired destination for a lot of the hockey world, as evidence by a lack of high profile free agents signing in town and that they are on certain player’s no-trade lists.
It certainly isn’t the destination that New York is… Well, the New York Rangers at least. However, the Rangers accelerated rebuild presents a case study the Ducks would do well to follow. They developed their own (Neal Pionk) and sent that player to Winnipeg for a disgruntled star player (Trouba). They drafted well. They seduced a high profile college free agent. With all of that happening and creating buzz, they then lured a player who is perhaps the best in his position in the league to them in free agency.
Remember, not so long ago the Rangers released a letter to fans suggesting they buckle up and get ready for some rough times as they commence a long and potentially slow rebuild. Suddenly that same long-term, multi-year rebuild appears to be already all but over once the young players get games under their belt. Perhaps if the Anaheim Ducks can develop Larsson, Guhle, and Mahura, then they too can start the cascade effect that would accelerate a rebuild, and stock the team with elite talent for many years more.
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