The Power Five of the Anaheim Ducks
Throughout the years, the Anaheim Ducks have had a plethora of talented figures lining their rosters, but as time moves on and more players leave, who is really leading this new era of Ducks Hockey? Is it the younger core of players coming in and out of the roster, or is it the grizzled veterans that continue to come back and wow fans each year?
A leader like Paul Kariya didn’t just come out of thin air, and scorers like Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry didn’t just magically appear, there’s always a rhyme or reason behind how players become the stars of the show, and the Ducks have plenty of candidates to fill those big roles of the past. Whether a great player comes from drafting or a trade, it doesn’t matter in the long run in terms of their production, and for the Anaheim Ducks, their best players are actually a mix of the two.
In any case, picking and choosing which players from any side that might be the most successful on the team is an almost impossible task that is left up to plenty of speculation and numbers, but using the glimpses of play that we’ve seen from these players as well as their current statistics, we’ll attempt to crack the case of the current top five for the Anaheim Ducks. In our first position lies a very familiar face that has stolen the hearts of all Anaheim fans, the goalie that has kept the team alive and well, and the man affectionately named Gibby.
The Great Wall in Net
John Gibson has proven himself as one of the best goalies in the league over the last few years, but as time goes on, he keeps being shortchanged during the Vezina trophy conversation year in and year out. He’s also dealt with his fair share of injuries, but in the end, this guy has been anything but a scrub.
Gibson has carried this team on his back in previous years, but last year felt like something completely different. It felt like everything fell on Gibson’s shoulders with the negativity and having to do some heavy-lifting to make sure the team didn’t completely fall apart. However, this year I believe this is a new start for him, and I believe he will not only win the Vezina, but he will be the main reason the Anaheim Ducks could make a deep playoff run. Barring injuries, Gibson will carry the Ducks and will make this team a dangerous factor heading into April.
Best “Kase” Scenario
It could go without saying that all teams in the NHL need a guy who is a spark plug. Someone who isn’t a fifty-point scorer, but a skater that comes off the bench and uplifts the team to keep going. Anaheim’s biggest source of energy is none other than the one who picks up the “Czech”, Ondrej Kase. There have been games over the last few years where either he scores a goal or sets up a big play on defense that just seems to rile the team up together in the best way. He might be one of the younger guys, but he has really upped his style, and this year he will be extra important as one of the younger guards leading the other youths to a great start.
When head coach Dallas Eakins said that he wanted to change things up in terms of play style, Kase’s hard-working attitude really fit that new desire. This opportunity with a new coach will be a great one for Ondrej considering that he has amazing speed and can create scoring opportunities for everyone on the ice, he’s everything that Eakins is looking for in a player. Along with his defensive prowess, he’s a guy that could be plugged into the lower lines and still perform fantastically.
When the trade rumors swirled around Kase, fans were upset for a good reason. He’s a fan favorite because of the promise that he shows and all the flashy plays that he brings along with it, so his departure would have been a devastating one for the organization and fans alike. When the fans found out he was staying in Orange County, it was a sigh of relief for everyone. Here’s to another year of Kase leading the charge.
Cam, Oh Cam
The third person on this Power Five list is our defensive captain, Cam Fowler. Fowler has gotten a lot of grief due to some of his offensive inefficiencies, especially on the power play. While that is a struggle for him, I put him on this list simply because he is the longest-tenured Duck on the defensive front. Fowler can help tutor the younger ducklings on defense how to play their positions and that is key. Plus, he has struck already with a game-winner this season, and if he can give at least fifteen to twenty goals while assisting on defense, he will be a lethal weapon that the Ducks can use, particularly in this style of play.
Another reason I put him on this list is that he has the potential of Scott Niedermayer in terms of a leadership role on the team. Now, before people overreact, I am not saying he can mirror his style of play, though that is possible. What I am saying is this: when the Ducks won the cup in ’07, Niedermayer was the captain, and though he didn’t score a lot of goals, his veteran presence was enough to lead the younger players. Now fast forward twelve years later, and now Fowler is in that role, and with a lot of younger guys, and not a lot of veteran defensive presence, Fowler is the guy who can settle things down when things start to get crazy and that, more than anything else, is key in times like this.
Feeling Ritch Today?
Nick Ritchie is the one player that puzzles all Anaheim Ducks fans. He’s known for being in the penalty box for stupid antics, but at the same time, his big frame and physical strength has also been effective as well. The deciding factor of putting him on the list over other qualifying candidates is that unlike the others, Ritchie may have to prove he belongs on this team due to how he has been inconsistent while others have progressed so far. While some people have given up on him, I haven’t, because he’s a guy who can find ways to help the team whether it’s him being the enforcer, or him on the offensive side getting some big boy rebound goals.
Ritchie needs to have a fantastic year to prove his worth on this list, plain and simple. I’m not saying he hasn’t produced at all, having that game-winning goal in Game Seven against the Oilers just a few years ago was a gigantic help, but with all the younger and faster guys on the team, Ritchie needs to stand out. Ritchie doesn’t have to fill the slot of a scoring machine, but he does need to find ways to produce in other facets that include limiting penalties while continuing to bruise the opposition. If he can find a good balance, Ritchie will definitely earn his spot on this list while becoming a true driving force for the Anaheim Ducks.
The Honors That Be
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Before we get to the last player on the list, I want to take a second to list some honorable mentions. In the defense category, the other guy I would consider for this list would be Josh Manson. Manson needs to have a big bounce-back year considering his struggles in being the enforcer that he was the last few years, but his presence as the other vet on the defensive front also puts some pressure on him to produce for the team. He’s proven that he can offer some nice physicality, and I think that his impact comes more in that form than the actual scoring side of things.
In the forward department, you can look at Rickard Rakell who also desires to bounce back himself after a down season last year. Adam Henrique struggled last year as well, but he’s been able to bounce back quite nicely before. Some of the younger guys like Max Jones, Troy Terry, and Devin Shore that are looking to find ways to contribute to the teams’ success could also be big forwards. While there are others who can put themselves in that position as the season goes on, there’s only one spot left on the list, and it will go to the man who is heading the team.
The One Who Dons the “C”
Drake Ducaine, Canard Thunderbeak, Wildwing Flashblade, Scott Niedermayer, Paul Kariya, and Charlie Conway. What do these guys have in common? They have worn the captain’s C. The first three are fictional characters from the Mighty Ducks animated series, and Conway was the leader in the movie series of the same name, but despite their fictitious existences, these six guys mentioned here have worn the Captain’s C with style and great leadership skills. These skaters have led their teams by example by using their courage, bravery, and fearlessness to lead the way, and the current Anaheim Ducks captain in Ryan Getzlaf should take some pointers from the aforementioned captains considering that he’s Anaheim’s number one player.
Getzlaf embodies the virtues of all the previous six that I mentioned before believe it or not. He possesses the ability to pass and create plays like Niedermayer and Kariya, he has the fearlessness and toughness of Conway, and most importantly of all, he never cracks under pressure. Getzlaf is the heart and soul of the team, the leader that everyone will look to for leadership, and with his partner in Corey Perry heading off to Dallas, Getzlaf will try to lead the team by carrying a heavy captain’s load.
Getzlaf really needs to rely on his teammates to chip in as well, however, and it’s crucial that he isn’t the present skater on the ice. Team bonding for these newer skaters and Getzlaf will require patience, but it’s crucial for his success. It also means that he needs to build a circle of leadership that can help him lead the way when he’s having an off night. Getzlaf has been known to pass the puck around, but this year he may have to unleash the slapper a lot towards the net to keep the opposing teams in check.
In the end, Getzlaf must don the captain’s C and take on the responsibilities that go along with it. I don’t know how many goals he will score, but what I do know is that Getzlaf’s leading of the flock will be crucial to how far this team flies. They won’t win the Stanley Cup, but who knows, maybe Getzlaf can find a way to lead the Ducks back into the hunt in the close future. Ryan simply has to set an example for the rest of the team to follow, and how he leads is how the rest of the team will do.
The Assembling of the 5
These five guys that I mentioned in this article are not the only ones that have to produce even if they are the best players on the team. It will take an all-out effort from one to twenty on this team if they want to go far. What these five do bring to the table is strength, fearlessness, resiliency, energy and most importantly, brains.
All of those traits will be astoundingly important if this team wants to achieve things down the road, and they’ll be crucial to keep in mind as the season plays out. I won’t make any bold predictions on this season for how far these five will carry the team, but what I will say is that their success will feed into how the rest of the team plays, and that’s just as important as how they’re fairing out on the ice.
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