Anaheim Ducks: End of Season Grades for 2020-21 Defensemen

Kevin Shattenkirk

Raw Grade: B

Eakins Adjusted Bell-Curve Grade: A-

Coming over from the Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup team, the expectations that Kevin Shattenkirk would be a top-4 premier puck-moving offensive player were sky high among the Anaheim Ducks faithful. Without being overly critical, it didn’t take long for fans to turn on him for perceived lapses in his defensive play.

In fact, Shattenkirk was both of these things. He showed poise on the offensive end, to the point that some of the goals the Ducks did eventually score this season can be attributed to his deft passing and reading of the opposition defensive schemes.

Similarly, on the defensive end, his missed assignments were a frequent viewing pleasure of opposition fans and ill-advised behind the net passes to center ice created more than a few turnovers and a boatload of work for Sir John Gibson. However, the question should be asked how much of that to pin on the defensive scheme the Ducks played under.

Nonetheless, Shattenkirk was and still is, on a song of a contract. Perhaps such a deal leaves him open for future trades, but that is supposition for another day. What I can say is that I would grade Shattenkirk as a solid B. Offensively he was more than fine for his contract value, and while I would certainly have appreciated a stronger defensive player, that’s a tough ask in the Anaheim Ducks current coaching environment. In the end, he was exactly what he was advertised to be.