Pucks of a Feather
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Anaheim Ducks: Where is the Franchise Headed after Big Moves

By Ben Thomasian

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 24: Hampus Lindholm #47 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the Boston Bruins during the third period at the TD Garden on January 24, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Ducks won 5-3. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 24: Hampus Lindholm #47 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the Boston Bruins during the third period at the TD Garden on January 24, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Ducks won 5-3. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) /
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Nic Deslauriers

ELMONT, NEW YORK – MARCH 13: Nicolas Deslauriers #20 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on March 13, 2022 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
ELMONT, NEW YORK – MARCH 13: Nicolas Deslauriers #20 of the Anaheim Ducks skates against the New York Islanders at the UBS Arena on March 13, 2022 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Like most stories there are two sides. Desaluriers is the easiest to discuss, so it’s worth getting him out of the way early. A player was loved by some fans and seen as replaceable to others, Deslauriers was a mainstay of the 4th line. Depending on your desires and impressions of the average 4th liner, it’s easy enough to say that he performed in line with expectation of players who play that role, within a margin of error.

Moving the average 4th liner isn’t going to impact a team overly much, and in this case the norm will likely be met. Two area’s which could affect the team are that Deslauriers drew a significant number of penalties per his time on ice. Enough so that he’s comparable to fan-favorite Troy Terry, in each of the past three seasons. Having fewer power-play’s may be a feature of the Ducks going forward depending on who the Ducks replace him with on the roster.

What may be a significant change however is Deslauriers role on the penalty kill. This past season has seen him take a more active role on the PK unit, being the 5th most used forward, averaging 1:23 minutes per game. A number that is almost double that of Ryan Getzlaf and Sam Carrick, the most likely players to replace his minutes. Notably of the forwards who have played at least 30 minutes on the penalty kill this season, Deslauriers ranks 1st for CA/60, SA/60, GA/60 (by half the next player), and SCA/60, while being ranked 2nd for HDCA/60 and xGA/60. It’s not at all unfair to suggest that he was one of the Ducks most effective penalty killers on a team ranking 8th overall in the league for penalty killing.

Taken together, his subtraction from the team isn’t likely to leave any gaping holes nor change an upward trajectory in the playoff race, but it may slightly decrease their ability to defend a man short, as well as limiting their opportunities to score with the man advantage. We’re obviously talking about a ~8-10 minute a night player, so the magnitude of that change is unlikely to be seen at a gross level, but it’s not unfair to say an impact will be seen.

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