Which Anaheim Ducks veteran forwards should stay and which ones should go?

The offseason is in full swing for the Anaheim Ducks, so let the trade speculation begin. But before the entry draft at the end of June and the opening of the free agency window on July 1st, the Ducks have some in-house business to take care of. We took a brief look at who should stay and who should go during the regular season, but now with a larger sample size, thanks in large part to a longer than anticipated playoff run, the Ducks should either be looking to free up the roster of some veteran contracts or being selective on who to keep on the team.

Who should stay and who should go?

Chris Kreider

Kreider had a solid regular season production wise with 50 points (22 goals, 28 assists) in 75 games. Kreider primarily skated on the top line with Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry and averaged 17:03 of ice time. Kreider also had solid production on the Ducks powerplay, as he was second on the team in powerplay goals (8) and third in powerplay points (17).

However, Kreider's offensive production evaporated as the Ducks moved further and further in the postseason. In the opening round against the Edmonton Oilers, Kreider had 5 points (1 goal, 4 assists), but only one assist came while on the powerplay. In the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights, Kreider only had 2 points (1 goal, 1 assist), neither of which came on the powerplay. Kreider was also guilty of committing some horrible turnovers, that led directly to scoring chances for the opposition.

Kreider has one more year remaining on his contract with the Ducks, at a 6.5 million cap hit. While that number might be too high for trade purposes, Kreider does at least have some cache left on reputation alone. The Ducks, however, should be taking a closer look at promoting from within, as Cutter Gauthier was more viable option on the top line, despite his limited deployment in that role.

Go

Frank Vatrano

To say Vatrano had a disappointing season, would be an understatement. In 50 games played this season, Vatrano only notched 9 points (5 goals, 4 assists), which is his lowest total since 2021-22, when he scored 13 points in 22 games. Vatrano was primarily squeezed out of the Ducks lineup by the ascent of its youngsters, chiefly Gauthier and Beckett Sennecke, who took over the reigns as offensive catalysts for the Ducks.

Vatrano did not see the ice in the postseason and with the Ducks coaching staff favoring tougher skaters in the bottom six, Vatrano does not appear to have a place within the Ducks lineup anymore. With a cap hit of 4.5 million for the next two years, Vatrano's tenure in Anaheim should be over.

Go

Jeffrey Viel

Traded for a fourth-round pick in January from the Boston Bruins, Viel went from an afterthought to a regular third line player. In 35 regular season games with the Ducks, Viel put up 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists), averaged 12:37 in ice time, and was not afraid to shed the mitts for his teammates.

In the postseason, Viel's usage stayed in line with his regular season average, and he had a modest 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists). However, Viel had a knack for scoring in key moments and seemed to develop some chemistry with fellow linemate, Gauthier, setting up the offensive dynamo with quality scoring chances.

Veil will be in need of a new contract and will probably get a bump in pay from his expiring $775,000 contract. But the Ducks do need depth options in the bottom six and Viel proved himself more than capable of playing in an expanded role.

Stay

Ross Johnston

Everyone's favorite Anaheim pugilist, Johnston recorded 9 fighting majors during the season. In 62 regular season games, Johnston notched 14 points (3 goals, 11 assists) and averaged just 9:45 of ice time, with his season highlight being his Gordie Howe hat trick against Boston.

A late season injury limited him to only 5 games during the postseason and Johnston did not record any points in the Ducks playoff run. Much like Viel though, the Ducks will be in need of depth forward options, and the coaching staff seems to favor Johnston's physical style. With his 1.1 million contract expiring, anticipate the Ducks reupping Johnston for around the same amount.

Stay

Jansen Harkins

An injury plagued season limited Harkins' ability to stay in the Ducks lineup. In 44 regular season games, Harkins had 8 points (3 goals, 5 assists) and averaged 9:35 of ice time, while skating primarily on the fourth line. In 3 playoff games, Harkins only scored once, in the Ducks Game 2 win over Vegas.

The best ability is availability, and while Harkins' injuries were not of his own doing, his limited offensive production does not bode well for a contract extension, especially when the Ducks have younger talent awaiting in San Diego.

Go

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