Who should stay and who should go from the right side of the Anaheim Ducks defense?

The Anaheim Ducks are finally on the cusp of making the playoffs, are currently leading the Pacific Division, and have a 99.4 percent chance of qualifying for the opening round, according to MoneyPuck. However, some major decisions must be made after their postseason (hopefully) run ends. Particularly, which veterans from the right side of the defense should stay and which ones should go. Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, and John Carlson are all UFAs after this season concludes. With Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Ian Moore becoming RFAs in the summer and in need of new contracts, Ducks GM Pat Verbeek cannot afford to keep everyone. And that's not including either Tristan Luneau or Stian Solberg, getting a look with the big club in the near future. With the idea that Verbeek only keeps one veteran defenseman in Anaheim, who should that be?

Note: all stats taken prior to the March 24th game in Vancouver

Radko Gudas

52 GP, 2 goals, 11 assists, ATOI: 16:23

The captain of the Ducks will make his return to the lineup, following a five-game suspension for kneeing Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. As outsiders, we will never see the inside of the Ducks locker room and understand what kind of leadership qualities he brings to the team. From an on-ice perspective though, Gudas has played average at best. Prior to the suspension, Gudas was playing on the second pair with Zellweger, who was the main offensive driver for that line. Even though his Corsi is at 50 percent, Gudas is not in the lineup to generate offense, he's out there to defend and play physical. The problem though, is the Ducks have thrived without Gudas in the lineup, as Zellweger and Mintyukov have filled his spot and won, without a noticeable difference in the on-ice results. With the playoffs on the horizon and when the physicality will undoubtedly ramp up, Gudas is one more dumb mistake away from being out of the lineup again. Should he stay or should he go?

Go

John Carlson

With WSH: 55 GP, 10 goals, 36 assists, ATOI: 22:52

With ANA: 4 GP, 0 goals, 1 assist, ATOI: 23:46

With Gudas' suspension occurring right after the trade deadline, Carlson automatically slotted onto the second pair for the Ducks. Carlson has provided a steady prescence on the blue line and has been used in all situations. While he has not necessarily lit up the scoresheet yet, Calson can still make a great first pass.

Carlson has yet to find his footing in Anaheim though, as he has skated with either Zellweger or Mintyukov. After playing with only one team for so long and heading into a new organization/system, the lack of offensive production is understandable. Carlson still has great possession metrics, posting a 55.3 Corsi percentage in his short stint with the Ducks. Expect Carlson to find his grove soon and make an impact in the postseason. But at the age of 36 and so many young skaters vying for ice time, Carlson is not worth signing after this season. However, expect Verbeek to do the opposite and extend him for at least a couple more seasons. Should he stay or should he go?

Should go, but probably not

Jacob Trouba

69 GP, 10 goals, 22 assists, ATOI: 22:56

Without counting Carlson's small sample size, Trouba is second on the Ducks in ice time and has primarily been paired with Jackson LaCombe, to form the other half of the top unit. While he has probably played higher in the lineup than he should, the Ducks were not bereft of more capable veteran talent, prior to the Carlson acquisition. While his offensive production has been modest, Trouba has scored at a rate of 0.46 points per game, which is second on the Ducks. Trouba still has a knack for making great defensive plays, with either a great block or a timely deflection.

While known for playing a tough and physical game, much like Gudas, Trouba has not crossed that line (yet) this season. At the age of 32, Trouba is also the younger of the veteran options on the Ducks roster and has vastly outplayed Gudas this season. While Carlson is the more unknown quality in the lineup, the Ducks know what Trouba brings to the table. Should he stay or should he go?

Stay

Final thoughts

Three veterans and three expiring contracts, but only so much roster space. Gudas should be gone after this season, despite being the captain. If Carlson has a great postseason, he will probably be offered an extension as well, despite being on the wrong side of 35. Trouba has been the most reliable veteran, but has played higher up than he should, a problem that can be alleviated once one of the younger Ducks defenders takes the reins on the top pair. The upcoming postseason will help provide clarity on what direction Verbeek might lean go, in the summer.