This is my favorite time of year, the time when I get to try my hand at previewing each of the NHL teams and predicting what I think will happen. Thanks to Vegas being included prior to last season, that has thrown aside my tradition of starting in September. Saying that, let's go.
2017-18 record: 44-25-13 (101 points)
Lost to San Jose in Conference quarterfinals
Captain: Ryan Getzlaf
The Anaheim Ducks were one of the hottest teams in the NHL leading up to the playoffs. However, they reverted back to the team that couldn't show up when it mattered the most, and were ousted in the opening round to San Jose in a sweep. They didn't make many moves in the off-season outside of re-signing key players and bolstering their depth. Their moves up front included extending Adam Henrique and Ondrej Kase and signing depth players Brian Gibbons and Carter Rowney. Their scoring was ranked 18th in the league, and outside of Rickard Rakell, there wasn't a great amount of scoring, as only Henrique and Kase scored 20 or more goals. It doesn't figure to get any better, as Corey Perry is in deep decline while Ryan Kesler may miss the entire season due to surgery. Where the Ducks figure to get scoring depends on whether Jakob Silfverberg and Ryan Getzlaf can get back some of their scoring touch. Defensively, they were one of the better teams in the league, as they allowed the fourth fewest goals, although they did miss Cam Fowler come playoff time. Luke Schenn and Andrej Sustr are depth pieces added to fill in the gaps left by departures of Shea Theodore and Sami Vatanen in the past year or so. John Gibson was once again a stud in the regular season, and once again, he couldn't stay healthy for an entire season, yet he got an 8-year extension. The good news is that Ryan Miller can fill in as a starter whenever Gibson needs a rest or is injured. Their special teams reflected their strengths and weaknesses, as their power play was 23rd while the penalty kill was 5th. With recent playoff failures, it may be time for Randy Carlyle to produce more than just a playoff appearance, as they have been exposed in terms of speed the further they go.
Prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division
The Ducks will have a hard time making the playoffs in a loaded Western Conference, but as long as their defense holds, they should be one of the last teams in, at worst. It will be in the playoffs that things bear monitoring.
No comments:
Post a Comment