Pacific Review: Healthy Ducks squad appears poised to rebound

Just about everything went wrong for the Anaheim Ducks last season. You generally don’t like to use injuries as an excuse for a team’s futility, but, in this case, I think we can cut the Ducks some slack.

Corey Perry got injured in a pre-season game and didn’t play until February. Ondrej Kase had his season come to an end in January. Patrick Eaves missed the entire season due to autoimmune neuromuscular disorder. Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, Cam Fowler, Rickard Rakell, and John Gibson all missed time due to various injuries. The only Duck to play in all 82 games was Adam Henrique.

With all those injuries stacked up, the Ducks put together their worst season in years. They had a miserable stretch between mid-December and early February in which they managed to win just two out of 21 games. That stretch plummeted the team down the standings, got head coach Randy Carlyle fired, and ultimately resulted in the Ducks finishing outside the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12. Ironically, that was also the last time Anaheim fired Carlyle mid-season.

Of course, you can’t just blame random bad luck for Anaheim’s demise last season. Some of it was expected. Getzlaf, Perry, and Kesler are well into their 30s with a lot of mileage on their bodies. But in 2017-18, the Ducks finished with 101 points in the standings despite Getzlaf and Kesler missing significant time and Perry cratering to just 17 goals. Anaheim’s success came from a healthy, rock-solid blueline, great goaltending, and offence from Rakell, Kase, and Henrique.

A healthy Ducks squad, injected with some youth who thrived in the AHL last season, could very likely rebound and climb back into the playoffs.

The Ducks had a fairly quiet off-season as their strategy in 2019-20 will revolve around hoping players enjoy bounce-back seasons and allowing prospects a legitimate opportunity to break their way onto the team.

Their big move was promoting AHL head coach Dallas Eakins to the big leagues. Eakins is somebody we know well. His tenure as head coach of the Oilers was a complete disaster. The team appeared to be moving in the right direction under Ralph Kreuger in 2013 but then took a massive step backwards with Eakins over two seasons.

Eakins was excellent with AHL’s affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, but he was also very successful as head coach of the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, and that didn’t translate to success with the Oilers. Maybe he’s learned some lessons since then. Regardless, it’ll be a welcomed change for the Ducks to get a new voice behind the bench as Carlyle’s old school approach had worn out.

The other big move the Ducks made this summer was opting to buy out the final two years of Corey Perry’s contract. Perry had a cap hit of $8,625,000 and, due largely to injuries and wear and tear, plummeted to well below his usual 30-goal-per-season standard. With Kesler set to miss the season after undergoing off-season surgery, Ryan Getzlaf is now the only remaining member of Anaheim’s old core.

The key to rebounding will be healthy seasons from guys like John Gibson, Rickard Rakell, Ondrej Kase, and Cam Fowler, along with strong rookie performances.

The Ducks’ farm team advanced to the semi-finals last spring after taking down the Bakersfield Condors in a tight seven-game series. That team featured a handful of key prospects who will be looking to make a difference with the Ducks this season. Chase De Leo, Sam Steel, and Troy Terry, three of San Diego’s top-four scorers, should be able to make the jump this year. Max Comtois, who had a strong showing after graduating from the QMJHL last season, could crack the team, as could 2016 first-round pick Max Jones. Defencemen Johan Larsson, Josh Mahura, and Simon Benoit will also be pushing for spots on Anaheim’s blueline.

Even with Kesler and Perry gone and Getzlaf beyond his prime, there’s a solid foundation for the Ducks to have a rebound season. As much as we all want this team to go away, the pesky Ducks are still right in the mix.