(When Healthy) Are the Ducks a Contender?

[rodney dangerfield]

As I look at their roster, when healthy, they have everything. Great top 4 D in Fowler, Lindholm, Montour and Manson. Center depth in Getzlaf, Kesler, Henrique and Vermette. Perry, Silfverberg, Kase, Ritchie and Rakell on the wings. Outstanding goaltending corps with Gibson and Miller. What are they missing other than obviously health.

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[snipes]

Yes.

 

[A4T1L6]

a cup

 

[Trojans86]

if they can get into the playoffs. the biggest thing going for them this year is Gibson has taken an enormous step forward. he was very average last year and is clearly winning games this year.

 

[solidprospect]

Yeah you've been missing your top 2 centres(imo) for most of the year.

 

[MMC]

Yeah, we are. I’d maybe like one more bottom 4D and we’d be in great shape.

Ritchie-Getzlaf-Kase (Eaves if he’s able to play this season)
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Rakell-Henrique-Perry
Blandisi-Vermette-Kase

Lindholm-Manson
Fowler-Montour
Beauchemin-Bieksa/Welinski/Megna/Holzer

Gibson
Miller

 

[Foppberg]

I hate Anaheim, but healthy they're a pretty deadly team.

 

[PeanutButterPoti]

I hate Anaheim, but healthy they're a pretty deadly team.

Boom. this.

Their team is pretty unchanged from last year. No reason they won't pick it up once guys like Kesler *spits* come back.

 

[Goose of Reason]

This is the best roster when healthy we've had since our cup year. But "when healthy" is the kicker. We're in a rough patch and will need a strong second half to get in, but if we can manage to sneak in the playoffs in a bottom spot this team can do some damage.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Easily a top two team in the West. Them and Nashville will inevitably meet in the Conference Finals.

 

[Apotheosis]

I would put money on them or Nashville running over the West in the playoffs and one of them making the finals. You have to think with their good wing and C depth, back end depth and Gibson playing like a top 5 goalie, that bodes well for them in the playoffs.

 

[JetsHomer]

Will they even make the playoffs?

 

[Hockeyholic]

Them and Nashville will inevitably meet in the Conference Finals.

 

[Terry Yake]

gibson has carried the team on his back all season

 

[Tage2Tuch]

This is a question? Honestly?

This team is literally built for playoff success.

They both have had considerable playoff success in 2015 and 2017.

They have a back up plan to John Gibson. Not saying they need one but you feel good if your Anaheim with that there.

Centers with plenty of playoff experience and success that are gritty and good two way guys.

Getzlaf
Kesler
Henrique
Vermette


Plenty of depth on the wing, Rakell Eaves, COgliano, Silverberg, Kase, Ritchie, Perry, and even guys like Wagner, Boll, Grant, and Rasmussen can jump in and do well.

Only question marks to me were depth D and getting over that Game 7 curse, and they did both last year. For D...seems like they traded a lot away or just lost them somehow (Theodore, Vatanen, Stoner) but last year Montour and Manson were great. With Veterans Beauch and Bieksa, along with Lindholm Fowler...there's nothing this team doesen't have.

They've kept up playing with half an AHL team for the first two months of the year.

Only the Preds Or Blues (to me) look like they could get by them out west.

 

[The Night King]

Them and Nashville will inevitably meet in the Conference Finals.

It's inevitably inevitable.

 

[zeke]

I think the dcorps is a bit overrated, personally.

 

[Herby]

Easily a top two team in the West. Them and Nashville will inevitably meet in the Conference Finals.

They may not even get in, and if they do they could be looking at possibly facing the Predators.

It's going to be very difficult for any of the teams in the Pacific to catch Vegas and LA. So you're battling SJ, Calgary and Edmonton for that final Pacific spot and SJ, Calgary, Edmonton, Dallas, Chicago and Minnesota for the two wildcard spots.

The Ducks have to be considered dogs to make the playoffs right now, and they still have 7 of their next 10 on the road.

 

[Kalv]

This is what I have thought all the time but now I start to get a bit cautious. First of all lets start with the fact that Kesler will certainly not be his old self at least not this year.
We were on ''wait'' mode all the time but now it is up to us (the team) to really start turning it over and win games.

 

[The Noot]

Yes, and yet it's still not that unlikely that they will miss the playoffs.

The streak of injuries to core players they have this season is absolutely insane.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

Yep

 

[naruto]

Anaheim is an older team. That's why they get injured so much.

Injury and health is an important part of team success. It's not always "luck". Some teams are more injury prone because of certain reasons (like age). Injuries can also decrease player's value (eg. Tanev).

It's easy to say "if they were healthy..." but you need to take a deeper look into the issue.

 

[MNRube]

I worry the D are too young, and the F are too old. But yes, when healthy they are a deadly team.

 

[The Noot]

Anaheim is an older team. That's why they get injured so much.

Injury and health is an important part of team success. It's not always "luck". Some teams are more injury prone because of certain reasons (like age). Injuries can also decrease player's value (eg. Tanev).

It's easy to say "if they were healthy..." but you need to take a deeper look into the issue.

There are other teams in the NHL that have a comparable average age (around 28). Now look at this:

(From Dec. 14th)

The Ducks have been far and away the most injured team in the league so far, with the vast majority of their injuries affecting top 6 forwards, top 4 defensemen or goalies. The only team that is even close in terms of man games lost (not considering the quality of players), are the Sabres.

While age definitely is a contributing factor, there is way more going on in this case. Their physical style of play may also contribute to it. But also a lot of it just is rotten luck.

 

[Lshap]

Backup goaltending killed them last playoffs when Gibson went down. They've now plugged that hole with Miller. As long as their injured skaters come back healthy they should creep back into the playoffs and go far.