The Anaheim Ducks are coming off their fifth straight Pacific division title heading in to the 2017-18 season. That said, there is no doubt that the teams that finished right behind them in the division a year ago area threat to close that gap this season. Anaheim is no longer the sports betting favorite to win the Pacific. Instead, the Ducks are expected to chase the Edmonton Oilers both in the division and in the Western Conference standings. Let’s take a look at what’s on tap for their coming season.
How They Finished Last Season
Anaheim registered 46 wins and 105 points to edge out the Oilers by two points atop the Pacific division last season. The Ducks swept the Calgary Flames in the opening round of the playoffs before storming back from an 0-2 deficit in the second round to beat the Oilers in seven games. Anaheim ran out of gas in the Western Conference Final when they lost to the Nashville Predators in six games. After reloading in the offseason, the Ducks hope they have enough talent to make another deep playoff run as Stanley Cup contenders once again this season.
What Changed In The Offseason
Anaheim’s young defense core was projected to be a major victim of the NHL expansion draft. That threat became a reality when the Ducks traded Shea Theodore and Clayton Stoner to the Vegas Golden Knights in order to avoid losing Josh Manson. Anaheim added veteran defensemen Francois Beauchemin to help ease the hits they took on the back end but lingering injuries to Sami Vatenen and Hampus Lindholm will force their hand when it comes to giving another young defenseman more ice time early on this season with Brandon Montour in the mix. The Ducks also added veteran netminder Ryan Miller as a capable backup that can hold his own as the starter if John Gibson is injured.
Most Valuable Fantasy Hockey Asset
While Rickard Rackell is trending upwards and Corey Perry should bounce back, Ryan Getzlaf should remain the most valuable fantasy hockey asset on the Ducks for the foreseeable future. Getzlaf led the Ducks with 58 assists and 73 points a year ago. He also chipped in 20 powerplay points. Getzlaf will never score 30 goals again but the 32-year-old still has enough left in the tank to serve as the top fantasy hockey performer on Anaheim’s roster this season.
Rising Star
The Ducks are a fairly loaded team with both young and veteran talent, so it’s not as if they have a ton of room for youngsters to rise. However, one thing to keep in mind is that they lost a couple of defenseman to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the expansion draft, so that will open up some time for some young players to possible make the leap and contribute.
One player to keep an eye on is Brandon Montour, who has already played a little bit with the Ducks big club. The team looks like they’ll be counting on him to be a regular. Last year, he was up and down as he spent some time with AHL San Diego as well as the Ducks. But as you might recall, the Ducks lost Cam Fowler and Kevin Bieksa in the postseason, which opened the door for Montour to get another shot. He played well through all of the team’s 17 playoff games, producing seven assists. He’s good at the back and can produce some offense, so he should stick with the Ducks this year.
Regular Season Win Total Outlook
The NHL futures regular season win totals projection for the Ducks is right in line with where they finished a year ago at 46 wins. While Anaheim is still capable of hitting that mark there are a number of reasons why it makes more sense to bet against it happening again. First, the Pacific division should be improved with the Oilers, Calgary Flames, San Jose Shark and Los Angeles Kings improving in the offseason. Second, the Ducks are still dealing with a number of injuries that will carry over in to the regular season with Vatenen, Lindholm and Kesler set to miss time. Anaheim still has enough talent to make the playoffs as one of the top three teams in the Pacific division. However, the Ducks could take a small step back in terms of their wins and point total for the 2017-18 season.
Pick: Under 46 Wins
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