For the Ducks, the timing of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off break might have been inopportune given that they just reeled off six wins in seven games overall and amassed 7-1-1 mark in their past nine matches at home.
That brought them back to a .500 points percentage for the first time in over two months. It also put them on pace to be the Western Conference’s most-improved team this season, should they sustain or improve upon a pace that would presently put them 23 points clear of last year’s miserable 59-point finish. Only the East’s Washington Capitals, who are on track to catapult from 91 points to 119, have been bigger risers thus far.
Yet the Ducks have leaned heavily on two goalies that have stolen points more often than any other tandem, while stout defensive structure and sustained offensive pressure have developed in push-and-pull processes that have involved the following actors (minimum 30 games as a Duck for skaters):
Forwards
Frank Vatrano: He has always been a streaky scorer, but his intensity stays level across both feast and famine. He re-upped for three more campaigns with a franchise-friendly arrangement, both of which were reassuring signs for what had been something of a wayward rebuild. B+
Troy Terry: He reimagined his offensive approach under Coach Greg Cronin and, this season, assistant Tim Army. At once more trusting of his teammates and more dangerous individually, Terry has been the Ducks’ best play-driver. A-
Mason McTavish: Just when McTavish maddened some observers with his inconsistency, he pieced together one of the best stretches of his young career with seven goals in six games. He has played center and wing all through the lineup with the aim to show he can be a dominant, multifaceted attacker. B
Leo Carlsson: He was the youngest player to participate in the 4 Nations event and has been roundly praised by hockey brass. The bottom line isn’t there yet – he’s actually regressed in some key categories – but Carlsson remains a promising talent. B-
Trevor Zegras: Once occupying Carlsson’s position of promise, Zegras has had some difficulty making the leap to the next level of stardom due to injuries sustained during the past two seasons. Since recovering from a torn meniscus, he has flashed offensive brilliance and meshed it with an improved two-way game. B+
Cutter Gauthier: In his first pro season, he played on Carlsson’s wing and then the fourth line before finding a home flanking McTavish. Athletic, intrepid and skilled, Gauthier will come into his own with more repetitions and improved routes. B-
Ryan Strome: He might not be the prototypical pivot, but for much of this season the veteran has centered not only the Ducks’ best line offensively but the one also tasked with the toughest defensive matchups. He’s also been a solid leader for a group with several university-age players. B
Alex Killorn: He still knows what to do with the puck when it comes to him, finishing opportunistically and utilizing his veteran savvy. His foot speed, however, has declined noticeably and led to poor penalties, while his $6.25 million annual price tag doesn’t match his contributions. C
Robby Fabbri: He would certainly earn an A for effort, as he’s been exemplary in emptying his gas tank every single night. He’s been only a modest offensive producer, however, and he missed time with the latest in a long string of knee injuries. B
Isac Lundeström: Lundeström has been a highly functional albeit not offensively productive player. He checks diligently and creates tempo, enriching the bottom six and providing some shutdown ability. B
Brett Leason: He’s shown the ability to anchor a lower line intermittently and become a more dogged forechecker. The gentle giant has proven a solid pickup off waivers. B
Jansen Harkins: While the Ducks didn’t fully reimagine their bottom six, Harkins’ addition gave them an industrious forward that wins shifts with maximum effort. C+
Ross Johnston: Johnston’s role is more paternal than most, serving as an enforcer and an extension of the coaching staff. A more offensively adept forward group might utilize him a bit less. C
Defensemen
Radko Gudas: After what might have been considered a career season when he joined the Ducks last year, Gudas was named captain this past summer. He’s delivered from a leadership standpoint, but has been less consistent in his play, veering back toward his tendency to look too hard for big hits. B
Jackson LaCombe: While most of the Ducks’ young core has moved laterally, LaCombe has shown the team’s biggest year-over-year improvement. The offensive game he possessed in college has returned to the fore and his confidence has skyrocketed. A-
Brian Dumoulin: Dumoulin has played both sides and provided as much as the Ducks could have expected when they acquired the veteran in the final year of his contract. He never seems to raise his heart rate, seldom succumbing to pressure or displaying emotion. B
Pavel Mintyukov: Mintyukov was given carte blanche last season but asked to focus more on his play away from the puck this year. Once he develops and unifies all his talents, he could be a marquee modern defenseman, but he’s still just 21. B-
Olen Zellweger: When Zellweger is at his best, he’s not only the Ducks’ most noticeable defenseman but their most salient performer at any position. His four-way mobility, nonstop motor and hockey sense jump off the screen, but he’s also an undersized young blue-liner navigating the rigors of the NHL. B
Goalies
Lukáš Dostál: He’s quietly become of the fastest-rising stocks in the goalie market and would be the team MVP outright if not for the case to split it with veteran John Gibson, who has also performed well in significant duty of his own. Give them three goals, and they’ll take care of the rest. A
John Gibson: Gibson began the year shelved by an appendectomy and he’s had some other minor issues since. Otherwise, he’s maintained his spot in a liberal rotation with Dostál and might find himself coveted by contenders as the March 7 trade deadline approaches. A-
Coaching
Cronin has instilled a new system and an intense work ethic that are beginning to bear fruit. A hockey lifer who didn’t have the cache of a former NHL’er or particularly strong political connections in the league, Cronin is a coach’s coach who is feeling through his first top-level head coaching gig in his 60s. B+
Management
General Manager Pat Verbeek had an ambitious list of upgrades he wanted to make to the roster last summer and the salary cap space to do so, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that none of them materialized. On paper, it was tough to identify a clear-cut upgrade from opening night to opening night. Verbeek has made his mark with the unorthodox – off-the-board draft picks, unconventionally timed trades and creative contract structures – but will absolutely need to deliver more this coming offseason. C