Ducks Season Preview: All that remains is postseason success under Boudreau
The Anaheim Ducks came within a win of playing for the Stanley Cup last season, but after bowing out to the Chicago Blackhawks, the team is poised to challenge again this season.
The Ducks seemed to own the Blackhawks at times during the series, especially early on, even leading the series 3-2 before dropping games six and seven.
"That's not gonna happen again, I'll tell you that," Ryan Kesler stated in July.
The Ducks - winners of the Pacific Division the past three seasons - walked into the postseason with relative ease, finishing alongside the St. Louis Blues with the best record in the Western Conference and just four points behind the New York Rangers for the President's Trophy.
The team brought in Carl Hagelin, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, Kevin Bieksa, and Anton Khubobin this offseason, while saying goodbye to Matt Beleskey, Francois Beauchemin, Kyle Palmeri, and Emerson Etem.
All that movement can seem overwhelming, but the team's strong core remains intact and their youth should continue to mature at an alarming rate.
Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry regressed slightly in offensive production last season, but still managed to record 25 and 33 goals respectively. They remain among the NHL's most dynamic duos and there's no reason to expect they won't continue their wizardry.
All things considered heading into 2015-16, another dominant regular season should be expected, while another dreary collapse in the postseason should not.
Projected Depth Chart
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Maroon | Ryan Getzlaf | Corey Perry |
| Carl Hagelin | Ryan Kesler | Jakob Silfverberg |
| Andrew Cogliano | Rickard Rackell | Chris Stewart |
| Shawn Horcoff | Nate Thompson | Jiri Sekac |
| Tim Jackman (RW) | Mike Santorelli | Chris Wagner |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Hampus Lindholm | Kevin Bieksa |
| Cam Fowler | Simon Despres |
| Clayton Stoner | Sami Vatanen |
| Korbinian Holzer |
| G |
|---|
| Frederik Andersen |
| Anton Khudobin |
| John Gibson |
X-Factor
The Ducks success should - and will likely need to - come from the team's abundance of talented youth.
Jakob Silfverberg, Rickard Rakell, Jiri Sekac, Hampus Lindholm, Simon Despres, Sami Vatanen, and Cam Fowler are all under 25 years of age and likely all haven't yet seen their best days.
With the NHL's average age being 27 years, those seven players arguably have a couple of years until they hit their prime. They'll make up over a third of the team's roster, so they'll be relied on heavily.
The Ducks made a strong playoff push with the same players in key roles last season. It's hard to imagine a scenario where the majority of players regress. If some or all take another step in their development, the Ducks could be the team to beat in the West.
Player to Watch
Silfverberg set career highs with 13 goals and 39 points in 81 regular-season games, but elevated his game to a new level in the postseason.
Going off for 14 assists and 18 points in 16 games, Silfverberg sat seventh in playoff scoring, and second on the team behind Getzlaf. The 24-year-old has gained the organization's trust, finding himself on the second line alongside Kesler, while inking a four-year, $15-million contract this summer.
Silfverberg saw his ice-time rise from 15:40 during the regular season to 19:02 in the postseason, and his point totals reflected that.
With an increased role, added confidence, and another year of development under his belt, Silfverberg is poised to have a strong season and should once again set new career highs in 2015-16.