The Anaheim Ducks had another slow start to their season and needed yet one more late season push to get to the post season.
The late push for the Ducks was followed by a collapse in the fist round where they were swept aside by the San Jose Sharks in four games.
With no gas left in the tank, there was little to feel good about.
For the regular season, the Ducks were struck by injuries across the bench and the lack of high-end, NHL-ready talent coming up from the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League pointed to a bare cupboard.
The pressure of the regular season combined with the injury bug took a toll on the statistics.
The Ducks were ranked 23rd in the league at 17.8% on the power play;Â the offense was average over the season with 231 goals for 18th in the league.
Despite the issues generating offense, the Ducks were a solid defensive team. Anaheim was fifth in the league with a penalty kill of 83.2%; their goals against average was good enough for third in the NHL at 209 goals surrendered.
Anaheim did not shy away from taking the body either with nearly 2,000 hits recorded on the season to end in the top ten of that category.
Anaheim struggled to make the playoffs for another season. They have made a habit of getting out of the gate slowly and then paid a heavy price late and in the post season. That is not a recipe for success on and off the ice.
The defensive schemes and Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Jacob Larsson (who recovered slowly from a knee injury) may be seen as the core of the defensive side of the roster. Francois Beauchemin (retirement) and Kevin Bieksa (unrestricted free agency) will be gone from the roster thus leaving the Ducks with some cap space.
A healthy season would make a huge difference for the older forwards and centers in 2018-19.
Anaheim selects at the 23rd position in the Entry Draft and a look at the major talent in the PHN Mock Draft shows the best of the class has been taken.
The Ducks have a solid defensive corps and that may give them an opportunity to build on the blueline and still add offense to the game.
They may also have a little time to groom and improve a prospect from the draft.
The Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League boast a gifted offensive defenseman on the roster, Ryan Merkley.
This past season, the 17-year old posted 67 points in 63 games on 13 goals and 54 assists. That followed the previous year where he posted 12 goals and 55 points.
So, why is Merkley available at 23?
He has a career -70 rating for defenseman. The rub is that Merkley plays soft when he does not have the puck and is a bit disinterested in his defensive assignments.
Merkley is a high risk selection in the first round; but is also a high reward player. Placing him in a roster with a good defensive scheme and solid players ahead of him to learn through example would seemingly be a benefit to any team and the Ducks have the role models.
He needs strength (as most prospects do) and an improvement in his decision-making on the ice. He sees the ice well and is a fluid skater and can move the puck up ice. He just needs to get back to his assignment in the D zone, but that, many scouts say, can be fixed.
“With the 23rd pick in the NHL Entry Draft, the Anaheim Ducks select defenseman Ryan Merkley of the Guelph Storm in the Ontario Hockey League.”
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