NHL Preview 2019-20: Anaheim Ducks

(This year again, I will twin-post with my Collectibles Blog and write about a player who is related to my Preview post here. Today, it's the Anaheim Ducks' much-maligned former top defensive prospect, Cam Fowler).

GM: Bob Murray (since 2008). 7/10
Coach: Dallas Eakins (since 2019). 6/10

2018-19 record: 35-37-10, 80 pts. (6th in the Pacific Division, 13th in the Western Conference).
Playoffs: Did not qualify.

Departures: Corey Perry (LW), Pontus Aberg (RW), Adam Cracknell (RW), Andrej Sustr (D), Chad Johnson (G), Jake Dotchin (D), Andy Welinski (D), Jaycob Megna (D).

Arrivals: Nicolas Deslauriers (F), Michael Del Zotto (D), Anthony Stolarz (G).

Top forwards: Rickard Rakell (70-75 points), Ryan Getzlaf (captain, 60-70 points), Jakob Silfverberg (50-60 points), Adam Henrique (40-50 points), Daniel Sprong (30-40 points), Ondrej Kase (30-35 points), Nick Ritchie (20-25 points), Devin Shore (20-25 points). Patrick Eaves and Ryan Kesler should not play this year.


Must-improve forwards: Adam Henrique seems to have fallen off some black days. I haven't relaly paid attention to him in recent years, but I remember a goal scorer who looked like he could one day score 40.

Top defensemen: Cam Fowler (35-45 points), Josh Manson (30 points and over 100 penalty minutes), SHampus Lindholm (25-35 points), Korbinian Holzer (15-30 points), Del Zotto (15-20 points).

Goalies: John Gibson (95/100), Ryan Miller (83/100).

Top rookies: Brendan Guhle (22, D), Sam Steel (21, C), Maxime Comtois (20, C/LW), Jacob Larsson (21 years old, D, 2015 first-rounder), Marcus Pettersson (22, D), Max Jones (20, LW, 2016 first-rounder), Troy Terry (22, C).

Analysis:
The Ducks are like Ryan Kesler: sitting idle, waiting for time to get rid of his contract obligations, in the shadows of what used to look like greatness.

Gibson will win a Vezina in the next decade, whether that's this year or not. When he does, Anaheim will have an outlier season and win its division. In the meantime, they'll struggle and have to hustle to make the playoffs.

Even by buying out Perry, the Ducks remain a heavy, slow and physical-to-the-brink-of-undisciplined team (see Getzlaf up-front and Manson out back) who appear ill-suited to even keep up with the likes of the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks in their own division, let alone the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights.

Prediction: 7th in the Pacific Division, 29th in the NHL.