On paper, the Anaheim Ducks sure do look like a threat in the Western Conference. General manager Bob Murray went out and added a huge piece down the middle in Ryan Kesler, they have promise in goal with budding prospect John Gibson, and veterans such as Dany Heatley will add depth to the forward group.
However, some of those previously mentioned positives could just as easily turn into glaring concerns for the Ducks, who were ousted by the L.A. Kings in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in May. Anaheim hasn’t been past the second round of the playoffs since it won the Cup in 2007.
What happens if Kesler, who has not played a full season since 2010-11, continues to have injury troubles? Since almost single-handedly willing the Vancouver Canucks past the Nashville Predators during the second round of the 2011 playoffs, Kesler has suffered a torn labrum, a shoulder injury, a wrist injury and a broken foot. He has not come near the career-high of 41 goals he set during the aforementioned 2010-11 season either.
In goal, Gibson showed signs this past season that he could be a NHL starter, but lets face it, the sample size is extremely small. Gibson appeared in three regular season games in April, winning all three starts and then made four playoff appearances while going 2-2. With the departure of Jonas Hiller, Murray appears to be content going young in goal; however, it could easily backfire. What happens if the young tandem of Gibson and 24-year-old Frederik Andersen doesn’t pan out? Anaheim is left with 34-year-old veteran Jason Labarbera to be the savior? Labarbera is with his fourth different team in four years.
On the blue line, the Ducks certainly have pieces in the likes of Cam Fowler and Francois Beauchemin, but where is that stud defenseman? Where is their Duncan Keith or Zdeno Chara? It’s a question even Murray asked recently: “You watch the Kings, for example, and you watch how Drew Doughty has emerged as a superstar. Do we have a defenseman who can be that way? When we won the Stanley Cup, we had Scotty (Niedermayer) and Chris (Pronger). That’s in the back of my mind all the time.”
Behind the bench, Bruce Boudreau is fast earning the distinction of not being able to get it done when it matters most. He took the Washington Capitals to the playoffs in each of his first four seasons as head coach before being fired during the 2011-12 season. In Anaheim, after missing the playoffs in 2012, the Ducks have made them in back-to-back seasons; however, with a roster like theirs, simply making them is not good enough. Does Boudreau have what it takes to get this lineup to the conference final and beyond? It’s something he’s never done at the NHL level.
So, Ducks fans, what’s your biggest concern heading into the 2014-15 season?
