As I’m sitting down to write this, the Anaheim Ducks preseason is over, Brian Gibbons is being evaluated for a swollen hand and the Ducks roster is down to seven defensemen and 19 forwards, three of which (Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves, and Ryan Kesler) are also injured.
It’s looking depressingly similar to the way the Ducks started last year’s season, yet with a couple hopeful differences:
- A completely set defensive lineup
- An injection of young talent including Troy Terry and Sam Steel
So yes, Anaheim is still dealing with some injury issues, but there’s a major opportunity here to reshape the team and potentially start building out a new core. Let’s also keep in mind that Rickard Rakell (not Perry) is currently the team’s most offensively productive player.
Forward Lineup
With the roster taking shape, here’s what it looks like we’re going to see on opening night, which does continue to assume Nick Ritchie is unsigned and Eaves is not playing.
SC1: Rakell - Getz - Terry
SC2: Comtois - Henrique - Silfverberg
SC3: Cogs - Steel - Kase
CHK: Aberg - Rowney - Sherwood
To be honest, I’m not crazy about that fourth line, but the addition of Pontus Aberg (claimed off waivers from Edmonton) does help some.
Let’s try it with Ritchie and Eaves at full tilt:
SC1: Rakell - Getz - Eaves
SC2: Silf - Henrique - Terry
SC3: Cogs - Steel - Kase
CHK - Ritchie - Rowney - Sherwood
Kesler on the fourth line?
Now, a thought about Kesler:
His timetable is really foggy, which isn’t news, though he has been skating and has been cleared for contact by team doctors, which suggests he could be back sooner than previously thought. If I really wanted to feel good about the Ducks fourth line and about Kesler getting slowly reintroduced into the lineup, why not try a fourth line like this:
CHK - Ritchie - Kesler - Rowney
I’ve said this before: If Randy Carlyle would disregard the tradition of the fourth line and treat it like another opportunity to put a solid group of forwards on the ice, this could be a fantastic arrangement for the Ducks late in the season.
Roll four lines and keep legs fresh.
We shall see.
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
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