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It’s the 20th anniversary for the Anaheim Ducks, and we’re expecting some serious development since last season in order to surpass the first round of Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was just two seasons ago where the Ducks didn’t even make qualifications for the Stanley Playoffs, and the 2012-13 season was a huge step when they won first in Pacific Division and second in Conference behind the Chicago Blackhawks, who ended up winning the Stanley Cup. In order to build from last year’s success, Ducks have a few crucial decisions to make.
Most important are the rookies because Teemu Selanne will be playing one more season, the young athletes need to absorb what they can from older players in order to create a definite future for the Ducks. There’s a lot of potential in players like Cam Fowler, Peter Holland, Emerson Etem and Kyle Palmieri. The biggest complaint for these young athletes is consistency, and this season will be their chance to prove a solid future for the Ducks franchise.
Next comes the prospective top liners on the ice. With Bobby Ryan traded to the Ottawa Senators, there’s an immense chunk to fill with plenty of alternatives. Newcomer Jakob Silfverberg, who was traded in the deal, had 10 goals in 48 games last season, where Palmieri also had a breakout season last year with 10 goals in 42 games. The greatest speculation yet is having a reunion of Dustin Penner, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, which was considerably a great line considering the 2007 Stanley Cup win.
With the Ducks’ sudden improvement from 2 seasons ago to last year, it’s clear they can examine previous mistakes and work off of improvement, which is why the 20th anniversary season is something to look forward to.
Ellie Pourang is a sports columnist for Rant Sports. You can follow her on Twitter @elliepourang or Facebook.
