by Roger Quinn

Created on: August 11, 2010

The Anaheim Ducks are something of an enigma of a team.  When Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne are together on the second line the Ducks are a borderline playoff team.  But more often than not one of the two is injured and the lack of offensive depth is exposed.  This season the Ducks hope that Ryan Carter can produce a bit more on the third line and perhaps take some more minutes.

The Ducks have a great first line.  Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan can score points with any other line in the NHL, and they are more physical than most top lines.  It is because of this stellar line that Anaheim can even hope of the playoffs.  Behind the first line the Ducks can throw out Teemu Selanne, who is still almost a point per game player, and Saku Koivu.  Unfortunately this is where the Ducks offense ends.  The leading candidate to step up and fill the void would be Dan Sexton, but this is a lot to ask of a 23 year old who played in just 41 games last season.  Having said that, the job is wide open and someone has to get it, so maybe someone comes out of the blue.  Behind the first two lines there is nothing.  Ryan Carter had 9 points last season and Todd Marchant had 22 points as a 36 year old.  The third and fourth lines will be able to play good defense, but they just will not be able to score.

On the blueline the Ducks continue to rebuild after losing Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer.  Last season Niedermayer played 26:30 minutes per game.  Lubomir Visnovsky should help to replace those minutes if he is healthy, but behind that the Ducks will struggle.  Newly aquired Toni Lydman can eat some minutes but is not a number one or two guy.  But a mediocre top pair and solid second and third pairs might not be a terrible thing when your top line plays over 21 minutes per game.  Jonas Hiller will also be able to cover for a few defensive mistakes.

The Ducks probably will not make the playoffs this season.  With aging players Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne this could be the last year in a while the Ducks make a run at the playoffs.  Anaheim desperately needs some young offensive talent, so maybe another off year with a high draft pick and losing Selanne's 3+ million dollar cap hit will be a good thing.

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