Good Morning Anaheim,
With the All Star break in full swing (yes it is going on, and no I haven’t been watching), it seems like a good time to go through pieces of the Ducks roster and see how each player has been. And with the current outlook of the roster and the trade deadline looming large, the best scale to rate these players seems to be in the ilk of buying and selling. So treating the current Ducks players like stocks, let’s go over who we should buy, sell, hold or dump coming out of the break. Welcome to the Stock Market, let’s see how we can help Verbeek make a quick buck.
All Players 22 Years Old or Younger – Buy
Let’s start off easy. We got a lot of young talent on this roster and you need to see development through. With the future projection of this team, anyone this young needs to be seen through and assessed later on. So, Zegras, McTavish, Leo, Luneau, Zellweger, Mintyukov, even Cutter get auto-buys for now. Let the stock mature and just be happy you got it at the IPO price.
Frank Vatrano – Sell
Italian-American Icon Frank Vatrano should be traded at this deadline. This is going to make the team less fun, less offensively inclined and less likable overall. This is the medicine the team needs to take sadly. Vatrano is currently 2 goals behind his single season high of 24 with 32 games left. This is the dictionary definition of selling high. With two more years under contract, he is not in the long term plan for this team, and there is plenty of cap to retain on his owed 2 x 3.65 deal. Get a prospect, get a pick, and sell as soon as you can. Him already getting picked last is not helping the brand btw.
Troy Terry – Buy
Oh Captain my Captain (?)
Earlier this year I wrote an article addressing the really bad skid Terry found himself in. I talked about how maybe having this new contract may be impacting him mentally, how arbitration could’ve damaged his confidence, and how he just needed to find his footing once again. And I am happy to report he has found it. Currently averaging 1.67 points per game in the last 10 games, Troy is back to the form that earned him this contract. If you haven’t already buy stock now. If you want a simple return, this may be the peak of this season for him, but you’d be a fool not to hold onto it and see where it goes once the chemistry with Carlsson (and maybe Zegras) fully cements.
Jakob Silfverberg – Sell (if you can)
What do you call a penny stock that’s still at a penny?
Starting this season, no one expected an offensive bloom from Jakob Silfverberg. And that’s what has been so surprising in the last few games by him. Looking very recently, he’s put up 5 points in his last 4 games. Not bad, especially since it was a direct result of the new pairing of him with McTavish and Lundestrom. Peel back the curtain, and you see why his value is still where it started. When not on that line, he’s hardly been an offensive threat. Hell, going pointless from December 13th to January 13th isn’t going to get you many calls. My advice? Sell if you can. A low flier of a prospect, maybe a 6th round pick, if someone calls and asks for him, get what you can. If not? Keep him with McTavish and have him teach him some forward defense.
Ryan Strome – Dump
I am not part of the Ryan Strome fan club.
Look, he seems like a nice locker room guy, real backup quarterback vibes, but watching him on the ice is frustrating as hell. The Strome/McTavish/Vatrano line that was producing well has been broken up, and he’s looked even worse from it. He is a winger, he shouldn’t play center with the depth this team has, and just has a contract that is looking more and more awful by the day. Dump this now before it bottoms out, because I do fear it can keep dropping.
Isac Lundestrom – Buy (if he stays on the wing)
This was going to be the most important year of Isac Lundestrom’s career. On the end of his bridge deal, Lundestrom was coming back from a nasty off-season injury. This coupled with the depth at the center spot for the Ducks, just spelled disaster for the defensive center. Then, something really great happened for him. He got pushed to the wing. And it worked. His pairing with McTavish is an incredible “opposites attract” moment for this team. In all of the defense McTavish lacks, you find in Isac, and in all the offense Isac lacks, you find in McTavish. Keep Lundestrom on the wing and have him be a 2/3rd line forward who can help out on the PK, and clean up on the boards. If the coaching staff ever puts out a statement saying he’s permanently on the wing, take that as a clear cut sign to invest in him.
Ross Johnston – Dump
The Ross Johnston experience is one I will never forget. The highs of him getting 17 penalty minutes vs New Jersey, and the lows of him getting 17 penalty minutes vs New Jersey. Moments you’ll always have in your head, but never dare openly pine for. Truly the “really hot chick I met at a music festival that I had fun with but will not even fathom a long term relationship with” of a hockey player. Fly high Ross, and make sure Max’s locker that you’re taking up is clean on your way out.
Adam Henrique – Sell
A lot has been said about Rico already. The Ducks took advantage of Killorn’s surgery and put him on a showcase line with Terry and Leo to get his production up. According to reputable sources and Frank Seravalli, his name is highly touted amongst GMs and could be getting a good deal back for his talents. With Sean Monahan fetching a 1st and a 3rd from the Jets, there’s a good likelihood that Henrique could get a late 1st & 4th or a prospect & a 2nd. Sell your Rico Ducks stock while you’re still able to, I don’t think it’ll be redeemable soon.
Cam Fowler – Reluctantly Hold
The Curious Case of Cameron Fowler.
First, my bias out of the way, I am not a fan of how Cam Fowler has performed this season. I think he’s getting far too many minutes and him being put at LD actively hurt LaCombe’s development. This is why you cannot sell him though. Because the price is not going to change. He’s got a massive no trade clause, a massive contract that isn’t letting up for 2 more years, and I don’t see him wanting to leave Orange County. The other reason I see though is experience. Cam Fowler has played the most games on the Ducks out of anyone on the roster. By a lot. Now compare his 943 games on the blue line to the next most on the team. Yep, Urho Vaakanainen with a WHOPPING 79 GAMES. The next closest to Cam hasn’t even played a full cumulative season with the Ducks. So yeah, the coaching staff is not going to move him, because he is the last continuity of this team, whether we like it or not.
Radko Gudas – Buy
Radko was brought in to do two things. Hip check people into oblivion, and keep the youngins protected. He has excelled in both those categories, but has given us more than just that. Gudas changes the dynamics of the partner he is with. By being a stalworth defenseman, he’s able to let a player like Vaakanainen or LaCombe be more flexible with the puck, not immediately force it off their stick, and drive a play better the other way. Offensively, he’s been no slouch either. With 32 more games left, he’s already tied for his season high of goals with 6, and is only 7 points out from his season high since 2017. The Gudas contract is going to rely on his physicality holding up in the late years, but for now, the guy has been putting out some quality minutes for Anaheim.
Jackson LaCombe – Buy
I am a Jackson LaCombe flagbearer.
My first article on this website was me telling Duck fans that Jackson was going to be a big part of this Ducks rebuild and he could easily slot himself into top tier defensive minutes in the future of this team. These past few games have rocketed LaCombe’s stock through the roof and I am so pleased. The points may not be there, but his confidence, his poise in his own end and his vision have developed so well this season. Whether it’s the multiple 2-on-1s he’s been able to break up just laying his stick out and disrupting the cross ice pass, or the offensive ability breaking through after the January 9th game, this man has been a force. This is a stock one day I will be able to retire on, and if you have not come aboard the Jackson LaCombe train yet, I implore you to jump on now.
Ilya Lyubushkin – Sell
There is merit to the question: “How much of Ilya Lyubushkin’s success was being able to speak in Russian to Pavel Mintyukov on the ice?”
Breaking up the Red-Square-Blue-Line with Mintyukov’s injury has left Lyubushkin kinda stranded. His chemistry with his defensive partners seem shaky at best, and he’s fizzled out in recent games. With the Ducks acquiring him with the 4th round pick the Wild sent over for Klingberg (alongside Nesterenko), the main hope is that he can be flipped for a selection before that. With the Wild currently holding the 6th worst record, that pick sent to Buffalo is the 102nd overall selection. If you can turn a profit here, do it, because I don’t feel too confident that many other windows are going to present themselves going forward.
Urho Vaakanainen – Buy
Vaakanainen has been one of my favorite standouts for this Ducks blue line this season. With the Drysdale trade, the Ducks were down a RHD and Urho has stepped up pretty well filling in that Drysdale spot. Now he isn’t as dynamic nor as much of an offensive threat as Jamie was, but he has been quite the brightspot when paired with a decent defensive partner. He has shown himself to be very competent and even projects to maybe be a larger part of this Ducks future. Take this into account with the full Lindholm trade he was a part of. That trade was Hampus Lindolm and Kodie Curran for John Moore, Urho Vaakanainen, a 2022 1st, 2023 2nd and a 2024 2nd. Hampus is contending with Boston, good for him, and Curran never saw NHL ice. For the Ducks return, John Moore gave us half of a season, the 2022 1st became Nathan Gaucher, 2023 2nd became Damian Clara, and the 2024 2nd is still unselected. The picks were obviously the big returns at the time and still are now, but getting Urho in that deal has been one heck of a great value.