Follow me on Twitter:
@BenShelley_20
Follow HockeyBuzz Ducks on Twitter:
@HB_Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks play their first preseason game later today, facing off against the Arizona Coyotes.
The preseason opener will serve as a chance for players to battle for spots on the Ducks’ opening roster. Below, we take a look at what the 23-man, opening night roster could look like heading into the year.
Up front, the Ducks already have 10 forwards as locks for roster spots, being Max Comtois, Derek Grant, Adam Henrique, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, Jakob Silfverberg, Ryan Strome, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano and Trevor Zegras. Then as an addition, you can bet that Mason McTavish earns a spot with the Ducks. He was dominant in junior last year and has accomplished about all that he can, with an OHL Championship and Gold at the World Juniors. Where in the top-nine he’ll play remains a question but it’s more of a given that McTavish is part of the forward group.
Sam Carrick will start the season on injured reserve, meaning he doesn’t need to be counted towards the 23-man roster. This leaves a lineup spot for one last forward and we can probably bet on the Ducks using the opportunity to insert a younger player into the lineup. Benoit-Olivier Groulx is probably the frontrunner, given he played 18 games with the Ducks last season and would potentially be the best fit to fill in on the team's fourth line.
On defense, the locks for roster spots are Jamie Drysdale, Cam Fowler, John Klingberg, Dmitry Kulikov and Kevin Shattenkirk, with Simon Benoit and Urho Vaakanainen as pretty safe bets as well. That would put the Ducks at seven defensemen, with Benoit and Vaakanainen likely to battle for the final spot in the lineup.
We can bet that Lukas Dostal won’t be carried as a third goalie and that John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz will be the team’s two netminders to start the year. That leaves two more roster spots remaining, with 12 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies listed above.
Josh Mahura played 37 games with the Ducks last season and while it’s less likely that he earns a spot in the lineup on opening night, it’s very possible that he could be an eighth defenseman on the roster. That said, Mahura will be facing competition from Olli Joulevi, Nathan Beaulieu and others. While the Ducks have their forward group pretty much set, there aren’t any clear options for forward spares over using one of the players above as an eighth defender, so we could see the Ducks go with 13 forwards, eight defensemen and two goalies.
As for the 13th forward spot, it could make sense to keep a forward for whom development is less of a priority. Rocco Grimaldi, who’s attending camp on a professional tryout is an option, while Danny O’Regan, Glenn Gawdin and others could potentially have a chance. It just doesn’t make sense to rush someone like Jacob Perreault or Brayden Tracey to the NHL, just to be used as a spare, given it’s unlikely either would be able to displace a forward who currently has a lineup spot at this point.
So while the team’s roster is mostly set, there could be a battle for an opening as a spare defensemen, and there are arguably two spots for forwards up for grabs (given Carrick’s absence).
Projection:
Forwards (13): Max Comtois, Derek Grant, Rocco Grimaldi (or a different spare), Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Adam Henrique, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, Mason McTavish, Jakob Silfverberg, Ryan Strome, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano and Trevor Zegras
Defense (8): Simon Benoit, Jamie Drysdale, Cam Fowler, John Klingberg, Dmitry Kulikov, Josh Mahura, Kevin Shattenkirk and Urho Vaakanainen
Goalies (2): John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz
Injured: Sam Carrick, John Moore
Quiz maker
OTHER ARTICLES FROM SEPTEMBER
Analyzing the Dmitry Kulikov trade
Ducks sign Nathan Beaulieu to PTO
Ducks sign Rocco Grimaldi to PTO 
Anaheim Ducks Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»