This article will be another in my series of player profiles, where I’ll look at each player on the Anaheim Ducks and assess how their season went. This article will focus on Josh Manson.
Manson took on a big role for the Ducks once again this season, averaging over 20 minutes per game. His ice time was down by 1:40 per game from last season, but he still played the third-most minutes of any defenseman on the team and also averaged 2:30 per game on the penalty kill.
His corsi for percentage may have been just 49.2 per cent but it was actually still quite a bit higher than the team’s overall corsi for percentage this season. This came despite the fact that his offensive zone start percentage was quite low and he was facing the toughest competition of any defenseman on the Ducks (according to Hockey Abstract). His expected goals for percentage was also higher than any other regular defensemen on the team, aside from Cam Fowler (who was playing somewhat sheltered minutes), according to NaturalStatTrick.com.
In a poll from a few months ago, I asked readers whether Manson should be traded if the Ducks aren't in a position to compete next year, to which 80 per cent of readers voted that he should be dealt. This is where I stand too. The Ducks aren’t in a full rebuild, but if they’re not going to be competitive, Manson is a piece that could be moved for future assets. At the start of next season, he’ll be 29 years old with just two years remaining on his contract and while he’d leave a huge hole on the right side of Anaheim’s defense group, it would help to speed up the process of flipping the roster.
This was another strong year for Manson, who held his own playing in tough situations. With Anaheim’s lack of depth when it comes to right-handed defensemen, we can expect him to be counted on quite a bit once again next season.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
How did you feel about Josh Manson's performance this season?
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