The Ohio Battery

[kinsmen7]

I've done a couple of these before with MLB the Show, and NHL, but have never really been able to keep up with the story telling aspect.

Plan is to use this mainly to track league progress, and keep it updated as much as possible, again, mainly for my own benefit. We'll see where it goes, but hoping to build the Ducks into a perenial contender, without throwing realism out the door.

Difficulty: All-Star
Period Length: 6 Minutes
Sliders: AlTito's with a few changes based on my own gameplay
Roster: Shanster and alkostopolus Present: True Depth Roster 22 for PS4

[kinsmen7]

My nephew accidentally deleted my Blue Jackets franchise. I don't want to start another thread here, so I'm going to attempt to role with the Ducks.

[kinsmen7]

2022 Season Outlook

The 30th ranked team after the 2021 season, the Anaheim Ducks have seen a massive overhaul to their management group, after long tenured GM Bob Murray resigned from his position.

It wasn't long ago that the three California clubs were the absolute pinnacle of hockey, with the Ducks, LA Kings, and San Jose Sharks all being perennial contenders. Now, all three teams are in varying stages of their own rebuilds, with the Ducks completely bottoming out in 2021.

With the potential for at least nine players under the age of 24 in their opening night lineup, the Ducks are looking to take a big step forward.

Highly touted rookies Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale will look to continue their progression into elite forces in the NHL, with other youngsters like Issac Lundestrom, Maxime Comtois, B.O. Groulx, and potentially even 3rd overall pick Mason McTavish hoping to contribute.

Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf starts the season within reach of both hall of fame winger Teemu Selanne's team record of 988 points, as well as the coveted 1000 point mark.

On defence, pending UFA defencemen Josh Manson and Hampus Lindholm look for bounce back seasons. While both are seen as potential trade chips for the rebuilding Ducks, new GM Kevin Weekes will likely rely on them to aid in the continued development of the young Drysdale.

In goal, former allstar John Gibson will look to regain his form. In year three of an 8 year, $51.2 million extension, Gibson will need to bounce back if the Ducks have any hope of a successful season. After spending multiple seasons in the minors, Anthony Stolarz showed that he has the potential to be a reliable backup, and will likely be relied upon to ease Gibson's workload throughout the season.

Prediction: 30-41-10, 7th in Pacific division

Outlandish prediction: Zegras steals the Calder from the excellent duo of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond in Detroit.

[kinsmen7]

Preseason prospecting: Ducks top 10 prospects

1-Trevor Zegras (C) NHL
2-Jamie Drysdale (D) NHL
3-Mason McTavish (C/W) OHL
4-Lukas Dostal (G) AHL
5-Jacob Perreault (RW) AHL
6-Jackson Lacombe (D) NCAA
7-Brayden Tracey (LW) WHL
8-Olen Zellweger (D) WHL
9-Sam Collangelo (RW) NCAA
10-Sasha Pastujov (LW) OHL

Also considered: Benoit Olivier Groulx (AHL), Axel Andersson (AHL), Brogan Rafferty (AHL), Josh Mahura (AHL)

[kinsmen7]

Preseason Power Rankings: Ducks rank 29th

With the season about to start, NHL.com released their final pre-season power rankings, and they certainly don't show a lot of enthusiasm towards the Anaheim Ducks.

Here are the Pacific division rankings:
1-Vegas Golden Knights
2-Edmonton Oilers
3-Seattle Kraken
4-Vancouver Canucks
5-Calgary Flames
6-Las Angeles Kings
7-Anaheim Ducks
8-San Jose Sharks

Why were the Ducks ranked so low?


"A goaltender who hasn't positive positive results since 2019, an inexperienced offence, a defence-core that has a ton of question marks. This team will have a lot of ups and downs this season, but will continue to build with a lottery pick in the 2022 NHL Draft"

Not-so-crazy prediction:Pending UFA's Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson are all dealt leading up to the trade deadline.

Crazy prediction: John Gibson, with a healthy lineup in front of him, single handedly drags this team out of the basement, but they still miss the playoffs.

[kinsmen7]

Projecting the Ducks opening night lineup

With game 1 less than a week away, first year head coach has said that he's prepared to adjust the lineup on the fly, and hopes to have a fast start against the playoff hopeful Winnipeg Jets.

Comtois-Zegras-Rakell
Henrique-Getzlaf-Terry
Milano-Lundestrom-Silfverberg
Jones-Steel-Deslauriers

Lindholm-Drysdale
Fowler-Manson
Mahura-Shattenkirk

Gibson
Stolarz

Healthy Scratch:Grant, Guhle, Lettieri

[kinsmen7]

Preseason trade chatter: Ducks trade chips ranked

1)Hampus Lindholm: Very good, and extremely reliable when healthy, the main issue with Hampus is just that-his ability to stay healthy. The 2015 trade deadline marked the last occasion that a left handed defenceman on an expiring contract netted a first round pick (+) in return, but if he can stay healthy, there will be a lineup to try and secure his services.
Likely suitors:Montreal, Boston, New York Rangers, Chicago, Detroit.

2)Rickard Rakell: Fresh off his second consecutive 30+ goal season in 2018, Rakell appeared to have one of the most valuable contracts in hockey. Since then, injuries and inconsistent play have limited his output, but he still represents a solid middle six winger on a contender.
Likely Suitors: Toronto, Boston, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Edmonton

3)Josh Manson: "Your wife doesn't love you as much as the Ducks love Josh Manson". While it's true, Manson has been a beloved figure in Anaheim since coming into the league, the time may be nearing to cash in on the shutdown right defenceman. Another player who has struggled to stay on the ice over the past few seasons, the Ducks would likely hope to see a David Savard-type return for Manson. Unfortunately, it's not 2018 anymore, and it's doubtful that a contender would see him as more than a bottom pairing option at this point.
Likely Suitors: Tampa Bay, Toronto, Boston, Vancouver, Winnipeg

4) Jakob Silfverberg: While his contract may be less than desirable (3 years @ $5.25 mil), Silfverberg offers a valuable two way presence on the wing. The Ducks would likely have to retain a bit on his contract, or take a bad one back, but if he was made available, there would likely be a number of teams interested.
Likely suitors:Edmonton, Boston, New York Rangers, Vancouver, St. Louis

5) Anthony Stolarz: After spending much of the past two years in the AHL, Stolarz burst back onto the scene at the end of the 2021 season, starting 8 games and posting excellent numbers. While the small sample size leaves a lot of question marks, the cheap contract (2 years @ $950k) could represent an excellent opportunity for a team in dire need of backup goaltending to snatch him up.
Likely suitors: Edmonton, New York Rangers, Colorado, Winnipeg, Vegas

[johnstone1987]

This looks good good luck with the Jackets