2009-2010 Anaheim Ducks Fantasy Breakdown

Club: Anaheim Ducks
Fantasy Impact Rating: Hot

Superstars: Ryan Getzlaf
Big Producers Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan, Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Jonas Hiller
Mid-Level Flyers James Wisniewski, Saku Koivu, Joffrey Lupul, J.S. Giguere
Rookies/Prospects: Justin Pogge, Luca Sbisa
Sleepers: Ryan Whitney
Avoid The Hype: Andrew Ebbett

Just about two lines worth of fantasy players in Anaheim this season but land a couple of these studs and you’ll have yourself a successful season.

Photo by: Buchanan-Hermit

Starting from the top, Ryan Getzlaf is one of the most well-rounded fantasy options in all of fantasy hockey. In 81 games last season, Getzlaf had 91 points (37 of which came on the power play) and 121 penalty minutes. He is one of the top center options in fantasy hockey and is a late 1st, early 2nd round option in any format. He may go a little higher in rotisserie leagues or leagues that reward heavily for penalty minutes. Either way, lock him up early; he’s got a bright future ahead of him.

To Getzlaf’s right is fellow scorer and tough guy Corey Perry. Perry is a great option at an ultra thin right wing position as he can light the lamp, as well as rough up an opponent. He will be a power play staple for the Ducks again this season and is a top option for mangers in a keeper leagues.

Two other solid options for fantasy managers this fall come in the form of an up-and-coming talent and a seasoned veteran. Bobby Ryan is a young gun who is making a splash in southern California and should continue to thrive with the talent around him. He racked up 57 points in his rookie campaign, so unless you’re a firm believer in the sophomore slump, consider Ryan as a 2nd option at wing in year-to-year leagues, and a top option in keeper leagues. On this flip side of coin, the Ducks have retained the rights to veteran defenseman Scott Niedermayer for one more season. While he doesn’t have much keeper value playing the” year-by-year contract” game, he is still a top option for points from this blue line in 2009-2010. Despite losing his 2008-2009 running mate Chris Pronger to the Flyers, he’ll still factor heavily into Anaheim’s scoring, especially on the power play. Consider him a number one defender in any year-to-year fantasy league.

Photo by: James Bremner

A step down a fantasy level are 3 players that can add some solid depth for fantasy managers in slightly deeper leagues. Saku Koivu has left frigid Montreal and landed himself in sunny southern California. He’ll be working with Teemu Selanne and Joffrey Lupul this fall on Anaheim’s 2nd line and should be present on the 2nd power play unit. It wouldn’t be out of line to expect 45-55 points from Koivu this season, and depending how certain leagues draft, savvy managers could grab Koivu as a 2nd option after building a solid core of wingers, defenders and goaltenders. Joffrey Lupul is back in town for his 2nd stint with the Ducks. He had his most productive season with Anaheim back in 2005-2006 and being a 2nd line candidate could give him an opportunity to have a productive season. Don’t reach too far for Lupul but certainly consider him as a 3rd option at wing or a utility player in 12-manager leagues. Lastly, don’t forget that James Wisniewski is a top 4 defender in Anaheim this season. He has a solid offensive upside but never got to showcase himself fully in Chicago because of such a saturated market. He could be a nice addition to any fantasy team in the middle to late rounds of deeper fantasy draft.

A nice surprise for the Ducks, and fantasy managers for that matter, was the production they received from Andrew Ebbett last season as he finished the 2008-2009 campaign with 32 points in 48 games for Anaheim. The only problem with Ebbett’s fantasy value in 2009-2010 is that Saku Koivu is now Anaheim’s 2nd line center, which leaves Ebbett with a combination of Todd Marchant, Ryan Carter and Evgeny Artyukin. Certainly not the most appealing group of players to fantasy owners. Leave Ebbett alone this season unless an injury occurs somewhere in the top 2 lines.

While the Ducks have a lot of talent in their system right now, even the biggest names may be a couple years away from making an impact at the NHL level. Players like Peter Holland, Kyle Palmieri and Nicolas Deschamps all have tremendous skill but will not be ready for the bigs right away. One player that could make an impact on the Ducks sooner than later is Luca Sbisa. Sbisa was acquired from Philadelphia in the Pronger trade and while he spent time in the NHL last season, it was evident that he was not ready for the big show. With Scott Niedermayer pondering retirement all of a sudden, it gives the Ducks a nice option once he does decide to move on as Sbisa has a solid offensive upside. Sit on him for now, but consider him as a candidate to run with Ryan Whitney once the time is right.

Lastly, keep in mind that Ryan Whitney should be sharing the top pairing duty with Scott Niedermayer this fall. Whitney’s injury last season may help him fly under the radar in drafts this season and in such a potent offensive market, we could see Whitney surpass the totals we saw in Pittsburgh 2 seasons ago. He could drop in the rankings, so keep your eye out in the latter parts of the early rounds for this potentially top defender.

Photo by: Buchanan-Hermit

Grade: A-
Starter: Jonas Hiller (tentative)
Backup: J.S. Giguere (tentative)
As of right now, a defined starter for the 2009-2010 NHL season has not been named. It’s only our assumption that based on the play of Jonas Hiller last season, he’ll be given a fair shot as he could be the goalie of the immediate future once Giguere’s monster contract is up. Hiller was extremely impressive during the 2008-2009 regular season and even more impressive in the playoffs. We know that J.S. Giguere can still compete, but certainly not at the level he was at several years ago. Still, he could see a decent amount of playing time this season based solely on the idea that Carlyle and Murray probably don’t want a 6 million dollar goaltender riding the pine all season. It could turn into a platooning situation, so if managers in your league pass over Giggy, it may not be a bad idea to nab him behind two solid goaltenders. He could be trade bait down the line in case injuries occur.

Also, it’s worth noting that Justin Pogge is now in Anaheim’s system and will probably challenge Hiller once Giguere becomes a free agent. His short NHL stint last season with the Leafs showed us that he still has some growing to do, but he’s still an option down the road for the Ducks.

As we progress through the month of August, you can find a new team analyzed for its fantasy value just about every day, so bookmark our 2009-2010 Team Breakdown page and enjoy.