Ranking the Top 5 Former Ducks in the Playoffs & A Look at Vatrano’s Team MVP Season
Plus, both Greg Cronin and Pat Verbeek hinted that naming the next Ducks captain is on the horizon. Who could it be?
Welcome to the THW Anaheim Ducks Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Ducks writers.
Ranking the Best Former Ducks in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Nos. 5-1)
May 3, 2024 by Jordan Reinhardt
This past week, I've engaged in an exercise of ranking former members of the Anaheim Ducks who now play for teams currently competing or that formerly competed in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. As we can see so far, there are quite a few players who fit that description. So far, we’ve ranked numbers 15-6, including some honorable mentions. Now it’s time for the top five. Let’s discuss, shall we?
Frank Vatrano Used Breakout Season to Become Ducks’ MVP
May 2, 2024 by Corey Abbott
In what was largely another disappointing season for the Anaheim Ducks, the play of Frank Vatrano stood out for all the right reasons. The 2023-24 campaign was marketed as a development phase, so some growing pains were expected. There were signs of encouragement from the Ducks’ talented prospect pool, but Vatrano’s performance made him the team’s most valuable player of the season.
Anaheim Ducks’ Best Choices for Next Captain
May 1, 2024 by Charlie Hiller
During separate interviews on Monday, April 22, Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin and general manager Pat Verbeek addressed questions about the team’s leadership with a unified answer — they need a new captain. The Ducks are one of five teams in the NHL playing without a captain, with the position held vacant since Ryan Getzlaf’s retirement at the end of the 2021-22 season.
After their early expansion years, the list of Ducks captains reads like the who’s who of team history. The players who have worn the ‘C’ since the 1996-97 season include Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Teemu Selanne, Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and Getzlaf, who held the role for 12 seasons. Anaheim’s captaincy has been one of the steadiest since the franchise’s inception, with one of Kariya, Niedermayer, or Getzlaf at the helm for 23 of its 30 seasons in the NHL.
Don’t forget to check out all of our FREE team Substacks, and sign up for your favorites…or all of them if you want.
You can also upgrade your subscription to a paid THW account, and get access to ALL of our Premium content from ALL of our team Substacks for one low price.