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What Can the Newest Anaheim Ducks Bring to the Team?
Chris Kreider, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

In the past several weeks, the Anaheim Ducks have added four new players to their roster via trades and free agency signings. General manager Pat Verbeek acquired forwards Mikael Granlund, Chris Kreider, and Ryan Poehling in addition to goalie Petr Mrazek. As the Ducks eagerly seek out the playoffs this upcoming season, what will these new additions bring to the table?

Mikael Granlund

Granlund, 33, joined the team during free agency. He is a forward with a long history of hockey success at many levels, including juniors in Finland, the Finnish national team, the Olympics, and a 16-season career in the NHL. He was selected ninth overall by the Minnesota Wild in his draft year (2010) and was considered the top European skater in that draft. Granlund is a decently consistent and reliable producer.

With the absence of Trevor Zegras in the lineup, there is a need for a third-line center, which Granlund could fill. His best season in the league came in 2016-17, when he put up career highs in points (69), goals (26), and assists (43). The following season, he tallied 67 points (21 goals, 46 assists) in 77 games. More recently, he contributed to the Dallas Stars’ successful playoff run by scoring five goals and registering five assists across 18 games. He has appeared in the postseason 10 times–a quality that the Ducks are likely looking for when they go into the season with a “playoffs-or-nothing” mindset. Granlund could be a solid add, should he stay healthy and produce at a level closer to his 2016-17 performance.

Chris Kreider

Kreider is a 34-year-old left winger who was traded to the Ducks in June. Much like Granlund, he has a deep history of success in hockey. He was one of Boston College’s–and the nation’s–best players, helping the Eagles win two championships in his three seasons there. He also represented Team USA in multiple World Junior Championships and has spent 13 seasons in the NHL. Kreider is known for his “top-end speed, game-breaking ability, and a physical approach to the game,” according to the NHL.

Kreider is one of only four Rangers to have scored 50-plus goals–a record he accomplished in the 2021-22 season with 52 goals. He also holds the record for the most playoff goals scored in Rangers history (36). His production suffered last season in the Rangers’ system, with just 30 points being tallied across 68 games. A new coach, a new system, and new teammates could see him performing at the top level once again. He is, clearly, an elite and consistent goal scorer, something that the Ducks so desperately need. With a playmaker like Troy Terry alongside him, Kreider could find himself a valuable piece in the team’s successes this coming season.

Ryan Poehling

At 26, Poehling is considerably younger than the previously mentioned forwards and is, therefore, less experienced at the NHL level. He joined the team in a blockbuster trade involving Zegras. He has spent six seasons in the league with three different teams– the Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Philadelphia Flyers. His best career year came last season with the Flyers, where he notched 31 points (12 goals, 19 assists) in 68 games.

While Poehling is not a high-level producer, he does play a fairly defensive game for a forward. In his two seasons in Philadelphia, he led the Flyers forwards in blocked shots (180) and ranked second in faceoff wins (836). He also found himself to be a critical piece in the team’s penalty kill, spending 235:17 shorthanded in two seasons. Poehling will likely be a fourth-line center with the Ducks and can be an important part of a “shut-down” line in Anaheim.

Petr Mrazek

Mrazek was acquired in a goalie-for-goalie trade featuring longtime Ducks’ goaltender John Gibson. The 33-year-old has been in the NHL for 15 seasons, where he has created a decent record of success for himself. In his 428 professional games, he has a 180-176-40 record and has averaged a .906 save percentage (SV%) and 2.85 goals against average (GAA). He will be a reliable backup goaltender to Lukas Dostal and will likely be able to make a handful of starts this coming season.

Will Mrazek be as reliable as Gibson was? Will Kreider perform to the best of his ability? Where do these four fit into the lineup? While the Ducks have filled some necessary gaps in their game with these four additions, there is still lots of work to be done, and it will be interesting to watch how it all plays out come October.

This article first appeared on The Hockey Writers and was syndicated with permission.

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