Trade Deadline: 3 team needs for the Anaheim Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the league's most consistent clubs all season long, but a slew of injuries has exposed a few weaknesses that the team needs to address prior to the March 2 trade deadline.
The Ducks are scuffling, having lost seven of their last 10 games. While they are likely assured a top-4 playoff seed in the Western Conference, there are a few holes to fill in preparation of a postseason run.
Here are three areas of concern for Anaheim:
Top-4 defenseman
Every team could use defensive depth, but the Ducks' hand has suddenly been forced.
Sami Vatanen will miss the next four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury after leaving Sunday's loss to the Washington Capitals. Vatanen had the third-highest average time-on-ice for the club (21:40) prior to the injury and his 34 points rank fourth among all Ducks skaters.
Hampus Lindholm aggravated an ankle injury this week and missed Wednesday's loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. If it becomes a lingering issue, the Ducks will rely more on Eric Brewer, Clayton Stoner and Josh Manson, which isn't exactly an enviable position.
Vatanen is expected back in late March, so general manager Bob Murray may decide to hold off on giving up prospects or picks for a short-term fix.
If Murray decides to go for it, Capitals defenseman Mike Green would fit right in as a replacement or reinforcement for the Ducks' offensively minded defense corps.
Top-6 forward
Matt Beleskey also left Sunday's game with an injury and he'll miss the next two-to-four weeks with an upper-body ailment.
While his absence is also expected to be a relatively short-term one, losing a club's second-leading goal-scorer for up to a month is never good and it emphasizes the club's lack of depth up front.
Emerson Etem was recalled from Norfolk to take his roster spot, but Anaheim's lines have been thrown into a blender and the team could certainly benefit by adding a winger for the postseason push.
Secondary scoring in general
After the dynamic duo of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and second-line stalwart Ryan Kesler, the Ducks have no forward other than Beleskey with more than 26 points and no healthy player with more than 11 goals.
Anaheim's goal differential is plus-6, which pales in comparison to conference rivals such as the Nashville Predators (plus-43), St. Louis Blues (plus-38) and Chicago Blackhawks (plus-40).
The Ducks have a league-high 24 wins in one-goal games – a total matched only by the Predators – which tells you their success may not be sustainable.
Anaheim is in desperate need of secondary scoring, a luxury all of the aforementioned conference rivals possess. Jaromir Jagr would be an intriguing option if and when the New Jersey Devils can admit they're out of the playoff hunt.
On the surface, the Ducks' needs appear to be temporary, but the recent rash of injuries has exposed the club's deeper issues that will need to be rectified if a Cup run is in Anaheim's plans.