This week’s edition of Anaheim Ducks News & Rumors covers Ryan Getzlaf being week to week with an injury, a new career-high for Sam Carrick, and the continued strong play from the dynamic duo of Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano.
Getzlaf Week to Week with Lower-Body Injury
Getzlaf went to the locker room during Tuesday night’s game against the Los Angeles Kings and never returned. He did not play the following night against the Vegas Golden Knights. On Friday, the Ducks announced that the captain would not play that night against the Calgary Flames and that he was week to week with a lower-body injury. He appeared to tweak his ankle while going for a hit on Alex Iafallo during that game against the Kings and being week to week suggests that the injury is more severe than initially thought.
The absence of Getzlaf creates a major opportunity for Sam Steel, who was in Getzlaf’s usual spot on the top line on Wednesday, centering Adam Henrique and Troy Terry. Steel centered the top line once again last night and should continue to see chances three for the foreseeable future.
Getzlaf’s absence maybe even more influential on the power play as the Ducks have historically suffered on the man advantage when their captain is out of the lineup. It will be up to players like Zegras, Terry, and even defenseman Cam Fowler to help generate offense on special teams.
Carrick Sets Career-High in Games Played
The longtime captain of the Ducks’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, Carrick has never played in more than 16 NHL games over the course of a season––until now. He played in his 17th game of the season last night, marking a new career-high in games played.
After playing 16 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2014-15 season, Carrick found it difficult to stick in the NHL, spending time in the Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks organizations before he was acquired by the Ducks in 2017.
Carrick has appeared in at least five games for the Ducks since the 2018-19 season and his number of games played has increased with every passing season. He didn’t make the team out of training camp, but a myriad of circumstances have seen the AHL veteran return to the big club and settle into a role on the fourth line.
Whether it’s playing down the middle or on the wing, the 29-year-old has been able to make his presence felt. He’s not the fleetest of foot or the most prolific scorer, but Carrick impacts the game in his own way. Whether it’s a hard forecheck or a dropping of the gloves to fire up his teammates, he’s been able to do enough to stick in the lineup.
Ducks Topple Vegas Thanks to Milano & Zegras
The pair of New York state boys have developed quite a chemistry this season in Anaheim and the New Yorker engine continued to hum on Wednesday night against the Golden Knights. Both Zegras and Milano had multi-point efforts, with Milano registering the primary assist on three of the Ducks’ six goals.
This was the Ducks’ second game this season against the Golden Knights. The first came in October in Las Vegas, where the Ducks erased a three-goal lead in regulation before falling in the shootout. Zegras also performed well during that game, registering a goal and an assist.
Related: 3 Takeaways From Ducks’ Win Over Golden Knights
The duo of Zegras and Milano continues to be a secondary form of offense behind the line of Henrique, Getzlaf, and Terry, and the two New York natives will be tasked with much more now that Getzlaf is out of the lineup.
One quick note: Henrique left last night’s game and did not return. It’s unknown what his status is going forward, but we should know more at some point this weekend. After a series of four games at home (and one close to home at Staples Center), the Ducks now embark on a five-game road trip. They are currently 4-4-2 on the road and will look to improve their road record during the course of these next five games.