The Anaheim Ducks bounced back from a 9-2 blowout loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday (Feb. 17) with a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday (Feb. 19). It has largely been another difficult season for the Ducks, but the team’s ability to rebound with better efforts after brutal defeats has been far more noticeable in 2023-24. Although the club is making strides toward being more competitive, the process feels like it is taking forever. Nonetheless, it is encouraging to see that progress is being made.
The Ducks’ victory against the Sabres was a bit of a showcase of that resiliency in and of itself, with both teams battling to stay in front of the other. The score was tied on three different occasions before Troy Terry put the Ducks ahead for good at the 18:56 mark of the second period. This week’s News and Rumors roundup will examine milestones reached by Terry and Mason McTavish in Monday’s triumph, as well as the latest trade speculation and another strong showing from a Ducks’ prospect playing in the junior ranks.
Terry & McTavish Continue to Etch Their Names Into Ducks’ History
Terry notched one goal and two assists in Monday’s contest for his 11th career three-point performance. He is now tied with Jakob Silfverberg and Scott Niedermayer for ninth place on the Ducks’ all-time list in games with three points. Rickard Rakell is next with 14, but Terry still has a very long way to go to catch Teemu Selanne’s franchise-best total of 89. The 26-year-old Terry also earned the first four-point effort of his NHL career earlier this season, with three goals and one assist in a 4-3 overtime win versus the Arizona Coyotes on Nov. 1.
McTavish racked up three helpers in Monday’s contest to give him 82 career points (34 goals, 48 assists) across 136 NHL outings. The 21-year-old forward became the fifth-fastest player in franchise history to reach 80 career points behind Paul Kariya (80 games played), Bobby Ryan (105 games played), Trevor Zegras (108 games played) and Ryan Getzlaf (121 games played). Just in case you were wondering, McTavish is up to six three-point performances during his NHL career.
Oilers in the Mix for Henrique
Adam Henrique has been attracting plenty of interest ahead of the March 8 trade deadline. According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the Edmonton Oilers are among the teams that have been looking to add the 34-year-old forward.
“In a perfect scenario, we know the Oilers would like to add a forward to help Leon Draisaitl in the top six,” Dreger said on Insider Trading. “But, they’re also looking at what Adam Henrique might bring from the Anaheim Ducks as a third-line center. So there are several options that the veteran general manager Ken Holland is looking at in Edmonton as well.”
Related: 4 Potential Trade Destinations for Ducks’ Adam Henrique
A trade with the Ducks would allow the Oilers to put Draisaitl and Connor McDavid on separate lines again. In that scenario, Henrique could play on the wing with either center. He could also occupy a role in the middle on the third line, as Dreger suggested. Henrique’s versatility and scoring ability make him an intriguing option for any contending team. A potential stumbling block in completing a deal with the Oilers is that a third party may be necessary to broker the trade. Retaining 50 percent of Henrique’s $5.825 million cap hit will be difficult for an Oilers team that has just over $2.3 million in deadline space.
Dionicio Named OHL Player of the Week
Rodwin Dioncio earned the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Player of the Week honor for the period ending Feb. 18 after he accounted for three goals and six assists in three games. His nine points led the OHL in scoring over that stretch. Dioncio’s best outing came in a 7-6 win over the Barrie Colts on Thursday (Feb. 16) when he accumulated a career-high five points (two goals, three assists).
The 19-year-old blueliner has already established new personal bests in goals (20), assists (38), points (58), shots on goal (140), and power-play goals (six) through 46 contests this campaign between the Windsor Spitfires and the Saginaw Spirit. He was selected in the fifth round (129th overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft by the Ducks.
Gulls Remain Out of Playoff Picture Despite Picking Up Points
The San Diego Gulls were defeated 4-3 overtime by the Bakersfield Condors in American Hockey League (AHL) action on Tuesday (Feb. 20). The Gulls have picked up a point in 12 of their past 16 outings (9-4-3), but still find themselves seven points out of a postseason spot. The Condors and Ontario Reign currently hold the final two playoff positions in the Pacific Division.
Olen Zellweger, who had two assists in Tuesday’s loss, has accumulated two goals and nine points over his last seven appearances. Pavol Regenda, who notched one goal and one assist versus the Condors, has one marker and seven helpers during his six-game point streak. They are both prime candidates to be recalled from the AHL following the NHL trade deadline.
