How much worse can things get for the Anaheim Ducks? After breaking their six-game skid with a win on Wednesday (Dec. 7) against the Carolina Hurricanes, they couldn’t follow it up and were battered 6-1 by the San Jose Sharks. It’s another low point in the season for the Ducks, just barely two weeks removed from a Black Friday embarrassment at the hands of the Ottawa Senators.
Lundestrom Out Six Weeks With Fractured Finger
Isac Lundestrom fractured his finger last week against the Dallas Stars and will be out for six weeks. His absence should provide more ice time for someone like Mason McTavish, who has already begun to establish himself in his first full season in the NHL.
Like many other Ducks, it’s been a season of regression for Lundestrom, who signed a two-year deal and avoided arbitration this past offseason. The Swede scored 16 goals last season, a career high, and tied the franchise record for the most shorthanded goals (four) in a season.
Ducks Claim Megna off Waivers
The Ducks claimed forward Jayson Megna off of waivers on Tuesday (Dec. 6). Megna was playing in the Colorado Avalanche organization prior to being waived and he had been up with the big club due to a rash of injuries. He had been in the Avalanche organization for the past four seasons.
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Megna has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. He is capable of playing both down the middle and on the wing. In 162 NHL games, he has 25 points.
Comtois Scores in Return from Injury
Max Comtois scored on Wednesday in his first game back from an 11-game absence due to a lower-body injury. It was his first goal and point since Nov. 5 against the San Jose Sharks. Comtois has a knack for getting to the net and finding himself in the right places to put away chances, which the Ducks have somewhat missed in his absence. They’ve had issues creating traffic in front of the opposing goaltender and having someone like him back in the lineup should help create more chances.
Klingberg Returns From Injury
After missing seven games with a lower-body injury, John Klingberg returned to the lineup last night. Ultimately, his return did little to cushion the blow dealt by a 6-1 loss to their division foes from up north.
Klingberg has been somewhat of a disappointment through the first quarter of the season after signing a one-year, $7 million deal this past offseason. The thought was that the Swede could bet on himself by performing well on a short-term deal and either earn himself a longer deal with Anaheim or be dealt to a contender at the deadline if the team flounders.
The team is certainly floundering and Klingberg has played his part at times as well. He has a no-trade clause in his contract that runs until Jan. 1, when it becomes a 10-team no-trade clause. It’s possible that a contender tries to buy low on Klingberg due to his underwhelming performances thus far, but general manager Pat Verbeek doesn’t appear to be showing any urgency when it comes to making deals just yet.
Megna Brothers Face-off Against Each Other for First Time
Jaycob Megna and his brother Jayson have now both played for the Ducks in their NHL careers, but they had never played against one another, until last night. Jaycob, now with the Sharks, took a photo alongside Jayson during warmups as the pair exchanged a few pleasantries before the game.
The younger Megna was drafted by the Ducks in 2012 and he spent eight seasons in their organization before moving on to the Chicago Wolves prior to the 2019-20 season. The defenseman was also captain of the San Diego Gulls for one season and was captain of the Barracuda during the 2021-22 season.
It was no secret that the Ducks weren’t going to be Stanley Cup contenders this season, but they appear to be moving in the wrong direction. There’s still plenty of run left in the season, but at the rate they’re going, it seems like the only path is downwards.
Derek Lee is a contributor for The Hockey Writers covering the Anaheim Ducks. Derek has spent nearly two decades immersed in the world of sports and has been writing about sports for five years. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Communication in May 2020 from UCCS in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he also spent two and a half years on staff with their on-campus student newspaper–both as a sports reporter and editor. In his free time, he enjoys playing FIFA, curating his Spotify playlists and attending concerts & sporting events