It was a difficult season for the Anaheim Ducks. Their 23-47-12 record marks the lowest in franchise history, and their last-place finish gives them a 25.5 percent chance at landing the top spot for the 2023 NHL Draft. Even if Anaheim doesn’t succeed in the Connor Bedard sweepstakes, they’re guaranteed to draft within the top three and will walk away with another blue-chip prospect in the system.
Related: Ducks 2022-23 Superlatives: Foward Edition
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Before we get excited about new players joining the Ducks, let’s take a look at some superlatives from the 2022-23 season. For better or worse, these players had a significant role in shaping the year that was. After covering the forwards last week, we’ll turn our attention to the defense. As you can imagine, there aren’t a lot of positives to take from a defensive group that surrendered a league-worst minus-129 goal differential.
Best Defenseman: Cam Fowler
There wasn’t significant competition for Anaheim’s best defenseman this season. Cam Fowler was just about the only reliable option on the blue line every night for the Ducks. The 31-year-old appeared in all 82 games for the first time since 2011-12 (his second season) and led the defense in 5-on-5 and power play minutes. This is also the second consecutive year he’s set new career highs in assists (38) and points (48).
Fans of the Ducks from before this season would have pinned Fowler as more of an offense-oriented defenseman. But with defensive stalwarts Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson gone and replaced by the likes of Kevin Shattenkirk and John Klingberg, the bulk of the tougher minutes became Fowler’s responsibility. He would often anchor top pairings alongside depth defensemen (his most common partners were Dmitry Kulikov and Scott Harrington) or defensive liabilities (his next two most common partners were Shattenkirk and Klingberg). The results were often disastrous, but it’s hard to pin the blame on him specifically. With a handful of young defensemen in the pipeline, Fowler will be a stabilizing veteran presence in the coming years.
Worst Defenseman: Nathan Beaulieu
Despite only appearing in 52 games, Nathan Beaulieu’s first year in Anaheim is one of the driving factors for their favorable odds in the upcoming lottery. The numbers while he was on the ice at 5-on-5 are astounding — 39.45% Corsi for percentage, 38.81% expected goals for percentage, and…
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