The Anaheim Ducks are fresh off a convincing win over the Pittsburgh Penguins with eyes on starting a winning streak when they take on the Nashville Predators tonight at Honda Center. The five-goal outburst on Thursday (Jan. 23) was a welcomed surprise after a January that largely underwhelmed on the offensive front. Repeating that level of production will come down to greater and more consistent execution by a number of players.
Head coach Greg Cronin has entrusted many of his veteran players with leading that charge. Frank Vatrano, who scored a goal in the win over Pittsburgh, will be a central piece of that formula and it is for that reason, and a few others, he will be worth watching over the final 34 games of the season.
Vatrano Earned His Extension With Strong Play Over Last Season-Plus
Let’s start by acknowledging that Vatrano was more than deserving of the recent contract extension that he signed, which will keep him in Anaheim until the 2028-29 season. His 86 points since the beginning of last season trail only Troy Terry’s 91, and his rugged, scrappy, and relentless style of play has given him heart-and-soul, fan favorite status among people inside and outside the organization. Cronin has said as much in a variety of interviews.
Related: Frank Vatrano Used Breakout Season to Become Ducks’ MVP
The point of acknowledging this extension is well, to demonstrate that Vatrano and the Ducks believe in one another. He sees potential in this young group, and the Ducks, or more specifically general manager Pat Verbeek, has seen enough of him to feel he is an essential ingredient to the recipe that will turn the Ducks into a playoff contender once again. We’re all rooting for that to happen.
Vatrano Is a Central Component of Ducks’ Best Line Once Again
Another reason to keep an eye on Vatrano is that he once again is one of the few dependable scorers the Ducks have. That’s unlikely to change, given sophomore Leo Carlsson, third-year man Mason McTavish, rookie Cutter Gauthier, and the oft-injured Trevor Zegras have endured their fair share of inconsistencies, some might say struggles, in 2024-25. Vatrano may not be producing an encore to the 37-goal, 60-point career season he put together in 2023-24, but his 13 goals and 26 points both rank second on the team. A 20-goal, 40-45-point season seems within reach for the 30-year-old undrafted veteran, which would fall more in line with his 2022-23 numbers,…
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