IRVINE — Ducks coach Dallas Eakins could stock the center position with some grizzled veterans for the final 33 games of the regular season, starting with Wednesday’s game against the Calgary Flames, but that would be counterproductive as they continue their all-important rebuilding efforts.
Eakins could ice a lineup that includes veterans Ryan Getzlaf, Adam Henrique, Derek Grant and Sam Carrick as his four centers, but that would mean youngsters Trevor Zegras, Isac Lundestrom and Sam Steel would be seated in the press box, watching the games instead of playing in them.
In order to find ice time and enhanced roles for Zegras, 20, Lundestrom, 22, and Steel, 24, Eakins has stuck with Getzlaf as his No. 1 center but shifted Henrique, Grant and Carrick to the wings in order to accommodate his three young centers. The results have largely been positive.
Getzlaf, 36, leads the Ducks with 24 assists and is third with 27 points. Zegras is the Ducks’ second-leading scorer with 33 points. Lundestrom is their seventh-leading scorer with 22 points and their co-leader with a plus-7 defensive rating. Steel has a modest total of 14 points.
Steel’s grasp on his job as the Ducks’ fourth-line center could be the most tenuous of the three young players, though. He could be shifted to the wing in favor of a more veteran center. Or he could be out of the lineup. Or he could remain in it as the Ducks’ fourth-line center.
Steel was the second of the Ducks’ two first-round picks in the 2016 draft, selected 30th overall. Left wing Max Jones was picked 24th overall. Steel has scored six goals in each of his first NHL seasons, and set his career high of 16 assists in 65 games in 2019-20.
“His game has gotten better,” Eakins said Tuesday of Steel, “but Ryan Getzlaf is our No. 1 center, Trevor Zegras is our No. 2 scorer and Isac Lundestrom is having a career year. That’s hard (for Steel). The great thing for him is he comes in with his head down and he works his tail off.
“Every day, he comes in and he works and works. He knows there’s a chance he may be in the lineup. There’s a chance he may be out. But that’s his circumstance. The thing for him to do is keep trying to get better every day and be ready to move up the lineup if somebody’s hurt, and keep developing.”
FACTS AND FIGURES
Right wing Jakob Silfverberg played in his 600th game with the Ducks when he took to the ice for Friday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. He is seventh on the franchise’s all-time list, six games behind Paul Kariya. Getzlaf holds the team record with 1,142 games and counting. …
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Jamie Drysdale’s assist Friday on Rickard Rakell’s second-period power-play goal was his 17th of the season to go with three goals, giving the Ducks three defensemen with 20 points or more. Kevin Shattenkirk, who has 26 points, and Cam Fowler (23) are the others. …
Grant is three points shy of 100 for his career. He has three goals and one assist in his past five games and seven goals and five assists in 41 games overall this season. He has recorded 80 of his career points, including 41 goals, in 233 games over parts of five seasons with the Ducks.
DUCKS AT CALGARY
When: Wednesday, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
TV: Bally Sports SoCal