All Mighty Hockey Talk

It is no secret that the Ducks were a poor face-off team this past season. Just how bad were they? According to NHL.com, face-off percentages have been tracked since 1997-1998. Since that year, only 5 teams (out of a total of 813) have had worse face-off percentages than the 2024-25 Ducks, who won just 44.6% of draws.

Losing a face-off isn’t the end of the world, but losing draws that frequently adds up. Winning draws reduces immediate danger and it saves energy that would otherwise be expended trying to get the puck back. Nowhere is this more true than on special teams. Last summer, I conducted a research project on the impact of faceoffs on special teams, and there definitely seemed to be a link between the two.

Anaheim’s special teams were abysmal last season, and I believe adding at least one faceoff specialist would give them a boost. Last season, Isac Lundestrom took the 3rd most shorthanded draws in the NHL, but he only won 40.9% of them. Out of 45 players who took at least 100 face-offs on the PK, only 6 of them had a worse win rate. Lundestrom was constantly ceding possession to top PP units, and that is something that can (and should) be addressed.

Ideally, the Ducks could use a right-shot center to help them win draws on the right side of the ice. Carlsson, McTavish, Zegras, and Lundestrom are all left-shot players, meaning the right side of the ice is considered their weak side. Strome is the only right-shot center on the roster, but he is inexplicably poor at winning draws on his strong side. For the first 41 games, I manually tracked every faceoff the Ducks took, and they won only 38.7% of draws on the right side of the ice. A right-shot center would help win a much higher percentage of those draws.

I have come up with 5 names that could theoretically be available via trade or free agency this offseason (and 4 more honorable mentions). These players aren’t sexy names, but they would improve the bottom of Anaheim’s lineup and, hopefully, its special teams:

Jean-Gabriel Pageau

Pageau is far and away my #1 target on this list. The 32-year-old forward is a right-shot who can play both wing and center, and he can play on both special teams units. Pageau is coming off a 14 goal, 28 assist season with the New York Islanders. He saw time up and down the Islanders’ lineup, and he’s proven to be a versatile forward who can fit wherever he is needed.

Not only is Pageau the best offensive player on this list, but he also happens to be the best face-off man in this group, too. Pageau won a staggering 59.6% of draws this past season. Among players with at least 30 face-offs taken (Pageau had 988), he had the 3rd best rate in the NHL. His numbers are even more impressive on special teams. Players on the penalty kill typically win about 45% of draws, but Pageau won 57.6%. That addition would be a huge improvement on Lundestrom’s win rate. On the power play, Pageau won 65.6% of draws. He might not be talented enough to play top power play minutes, but his faceoff ability should make him a useful asset.

The one big obstacle to adding Pageau is the fact that he still has 1 year left on his contract with the Islanders, and it comes with a 16 team no trade list. So not only do the Islanders have to be willing to trade him, but Pageau could potentially block a trade himself. However, if the Islanders want to clear cap space to add an impact player, I have to think that Pageau (and his inflated $5M cap hit) would be one of the first ones to go. The Ducks have more than enough cap space to absorb that entire contract.

Christian Dvorak

Dvorak has settled into a bottom six center role in the past few years. The 29-year-old center had 12 goals and 21 assists with the Montreal Canadiens this past season. Unlike Pageau, Dvorak is a left-shot forward, which isn’t ideal, but he is a solid enough player where he can still help the Ducks.

Dvorak won an impressive 55.8% of his faceoffs this season. He did not get much power play time, but on the penalty kill, Dvorak won 51.3% of his draws. He is not quite as proficient as Pageau, but he would still help the penalty kill and Anaheim’s bottom six.

Dvorak is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, meaning he is up for grabs. He is coming off a 6 year contract that had an average annual value of $4.45M. Dvorak will certainly be taking a pay cut on his next deal. If I had to guess, I think he will wind up on a 2 or 3 year deal at around $2-2.5M per season.

Colton Sissons

Sissons has been a consistent presence in Nashville’s bottom six for a decade. The 31-year-old center had a down offensive season with only 7 goals and 14 assists, but he’s never been known for his offensive ability. Sissons is a right-shot center and he is a regular on Nashville’s penalty kill.

Sissons finished the season with a 54.8% face-off percentage, and he won an impressive 52.1% of draws on the penalty kill. He also won 53.6% of face-offs he took in the defensive zone. His face-off prowess combined with his handedness would fit well in Anaheim’s bottom six.

Like Pageau, Sissons has 1 year left on his current contract. He carries a $2.8M cap hit, and he doesn’t have any trade protection. After Nashville’s disastrous season, it is unclear what its direction will be. It is possible that they would prefer to keep Sissons at least until the trade deadline, and then move him if they don’t plan on signing him to an extension.

Michael McCarron

Moving on to another Nashville center, McCarron is a huge (6’6″ 230 lbs) 4th line center who has carved out a nice role at the bottom of Nashville’s lineup and on the penalty kill. The 30-year-old forward does not provide much offense (5 goals and 9 assists last season), but his size and physicality makes him an attractive option.

McCarron won 54.4% of his draws last season, and he won 55.1% of shorthanded face-offs. He also won 56.2% of draws in the defensive zone. McCarron is a right-shot center, and he could definitely be an improvement over Lundetsrom in the 4th line center role next season.

Like his teammate Sissons, McCarron also has 1 year left on his current contract. He has a cap hit of just $900K and he has no trade protection. Again, it is unclear what Nashville’s plan is, but they could look to cash in on McCarron before his contract expires.

Noel Acciari

Acciari is a physical bottom six forward for the Pittsburgh Penguins. He plays hard like McCarron does, but he does it with a 5’11” frame. The 33-year-old right-shot forward only 5 goals and 7 assists last season, but his value comes from his face-off ability, his style of play, and his work on the penalty kill.

Last season, Acciari won 53.7% of his draws, and he won 49.2% of face-offs on the penalty kill. At this point in his career, Acciari is mainly a penalty kill specialist, but that is something that the Ducks could use.

Acciari has 1 more year left on his contract, which carries a cap hit of $2M. Acciari also has an 8 team no trade list, which could hinder a potential trade. Pittsburgh is is starting a rebuild, and it is very likely they will trade Acciari at some point. The only question is will it be during the offseason or closer to next year’s trade deadline?

Other Options:

• Radek Faksa (UFA)
• Luke Glendening (UFA)
• David Kampf (2 years, $2.4M AAV)
• Nico Sturm (UFA)