Youth gone wild on Anaheim Ducks' blueline
If you take the average age of the Anaheim Ducks' eight defensemen, they're barely old enough to rent a car.
However, the future is now in Anaheim, as it's clear that one of the many strengths of this incredibly complete hockey club is its youthful blueline.
The group is comprised of four kids: Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, Simon Despres (all 23 years old) and Hampus Lindholm (21 years old). Francois Beauchemin brings up the average age at 34, but he's also the general on the ice. It's been a very successful young-veteran combination.
Their position coach, legendary defenseman Scott Neidermayer, insists his four youngsters have made it look easier than it really is this season. Learning on the fly at such early stages in their NHL careers is a tall order, but right now, these four are playing mature beyond their years.
"It's a tough, tough position for them to be in," Niedermayer said. "I know when I was playing, I don't know if I ever felt like I wasn't learning something. Even after I played over 1,000 games in the league, I always feel like there's things to learn, maybe because your game is changing."
All of them have had to change and adapt their games in some ways this season to find their places. The Ducks started the season with a blueline that had more of a veteran look to it, with Bryan Allen, Ben Lovejoy and Mark Fistric playing alongside Clayton Stoner and Beauchemin. But slowly, young supplanted the old.
"Their skills are good and their understanding of the game," Neidermayer said. "Maybe most importantly, their attitudes and how they're willing to try and learn and listen."
Cam Fowler's rise began as soon as he was selected, in the first round of the 2010 draft, the same year his childhood hero Neidermayer retired and began his tenure as a coach in the organization. As a junior player in the U.S. National system, Fowler modeled his game after his now-coach. The similarities between the two skill sets were noticeable, even when he was only a teenager, and they've become even more obvious as Fowler has made himself into a top-four D-man.
"I think the biggest thing is our skating and being able to use it to the best of our abilities," Fowler said. "Scottie was such an effortless skater. You definitely can't compare us as players because I'm nowhere near where he was -- he's one of the best to ever play -- but the way we saw the game and our playing styles might be a little similar."
Fowler may have picked up some tips while living with Neidermayer, his wife Lisa and their four sons in their Newport Beach home in his early days with the club. On the ice, Neidermayer helped Fowler advance his defensive acumen while off it, Lisa helped advance his laundry acumen.
It's the former that Fowler needed to develop in order to improve in this league. So far in the postseason, it's shown as we've seen a more well-rounded game from Fowler than in years past.
"So far in these playoffs, he's been competing hard," Neidermayer said. "Both directions of the ice, he's jumped in and created some sort of disarray in the offensive zone, which helps create offense, because it's tough to defend when you're not sure who to pick up and there's other players jumping in. He's done that. he's competed hard in our zone."
It was the defensive abilities that needed to improve in all Fowler, Despres and Lindholm. Don't let the name of the position fool you, Neidermayer said many defensemen, himself included, possess a far greater offensive foundation when drafted.
"I'm sure that's how it is for 99 percent of defensemen or young players," Neidermayer said. "As a young kid, the offense is really your focus. I think the longer you play in this league and you're around the playoffs, you understand things it takes to win and how to learn how to play good strong defense as well."
For Vatanen, it was the decision-making that needed to improve. And it's clear that it has -- Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice already mentioned Vatanen's name as a potential Norris Trophy candidate next season.
Undersized but overwhelming, he's became a more effective power-play quarterback when he learned to read the situations.
"When maybe do you take that little extra risk, maybe when do you not take that extra of risk -- those are important things to learn for a player like that," Neidermayer said. "It can result in getting caught and giving up chances the other way against us, which is what you don't want. He responds pretty quickly."
In the second round against Calgary, the Ducks top young defensive talent will face the Flames' top young offensive talent. Where Anaheim is deep and young on the blueline, its opposition is just as deep and young on the left wing with Calder Cup leader Johnny Gaudreau, Michael Ferland and Sam Bennett.
It's unique, but it also speaks to the developmental abilities of both organizations, and it's a glimpse at what both of these teams will look like in the coming seasons.
"It's really cool to see, you can kind of see the future of our team with our back end being so young," Fowler said. "I think when I'm kind of in the middle of the pack as a 23-year-old, that's something you don't see very often. It's unique and it's a great group."
Neidermayer prefers to stay out of the spotlight these days, instead deferring to his players. But with the exceptional talent level from Beauchemin, to the kids, and right down to the scratches, it appears as though the coach might have to take some credit.
"You don't see that a lot," Neidermayer said. "Not many teams in the NHL would have a group of defensemen this young playing that many important minutes. And it's fun when you work with a group like we have. I've got a long ways to go before I can be considered a good coach, but I'm doing my best to just share what I've learned from other guys."
