DRAMA: Anaheim Ducks Fans demand ANSWERS as Frank Vatrano’s Production PLUMMETS—Future in JEOPARDY?

DRAMA: Anaheim Ducks Fans demand ANSWERS as Frank Vatrano’s Production PLUMMETS—Future in JEOPARDY?

The Ducks continue moving along, but veteran Frank Vatrono finding himself on the fourth line. Does this mean this guy’s out? Is he on the out and out of this team or the league? What’s going on with Frank Petrono? Find out on this episode of Locked On Anaheim Ducks. [Music] Your Locked On Ducks, your daily podcast on the Anaheim Ducks, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Hello every welcome to Locked On Anaheim Ducks, part of the Locked On Network, now the number one sports podcast network. If you uh today’s episode actually is brought to you by FanDuel. If you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanduel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. If you’re a new listener, I have been a longtime fan of the Anaheim Ducks and I’ve spent multiple years covering collegiate sports, including college hockey. But here on Lockdown Anaheim Ducks, every day we’re talking about the NHL Anaheim Ducks. And boy have they been cruising along coming off a big W on Monday. Uh couple of things we got to get into today. The the Ducks are going to be back home on Wednesday taking on the Utah Mammoth. And looking at the standings, uh I got to ask like is is this the tightest standings race pointswise in a long long time? Uh we’ll get into that later. And to start things off though, I kind of teased at the beginning there, but Frank Vrono, uh, we got to dive into Frank Vrono and what’s going on with him and, you know, is is he losing his edge or is he just playing a role? Like, is he is he playing well, but his role on the team just doesn’t allow him to pop off like he did before? And, you know, is it is it time to trade him? Is that is that where we’re at? Is it is it the is it time to use the Frank Vrono piece to get someone else into this lineup? And I’m going to tell you off the bat, it may look like it, but I think he is a big part of this Anaheim Ducks team and this game plan. And I don’t think he’s going to be traded this year or anytime soon. And I’ll tell you exactly why here. Uh but kind of just going over uh what happened with him or what what we’re seeing as fans and kind of what uh the numbers say for him and whether or not he is actually playing well or what is going on with him. So looking at on paper right now Frank Vitrono only three points, two goals and one assist. Uh however, if you’re looking at where he was in the lineup in the past years compared to now, uh he has found himself more towards the bottom six. Uh getting some fourthline minutes, third line minutes, and you know, he’s an extremely big hitter. Uh he’s not big himself, but he hits big. And he’s very, very aggressive on the forche. And that is something you can’t really teach someone. Like you can kind of teach him, but to have the grit and tenacity that Frank Vetrono has, a lot of that is just who he is as a person. Um, right now in the the season, Frank is minus 10. Uh, 16 penalty minutes, taken 43 shots already. Um, 60 hits though. That’s what’s crazy. 60 hits already. Last year he had like 120 or something and that was a whole season. Uh 60 hits already for Frank. And that’s part of that that fourth line grind. That’s that for check the the keeping guys hemmed in their zone. Like I I I’ll get into it more, but there’s there’s a lot of good stuff going between Vrono and Ross Johnson. I think um right now two takeaways. She has two takeaways, nine giveaways. looks tough, but that’s kind of common amongst the Ducks players right now. Um, giveaways seem to be a little bit higher than the takeaways on the the Ducks roster right now as I’ve been griping about their their unfortunate turnovers in the the neutral zone or the defensive zone leading to goals. Um, but we’re talking about Frank right now. So, the average time on ice for Frank Vrono is 12:21 right now. So that’s the average time on ice this season. Down from 1733 last year and 1821 the year prior to last year. So little bit down on the ice time, but again that comes from not being on that second line like he was the last couple of years. Um, I I think what we’re seeing here with Frank Vrono and, you know, I see a lot of negativity about him on social media and people yelling and calling him out and saying that, you know, Frank the Tank ain’t it or Frank Vrono is not doing this, he’s not doing that, blah blah blah. I think we got spoiled like honestly as Ducks fans, I think we got spoiled when it came to Vrono and seeing what kind of performance he has. uh considering his career year ever in his 10 years of being in the NHL, his best season was 23 24 where he had 60 points, 37 goals, 23 assists. And then last year, 45 points, 21 goals, 24 assists. But then you look at his other years before that, like with Anaheim, he his first year here, 19 points or sorry, 41 points. Uh that was 19 assists. 41 points for Frank, his first year here, 60 the next and then 45. Now he’s sitting at three. But when he was with Florida, 19 points, 13 points with the Rangers, a total of 32 points that year, uh 26 points with Florida the year prior, 34, 39, 2, 8, 10, 18, and 11. So, he’s not the biggest point getter. Like, that’s not really the role that Frank Vrono is built for or necessarily supposed to be. like that’s just not that type of player that he is. Like yeah, we the the Ducks got lucky and we as fans got lucky watching him pop off with the Anaheim Ducks, but all of a sudden he got put into this role that was higher up in the lineup and he had to be that guy. Now he doesn’t really have to be that guy. He’s got a great great thing going on with um with Ross Johnson. I I think Vrono and Johnston for that fourth that fourthline forch check is a powerhouse. They they both just dominate players. They’re super physical. They know their angles well and they they end up hemming guys in and causing turnovers pretty well. Like the a lot of the scoring comes from that fourth line grinding dudes down and then Leo Carlson coming out, Cutter Goce, one of those guys coming out and getting a goal. And uh right now Vrono second on the team in hits with 60 and you got Ross Johnston right above him with 66. So those two just smashing bodies. Um, I I honestly like I I just think he’s being a a big team player right now and that is something we cannot cannot be upset about and we cannot take this out on Vrono or or try to to to call for, you know, call for trades or whatever is going on with all the negativity on social media because I I really don’t think we’re we’re watching a different regressed Vrono. We’re just watching of a Toronto that’s in a different position who has a different responsibility this year than trying to get goals on the board for this team. Do I think he’s capable of getting more and he’s kind of gotten snake bit a bit? Absolutely. I I think he could definitely have more than three points this year. And there are times when I’m like, man, like that would have been a beautiful Frank Vrono moment. But this fourth line, third line, bottom six type situation that he’s in, I think is a huge huge bonus to the team. I think he’s playing it really well. I think he adds that value and he’s he’s not complaining. I don’t think he is. I I think he’s accepted where he’s at and and he’s buzzing out there. And you also got to look like but Toronto is a big part of why these veteran players came to the team like Strowmer K and and uh Krider now like these guys are kind of the ones who set the tone and like hey like you want to come out here this is this is a good spot you know um right now like looking at trades and looking at things like that like he just started his first year of a three-year deal at 4.5 million a year. Uh so kind of unfortunate that that contract just started um with what we’re seeing, but again, I think he’s he’s filling a role really well. 4.5 million for for what he’s doing. Possibly not necessarily the best deal. Uh, but again, I I I just think that there’s more to come with Vrono and his role here and and we can’t ride him off yet, but he is is kind of a dangly trade piece with that 4.5 million a year cuz with that cap going up and what he can do, some teams are going to be hungry and desperate. They might want someone like that. I just think that it’s not necessary right now. I think the chemistry going on in that locker room is where it needs to be and I don’t see the Ducks really being able to get someone with Vrono without giving up other pieces as well that’s going to benefit the team more than what Vrono does with his role on the team. So Frank Vrono not heading out of town. Possibly a trade piece to Dangle, but I don’t see it. I don’t see it. Frank Vrono, he’s here. He’s not getting as many points, but he’s playing his role and he’s playing good hockey. So, Frankie V, we love you. Uh, coming up though, we got to talk about this points race. I I the standings in the NHL are absolutely absurd, and we’ll get into that next. NFL Sundays move fast. one big play and suddenly everything feels different. That’s what makes live betting with FanDuel so exciting. You’re not just watching the game, you’re reading, reacting to it in real time, reading it. Uh with FanDuel, you can place bets as the action unfolds. Every drive, every momentum swing, every highlight moment. Live betting is best when the game starts to shift. A receiver gets hot, a defense tightens up, or the momentum flips over a turnover. FanDuel lets you jump in the moment. Live spreads and money lines adjust instantly. Player props update as guys heat up. You can bet next touchdown scorers, drive results, totals, and more. It keeps you locked into every snap, every drive, every possibility. Right now, currently on FanDuel, Dallas Cowboys plus 130 for Thursday against the Lions. Detroit Lions who are minus 154. So those money lines right there, that’s going to change during the game too. So maybe pick up that plus 130 on Dallas. See how the game goes, change things up, you know, get that buffer. We’ll see what goes on. So if you want to be right in the middle of the action this season, visit fanuel.com and place your NFL live bets all season long. FanDuel, the game moves fast and so can you. So before we get into this crazy point standings race, I want to say thank you for making Locked on Anaheim Ducks your first listen of the day and thank you for making Locked on the number one sports podcast network. We couldn’t do it without our everyday. Uh history is an interesting interesting subject. Like when it comes to sports, I think history is just so confusing because in the moment, I swear it always feels like the season that you are currently in is the craziest season you’ve ever witnessed. And it’s like there’s never been anything more insane before and everything’s the biggest, the brightest, everything in that season is like the thing that has happened. like you you can’t remember any type of historical run that’s been similar, but when it comes to the point race in this season, I think this is a crazy season. And again, it might be recency bias and to really look. It’s I wish I had the computer knowledge and experience to really go down and dive down and get all of the like what the points were at this day uh the last like 10 years or whatever, but this point race is so close among the entire league. It’s like every single game is a do or die game when it comes to the standings. Like it is December 2nd right now and these are the standings currently. Like the points are just absurd. You’ve got uh Tampa Bay 34, Ottawa 30, Detroit 30, and then in the metro you’ve got Carolina 34, Washington Capitals 34, New Jersey Devils 33, and then the wild card 31, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia 31. Right under that wild card, New York 31, Rangers 30, Bruins 30, Montreal Canadians 29, Columbus Blue Jackets 29, Toronto 27, Buffalo 26, Florida Panthers 25. Like point point ties points point like it is there was not a lot of separation. Then we look at the West obviously Colorado Avalanche are not even fair this year. They are psychos. Uh, Colorado 44 points, Dallas 39, Minnesota 35. Then in the Pacific, you got the Ducks 33, Vegas 32, LA 31, San Jose 29, Seattle 28. Those two are the wild cards. Then under the wild cards, you got Chicago at 28, Utah 27, Edmonton 27, Winnipeg 26, St. Louis 25, Vancouver 23, Nashville 22, Calgary 22. So, every single little point race is either tied or one point off. Like the Ducks literally have to play every game as if they are going to lose their wild card spot that next game because everyone’s so close. It’s like, yeah, they got a little bit of buffer right now, but every game is so important. And I don’t remember a year, I mean beyond the Ducks, but in the league where every game was so important for every team where it was just points off this deep into the season. And right now, like every game is so crucial. It’s just so so crucial for the standings or even to try to climb the standings. Good luck. Like, thank goodness Anaheim is where they are right now and that they’re at the top and they kind of get to keep fighting and holding that spot. If they were down at that like wildcard buffer area, that that would be I think harder on Anaheim than it would be right now. Like that would be insane to try to climb up this onepoint little ladder that’s going on in the league right now. Uh like with with Vegas right behind Anaheim, they it it seems like they are every other day they’re playing like it’s like Ducks play Monday, Vegas plays Tuesday, Ducks play Wednesday, Vegas plays Thursday. So every single loss that happens I’m like ripping my hair out because I’m like, “Well, Vegas is going to catch us now. Vegas is going to catch the Ducks. They’re going to surpass them in the standings.” And then somehow Vegas either loses or only gets a a an OT point or something like somehow the Ducks are just staying there. But it’s just it’s such an exciting race right now for the entire league. Like the wild card chases the the the teams literally change daily if not every 12 hours it feels like with who’s in the wild card, who’s out. Um, for both the Pacific, uh, the West and the East, it’s like in and out. Guys are changing. The top three is always changing. I think the only top three that’s going to stay the same now, uh, at least the top two is that that Central division with Colorado and Dallas. It’s going to be really hard to see those two get bumped out. They’re the two top teams in the entire league right now. But the rest of the divisions, like it the top three could change at least weekly. like you’re going to see different teams in the standings and it’s finally getting to that point where we’re in the season of this is where teams are going to start falling into place. Like you’re going to have teams like Edmonton finally get things together and start moving up the the the win column. You’re going to have teams like uh you know, I mean Vegas has been there, but they’re going to get solid even more. uh you’re going to have on the east you got teams like Tampa’s all of a sudden taking off now and getting things together. Like there are those teams that have been good and that we expected to to have like decent seasons this year that seem to be a little downhill from where they should be. But those teams they they’ve been there. They’ve been in the playoffs. They know the regular season’s a long regular season. They know the attrition that the playoffs causes to you. So, I think these teams are just kind of taking their pace there. It’s like as long as they get in, as long as they get to that wild card spot, as long as they get into that playoff spot, that’s all that’s going to matter for them because once the playoffs kick, they know what to do. For the Ducks, though, they they don’t have that luxury. They don’t have that luxury right now. They got to battle. They got to keep up. They got to keep working hard and get used to the day in day out because if and when those playoffs come though I said if and when uh those playoffs come they will have a whole new ball game to play. You know like they just got a hang of the regular season and how to really play in the NHL uh for the regular season and how to really you know go toe-to-toe with some of these teams. Well, playoffs is going to be a whole different ballgame, a whole different monster. So, I hope the Ducks are enjoying this and that they’re they’re really watching this. I mean, I don’t think the players are watching it, but I know that the the team is overall, but watching this point race and just watching the success and and really emphasizing like these are must-win games almost every single day. So, quite the season, quite the energy, quite the rush. Um, the next competition for Anaheim is the Utah Mammoth coming up on Wednesday at the Honda Center. We’ll get into what to expect right after this. When I’m hydrated, everything just works better. My focus, energy, mood, even my skin. That’s why I’ve been using Drip Drop. It’s doctordeveloped hydration that keeps me running at full power no matter what my day looks like. Dip Drop isn’t your average sports drink. It delivers three times the electrolytes, half the sugar of leading brands using a sciencebacked formula trusted by medical professionals, firefighters, and over 90% of top college and pro teams. I like using Drip Drop as part of my daily routine. I’ll mix a packet in the morning before the gym or during that midday slump. Right now, Drip Drop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code locked on NHL. That’s dripdrop.com. Promo code locked on NHL for 20% off. Stock up now before the heat hits hard and keep your body and mind performing at their best with Drip Drop. So, the Ducks are headed to take on the Utah Mammoth at home on Wednesday at the old Honda Center. Uh, this game is going to be a national broadcast on TNT. So, a lot of eyes on the Ducks tonight and we got to deal with Biznast Paul Bissanet uh on TNT. He’s a huge Tusky fan now. Apparently, the mascot of the Utah Mammoth, but no one can ever ever beat Wild Wing. Best mascot in the league. Wild Wing and the best goalender in the mascot league. So, watch out. Anaheim. Uh let’s see here. So with that Wednesday game, I do want to give a shout out to the Liers. Uh the Liers are a kind of a veteran team as well that are mostly out of Lakewood Ice, but a couple of the guys that I play with, they started that. So they will be playing after the game doing a little uh postgame scrimmage. So stick around and if you’re at the HANA Center, support some vets and have some fun watching some beer leaguers. So that will happen after the game. But look, back to the NHL here. Last time these two met, the Anaheim Ducks and the Utah Mammoth, it was at the Honda Center, and the Ducks took the game in OT. Looks like for Anaheim on Wednesday, it’s still going to be Billy Huso in net. Uh fortunately, Lucasto Stall still out on IR looking like that two to three weeks should be right. So hopefully on the closer side of the two uh as he’s already been out a week. And then Peter Morazzic with that groin. It looks like I’m assuming it’s the groin. Obviously, you know, they don’t tell us specifically. It says upper body, lower body, whatever, but it looked like it was his groin. And Peter Morazzic now looking to be out a couple of weeks as well. So you got Billy Huso and Bettz up here in Anaheim. It’s going to be crazy when he finally hits the net. If he has if if Bettz has to hit the net, oh boy, it’s going to be wild. But looking at Utah, they have played 27 games. They are 12 and three. They are exactly NHL 500. So the goalie differential right now for Utah is minus3. They’re pretty tight games between Utah and their opponents. They they keep it either a one-point game or an OT game. It’s pretty pretty tough sledding against the Utah Mammoth this year. They take just under 29 shots per game on average. Like I think it was like 28.95 or 85 or something like that. Uh they give up the least amount of shots though per game. They are the most stringent when it comes to getting shots off in the league at 24.26 shots per game. So the Ducks, they are going to have to work for goals against this Utah team. This is going to be a challenge. I think they showed what they can do against San Jose or San Jose, St. Louis. They they had a good showing there. Uh but Utah is definitely not going to give up anything easy for them. They’re going to make the Ducks earn this win tonight. Uh especially with how tight they are on not allowing shots. And we’ve seen when the Ducks cannot get shots and they’re they’re having a hard time getting uh in and like getting danger chances on a goalie. and if they get a hot goalie, they end up having a tough time because their defense sort of lacking uh the the goalending situation. So, the Ducks are really going to have to prioritize defense in this game. That’s going to be probably the main main message in this one going to the players. It’s Yeah, it’s it’s going to be tough. The the goalie situation and how how this team can get kind of hemmed in offensively. Ducks are going to have to earn it. They’re going to have to battle hard. The team leader for Utah in points is Logan Kulie with 23, followed by Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz with 22 each. Koulie also leads the team in goals with 14, followed by Schmaltz and JJ Purka with 10. Uh Carl Vamela is the goalender. That’s their primary. Has 20 games played, 107 and2 record, 882% save percentage, and or82 save percentage. Uh and he’s got a 2.87 goals against average. up. Not the strongest goalender, but also he he is like it’s that’s weird numbers cuz he has a pretty low goals against average, but the the save percentage looks hot like not as good because like I said, they’re not really giving up shots. So, when they do go in, they go in and that’s something Ducks will definitely have to look to take advantage of. And then if they want if the if the Mammoth decide to send out VTEC Vanichek against Anaheim even though their last game was Monday. So Vamela should be good. Uh but Vanichek has eight games played. He’s 25 and one 869 save percentage and 3.11 goals against average. So Ducks have their work cut out for him. Ryan Stro looks like he was probably going to get healthy scratched again. uh he’s been healthy, scratched a couple couple the last games there and I think it’s hard because he was injured and you know started the season not with the team and that’s when the Ducks had a lot of their initial success and uh you know Quenville I think wants a little bit more out of him and there’s just some things that need to be worked out in Ryan Stro’s game. Not saying that he’s slow or anything, but I think there’s just a little a little kip in his step that he needs to get uh working on. So, uh most likely this team though will go with that 11 and seven setup again because of Ryan Stro being health bomb there. Uh and that’s means 11 forwards, seven defenseman. So, most likely Ian Moore will be kind of switching back and forth. We’ve seen that a couple times this year and I I kind of like it. But, uh, Ian Moore getting forward minutes and defensive minutes depending on the situation. So, uh, that’s what Wednesday’s going to be looking like against the Utah Mammoth. Again, this point race, very, very close. So, hopefully Anaheim comes up with a W, at least an OT point to give them another stretch over the Vegas Golden Knights. And Frank Vrono, give him some grief, guys. you know, he’s playing a role. He’s doing what he’s supposed to. He’s participating on this team, and he’s doing what the coach is asking of him, and we’ve got to appreciate that. We got to appreciate the hits, the forche, everything that’s going on in for Toronto’s game. Just give him that support, guys. Come on. Let’s go, Frankie V. But I want to say thank you for making Locked on Anaheim Ducks your first listen today. For your second listen, check out the allnew Locked on NHL Game Night. Every game, every night, until a Stanley Cup champion is crowned. Get local analysis on a national scale. Find NHL Game Night on Locked on NHL on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Go like and subscribe to the Locked on Anaheim Ducks podcast on YouTube. If you’re not listen watching on YouTube or if you’re watching, go subscribe on Apple Podcast or Spotify where you can listen and go hit us up on social media. X, Tik Tok, uh, Instagram, Blue Sky, whatever it is, we’re there. Come have a chat with us. As always, I’m Kyle Carr. Be good out there.

Anaheim Ducks fans voice frustration as veteran Frank Vatrano shifts to the fourth line—does this signal a looming trade or a strategic transformation? With just three points so far, Vatrano’s gritty forecheck and physicality remain crucial, but is his lower scoring output a sign of decline, or simply a change in role?

Kyle Kjer scrutinizes the Ducks’ lineup decisions, Vatrano’s contract status, and how his chemistry with Ross Johnston powers Anaheim’s bottom six. The episode also spotlights the fiercely tight NHL standings race, the Ducks’ challenge against the Utah Mammoth, and key roster updates like Ryan Strome’s healthy scratch. With trade rumors swirling and every game impacting the playoff race, listeners get a candid look at whether the Ducks can maintain their edge—and if Frank Vatrano’s hard-nosed play will keep him in Anaheim.

0:00 – Vatrano’s Role & Status
Kyle Kjer teases discussion about Frank Vatrano’s placement on the Ducks’ fourth line, questions about his future on the team or as a potential trade piece.

3:30 – Vatrano’s Impact & Stats
Deep dive into Frank Vatrano’s current season, underlying stats (hits, points, giveaways), defensive contributions, and why Kyle Kjer argues he’s still valuable to the Ducks despite reduced scoring.

13:35 – NHL Standings Analysis
Discussion shifts to the tight points race across the league, with Kyle Kjer breaking down current standings, playoff implications, and how this season compares historically.

22:35 – Ducks vs Utah Mammoth Preview
Preview of Anaheim’s upcoming game against Utah, matchup details, lineups, goaltending situation, and keys for the Ducks to secure a win.

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