Responsible, reliable and defensively sound, you can always count on Jakob Silfverberg to provide the little things needed to win hockey games. Though his offensive numbers took a dip last season (he had 17 goals and 40 points in 77 games), Silfverberg shined as a defensive forward along with longtime linemates Andrew Cogliano and Ryan Kesler.
The 2017-18 campaign marked his sixth year in the league and his fifth with the Ducks. He reached the 20-assist mark for the third time in his career and the second time in as many years. The easy-going Swede also earned his 200th NHL point (assist) along with his 100th assist as a Duck on March 8 at Nashville, and appeared in his 400th career NHL game on February 24 at Arizona. Furthermore, Silfverberg recorded a career-high four-game assist streak (1g/4a) from December 23-31.
Of his 17 goals last season, two of them came in a rapid-fire sequence. In a game against the Vancouver Canucks on November 9, Silfverberg reeled off two goals in a 35-second span, marking the second fastest by a single player in franchise history. Only J.F. Jomphe did it within a shorter timeframe, scoring twice in 13 seconds in the second period of a 5-4 victory on Dec. 13, 1996 vs. Washington.
HIGHLIGHT
Video: ANA@CGY: Silfverberg cuts to middle and buries SHG
As one of the club's stalwarts on the penalty kill, Silfverberg's two-way game shined on January 6 against the Calgary Flames. Less than a minute into a four-minute PK, Silfverberg intercepted a pass in the defensive zone. With speed the other way, Silfverberg carried the puck through the neutral zone on a 2-on-2 rush with Cogliano. As he entered the zone, Silfverberg cut to the middle with Cogliano crisscrossing behind him. Freeing himself from Flames defenseman Mark Giordano and forward Johnny Gaudreau, Silfverberg found space between the dots and fired a shot through the five hole for the shorthanded tally.
OUTLOOK
With one year left on his four-year contract, Silfverberg could potentially become an unrestricted free agent next July 1 if a new deal isn't reached by then. Ducks Executive Vice President and General Manager Bob Murray has already signed Adam Henrique, Brandon Montour, John Gibson, and Ondrej Kase to contract extensions within the past month, but still has restricted free agent Nick Ritchie to lock up.
Could Silfverberg make a switch from right wing to left wing? It's a possibility, considering the plethora of right wings the Ducks have, like Kase, Corey Perry, Patrick Eaves and rookie Troy Terry.
A few milestones are on the horizon for the 27-year-old Swede. He needs just seven goals to reach 100 in his NHL career and 17 more to hit 100 as a Duck. He also needs 10 more points to hit the 200-point mark with Anaheim and 29 more games to reach 400 with the club. If Silfverberg plays 81 games this season, he will reach 500 career NHL games.
