In his second season with the Ducks, Brandon Montour went from exciting prospect to bonafide top-six defenseman.
His rookie season set a high bar. After making his debut, the Brantford, Ontario native collected six points and an impressive plus-11 as the team made its run to the Western Conference Final. His blend of speed and high-end offensive skills were on full display, earning him opportunities alongside Cam Fowler during the playoff run.
Armed with a lower number and some early success, Montour entered the 2017-18 season looking to cement his spot on the roster.
His early production locked him in.
With several key players out of the lineup to start the season, Montour shouldered the load and chipped in more offense. He posted four goals and seven points in 11 October games, then added six points in 13 games during November. He helped quarterback the power play and provided stellar defense in his own end.
Despite drawing tough assignments on a nightly basis, Montour posted an almost 50% Corsi-For rating while helping the team outscore opponents by 11 goals at even strength. His Corsi numbers sat just below two of the best in the league - Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson - and proved what many saw - his improved defense and his innate ability to produce quality offensive chances.
While his goal scoring cooled in the middle of the season, Montour finished with three goals over the final two months to help guide the team into a second place finish in the Pacific Division.
He finished the regular season co-leading all NHL defenseman with five game-winning goals, and ranked second among Ducks defensemen in goals (nine) and tied for second in points (32). His game-winning goals total matched a franchise record for defensemen set by Oleg Tverdovsky (1999-2000) and Niclas Havelid (2002-03).
With the increased production came increased ice time. Montour saw his average ice time increase by over three minutes, placing him among the team leaders.
HIGHLIGHT
Amalie Arena remains a tough building for the Ducks, who find themselves in tight contests with the Tampa Bay Lightning almost every time they visit. This year's trip finished with a different ending, thanks to Montour's incredible one-timer.