Player Review: Josh Manson

The end of the 2019-20 Ducks season was made official when the NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26. Anaheim concluded the season with a 29-33-9 record and 67 points, having played 71 games until the regular season was paused March 12 and eventually deemed completed May 26 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over this offseason we're featuring a different Ducks player in numerical order in our annual player review series highlighting key stats and moments from the past season. You can find published pieces and a full schedule on this landing page.

It was a season of growth both on and off the ice for veteran defenseman Josh Manson. The 2019-20 campaign marked Manson's sixth NHL season and saw the 28-year-old record nine points (1g/8a) and 37 penalty minutes in 50 games. An MCL sprain suffered in the opening month of the season kept him out of the lineup for 19 consecutive games (Oct. 26-Dec. 8), a disappointing setback after staying mostly injury-free over the three seasons prior.

Manson, as usual, was a workhorse when he was in the lineup. He averaged the third-most ice time per game on the team (20:38) and ranked second among Ducks defensemen in average shorthanded time on ice per contest (2:34). He logged 27:31 TOI on Feb. 7 at Toronto, only 25 seconds shy of his career best 27:56 set Dec. 2, 2018 at Washington.

A calling card of his over the years has been his physical play and a willingness to sacrifice the body, and this past season was no different. He led Ducks defensemen in hits (113) and ranked third in blocked shots (65). Since his first full NHL season (2015-16), Manson leads all Ducks in hits (862), ranks third in blocked shots (400) and paces team d-men in takeaways (146).

His lone goal this season was a long time coming. And if there was ever a way to end a 77-game scoreless drought, it couldn't have been smoother. Credit to Sam Steel for winning the draw, Cam Fowler for not forcing the issue up top, Ondrej Kase for spotting Manson creeping down from the right point and the man himself for roofing it over Nashville's Juuse Saros back on Jan. 16 at Bridgestone Arena. The goal gave the Ducks a 1-0 lead in a game they'd win 4-2.

During the time he was rehabbing from his knee injury, Manson Video: ANA@NSH: Manson goes top shelf to open scoring in Anaheim on Nov. 6 to take part in the Ducks' 13th annual S.C.O.R.E. Reading is the Goal Day. Manson read "Brady Brady and the B Team" to an auditorium full of students, and stressed the importance of education and how a lifelong love for reading and learning can benefit all students, no matter which career path they choose.

"Hopefully me being here, and the Ducks being here today, brings these kids more days that they are thinking about reading and hockey," Manson said. "And the gifts that the team leaves behind keeps hockey here now for years to come."

During the early stages of quarantine, Manson was feeling a bit nostalgic. With the 15-year anniversary of the hit sitcom The Office making the rounds on the Internet, Manson Video: ANA@NSH: Manson goes top shelf to open scoring, which also touched on an important date for he and his wife, Julie, in late April.

On April 23, the Mansons welcomed the birth of their first child, daughter Gemma Grace.

Instagram from @joshmanson42: April 23rd our lives changed for the better. Welcome to the world Gemma Grace Manson. My heart is full ❤️

Less than a month later, Manson surprised some of the team's Orange Alliance members by crashing their Zoom call to thank them for their dedication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tweet from @AnaheimDucks: Ducks defenseman and new dad @JoshManson42 surprised some of our Orange Alliance members by crashing their Zoom call to thank them for their dedication during these challenging times. Because not only do we miss our fans, we need each other. #NowMoreThanEver powered by @CoxComm. pic.twitter.com/WaBo0t03vM

As for who on the team he thinks would be most suited to portray the iconic character Dwight Schrute, Manson calls on Adam Henrique. "Who do we have on the team? [Laughs]. I've never thought about this before. It's hard to go through your lineup when you haven't been around the guys in a while. I'll say Henrique because he's a farmer. The closest thing I can think of to being a beet farmer is a tobacco farmer." (One of Henrique's first jobs was working on the family's tobacco farm in Burford, Ontario.)