Ducks 2017-18 Player Review - Josh Manson

With the upcoming season less than two months away, AnaheimDucks.com is featuring a different Ducks player throughout the month of August (in numerical order). This annual Player Review series will highlight key stats while also keeping an eye on the 2018-19 campaign. Next up is defenseman Josh Manson.

Before the puck dropped on the 2017-18 season, Josh Manson found success.
The news came in a tweet, a personal message from the team's 6'3", 213-lb defenseman. In the video, he broke his own contract extension, a four-year pact.
Tweet from @AnaheimDucks: BREAKING: @JoshManson42 here with a special announcement! #LetsGoDucks pic.twitter.com/srU319ZutF
The excitement didn't end there.
Appearing in his fourth NHL season, Manson went on to establish career highs in goals (7), assists (30), points (37) and plus/minus (+34). In fact, he more than doubled his point output last season. He posted the second-best plus/minus rating in franchise history, trailing only Paul Kariya's plus-36 rating from 1996-97. He also led NHL defensemen and tied for third in the NHL in plus/minus.
His advanced stats remained strong as well. Manson finished second among Ducks defensemen in Corsi-For percentage at even strength, posting a 50.73. It represented a third straight plus-50% season for Manson, who's posted a 53.64% Corsi-For percentage over his NHL career.
Down two key blueliners to start the season, the Ducks leaned on Manson to help lead them on the blueline. He posted 11 points between October and November - including three in a four-game span in mid-November.
Once Hampus Lindholm returned, the duo formed one of the strongest defensive pairs in the entire league. They combined to post a gaudy 53.53 Corsi-For percentage at even strength, another year of positive shot suppression and creation. Over the last three years, Lindholm and Manson rank third among all defensemen in Corsi-For percentage at even strength, sitting at just over 54-percent (min. 1,600 minutes played together).
Manson closed the season on a strong note, finishing with five points (1g/4a) as the team pushed to capture second place in the Pacific Division.
HIGHLIGHT
Don't let his size and physical play fool you - Manson can score. Of his seven goals last season, none were as pretty as his breakaway tally against the Columbus Blue Jackets in early March at Honda Center. Shortly after his penalty expired, Manson exited the box. Francois Beauchemin flipped a rebound to center ice, finding the defenseman all alone.

The tally marked the game-winner for the Ducks.
OUTLOOK
There's no doubt the expectations remain high for Manson. His body of work to date proves he's an effective shutdown defenseman, with the ability to provide more offense from the blueline. A continued pairing with Lindholm seems certain, and the duo should continue to shoulder the load against the opposition's top units each night.