A Theory As To Why Anaheim Ducks Stars Are Underperforming

At the start of the 2014-15 season, the Anaheim Ducks made a jersey change going with the webbed-D jerseys as their primaries.

Here we are in the middle of the third year since those jersey were announced as the primaries. In this third season, fans have witnessed the numbers of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry take considerable dives.

Which led me to explore this theory; Do the jerseys play some role into their drop in production?

All theories need a start point:

Like all theories that have ever been given, you need something that leads a person into making said theory.

From the Stanley Cup year of 2006-07 to the 2013-14 season, the numbers for Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry look like this;

Dec 23, 2013; Washington, DC, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) celebrates with Ducks right wing Corey Perry (10) after winning 3-2 against the Washington Capitals at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Getzlaf: 576 games, 169 goals, 400 assists = 103 points, +103 in +/-.
8-year average: 21 goals, 50 assists = 81 points.

Corey Perry: 599 games, 250 goals, 272 assists = 522 points, +78 in +/-.
8-year average: 31 goals, 34 assists = 65 points.

These statistics were compiled in the old Anaheim Ducks Jerseys.

Since the 2014-15 season:

As the Ducks come into their game vs Minnesota on Tuesday night, these are what the numbers are since the jersey change for Getzlaf and Perry.

Getzlaf: 204 games, 47 goals, 128 assists = 175 points, +25 in +/-.
3-year average: 15 goals, 42 assists = 57 points.

Perry: 206 games 78 goals and assists = 156 points, +13 in +/-.
3-year average: 26 goals, 26 assists = 52 points.

These averages are since 2014-15 when the change was made. So how plausible is this theory really?

Let’s take it year-by-year:

If fans were to look at Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on a year-by-year statistical basis, this is what they’d see;

Ryan Getzlaf has gone from; 25 goals, 45 assists = 75 points in 2014, to 13 goals, 50 assists = 63 points last year, to 9 goals, 33 assists = 42 points this year.

The numbers show that his goal output has dropped 64%, Assists have dropped 26% and his points by 44% over the last 3 seasons.

Corey Perry has gone from; 33 goals, 22 assists = 55 points in 2014, to 34 goals, 28 assists = 62 points last year, to 11 goals, 28 assists = 39 points this year.

The numbers show that his goal output has dropped 66%, Assists have increased 27% and his points have dropped by 29% over the last 3 seasons.

Conclusion:

So is it the jerseys? If this issue was viewed on the basis of statistical analysis, math and the numbers alone, then one would say; “it is the jerseys!”

Both are 31 years of age (with Getzlaf 6 days older than Perry) and should be in their primes, so by that alone it couldn’t be age.

Is this just a simple case of 2 players having really bad luck this year? Whatever the reason fans want to use that sounds reasonable for the drop off is, 2 things for certain;