Frank Vatrano Used Breakout Season to Become Ducks’ MVP

The 30-year-old winger had a couple of nine-game stretches without finding the back of the net in 2023-24 but managed to be a much more steady presence on the scoresheet en route to a breakout showing. He tallied a career-high 37 goals, shattering his best of 24 markers from 2018-19, which came as a member of the Florida Panthers, and produced a personal best 60 points across 82 games. He had only reached the 40-point plateau once in his career before the 2023-24 campaign. He doubled the number of hat tricks in his career by providing three, including one in the Ducks’ season finale versus the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Vatrano Earns First Career All-Star Nod 

Vatrano was unsurprisingly the Ducks’ representative for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto on Feb. 3. At the time of his selection, he was leading the team in goals (18), points (27), game-winning goals (four), and power-play points (nine) through 37 appearances. Troy Terry led the club offensively with 37 points prior to the All-Star Break, just ahead of Vatrano’s 36.

“It’s an honor, something I never thought I would accomplish in my career,” the undrafted Vatrano said after the selection. “To be a part of that, I’m excited for that. Guys in that room helped me to get to the point where I’m at right now, so if it wasn’t for those guys in that room, I wouldn’t be in that position I’m in.”

It was a memorable display on the ice for him during the All-Star festivities. As a member of Team Hughes, he paced his squad in scoring with two goals and one assist in a 6-5 shootout loss to Team Matthews, who went on to win the tournament against Team McDavid. Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet correctly predicted that Vatrano would score after calling a goal from Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators shortly before.

Vatrano Provides Much-Needed Finishing Ability 

The Ducks rank 32nd in the league with 2.53 goals per game since the 2019-20 season. The team finished 30th overall with 2.48 goals per game in 2023-24. Corey Perry was the last player to surpass the 40-goal plateau for the Ducks, with 43 tallies in 2013-14. Vatrano came close to that elusive total, matching Terry’s 37-goal output from 2021-22. Additionally, Vatrano’s career-high 13 power-play goals was the highest for a Ducks player in a single season since Perry scored 14 times on the man advantage in 2011-12. Vatrano’s offensive outburst was a welcome sight for a team that has seriously been lacking in offense for a while. He also had a personal best of 272 shots on goal in 2023-24 while adding a career-high three shorthanded markers. 

Vatrano has been quick to credit his teammates with the success he enjoyed on the scoresheet. “I think it had to do with an opportunity and playing with great players,” he said during his exit interview. “I think playing with [Ryan Strome, Trevor Zegras, Alex Killorn and Mason McTavish], all those guys like to make plays and made the game a lot easier on me. For me, I was trying to just get those guys the puck and try to be in the right place at the right time. A lot of my success came from all the guys I played with this year.” His modesty notwithstanding, he created plenty of chances for himself and his teammates. He led the Ducks with an Individual Expected Goals Created of 24.85% and in high-danger scoring chances created by a player. He also topped the team with 39 rebounds created. 

Vatrano Entering Final Year of His Contract

Vatrano will be eligible for unrestricted free agency at the end of the 2024-25 season. He has expressed interest in re-signing with the Ducks, but there will probably be plenty of trade rumors swirling around him again. Vatrano was a hot commodity going into the 2024 trade deadline, which resulted in general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek attaching a high asking price to acquire the forward’s services. Verbeek made it clear to other GMs that he was willing to wait until his demands were met.

The question for the Ducks is whether Vatrano has become a long-term fit for the organization or a potential trade chip. If he can replicate his impressive performance from 2023-24, he will be a valuable depth scorer. The Ducks will be looking for more from McTavish, Zegras, Killorn, Cutter Gauthier, and Leo Carlsson. It’s an intriguing collection of forwards who are capable of finding another level offensively. Vatrano should be able to carve out an integral role for himself within the team’s top-six group following his MVP effort.

Statistics courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.