Ryan Poehling did not arrive in Anaheim as the headliner in the Trevor Zegras trade. He is becoming one of the reasons the Ducks are still playing.
The Ducks acquired Poehling from the Philadelphia Flyers during the regular season, then signed him to a four-year contract. Through five playoff games, the 26-year-old forward has three goals on nine shots, including the overtime game-winner in Game 4. That production has helped turn a player described as a solid bottom-six forward into a timely scorer when the games have tightened.
The numbers from his regular season show why Anaheim wanted him in the first place. Poehling played 75 games, scored 11 goals and added 25 assists, while taking 94 shots. He won 48.4% of his faceoff battles, spent 42.8% of his ice time in the defensive zone, blocked 86 shots and delivered 44 hits. That is not star-level offense, but it is the kind of two-way work that can stabilize a lineup over a long season.
That profile fits the way the Ducks have been described in this playoff run, as the NHL's comeback kids with 26 come-from-behind wins and 12 third-period comebacks. Anaheim has needed contributions from players who do not always draw the most attention, and Poehling has been one of them since arriving from Philadelphia. His value is less about flash than about showing up in the right moments, which is exactly what the Ducks have asked from him.
The tension for Anaheim is that Poehling's impact is real, but it is also the kind that can be easy to miss if the goals stop coming. The contract says the Ducks believe in the depth piece they got from the trade, yet the playoff run will keep testing whether that early scoring burst is a sign of something more or just a timely stretch from a reliable role player.
