NASHVILLE – On Teemu Selanne night Jan. 11, the Anaheim Ducks said goodbye to their past, and ultimately saw a glimpse into the future.

Oh how corny, but so true.

In the game after the long, long ceremony, 21-year-old Rickard Rakell (dude must have some sort of awesome nickname in the locker room … Ricky Ricardo or a variation of some sort?) scored two goals and added two assists. Ducks 23-year-old defenseman Sami Vatanen scored the shootout winner in the contest and notched an assist.

Did Teemu pass his magical scoring powers down to a younger generation of Ducks? It didn’t quite work that way exactly. More than anything it was just a good night for both that has been a springboard confidence wise.

“I’m feeling good about myself and it feels good when pucks start going my way,” Rakell said.

Year after year the Pacific Division leading Ducks have been loaded up front with two dynamite scorers – Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf. But depth down the lineup has been an issue. Once the group gets to the postseason, it’s often exposed as a one-line team.

But thanks to injuries and the mumps (Perry and Francois Beauchemin have both missed extended periods of time with both problems) players such as Rakell (a first round draft choice in 2011) and Vatanen (a fourth rounder in 2009) have been thrust into bigger roles. And they’ve thrived for Anaheim. This has given them the self-assurance they need and the Ducks the right grouping of players as they head toward the stretch run.

“It’s the third year both of them as far as turning pro, and you could see a definite upswing as far as confidence,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Rakell especially lately has been very good and Vatanen has been good early on and has certainly leveled off a little bit, but he is as competitive as there is out there.“

When you’re a good team like the Ducks, if you want to stay competitive you need to develop talent drafted a little later and hope that someone hits on being a solid NHL player.

The Chicago Blackhawks have this with Brandon Saad, a second-round draft pick in 2011 who has turned into a high-end scoring forward for the team and part of its core. Now, Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews don’t need to be ‘the guys’ up front. If Saad is uncovered, he’s going to score.

For years, Anaheim has leaned on both Perry and Getzlaf to carry the group up front and Beauchemin and Cam Fowler to help on the blueline. The trade for Ryan Kesler addressed this somewhat. But with the emergence of Vatanen and Rakell, they can spread out their veterans’ minutes more than before. Also, those players won’t be quite as burdened so all can stay fresher, mentally and physically for a late-season run.

Plus, if Anaheim needs to make a trade for a big-name player as part of the playoff push (looking at you Tyler Myers) the Ducks can package one of these younger guys. It’s a win on all fronts.

“It gives us confidence that we can play big minutes and have a chance to play,” Vatanen said. “Every young player on this team has been playing well. That’s the main thing … that we get better.”

And better they have gotten … by a lot. Including the Selanne game, Rakell has notched nine points in his last eight contests, which is one more than he had in the previous 32. Along with the poise he has acquired, he has also played in spots that lend to more offensive situations. Namely with the man-advantage.

“Maybe the biggest thing is I’ve gotten the chance to play on the power play, and when our power play has been working you get points too,” he said.

Vatanen is averaging about 4:30 more ice-time per-game and has eclipsed his previous high in points (21 in 48 games last season) with 31 in 51 contests this year.

“I know how to handle different things and I have a chance to play big minutes,” Vatanen said.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper

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