RALEIGH, N.C. – Something new happened to Carl Hagelin on Friday and it wouldn’t be anything to remember or take pride in.

It was already a forgettable beginning to his Ducks career when the third period started against the New York Islanders and Hagelin was sitting on the bench with his teammates. And he continued to sit as all but two of them took turns hopping over the boards onto the ice.

Hagelin didn’t play a shift in the final 20 minutes of action as the Ducks went on to a 4-1 loss. A $4 million-a-year winger who was already moved down to the fourth line Friday wasn’t deemed worthy of usage in a comeback attempt that never materialized.

The player that the Ducks got with great fanfare from the New York Rangers at the June draft saw a career-low five minutes and 31 seconds of total ice time.

“Yeah, of course it stings but it’s something I did to myself,” Hagelin said. “I think I was minus-2 at the time in the game. We needed a goal and I haven’t been productive. More important, I haven’t been good enough defensively. Too many minuses.

“That’s not the type of player I am. That’s not the player I’m trying to be. I just got to figure it out. Got to be strong on the puck. Harder on the puck. Harder to play against. Do what I can on the ice.”

The first few weeks of Hagelin’s time with the Ducks have been rough to say the least. The speedy winger was hurt in the preseason and hasn’t found his place with his new team. And the coaching staff has had difficulty finding the right spot for him or simply been unable to.

Hagelin has just two points in 17 games and his only goal came three weeks ago in Dallas. He’s never been a big point producer but the Ducks were certainly counting on him reaching his averages of 16 goals and 33 points, which he isn’t close to doing at this point.

On Friday, the Swede was only on the ice for one goal against. But the former University of Michigan standout is a minus-7 after a plus-rating player throughout his time on Broadway. Even on the NHL’s top-ranked penalty kill, Hagelin has had minimal impact.

“Of course, it surprises you,” Ducks coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He’s coming from the best defensive team in the league last year in the Rangers. I don’t know if it’s a systemized thing or trying to do too much when you’re struggling.

“Sometimes what happens is players try to do too much. They think, ‘Oh, I’m not going good, I’ve got to check that guy, I’ve got to check that guy.’ Instead of just doing their job and letting everybody do their job.”

Hagelin said his biggest issue is not being more effective in the defensive side of his game. He said he and Boudreau have had conversations about his play but added that “it’s just a matter of me figuring it out.”

“I think there’s been games where I felt good but not enough of them,” Hagelin said. “I’ve been too inconsistent. And as far as my place, we’re a team that hasn’t been winning. We do a lot of switching lines. I don’t think anyone has really found their place.

“It’s a matter of start winning and just focusing on being more consistent. Playing the way I can.”

Hagelin isn’t the only one. One look through the Ducks’ roster and the lack of returns on the sizable investments made would make a financial planner recoil in horror.

Chicago’s Patrick Kane leads the NHL with 13 goals and 28 points. Those two numbers easily top the combined production between Hagelin, Ryan Getzlaf ($9.25 million in 2015-16), Ryan Kesler ($5 million), Jakob Silfverberg ($4.5 million) and Andrew Cogliano ($2.9 million).

Corey Perry ($9 million) also had an awful start but has been their only big name to produce, with all five of his goals and 10 of his 11 points coming in the last nine games.

“Anytime you have the amount of goals that are in this locker room, you’re kind of surprised we’re not scoring,” Getzlaf said. “We’re trying to do certain things. We’ve got to get better at certain things in order to get those goals.

“I know what’s expected of me. The goals haven’t come like I hoped at the start of this season. All I can do is keep pushing forward and find a way to get some.”

WAGNER CLAIMED

While their high-priced forwards continue to struggle, the Ducks were unable to hold on to low-cost grinder Chris Wagner as the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday claimed the young center off waivers.

Wagner was put on waivers by the Ducks on Saturday when they called up forwards Nick Ritchie and Michael Sgarbossa from the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League.

It was the second time this season that the Ducks tried to get Wagner through waivers with the intent of assigning him to the Gulls. Because he surpassed the threshold of 10 games played, Wagner once again required waivers after the Ducks called him up on Oct. 26.

Wagner appeared in 11 games with the Ducks this season and went scoreless with a minus-2 rating and 17 penalty minutes. Physical play kept him in the lineup but his final game ended with him on the bench Friday with Hagelin and Max Friberg for the entire third period.

HOLZER RETURNS

The Ducks recalled defenseman Korbinian Holzer from San Diego. Holzer, who’s lately been their extra on the blue line, was sent down Saturday and played in the Gulls’ game against San Jose.

Contact the writer: estephens@ocregister.com