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The Anaheim Ducks went from waddlers to nearly being a Cinderella team in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs. Out of the running for the post season on March 1, Ducks GM Bob Murray made some key personnel moves that helped propel the 2007 Stanley Cup Champions back into the picture.
After shocking the Sharks, the Ducks came oh-so-close to pecking the Red Wings out of a return chance to maintain the Mug.
So what's next for the Orange County Quackers?
The view from the local perspective, from The Orange Country Register:
How much will Ducks change?
The Ducks not only salvaged their season, they carved out a future. But can they make that future brighter by getting a scorer and still keeping Chris Pronger?
Mark Whicker/Orange County Register, May 15, 2009
This is the Morning After. The Ducks were dreading the Season After. Everything about them was built for 2009, like a gallant old Buick with its warranty up.
In mid-February, with the Ducks trailing Phoenix in the standings, it seemed logical to panic. Trade Chris Pronger, trade Jean-Sebastien Giguere, trade Scott Niedermayer, trade all the above and begin the excavation. Hit the bottom quick so you can hit the surface quicker. That's Salary Cap Hockey, you know.
General manager Bob Murray tried something different.
He dealt Travis Moen, Chris Kunitz and Samuel Pahlsson. On March 4, after he brought such vague names as Wisniewski, Whitney, Christensen and Nokaleinen, Murray warned the remaining Ducks that the 2008-09 season was still in play. "I'm going to be watching very carefully to make sure they understand that," he said.
We all watched. And they did.
With 56 minutes and 59 seconds gone in Game 7 of the second round, the Ducks were tied with the defending Stanley Cup champions. Had they won they would have played a dangerous but beardless Chicago team. Boston, the toughest Eastern contender, lost at home to Carolina, in Game 7 overtime, shortly after Detroit's Dan Cleary pulled down the curtains on the Ducks.
(Note to those commandos of the NBA: Winning a clinching game on a visiting court/rink is legal. Carolina and Pittsburgh both did it.)
"It was a second-half success," Ryan Getzlaf said Thursday, as the victory music still rocked Joe Louis Arena. "We made some moves and got into the playoffs and did well. Now it's up to Mr. Murray. I'm sure things will be different next year, but I'm confident he'll do a good job."
The cap, and mandates from the front office, will complicate Murray's summer, but he's already done much of the lifting. Defensemen James Wisniewski and Ryan Whitney were critical. Petteri Nokaleinen looked like a useful center, especially on penalty kills.
Wisniewski is a restricted free agent whom the Ducks can keep by matching any offer sheet. It seems imperative that they do, if you remember Dustin Penner.
Whitney has a manageable contract through 2013, and he'll make $3.5 million next year, and maybe he'll be healthier and more prominent from the beginning.
The process all starts at the familiar door of Scott Niedermayer. The captain, now a free agent, did make a point of saying the stretch drive had been fun.
Niedermayer had a terrific playoff. It should be noted that hockey pulls him as hard as most players; on July 1, 2007, he flatly stated that he was "strongly leaning" toward retirement, and in December he was back.
And the 2010 Olympics are in his native British Columbia.
Up front, there are no more Bobby Ryans on the immediate horizon, and it's doubtful Murray can get a quality forward without trading either Chris Pronger or Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Brian Burke gave Giguere a no-trade clause with his $24 million, four-year contract. Giguere has $13 million and two years coming.
No-trades aren't forever. Dan Boyle had one at Tampa Bay and he's now in San Jose.
Giguere wasn't happy on the bench, but Jonas Hiller is clearly a No. 1 goalie now. Hiller made 494 saves in the playoffs, 89 more than anyone else in the NHL, and leads the postseason with a .943 save percentage. To compare, Washington's Simeon Varlamov played 13 games, as Hiller did, and was asked to make 137 fewer saves.
Giguere might be difficult to move, but don't forget that Chicago invested $12.3 million in goalies Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet.
Pronger? He makes $6.25 million in '10, the final year of his deal. But he's not as old as you think. He only turns 35 in October. Remember, the Ducks didn't win a Cup until they got Pronger, and they will become alarmingly civilized to play against, if he's gone.
The most logical destination is St. Louis, Pronger's old slashing ground. The Blues have a cluster of young scorers. They would welcome Pronger to play with emerging defenseman Erik Johnson.
The Ducks will probably ask for T.J. Oshie and get turned down, but Patrick Berglund is a centerman who looks intriguing. Berglund had 21 goals and was plus-19 in his rookie year, and he is signed through 2011, when he will only make $765,000. Of course, that also makes him attractive to the Blues.
Francois Beauchemin might be too expensive to keep, with Brian Salcido up-and-coming, but the Ducks would miss Todd Marchant horribly if he signs elsewhere.
Whatever happens, the Ducks have built a bridge to next season, even if it fell just a bit short of Chicago, like the Blues Brothers movie.
It might stretch all the way to shore if the Ducks bring a band back together that includes Chris Pronger.
Contact the writer: [url=mailto://mwhicker@ocregister.com]mwhicker@ocregister.com[/url]
---
Your thoughts?
After shocking the Sharks, the Ducks came oh-so-close to pecking the Red Wings out of a return chance to maintain the Mug.
So what's next for the Orange County Quackers?
The view from the local perspective, from The Orange Country Register:
How much will Ducks change?
The Ducks not only salvaged their season, they carved out a future. But can they make that future brighter by getting a scorer and still keeping Chris Pronger?
Mark Whicker/Orange County Register, May 15, 2009
This is the Morning After. The Ducks were dreading the Season After. Everything about them was built for 2009, like a gallant old Buick with its warranty up.
In mid-February, with the Ducks trailing Phoenix in the standings, it seemed logical to panic. Trade Chris Pronger, trade Jean-Sebastien Giguere, trade Scott Niedermayer, trade all the above and begin the excavation. Hit the bottom quick so you can hit the surface quicker. That's Salary Cap Hockey, you know.
General manager Bob Murray tried something different.
He dealt Travis Moen, Chris Kunitz and Samuel Pahlsson. On March 4, after he brought such vague names as Wisniewski, Whitney, Christensen and Nokaleinen, Murray warned the remaining Ducks that the 2008-09 season was still in play. "I'm going to be watching very carefully to make sure they understand that," he said.
We all watched. And they did.
With 56 minutes and 59 seconds gone in Game 7 of the second round, the Ducks were tied with the defending Stanley Cup champions. Had they won they would have played a dangerous but beardless Chicago team. Boston, the toughest Eastern contender, lost at home to Carolina, in Game 7 overtime, shortly after Detroit's Dan Cleary pulled down the curtains on the Ducks.
(Note to those commandos of the NBA: Winning a clinching game on a visiting court/rink is legal. Carolina and Pittsburgh both did it.)
"It was a second-half success," Ryan Getzlaf said Thursday, as the victory music still rocked Joe Louis Arena. "We made some moves and got into the playoffs and did well. Now it's up to Mr. Murray. I'm sure things will be different next year, but I'm confident he'll do a good job."
The cap, and mandates from the front office, will complicate Murray's summer, but he's already done much of the lifting. Defensemen James Wisniewski and Ryan Whitney were critical. Petteri Nokaleinen looked like a useful center, especially on penalty kills.
Wisniewski is a restricted free agent whom the Ducks can keep by matching any offer sheet. It seems imperative that they do, if you remember Dustin Penner.
Whitney has a manageable contract through 2013, and he'll make $3.5 million next year, and maybe he'll be healthier and more prominent from the beginning.
The process all starts at the familiar door of Scott Niedermayer. The captain, now a free agent, did make a point of saying the stretch drive had been fun.
Niedermayer had a terrific playoff. It should be noted that hockey pulls him as hard as most players; on July 1, 2007, he flatly stated that he was "strongly leaning" toward retirement, and in December he was back.
And the 2010 Olympics are in his native British Columbia.
Up front, there are no more Bobby Ryans on the immediate horizon, and it's doubtful Murray can get a quality forward without trading either Chris Pronger or Jean-Sebastien Giguere.
Brian Burke gave Giguere a no-trade clause with his $24 million, four-year contract. Giguere has $13 million and two years coming.
No-trades aren't forever. Dan Boyle had one at Tampa Bay and he's now in San Jose.
Giguere wasn't happy on the bench, but Jonas Hiller is clearly a No. 1 goalie now. Hiller made 494 saves in the playoffs, 89 more than anyone else in the NHL, and leads the postseason with a .943 save percentage. To compare, Washington's Simeon Varlamov played 13 games, as Hiller did, and was asked to make 137 fewer saves.
Giguere might be difficult to move, but don't forget that Chicago invested $12.3 million in goalies Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet.
Pronger? He makes $6.25 million in '10, the final year of his deal. But he's not as old as you think. He only turns 35 in October. Remember, the Ducks didn't win a Cup until they got Pronger, and they will become alarmingly civilized to play against, if he's gone.
The most logical destination is St. Louis, Pronger's old slashing ground. The Blues have a cluster of young scorers. They would welcome Pronger to play with emerging defenseman Erik Johnson.
The Ducks will probably ask for T.J. Oshie and get turned down, but Patrick Berglund is a centerman who looks intriguing. Berglund had 21 goals and was plus-19 in his rookie year, and he is signed through 2011, when he will only make $765,000. Of course, that also makes him attractive to the Blues.
Francois Beauchemin might be too expensive to keep, with Brian Salcido up-and-coming, but the Ducks would miss Todd Marchant horribly if he signs elsewhere.
Whatever happens, the Ducks have built a bridge to next season, even if it fell just a bit short of Chicago, like the Blues Brothers movie.
It might stretch all the way to shore if the Ducks bring a band back together that includes Chris Pronger.
Contact the writer: [url=mailto://mwhicker@ocregister.com]mwhicker@ocregister.com[/url]
---
Your thoughts?
Last edited by davetherave on Sun Jul 12, 2009 7:58 am; edited 3 times in total
), Mitera and Mikkelson are a decent core to build around for the future, but I'd look for a d-man with the #1 pick. Runblad would be a great fit, for one.
