Radoslav Illo
Radoslav Illo was picked in the 5th round, he is definitely a project but in the 6th round that’s pretty much what you have to choose from.
Illo is a Slovak born player and has a nice 6’0 frame that he can fill into, not much is known he spent part of last year hurt due to an arm injury. The two things that people talk about with him that have watched Illo play, his skating and his shot he had 21 goals in 47 games for the Tri City Storm of the USHL last year. He’s a smart guy with good grades and will likely spend 1 more year in the USHL before playing in the NCAA.
He should be apart of this years Slovak WJC team which will give us a good idea of where he’s at, being a 5th rounder he’s a long shot to make it but with his size, shot, skating and smarts, he may be able to eventually carve out an NHL career.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Friday, August 14, 2009
Matt Clark
MATT CLARK
Matt Clark was selected with the 37th pick in the second round by the Ducks. Clark had an excellent rookie season in the OHL, he had 3 goals, 20 assists and 91 PIMS in 63 games.
Clark is a stay at home defensive minded Dman, in his first season he was matched up against the opposing teams top lines quite a bit and did a solid job. He helped lead the Brampton Battalion deep into the OHL playoffs where they lost in 5 games to the eventual Ontario Hockey League champs, Windsor Spitfires.
He plays a game very similar to another Ducks prospect, Mark Mitera but I would consider Mitera a better skater atleast pre knee injury and Mitera plays with a bit more nastiness but he’s developed that over the last couple of years with Michigan, but Clark has the ability to be a similar type player.
The one thing that jumps out at you is his size and reach he’s listed at 6’3 215 pounds. So as he continues to fill out he will be a big strong guy who can overpower players in 1 on 1 battles and in front of the net. He makes a good first pass which is required out of stay at home D if they want to make it as a legitimate top 4 type of guy. He’s got smarts as well and could be a candidate to make the Canadian WJC team,
Offensively he will not give you a whole lot but with all the offensive D the Ducks have in their system, that’s OK having guys like Mitera and Clark in the system to compliment players like Gardiner, Sbisa, Vataanen and Salcido just shows the depth the Ducks are beginning to build on the defensive part of the pipeline.
I compared him to Mark Mitera, who I would compare to somewhere in between a Keith Carney and Robyn Regehr type of upside. Essentially a player with top 4 shutdown D upside who if he reaches his possible peak could be a player you can rely on to help contain and stop opposing top lines playing 20+ minutes a game, even if Clark does not reach that upside he should still be a useful player down the line.
Matt Clark was selected with the 37th pick in the second round by the Ducks. Clark had an excellent rookie season in the OHL, he had 3 goals, 20 assists and 91 PIMS in 63 games.
Clark is a stay at home defensive minded Dman, in his first season he was matched up against the opposing teams top lines quite a bit and did a solid job. He helped lead the Brampton Battalion deep into the OHL playoffs where they lost in 5 games to the eventual Ontario Hockey League champs, Windsor Spitfires.
He plays a game very similar to another Ducks prospect, Mark Mitera but I would consider Mitera a better skater atleast pre knee injury and Mitera plays with a bit more nastiness but he’s developed that over the last couple of years with Michigan, but Clark has the ability to be a similar type player.
The one thing that jumps out at you is his size and reach he’s listed at 6’3 215 pounds. So as he continues to fill out he will be a big strong guy who can overpower players in 1 on 1 battles and in front of the net. He makes a good first pass which is required out of stay at home D if they want to make it as a legitimate top 4 type of guy. He’s got smarts as well and could be a candidate to make the Canadian WJC team,
Offensively he will not give you a whole lot but with all the offensive D the Ducks have in their system, that’s OK having guys like Mitera and Clark in the system to compliment players like Gardiner, Sbisa, Vataanen and Salcido just shows the depth the Ducks are beginning to build on the defensive part of the pipeline.
I compared him to Mark Mitera, who I would compare to somewhere in between a Keith Carney and Robyn Regehr type of upside. Essentially a player with top 4 shutdown D upside who if he reaches his possible peak could be a player you can rely on to help contain and stop opposing top lines playing 20+ minutes a game, even if Clark does not reach that upside he should still be a useful player down the line.
Sami Vataanen
Sami Vataanen
With the 74th pick the Ducks selected a puck moving defensemen out of Finland, Sami Vataanen.
Vataanen is a really skilled player but the drawback on him is size, at 5’8 and a 165 pounds Vataanen is not the biggest guy on the ice, but that does not deter him from playing a tough game, he’s known to dish out some pretty good hits from time to time. Vataanen was also one of the top rated conditioned players at the NHL Combine, if he could even grow to 5’10 and 185 pounds this could be a player who can be a very good top 4 offensive Dman.
His greatest strength is on the power play, with his quick feet and decision making he is able to QB the PP at a very solid level, he also has a good slap shot and in my opinion the most important thing from a point man…able to get shots thru to the goal. You do not need an overpowering slap shot to be a threat to score, you need that hockey sense of knowing where to put the puck, guys like Nik Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer do this as well as anyone despite not having Pronger or Chara type slap shots. Also one thing I like is his shot fake, for an 18 year old he sells it really well.
Sami really opened eyes with his performance at the U-18’s recording 5 assists in 6 games, but namely he led a finland comeback in the 3rd period against Canada in the bronze medal game and was without a doubt the best player on the ice during that frame, he was everywhere, making good passes carrying the puck into the zone and even laying some solid hits.
Kyle Woodlief compares him to Nicklas Kronwall, who was a similar size to Vataanen at the same age, size is a bit of a concern but the league is trending more towards how talented you are as opposed to how big you are, Anaheim Ducks head amateur scout Martin Madsen commented that Vataanen could be the ducks future PP QB.
Vataanen also recently led team Finland in scoring during a recent U20 tournament, he had 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points and was named the top defensemen as well as overall PLAYER of the tournament.
I would compare him to Brian Rafalski but will inevitably be compared to Kimmo Timmonen due to the Fin ties, and similar size. He will be a player of great interest to me just due to the set of skills he brings.
With the 74th pick the Ducks selected a puck moving defensemen out of Finland, Sami Vataanen.
Vataanen is a really skilled player but the drawback on him is size, at 5’8 and a 165 pounds Vataanen is not the biggest guy on the ice, but that does not deter him from playing a tough game, he’s known to dish out some pretty good hits from time to time. Vataanen was also one of the top rated conditioned players at the NHL Combine, if he could even grow to 5’10 and 185 pounds this could be a player who can be a very good top 4 offensive Dman.
His greatest strength is on the power play, with his quick feet and decision making he is able to QB the PP at a very solid level, he also has a good slap shot and in my opinion the most important thing from a point man…able to get shots thru to the goal. You do not need an overpowering slap shot to be a threat to score, you need that hockey sense of knowing where to put the puck, guys like Nik Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer do this as well as anyone despite not having Pronger or Chara type slap shots. Also one thing I like is his shot fake, for an 18 year old he sells it really well.
Sami really opened eyes with his performance at the U-18’s recording 5 assists in 6 games, but namely he led a finland comeback in the 3rd period against Canada in the bronze medal game and was without a doubt the best player on the ice during that frame, he was everywhere, making good passes carrying the puck into the zone and even laying some solid hits.
Kyle Woodlief compares him to Nicklas Kronwall, who was a similar size to Vataanen at the same age, size is a bit of a concern but the league is trending more towards how talented you are as opposed to how big you are, Anaheim Ducks head amateur scout Martin Madsen commented that Vataanen could be the ducks future PP QB.
Vataanen also recently led team Finland in scoring during a recent U20 tournament, he had 3 goals, 4 assists for 7 points and was named the top defensemen as well as overall PLAYER of the tournament.
I would compare him to Brian Rafalski but will inevitably be compared to Kimmo Timmonen due to the Fin ties, and similar size. He will be a player of great interest to me just due to the set of skills he brings.
Kyle Palmieri
Kyle Palmieri
With the 26th pick the Ducks selected University of Notre Dame bound forward Kyle Palmieri. He was the 19th rated player by TSN, last season as part of the USTDP he had 15 goals in 33 games, including 4 GWG.
Although he’s not a tall guy he is thick, he is a well built player. He reminds me of former Duck, Chris Kunitz he doesn’t let his size prohibit him from not going to the dirty areas or getting in on the forecheck. If anything I’d say Palmieri has better hands and the potential to be a 30 goal scorer is certainly NOT out of the question. He was ranked in the top 3 at the bench press at the combine, he’s a very interesting talent and in my opinion could be a big steal.
Some controversy followed him when he was kicked off of the United States U-18 team for what was termed “breaking team rules” according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie on draft day it was due to having girls up in the room, he answered all the questions in interviews and once again like with Holland you have to just trust the Ducks in their character evaluations. In reality an 18 year old kid having girls in his room can’t really be considered a big deal and when you look at his talent level, well I think he’s a steal at 26.
He does take some risks offensively, but almost every good offensive player does this, he will learn to pick his spots better but when you watch him shoot the puck, you will see his wrist shot is deadly and in the NHL there is always room for players that can shoot the puck, plus it’s not like this kid is a 1 dimensional talent, he’s considered a solid all around guy, I’ve heard some people compare him to Zach Parise because of his skills and “motor” but that is a bit far fetched right now, we’ll have to re-evaluate those comparisons after he plays a year of college hockey.
I project his potential to be a 2nd line type winger capable of 30 goals who does a lot of the things it takes to win, on a dominant first line he could certainly step in and contribute, he’s atleast 3 years away from the NHL, I expect him to stay at UND for atleast two of them.
With the 26th pick the Ducks selected University of Notre Dame bound forward Kyle Palmieri. He was the 19th rated player by TSN, last season as part of the USTDP he had 15 goals in 33 games, including 4 GWG.
Although he’s not a tall guy he is thick, he is a well built player. He reminds me of former Duck, Chris Kunitz he doesn’t let his size prohibit him from not going to the dirty areas or getting in on the forecheck. If anything I’d say Palmieri has better hands and the potential to be a 30 goal scorer is certainly NOT out of the question. He was ranked in the top 3 at the bench press at the combine, he’s a very interesting talent and in my opinion could be a big steal.
Some controversy followed him when he was kicked off of the United States U-18 team for what was termed “breaking team rules” according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie on draft day it was due to having girls up in the room, he answered all the questions in interviews and once again like with Holland you have to just trust the Ducks in their character evaluations. In reality an 18 year old kid having girls in his room can’t really be considered a big deal and when you look at his talent level, well I think he’s a steal at 26.
He does take some risks offensively, but almost every good offensive player does this, he will learn to pick his spots better but when you watch him shoot the puck, you will see his wrist shot is deadly and in the NHL there is always room for players that can shoot the puck, plus it’s not like this kid is a 1 dimensional talent, he’s considered a solid all around guy, I’ve heard some people compare him to Zach Parise because of his skills and “motor” but that is a bit far fetched right now, we’ll have to re-evaluate those comparisons after he plays a year of college hockey.
I project his potential to be a 2nd line type winger capable of 30 goals who does a lot of the things it takes to win, on a dominant first line he could certainly step in and contribute, he’s atleast 3 years away from the NHL, I expect him to stay at UND for atleast two of them.
Peter Holland+Draft review intro
Hey all i'm going to do each player review seperately so that way on the side bar if you want to read about a particular player, you can.
The Anaheim Ducks entered the 2009 draft with 5 picks, including the 15th overall selection.
But before a pick was even made, Chris Pronger was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for 19 year old defensemen Luca Sbisa, former Duck Joffrey Lupul and two first round picks, one of which was the 21st pick in the 09 draft, which was later traded for picks 26 and 37.
With their first pick the Ducks went a bit off the board with Peter Holland. With Jordan Schroeder falling yours truly was surprised when the Ducks passed on the dynamic Golden Gopher forward but character concerns clearly played in issue in his fall to the Vancouver Canucks, namely he interviewed poorly according to Gare Joyce.
So the Ducks went with the 6’1 180 LBS Holland who is a two way player playing in a tight defensive system with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. Holland had a break out year nearly tripling his offensive production, from 8 to 28 goals and from 23 to 67 points. He is a really fluid excellent skater for his size, sometimes he is criticized for looking so effortless with it but there is a current Duck whos skating can be described the same way, Scott Niedermayer. Holland did a bit of everything for Guelph playing on both of the special teams units.
Holland has a very good wrist shot, he gets it off fast and it is a hard and fairly accurate one he reminds me a lot of Jeff Carter mainly due to that shot, he’s very comfortable handling the puck and entering the zone with it and dishing to teammates. Essentially he is a very toolsy player but as I said before he has received criticism for his style of play and he fell a bit in the rankings after a poor performance Vs Saginaw in the OHL playoffs where several scouts saw him play, but what is forgotten the next game Holland had a hattrick(Source: Interview on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVgIlI2XnO0 )
A lot of his criticisms such as perceived cockyness and effort are very similar to a player the Ducks drafted 19th overall in 2003…Ryan Getzlaf. No I am not comparing him directly to the Ducks franchise player, but you have to look at the Ducks recent history of drafting since the famed 03’ draft…Character has always been a huge deal to the scouting staff with high picks. Another example is Bobby Ryan, the Ducks were absolutely ROASTED on the internet for the pick, passing on such “future stars” as Gilbert Brule and Jack Johnson. But the Ducks cited his character as a big reason why they made the pick even though some accused Ryan as a lazy player who couldn’t skate. Eventually Ryans character pushed him to become a player who has worked extremely hard on his conditioning and skating. As a result he took the NHL by storm last year scoring 31 goals in 64 games, my point being the Ducks picking Holland should eliminate a lot of the so called effort issues. He proved to them he had decent character, they will be patient with him like they were with Ryan, Getzlaf, and Perry. The critics will no doubt bash the pick if some others taken behind him produce sooner but my message to Duck fans…
.Good things come to those who wait! How many top 10 lists were done on the 2003 draft included Getzlaf in 2005? Well almost every single one of them had Patrice Bergeron, who made the NHL sooner in the top 10 and usuall top 5, 4 years later…..patience paid off and Getzlaf is emerging as an MVP caliber player, while Bergeron is settling into being a 2nd line type of guy
Anyone who has seen Holland play knows he has the natural talent to be a quality NHL player but you know what, when you draft in the middle of the first and lower there are rarely any “slam dunks” each pick has some degree of risk, whether it be boom or bust potential or a relatively low ceiling(IE 3rd line center like 2007 first rounder Logan MacMillan). The other thing is don’t just judge Holland by current and future numbers with the Guelph STORM. They are a notoriously strict defensive team, this will HELP Holland become a better pro as he will have a good understanding of what it takes to be a two way player.
The Anaheim Ducks entered the 2009 draft with 5 picks, including the 15th overall selection.
But before a pick was even made, Chris Pronger was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for 19 year old defensemen Luca Sbisa, former Duck Joffrey Lupul and two first round picks, one of which was the 21st pick in the 09 draft, which was later traded for picks 26 and 37.
With their first pick the Ducks went a bit off the board with Peter Holland. With Jordan Schroeder falling yours truly was surprised when the Ducks passed on the dynamic Golden Gopher forward but character concerns clearly played in issue in his fall to the Vancouver Canucks, namely he interviewed poorly according to Gare Joyce.
So the Ducks went with the 6’1 180 LBS Holland who is a two way player playing in a tight defensive system with the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League. Holland had a break out year nearly tripling his offensive production, from 8 to 28 goals and from 23 to 67 points. He is a really fluid excellent skater for his size, sometimes he is criticized for looking so effortless with it but there is a current Duck whos skating can be described the same way, Scott Niedermayer. Holland did a bit of everything for Guelph playing on both of the special teams units.
Holland has a very good wrist shot, he gets it off fast and it is a hard and fairly accurate one he reminds me a lot of Jeff Carter mainly due to that shot, he’s very comfortable handling the puck and entering the zone with it and dishing to teammates. Essentially he is a very toolsy player but as I said before he has received criticism for his style of play and he fell a bit in the rankings after a poor performance Vs Saginaw in the OHL playoffs where several scouts saw him play, but what is forgotten the next game Holland had a hattrick(Source: Interview on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVgIlI2XnO0 )
A lot of his criticisms such as perceived cockyness and effort are very similar to a player the Ducks drafted 19th overall in 2003…Ryan Getzlaf. No I am not comparing him directly to the Ducks franchise player, but you have to look at the Ducks recent history of drafting since the famed 03’ draft…Character has always been a huge deal to the scouting staff with high picks. Another example is Bobby Ryan, the Ducks were absolutely ROASTED on the internet for the pick, passing on such “future stars” as Gilbert Brule and Jack Johnson. But the Ducks cited his character as a big reason why they made the pick even though some accused Ryan as a lazy player who couldn’t skate. Eventually Ryans character pushed him to become a player who has worked extremely hard on his conditioning and skating. As a result he took the NHL by storm last year scoring 31 goals in 64 games, my point being the Ducks picking Holland should eliminate a lot of the so called effort issues. He proved to them he had decent character, they will be patient with him like they were with Ryan, Getzlaf, and Perry. The critics will no doubt bash the pick if some others taken behind him produce sooner but my message to Duck fans…
.Good things come to those who wait! How many top 10 lists were done on the 2003 draft included Getzlaf in 2005? Well almost every single one of them had Patrice Bergeron, who made the NHL sooner in the top 10 and usuall top 5, 4 years later…..patience paid off and Getzlaf is emerging as an MVP caliber player, while Bergeron is settling into being a 2nd line type of guy
Anyone who has seen Holland play knows he has the natural talent to be a quality NHL player but you know what, when you draft in the middle of the first and lower there are rarely any “slam dunks” each pick has some degree of risk, whether it be boom or bust potential or a relatively low ceiling(IE 3rd line center like 2007 first rounder Logan MacMillan). The other thing is don’t just judge Holland by current and future numbers with the Guelph STORM. They are a notoriously strict defensive team, this will HELP Holland become a better pro as he will have a good understanding of what it takes to be a two way player.
Ducks add Artyukhin and Pogge
Hey all since my last post the Ducks made two new additions.
First was the former Team Canada WJC Gold winning goaltender Justin Pogge who was drafted by the Leafs in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft, he just turned 23 and has spent the past 3 seasons playing for the Toronto Marlies. Pogge is a big goaltender at 6'3 205, unfortunately the Ducks no longer have Francois Allaire around to work with him, Allaires work with the Ducks speaks for itself, he's helped mold 4 NHL goaltenders, 3 of which are quality starters, JS Giguere, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Jonas Hiller.
What the acquisition of Pogge does is help create a bridge, because by this time next year absolutely 1 of Hiller or Giguere will be playing for another team. Hiller will be an unrestricted free agent and Giguere will be on the final year of his 4 year deal. Teams will be lining up to sign Jonas Hiller(Can you say Detroit or Los Angeles?) so Jonas will be looking for a committment between now and next July.
The goalie situation will be a hot topic all season, but if nothing else, for Justin Pogge he knows he's only a year away from atleast being a number 2 goalie in the NHL, but what's interesting to me is that the ducks have AHL affiliate, so there's no guarantee he gets alot of playing time so it could mean Bob Murray is prepared to trade a goalie soon.
Artyukhin to me, is a very interesting player. He's a train out on the ice, his big and he can skate he's not known for his hands or hockey sense but I could see him put on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry at times, if you remember they have always been very successful with so called "pluggers" Brad May, George Parros, Todd Fedoruk, of course they've also been very successful with offensive players like Christ Kunitz, Bobby Ryan and Dustin Penner. Essentially the 3rd man on the line is not THAT important as long as they are able to play with some grit. He'll probably play in the bottom 6 alot as well but Randy Carlyle is on record saying he wants less dependance on the top line.
So sometimes you could see lines like this.
R2-Getz-Perry
Ebbett-Koivu-Selanne
Ryan-Carter-Lupul
Brown-Marchant-Beleskey/Parros
As you can see, each of the top 3 lines have atleast 2 guys capable of 50 or more points as well as a "passenger" who can also chip in, Ebbett with his speed and passing, Carter with his forechecking and fearlessness in going to the net, and the aforementioned Artyukhin with his forechecking and size.
The Ducks have options the depth is really outstanding because you have a little bit of everything, you have goal scorers, you have passers, speed, size, and toughness alot of people are sleeping on the ducks In My Opinion but this is a darkhorse cup contender with the quality goaltending and forward depth.
First was the former Team Canada WJC Gold winning goaltender Justin Pogge who was drafted by the Leafs in the 3rd round of the 2004 draft, he just turned 23 and has spent the past 3 seasons playing for the Toronto Marlies. Pogge is a big goaltender at 6'3 205, unfortunately the Ducks no longer have Francois Allaire around to work with him, Allaires work with the Ducks speaks for itself, he's helped mold 4 NHL goaltenders, 3 of which are quality starters, JS Giguere, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Jonas Hiller.
What the acquisition of Pogge does is help create a bridge, because by this time next year absolutely 1 of Hiller or Giguere will be playing for another team. Hiller will be an unrestricted free agent and Giguere will be on the final year of his 4 year deal. Teams will be lining up to sign Jonas Hiller(Can you say Detroit or Los Angeles?) so Jonas will be looking for a committment between now and next July.
The goalie situation will be a hot topic all season, but if nothing else, for Justin Pogge he knows he's only a year away from atleast being a number 2 goalie in the NHL, but what's interesting to me is that the ducks have AHL affiliate, so there's no guarantee he gets alot of playing time so it could mean Bob Murray is prepared to trade a goalie soon.
Artyukhin to me, is a very interesting player. He's a train out on the ice, his big and he can skate he's not known for his hands or hockey sense but I could see him put on a line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry at times, if you remember they have always been very successful with so called "pluggers" Brad May, George Parros, Todd Fedoruk, of course they've also been very successful with offensive players like Christ Kunitz, Bobby Ryan and Dustin Penner. Essentially the 3rd man on the line is not THAT important as long as they are able to play with some grit. He'll probably play in the bottom 6 alot as well but Randy Carlyle is on record saying he wants less dependance on the top line.
So sometimes you could see lines like this.
R2-Getz-Perry
Ebbett-Koivu-Selanne
Ryan-Carter-Lupul
Brown-Marchant-Beleskey/Parros
As you can see, each of the top 3 lines have atleast 2 guys capable of 50 or more points as well as a "passenger" who can also chip in, Ebbett with his speed and passing, Carter with his forechecking and fearlessness in going to the net, and the aforementioned Artyukhin with his forechecking and size.
The Ducks have options the depth is really outstanding because you have a little bit of everything, you have goal scorers, you have passers, speed, size, and toughness alot of people are sleeping on the ducks In My Opinion but this is a darkhorse cup contender with the quality goaltending and forward depth.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Reviewing the off-season
Welcome to my inaugural Anaheim Ducks blog, this is real talk about the beak baring badasses of hockey.
First let’s review the comings and goings over the past year, just to show the turnover that the Ducks have undergone since October of last season.
Gone are: Sami Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Chris Kunitz, Brenden Morrison, Steve Montador, Brian Sutherby, Nathan McIver, Francois Beauchemin, Brad May and Ken Klee.
Joining are: Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu, Joffrey Lupul, Andrew Ebbett, Petteri Nokelainen, Erik Christensen, Mike Brown, Nick Boynton, Steve McCarthy, Sheldon Brookbank and Luca Sbisa.
What do you notice? The Ducks completely overhauled their identity. The first five names I mentioned that are gone were all key players of the 2007 Stanley Cup winning team. All of them known for being gritty, physical players that chipped in at both ends of the ice.
Last year, that was no longer the case for the first three, who had formed one of the most dominant checking lines of the decade. All three players were in contract years, each struggling at times for various reasons. Pahlsson is the one that could still play at a high level at times, but injuries over the last two years have set him back from being the best defensive forward in the league. Travis Moen, to be blunt, played his worst hockey as a Duck last year. The Ducks have also likely seen the end of Niedermania with Rob Niedermayer's likely departure due to youth knocking at the door, as well as untimely penalties causing him to fall out of favor.
The Ducks also went from an older team to a much younger one. Whitney, Wisniewski, Ryan, Lupul, Ebbett, Nokelainen, Brown, Christensen, Sbisa, and Ryan Carter all are joining the roster. All these players are 27 or younger, joining the current core of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, JS Giguere, Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Todd Marchant and Jonas Hiller.
Randy Carlyle will have to keep his options open; will he go with 3 scoring lines? Or will he go to the traditional 2 scoring lines, a checking line and energy line route?
Well, that almost entirely depends on the young players and how they do. Andrew Ebbett played very well with Teemu Selanne, but how will he play with Erik Christensen, Ryan Carter or Petteri Nokelainen? All these players have potential to contribute, but they could all also flop, seeing as none of them have much of a proven track record. You also have Matt Beleskey, a 21-year-old two-way gritty prospect in the Chris Kunitz mold ready to challenge for a spot.
Most seem to agree the top 6 forwards will consist of Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, Koivu and Lupul
But not so fast! In a recent interview with the OC Register, Coach Carlyle says he plans on sticking with his “pairs” routine -- essentially, he sticks two players together, sink or swim. Perry-Getzlaf and Koivu-Selanne are the only ones that seem to be locks. Could the Ducks play Bobby Ryan on a lower line to boost its overall production? Or will he go to his bread and butter in the dominating trio of Ryan with Getzlaf and Perry?
Well in all likelihood, it’ll be a combination of both, depending on how the team is doing. One game Ryan could be playing on a line with Lupul and Carter, the next it could be with Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. The same scenarios apply with the aforementioned Lupul. One night he could be the guy with Perry and Getzlaf, the next it could be Ebbett and Christensen.
The one identity change that seems to be flying under the radar is that of the team reputation…the goons of the National Hockey League. Losing the toughness over the course of the year with Pronger, Beauchemin, May, Kunitz and Moen leaving IS an issue that has been swept under the carpet. The Ducks are no longer that team that can walk into a rink and intimidate the opponent with its brute and sometimes blatant disregard for the opposing team. It has pros and cons. The pros would be that the team should be on the penalty kill less often; the Ducks have always been an excellent even strength and PP team since the lockout. They figure, the less time on the PK, the better they will finish. Also with the influx of more skilled offensive players, the Ducks can attempt to have 3 scoring lines.
The cons are that the Ducks forecheck will not be nearly as potent, the loss of size will see a team that usually wins the battles on the boards lose more of them, and the fans who really enjoyed the physical style of play the Ducks employed might be a bit disappointed. They cannot shy too far away from their identity; some size is still needed, and that’s why I believe Rob Niedermayer could still return if the price is right. Like him or hate him, he produced 14 goals playing on a completely defensive line, and he also happens to crash the net and win those board battles frequently. He’s a player you could actually put with Getzlaf and Perry for stretches and he wouldn’t look out of place, the penalties are an issue, but he is well-liked in the locker room and is the brother of returning captain Scott Niedermayer.
One name flying under the radar is Dominic Moore. He priced himself out and hasn’t drawn a lot of interest, but he's a big body that makes for a really good third line type of player who would also help the Ducks' penalty kill.
Lastly, let’s look at the goaltending situation. The reality is nobody knows for sure who will be the No. 1 guy. People forget every time JS Giguere has been challenged by a backup while with Anaheim he has ALWAYS come out on top. Martin Gerber and Ilya Bryzgalov are two guys who played well with the Ducks, especially in Bryzgalov's case, who helped the team win a couple playoff series. When the Ducks beat the Sharks, the #1 factor was Jonas Hiller. He made every big save in the series and outplayed Evgeni Nabakov. In the second round, he was an unfortunate break away from possibly winning a game 7 IN Detroit.
But know this about JS Giguere: he has always bounced back from poor play, so do not write him off yet. I am hearing his off-season training is as intense as it’s ever been, so expect an open competition at training camp in September.
In my next blog I will be reviewing the Ducks draft, addressing the Minor League situation and doing a top 10 prospects list.
First let’s review the comings and goings over the past year, just to show the turnover that the Ducks have undergone since October of last season.
Gone are: Sami Pahlsson, Travis Moen, Rob Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Chris Kunitz, Brenden Morrison, Steve Montador, Brian Sutherby, Nathan McIver, Francois Beauchemin, Brad May and Ken Klee.
Joining are: Ryan Whitney, James Wisniewski, Bobby Ryan, Saku Koivu, Joffrey Lupul, Andrew Ebbett, Petteri Nokelainen, Erik Christensen, Mike Brown, Nick Boynton, Steve McCarthy, Sheldon Brookbank and Luca Sbisa.
What do you notice? The Ducks completely overhauled their identity. The first five names I mentioned that are gone were all key players of the 2007 Stanley Cup winning team. All of them known for being gritty, physical players that chipped in at both ends of the ice.
Last year, that was no longer the case for the first three, who had formed one of the most dominant checking lines of the decade. All three players were in contract years, each struggling at times for various reasons. Pahlsson is the one that could still play at a high level at times, but injuries over the last two years have set him back from being the best defensive forward in the league. Travis Moen, to be blunt, played his worst hockey as a Duck last year. The Ducks have also likely seen the end of Niedermania with Rob Niedermayer's likely departure due to youth knocking at the door, as well as untimely penalties causing him to fall out of favor.
The Ducks also went from an older team to a much younger one. Whitney, Wisniewski, Ryan, Lupul, Ebbett, Nokelainen, Brown, Christensen, Sbisa, and Ryan Carter all are joining the roster. All these players are 27 or younger, joining the current core of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, JS Giguere, Scott Niedermayer, Teemu Selanne, Todd Marchant and Jonas Hiller.
Randy Carlyle will have to keep his options open; will he go with 3 scoring lines? Or will he go to the traditional 2 scoring lines, a checking line and energy line route?
Well, that almost entirely depends on the young players and how they do. Andrew Ebbett played very well with Teemu Selanne, but how will he play with Erik Christensen, Ryan Carter or Petteri Nokelainen? All these players have potential to contribute, but they could all also flop, seeing as none of them have much of a proven track record. You also have Matt Beleskey, a 21-year-old two-way gritty prospect in the Chris Kunitz mold ready to challenge for a spot.
Most seem to agree the top 6 forwards will consist of Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry, Selanne, Koivu and Lupul
But not so fast! In a recent interview with the OC Register, Coach Carlyle says he plans on sticking with his “pairs” routine -- essentially, he sticks two players together, sink or swim. Perry-Getzlaf and Koivu-Selanne are the only ones that seem to be locks. Could the Ducks play Bobby Ryan on a lower line to boost its overall production? Or will he go to his bread and butter in the dominating trio of Ryan with Getzlaf and Perry?
Well in all likelihood, it’ll be a combination of both, depending on how the team is doing. One game Ryan could be playing on a line with Lupul and Carter, the next it could be with Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu. The same scenarios apply with the aforementioned Lupul. One night he could be the guy with Perry and Getzlaf, the next it could be Ebbett and Christensen.
The one identity change that seems to be flying under the radar is that of the team reputation…the goons of the National Hockey League. Losing the toughness over the course of the year with Pronger, Beauchemin, May, Kunitz and Moen leaving IS an issue that has been swept under the carpet. The Ducks are no longer that team that can walk into a rink and intimidate the opponent with its brute and sometimes blatant disregard for the opposing team. It has pros and cons. The pros would be that the team should be on the penalty kill less often; the Ducks have always been an excellent even strength and PP team since the lockout. They figure, the less time on the PK, the better they will finish. Also with the influx of more skilled offensive players, the Ducks can attempt to have 3 scoring lines.
The cons are that the Ducks forecheck will not be nearly as potent, the loss of size will see a team that usually wins the battles on the boards lose more of them, and the fans who really enjoyed the physical style of play the Ducks employed might be a bit disappointed. They cannot shy too far away from their identity; some size is still needed, and that’s why I believe Rob Niedermayer could still return if the price is right. Like him or hate him, he produced 14 goals playing on a completely defensive line, and he also happens to crash the net and win those board battles frequently. He’s a player you could actually put with Getzlaf and Perry for stretches and he wouldn’t look out of place, the penalties are an issue, but he is well-liked in the locker room and is the brother of returning captain Scott Niedermayer.
One name flying under the radar is Dominic Moore. He priced himself out and hasn’t drawn a lot of interest, but he's a big body that makes for a really good third line type of player who would also help the Ducks' penalty kill.
Lastly, let’s look at the goaltending situation. The reality is nobody knows for sure who will be the No. 1 guy. People forget every time JS Giguere has been challenged by a backup while with Anaheim he has ALWAYS come out on top. Martin Gerber and Ilya Bryzgalov are two guys who played well with the Ducks, especially in Bryzgalov's case, who helped the team win a couple playoff series. When the Ducks beat the Sharks, the #1 factor was Jonas Hiller. He made every big save in the series and outplayed Evgeni Nabakov. In the second round, he was an unfortunate break away from possibly winning a game 7 IN Detroit.
But know this about JS Giguere: he has always bounced back from poor play, so do not write him off yet. I am hearing his off-season training is as intense as it’s ever been, so expect an open competition at training camp in September.
In my next blog I will be reviewing the Ducks draft, addressing the Minor League situation and doing a top 10 prospects list.
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