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.