A few posts ago, we noted that the greatest need and area of question marks for the Ducks was their blueline going into next season. The only two established defensemen were Visnovsky and Eminger, while Festerling and Oystrick are considered wildcards. Although the offense has holes in it as well, the team had a much harder time last year keeping goals out than it did getting them in, so an overhaul is necessary. Lets get into more detail after the jump.
Another week has rolled by, and the Ducks news has been few and far in between. That’s the way it is for a team that fails to make the playoffs, so heres to hoping we can get back in next year and make a lengthy run for the mug.
The Ducks have signed their 2008 3d round pick, Josh Brittain, to an entry level deal. http://bit.ly/c6Qk1L
The world championships have begun. Ducks players currently playing are: Corey Perry (Can), Ryan Carter (USA), Sami Vatanen (Fin)
Hockeys Future did their yearly rankings of organizational prospects some time ago, if you haven’t seen that you can check it out here http://bit.ly/ae9gmQ
This week I intend to look at the Bobby Ryan case, and look at all possible outcomes and their affects on the organization. I’m also looking for weekly segment ideas, so if you have any just leave a comment below.
There are some rumblings (not reports or anything, just speculation) that Paul Kariya may want to finish his career with long time friend and teammate, Teemu Selanne. It’s expected the only team that Selanne will re-sign with (if he does, of course) is the Anaheim Ducks. Would the wayward son, Paul Kariya, have a positive impact if he were to return this year? We’ll discuss it after the jump.
As the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs continue to rage on, us unlucky fans on the sidelines can only look forward to the season ahead. One of the components of the typical off-season is the annual free agent frenzy that comes every July 1st. We wait patiently, and have an idea in mind at who our GM might approach once the noon deadline hits, but nothing is for certain, and we’re left with rumors and speculation. Today’s blog isn’t really to note who the Ducks should court this deadline dance, but rather what groceries we already have in the pantry (stay with me on these little analogies). So today, I’m going to take a look at players who are under contract for the next season and what roles they fill. More after the jump.
The Duck’s 2009 first round pick, Kyle Palmieri, was arrested early Sunday morning on misdemeanor charges. He was apparently approached by a police officer as he was standing in the bed of a pickup truck and then fled. Once the cop caught up to him, Palmieri put up a struggle, and reached for the officer’s tazer.
Also with Mr. Palmieri was a fellow Notre Dame freshmen, Riley Sheahan, who is one of the top North American skaters and could very likely be taken in the first round this year. Palmieri was charged with two counts of resisting arrest and one count of minor alcohol consumption, while Sheahan was charged with one count each of public intoxication and minor alcohol c0nsumption.
After the Ducks selected Palmieri 26th overall in last year’s draft, he started his first year at Notre Dame. In 33 games, he put up 9 goals and 8 assists for 17 points. He was however, an astonishing -20 on the year.
In other news, it looks as if the Ducks have signed another college free agent. This time it’s Brian Lebler, and to an AHL deal. He will presumably join Anaheim’s new affiliate, the Syracuse crunch next year. A Canadian kid from Penticton, British Columbia, Lebler stands at 6′2″ and 205 pounds, and last year put up 24 points (14-10) and 59 PIMs for the Wolverines. Read that article here.
The Manitoba Moose (serving as a temporary AHL affiliate of the ducks) were eliminated from the AHL playoffs sunday: http://bit.ly/9O9JKy
The Bakersfield Condors (ECHL affiliate of the Ducks) were eliminated from the ECHL playoffs saturday: http://bit.ly/9WMyXn
In other news, the LA Kings were eliminated from the 2010 playoffs by the Vancouver Canucks last night.
Usually, I would provide some opinion on the headlines, but I broke my foot over the weekend, and have been going to doctor’s appointments and specialist meetings regarding a potential surgery. I guess you could say I’m on the IR, ha! As soon as I can get everything under control, I’ll be able to get more done on DDP.
Hello readers of the DuckDuckPuck blog and FanBall network alike! I’d like to introduce myself to you today as the new writer for DuckDuckPuck.com! My name is Luca Vacca, and I’m a 19 year old hockey fanatic from the hockey capital of the world, Toronto, Ontario, Canada! I’m exaggerating a bit about the hockey capital of the world part, but it’s no joke that we take hockey seriously where I’m from. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been an avid Maple Leafs fan, and I co-own and run my own Leafs website over at LeafsWire.ca. I also contribute to other NHL blogs, like NHL Hot Stove and Puck Drop. Being a fan of the game in general allows me to be unbiased when it comes to writing about other teams, which allows me writing for the Ducks to be a possibility. Also, we only play each other once a year . I hope to accomplish a few things during this off-season in terms of the Ducks:
Look at everything in the system, and address what I feel are the needs of the organization moving forward.
Do some sort of mock draft prior to the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Cover rumours and give analysis to any moves that occur over the course of the off-season.
Write about the efforts of Ducks player playing in this year’s IIHF tournament.
Some other fun stuff.
That’s about it for now. If you have any questions or suggestions, I can always be reached at vaccal@gmail.com.
HELP WANTED – The Fanball.com Sports Network is always looking to add new voices to our network. Whether you’re a savvy sports fan who’s looking for a soapbox or a fantasy sports player who is looking to make a career out of fantasy sports, we can help you accomplish your sports blogging goals. For more information on joining the Fanball.com Sports Network staff, please contact Bryan Douglass via email: bpdouglass(at)gmail.com
Well it wasn’t easy, but the Ducks finally pulled themselves out of last place in the West with their 3-2 shootout victory over the Flames on Monday. It wasn’t without drama, however, as Flames’ star Jarome Iginla tied the game with 18 seconds left in regulation, sending what looked like a sure two point performance into overtime. The Ducks weren’t done, as Teemu Selanne scored the only goal in the shootout session to give Anaheim the much needed second point. There were plenty of good things to take from this game, but none were more important or more impressive than JS Giguere’s 41 saves. It has been far from a dream season thus far for Jiggy, but he showed last night that he still has some gas left in the tank. Jonas Hiller may be the starter, but let’s be honest… He hasn’t exactly set the world on fire with his play this season. It seems like a foregone conclusion that Giguere will get moved this season, but the team is going to go with whichever player gives them the best chance to win. Worst case scenario, Jiggy will shoot his trade stock straight up with a few more performances like this.
Keeping with the positive theme, I was very happy with what I saw from a scoring standpoint last night. Yes, the team only scored two goals, but the players who scored the goals were important. After the Flames put the first goal on the board, Bobby Ryan answered just over two minutes later to tie the game on a rebound from a Corey Perry shot. Perry has now registered a point in 15 straight games, two shy of the franchise record set by Selanne in 1999. Needless to say, Perry is the real deal, and the team can’t afford to continue to waste his excellent play. Ryan Getlzlaf then put the Ducks up 2-1 with a backhand goal just over a minute later. I love the fact that the team answered so quickly after giving up the first goal. They killed the early Calgary momentum, and they did it with the players who need to be getting on the board. I have already written about this, but it is important that the young stars on this team don’t just score, but score at important times. Ryan, Getzlaf, and Perry did the job last night, and good things will happen if they continue to do so.
It’s nice to write such a positive blog, but this team still has a long way to go. Goaltending will continue to be of vital importance all season, but if Jiggy can get it going a bit I think it might push Hiller to step up his play as well. Joffrey Lupul missed his second consecutive game with back spasms, and we not only need him back, but we need him to be more of a factor on offense. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… the pieces are here, but the players and coaches just need to find a way to put them together. I’m still holding out hope that it will all click at some point, but that needs to happen soon if this team is going to get back in the postseason hunt. They are one step closer now that they are out of last place, but the road ahead will still be a treacherous one.
Just a reminder: follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/duckduckpuck, as I will continue to try to post news as soon as it gets to me. Also, I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving a little early, as I probably won’t be posting again until Friday. If you are anything like me, the night before Thanksgiving is an even bigger holiday, so everyone stay safe and keep showing your support for the Ducks! For your viewing pleasure, here is some more “mustache excellence” from out friend George Parros.
So… The wheels are really starting to fall off for the Ducks. When it comes to rough weeks, it doesn’t get much worse than the last seven days for this organization. First, let’s deal with the obvious. The Ducks were coming off two consecutive wins, and it looked like things were about to turn around. Then, the team proceeded to go 0-3-1 and get outscored 17-9. I’m not going to get too much into these games specifically, because I think those numbers speak for themselves, but it’s pretty obvious that the problems are running deep right now. The bigger issue here is that it looks like the players are starting to turn against the organization. The worst part is that the players who have spoken out are veterans, the guys who should be pulling everyone else back together.
The first “incident” occurred with goalie JS Giguere. Jiggy came out and said that he would rather retire than stay on this team as a backup to Jonas Hiller. I don’t blame him for wanting to play, but he went about this the wrong way. It wasn’t just that he did it through the media, but it was the word choice that he used. He made it sound like he has no desire to remain as a part of this team. For a guy who has been one of the faces of the franchise for the better part of the last decade, he is sending a terrible message to the rest of the guys. He has since come out and said he he didn’t mean what he said, but we all know he meant exactly what he said. It seems likely that he will be moved before the deadline, but he isn’t making anything easier for his team right now.
The next issue stems from comments made by veteran defenseman Scott Niedemayer. Niedermayer came out and said that it is possible that he could be traded to New Jersey before the deadline so he can finish out the season playing with his brother Rob. It sounds like he has given up on this season, because the team wouldn’t think about moving him if they are in contention. The season is still young, and the team has more than enough talent to get back into this thing, but Niedermayer obviously thinks that it’s time for him to get out and get with a contender. If the players don’t believe in this team, specifically the veterans, then how is anyone else supposed to believe?
So what is the central problem? I don’t want to be the one to point fingers, but it seems to me that this all comes back to the coach. I like Randy Carlyle, and I think he is very good at what he does. That being said, sometimes change can light a fire under a team that might be falling into a rut. It might be a little too early to call for his head, but he could very well be gone if things don’t turn around. General manager Bob Murray said that he will hold the players accountable before the coach, but that’s not how it works in real life. The old saying goes that it is easier to fire one coach than everyone on the roster, and that will happen here if this thing doesn’t turn around.
. I hope to accomplish a few things during this off-season in terms of the Ducks:
HELP WANTED – The Fanball.com Sports Network is always looking to add new voices to our network. Whether you’re a savvy sports fan who’s looking for a soapbox or a fantasy sports player who is looking to make a career out of fantasy sports, we can help you accomplish your sports blogging goals. For more information on joining the Fanball.com Sports Network staff, please contact Bryan Douglass via email: bpdouglass(at)gmail.com
