Team Preview - Anaheim Ducks

2009/2010 Stats:
39-32-11 (89 points)
Western Conference: 11th; Overall: 17th

    After not only making the playoffs but being a competitor five out of the past seven seasons and being three seasons removed from a championship, the Ducks failed to crack the western conference top eight in 2010. Known for playing chippy and physical, Anaheim still has the components to do so but has a different look for the upcoming season. When i say different look i mean that the Anaheim Ducks officially do not have the services of captain Scott Niedermayer who will definitely stay retired after a season which saw him win the gold medal with Team Canada at the 2010 Olympics on Canadian soil. After not qualifying for the postseason, head coach Randy Carlyle could be in some trouble if the woes continue. This roster is loaded up front and solid in net but the blueline could be the make or break for success this campaign.

    You would find it hard to name me off any team that has a top line that plays as physical and as big as Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Bobby Ryan while maintaining an excellent skill level as all three of these players have nothing less than elite level hands and scoring ability. Perry is known for his agitating ability which gets other teams top lines off their game, allowing him to concentrate on putting up numbers; he led the team in points with 76 (27-49) and played for Team Canada during the 2010 Olympics. Getzlaf has established himself as one of the games top power forwards (if you can call him that due to his skill level) as he scored 69 points (19-50) in 66 games which makes him more than a point per game player. He was slowed by an ankle injury which almost ruined his chances of playing for Team Canada during the Olympics. Put those two with Ryan, who led the team in goals with 35 (35-29-64) while putting in a strong performance for Team USA during the Olympics, and the Ducks will have one of the most potent and dynamic top lines in the NHL. Ryan has decided to remain with Anaheim by signing a five year deal worth $5.1mil for five years which totals @25.5mil. The process took longer than expected due to Ryan holding out to see if he could get a three year deal which would have made him a UFA along with Getzlaf and Perry. Apparently it took some convincing from his linemates. You can image why the Ducks pushed for more than three years, the price tag on resigning all three players in one off-season would make the devil faint.

    The Ducks even have the firepower trickling down to their second unit as Teemu Selanne decided to come back for one more year. Selanne tied Perry for second on the team in goals with 27, but what is amazing is he did it in only 54 games which means he would have averaged 41 in 82 games (good for the team lead). Selanne will be playing wing to fellow countryman Saku Koivu who put up 52 points last year (19-33). Selanne and Koivu provide a veteran leadership and assurance in their depth that will pay dividends in tough playoff series. Only problem is who will be the person to play with them? Joffrey Lupul (10-4-14 in 23 games) will be sidelined for a while due to a blood infection in his back, which leaves Jason Blake who put up 41 points last year (16-25) who is a fast skater that could compliment the Finnish duo.

    Anaheim's bottom six will definitely be a choir to play against as it boasts four very tenacious forwards. George Parros and Aaron Voros are very big men that love nothing more than to put people through glass. Often compared to each other, they are now on the same team, offering the ability to spread them out and have some serious sandpaper in the lineup. Voros appears to have a bit more scoring prowess (not that either has much) so he may be on the third unit over Parros. Down the middle, Todd Marchant and Kyle Chipchura provide the grit necessary to win draws and forecheck into the corners while maintain a high level of speed. Marchant is still a nasty forechecker but his age is making him more of a defensive liability (-16). Both the third and fourth lines have a void on one side, the battle for these spots will feature the likes of Matt Beleskey, Ryan Carter, Dan Sexton, Troy Bodie. The most impressive of the group is Sexton who had 19 points (9-10) 41 games, which is exactly half of an NHL season. Double those numbers and you'll see that his full season output would teeter around 40 points (18-20) which is a good fit on a 3rd. Carter, who is on a one-way deal, will most likely slide in on the 4th line until Lupul comes back and gets a spot. Beleskey has shown some offensive flair but is very inconsistent and can be a defensive liability (-10). Bodie is a nasty agitator who racks up penalty minutes but can chip in a few goals, but may not see immediate action in the NHL this season as his play is very similar to Parros and Voros.

    The 2010 draft saw Anaheim select highly touted Cam Fowler, who is a standout of the USA Development Program. With the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL, Fowler put up 55 points (8-15-55 with a +38 rating) last season. Seen as an offensive threat with a defensive edge to him, Fowler could crack the Ducks roster as the Anaheim roster is somewhat thin on D. The Ducks will have a different look on the blueline this year. With Scott Niedermayer and Ryan Whitney out, new faces are filling the gaps. GM Bob Murray went out and signed Toni Lydman and Andy Sutton. Lydman is a very responsible first or second pairing defenseman who is liable to put up 20-30 points depending on games played. Lydman went 4-16-20 with a +10 rating in 67 games for the Buffalo Sabres. Sutton is more a pure physical force that absolutely crushes players and is a very proficient at block shots, Sutton split time with the Islanders and Senators going 5-8-13 with a -10 rating in 72 games. Last season Lubomir Visnovsky was acquired from Edmonton in a deal for Whitney. Visnovsky who went 15-30-45 with a -10 rating last season (he spent most of the time with Edmonton.. nobody on that team has a good +\- rating) has a great shot on the power play and is very effective on the rush. He will most likely be paired on top with Lydman. It has been rumored that discussions have taken place between free agent Paul Mara and the organization. If something happens here, the 2nd pairing would be complete. Sheldon Brookbank seems to have the number four or five spot nailed down (depending on Mara talks) with his solid defensive play (+10) although he doesnt have any offensive upside (0-9-9 in 66 games). There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of competition here as Brett Festerling, Brendan Mikkelson, and Cam Fowler will jockey for the last position or two. This is where I think Fowler will stick with the club if he can show he is good to go. Mikkelson put up good offensive AHL numbers (7-15-22 in 49 games) but was an atrocious -19 which wont get him a big league job anytime soon. Festerling is a very safe pick as he is responsible defensively but fails to put up barely any points at both the NHL and AHL levels, which he combined for 8 assists and an even rating. Mikkelson and Festerling both have two-way contracts so the decisions will be easy if the Ducks sign Mara or another top four defenseman.

    Jonas Hiller most certainly holds his own as a starting NHL goaltender. He has looked very impressive since coming to North America and has even taken the reigns from J.S. Giguere. During his tenure with the Ducks Hiller has done very well (53-38-5, 5 shutouts, .918 save %, and a 2.56 GAA), especially in the 2010 Olympic tournament with a thin Swiss roster. He is the goaltender of the future as Anaheim has locked him up through 2014 with big money. If Hiller keeps getting better it will be absolutely worth it. Curtis McElhinney who went 8-5-2 in 20 games last season, is a decent backup who has observed the work ethic of Miikka Kipprusoff in Calgary for many years. He should be able to provide some relief to Hiller when he is having a rough stretch or play on back to back nights in order to keep Hiller fresh for what they hope is a post season appearance. In an age where it is preferred to have a backup that can play twenty or more games, this could be risky. If Hiller stays healthy and consistent then this could be an acceptable and budget friendly gamble.

    If Anaheim's new defense can hold up and the top guns stay healthy, they may get into the playoffs at a low seed. This roster could experience success but there isn't much in the depth department which could become a problem if players start dropping.

Transactions To Date:

In:

Aaron Voros
Toni Lydman
Andy Sutton
Cam Fowler

Out:

Scott Niedermayer
James Wisniewski
Ryan Whitney
Steve Eminger
Petteri Nokelainen
Evgeny Artyukhin
Mike Brown
Nick Boynton
Aaron Ward
Kyle Calder
Nathan Oystrick
Ryan Donally
Bobby Bolt
Vesa Toskala

-Dustin Lundberg