Offseason Outlook: Ducks a team to watch very closely
With the offseason underway for most teams and the remainder to join them in a few weeks, we're looking at what's in store for each club in the coming months.
2016-17 Grade: B
After a first-round, Game 7 loss to the Nashville Predators in 2016, Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray invoked a seemingly desperate measure in firing head coach Bruce Boudreau and replacing him with Randy Carlyle, who led the club to a Stanley Cup win in 2007.
The end result was another playoff series loss to the Predators, albeit this time in the Western Conference Final and with significant injury issues to boot: two big scorers - Rickard Rakell and Patrick Eaves - and No. 1 goalie John Gibson were all sidelined due to injury to finish the postseason, while defensemen Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm both require offseason shoulder surgery after playing through torn labrums.
Murray faced a barrage of criticism for bringing Carlyle back into the mix, but, to his credit, the veteran bench boss was able to adapt to a younger, faster game, bringing the team close to a berth in the final.
There's several questions moving forward, but 2016-17 has to be seen as a success for the Ducks, despite falling short of the ultimate goal.
Free agents
The Ducks will be in the market for a new backup goalie if unable to re-sign either one of their two free agents at the position, while the most notable forward looking for a new deal will be trade deadline acquisition Patrick Eaves.
| Player (Position) | 2017-18 Status | Age | 2016-17 Cap Hit | '16-17 Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Thompson (F) | UFA | 32 | $1.6M | 2 |
| Patrick Eaves (F) | UFA | 33 | $1M | 51 |
| Sam Carrick (F) | UFA | 25 | $575000 | 0 |
| Nicolas Kerdiles (F) | RFA | 23 | $925000 | 0 |
| Korbinian Holzer (D) | UFA | 29 | $700000 | 7 |
| Player (Position) | 2017-18 Status | Age | 2016-17 Cap Hit | '16-17 Save % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan Bernier (G) | UFA | 28 | $4.15M | .915 |
| Jhonas Enroth (G) | UFA | 28 | $750000 | .872 |
2017 draft picks
Anaheim's first-round pick is owned by the Dallas Stars thanks to the aforementioned Eaves trade.
The Ducks will also be able to call it a day after the fifth round, pending any picks acquired through further wheeling and dealing.
| Round | Picks |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 (Own + Sharks) |
| 3 | 1 |
| 4 | 1 |
| 5 | 1 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 7 | 0 |
Summer priorities
1. Figure out expansion protection
Of all 30 teams faced with decisions on who to expose in the upcoming expansion draft, the Ducks face arguably the toughest.
As a refresher, teams can protect one goalie and either seven forwards and three defensemen, or any combination of eight skaters. Any player with a no-movement clause cannot be exposed, however, unless he agrees to do so.
That Kevin Bieksa has a NMC on his deal may cause havoc for the Ducks, seeing as Anaheim will no doubt be reticent to expose one of Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, or Cam Fowler.
Protecting all four defensemen, coupled with the fact Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler can't be moved, would likely mean exposing Jakob Silfverberg up front, which seems unimaginable.
In short, Murray has his work cut out for him here.
2. Explore all trade possibilities
The Ducks are absolutely loaded on the blue line, with Josh Manson, Brandon Montour, or Shea Theodore (all exempt from expansion protection, by the way) waiting in the wings to take on big roles behind the four players mentioned above.
All three will become restricted free agents next summer, and with Fowler eligible to hit unrestricted free agency at the same time, there simply won't be enough cash to go around.
Literally every NHL team is looking to upgrade at this position, giving Anaheim plenty of leverage to pull off a significant trade, ideally for a high-end young forward.
3. Improve goaltending depth
The Ducks remain bullish on Gibson's stock as a No. 1 goalie, but the fact he was injured to finish the postseason and Jonathan Bernier was unable to pick up the slack may have cost the team a shot at the Cup.
Both Bernier and Jhonas Enroth will be UFAs this summer, and there's not much to speak of at this position in the pipeline. As such, drafting a goalie and signing a capable backup are musts on Murray's summer to-do list.
2017-18 Outlook
While there's somewhat of a youth movement happening in Anaheim, the core of the team remains built around Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Kesler, all of whom are on the brink of exiting their peak years, despite carrying heavy cap hits for the foreseeable future.
There are only so many opportunities to get the job done, and Anaheim's window won't remain open forever. In order for 2017-18 to be a success, nothing short of a final appearance will suffice.
This will be a tricky offseason to navigate, but if Murray can push all the right buttons, he may just be able to serve up the right mix for a winning recipe.
Offseason Outlook Series
COL | VAN | NJD | ARI | BUF
DET | DAL | FLA | LAK | CAR
WPG | PHI | TBL | NYI | WAS
TOR | CGY | BOS | SJ | OTT
STL | NYR | EDM | MTL | ANH
(Photos courtesy: Action Images)