Anaheim Ducks (NHL 13)

[Psyblast]

A new era in Anaheim
New Ducks GM promises big changes

July 15, 2012

ANAHEIM, CA - Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, the Anaheim Ducks have experienced massive overhauls throughout the roster, but the results have been lacking; they've missed the playoffs twice, and won only one playoff series in the other three seasons since. They fired Randy Carlyle and replaced him with the offensive-minded Bruce Boudreau less than midway through last season, and although Boudreau put up a winning record in his abbreviated season, it wasn't enough to get to the postseason. He's obviously hoping for better success in his first full season at the helm.

But it appears that the roster he ended 2011-2012 with will look radically different when 2012-2013 starts.

That's what new Anaheim GM Brian Kudron hinted at in his address to the Anaheim media today. A product of the Detroit Red Wings front office, Kudron's philosophy is much different from what Duck fans have grown accustomed to. The Ducks won the Cup in 2007 through defense and a physicality that wore their opponents down. Much of that grit seems to be missing now, but it hasn't been replaced by offensive firepower yet.

Kudron got very specific about his vision for the Ducks roster moving forward.

"I told the ownership when they hired me, they should be prepared for some waves to be made," he said. "I look at the roster, and I see a team in flux, lacking a true identity. If you want to be a run and gun team, you need to load up on offense to do that - we haven't here. If you want to be a trapping, defense-oriented team, you better pluck the star defensemen and bring them in here - we haven't. I see a roster that is unsure of what it wants to be. And I'm going to change that - fast."

Obviously he can't call out specific players publically, but sources inside the shuffling Anaheim front office say Kudron has been very, very frank with his thoughts about the roster he is inheriting from his predecessor.

Offensively, Kudron loves the Ducks top line - and who wouldn't? Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan form one of hockey's most fearsome trios; they're all big, tough, and supremely skilled. The Ducks' new GM gave the impression to many that no one on the roster is untouchable - but he also said that he is absolutely not looking to move any of the big three on the Ducks' #1 line. Ditto for Teemu Selanne, who is the face of the franchise and is untradeable from a PR standpoint. But after those four, it seems like it's open season on the Ducks roster.

One of the hallmarks of the Detroit teams that Kudron worked with and grew up watching was a litany of two-way players, and most importantly, strength down the middle. Kudron voiced his belief that the foundation of a championship hockey team is depth at the center position, and while Getzlaf is an elite center, the dropoff from him to players like Saku Koivu, Ryan Cogliano, Matthew Lombardi and Nick Bonino seems to be too big for Kudron's liking. None of the current top centers on the roster are considered exceptionally good in the faceoff circle, not even Getzlaf - but his elite skill in essentially every other aspect of the game seems to (rightfully) exempt him from the trade block. The sense from the atmosphere at the Honda Center is that Kudron will look to basically replace the second, third, and fourth line centers on the roster with skilled two-way players who will always win more faceoffs than they lose. Obviously, talented, two-way centers are the types of players every franchise covets like gold, so they aren't exactly growing on trees, and trying to make a trade for some of the best in the game - Jonathan Toews in Chicago, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg in Detroit, Sidney Crosby in Pittsburgh, etc. - would take a king's ransom at the least. Still, Kudron is undeterred, and rumors are he has already reached out to several teams about some of their most high profile players - most notably, Vancouver's Ryan Kesler and St. Louis's David Backes. Kesler won the Selke Trophy as the NHL's best defensive forward in 2011, and Backes was a finalist for it last season. Both players fit the mold of what Kudron is looking for to a tee - but, as stated, it will take a substantial offer to pull them away from their current teams.

Kudron is also very agitated and concerned about the Ducks' salary cap situation. Locking up Getzlaf and Perry for the long term has drained Anaheim of essentially any wiggle room, and the bulk of the new GM's ire about that problem is being directed at the defense. Kudron wants defensemen that every other GM wants - two-way guys that can contribute offensively and keep the puck out of the net in their own zone. From Kudron's vantage point, players like Toni Lydman, Bryan Allen, and even the young Luca Sbisa don't fit that profile, and Kudron appears unwilling to keep them on the roster with their current contracts. Veterans Sheldon Souray and Francois Beauchemin appear secure in their positions on the roster, but even Cam Fowler could be on the block. The 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft figured to be a cornerstone for the Ducks moving forward, but the new general manager is not keen on giving a whopping five million dollars to a defenseman who is -53 in his first two NHL seasons. The source in the Ducks' front office seemed to hint that if Fowler is to be moved though, it won't be right away. Whereas Lydman, Allen and Sbisa have been basically written off already, the new brass won't give up on Fowler right away unless an offer is made that they can't refuse.

Perhaps most shockingly was Kudron's apparent attitude toward goaltender Jonas Hiller. The Swiss netkeeper has perfomed well in his time in Anaheim, but again, his 4.5 million dollar pricetag is viewed in dim terms by the new man in charge of the Ducks' roster. Kudron is bringing another trademark of the Red Wings with him to Anaheim - not paying top money for a goalie, instead paying premium for defenders in front of him.

Kudron has given the impression of a mad scientist to some who have observed him in his early days as Ducks GM, constantly cooking up hypothetical trades and bouncing them off of his inner circle to see how feasible they could be. Still, the overall impression is that he has a very clear vision for the Ducks moving forward, and will move as many pieces and make as many deals as he has to in order to implement that grand plan sooner than later.

[Psyblast]

The shuffling begins
Ducks' roster shakeup starts with a new goalie

July 30, 2012

ANAHEIM - Less than three weeks into his tenure as General Manager of the Ducks, Brian Kudron is already taking big steps to begin the roster reformation he spoke so much of in his introductory press conference.

The Ducks completed a total of three trades in a 24-hour period today, culminating in the arrival of a new starting goaltender.

Kudron spent the majority of these last two weeks putting out feelers for goalie Jonas Hiller, and found an interesting taker: the Montreal Canadiens. Even with Carey Price in net, the Canadiens were willing to take on Hiller's 4.5 million dollar contract to make him essentially their backup. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the Ducks' GM pounced on the opportunity and quickly hammered out a deal, sending Hiller to the Canadiens in exchange for checking forward Travis Moen and Montreal's 1st round pick in next year's NHL Draft.

Moen was a member of the Ducks' fearsome checking line on the 2007 championship team, and is renowned as an excellent penalty killer throughout the league. Interestingly enough, Moen was centered on that 2007 Ducks' 3rd line by Samuel Pahlsson, and there are rumors abound in Anaheim that the Ducks have reached out to Pahlsson, who is a free agent, and are trying to convince him to not return home to Sweden, and instead possibly make a return to the Ducks, where he would conceivably team up with Moen once again.

The departure of Hiller left a big void in the Ducks' net. Viktor Fasth is expected to be a very reliable #2 for Anaheim this upcoming season, but a #2 just the same. Kudron took a very unique approach to filling that void in the #1 spot, though - instead of breaking the bank and likely the farm system finding a proven, elite #1 goalie, he's decided to take a chance on one of the NHL's most promising young backups - Jhonas Enroth out of Buffalo. Enroth is coming to Anaheim in exchange for defenseman Toni Lydman, Anaheim's 2nd round pick in 2014, and Anaheim's 3rd round pick in 2015.

The 24-year old Enroth has spent his first two full NHL seasons as Ryan Miller's understudy with the Sabres, and the Ducks are banking on him blooming into a full-time starter. He was highly regarded, being Buffalo's 2nd round pick in 2006, and studying under arguably the NHL's best goalie made him the most enticing target for the Anaheim GM.

The final move of the day sent 3rd/4th line center Matthew Lombardi to Minnesota in exchange for the extremely physical Mike Rupp, and Minnesota's 2nd round pick in next year's draft. Rupp is a massive 6'5, 243 pounds, and looks the part of an excellent grinder for Anaheim's 4th line. Should the rumors about Sammy Pahlsson returning to Anaheim come to fruition, a checking line of Pahlsson centering Moen and Rupp would have to be considered among the NHL's best. And even if Pahlsson ultimately rejects Anaheim's overtures, Rupp is a natural center himself and could easily fill that role on the 4th line.

These are almost certainly just the opening salvos of Kudron's summer of change in Anaheim. Whispers continue to float around about the Ducks' feeling out Vancouver, discussing Ryan Kesler, and St. Louis, discussing the Blues' captain, David Backes. Other rumors are abound about what the Ducks will be looking for in the way of defense. There is much more flexibility for them now, as the moves to send Hiller, Lydman and Lombardi out of Anaheim and bringing in Enroth, Moen and Rupp in return freed up over six million dollars in cap space.

Trade summaries:

Anaheim gets: F Travis Moen & Montreal's 2013 1st round pick
Montreal gets: G Jonas Hiller

Anaheim gets: G Jhonas Enroth
Buffalo gets: D Toni Lydman, Anaheim's 2014 2nd round pick, & Anaheim's 2015 3rd round pick

Anaheim gets: F Mike Rupp & Minnesota's 2013 2nd round pick
Minnesota gets: F Matthew Lombardi

[Psyblast]

Ducks sign Pahlsson, deal Koivu
Defense rumors continue to heat up

August 5, 2012

ANAHEIM - Anaheim's flirtation with free agent center Samuel Pahlsson was quick, concise, and ultimately, successful.

The Ducks and the 34-year old veteran agreed today on a one-year contract worth just over 1.5 million dollars. Pahlsson did indeed mention Anaheim's previous acquisition of his old teammate Travis Moen as one of the factors that led him to stay in the NHL instead of heading home to play in Sweden. Pahlsson brings an excellent defensive presence to the Ducks' forward corps, and is well above average in the faceoff circle.

As previously speculated, the plan is for Pahlsson to center Moen and Mike Rupp on the Ducks' 4th line.

The Ducks also made another trade, although this one was not nearly as seismic as the previous few. Veteran Saku Koivu, who was essentially in the walking ghost phase of his tenure with the Ducks once Brian Kudron became GM, has been traded to Chicago in exchange for the Blackhawks' 2nd round pick in 2014.

Next on the docket would appear to be defensive overhaul, if the rumor mill is to be believed. The Ducks have already shipped out Toni Lydman, but haven't added anyone yet, and still have Bryan Allen and Luca Sbisa on the roster, who have been singled out behind close doors as "must move" players by the general manager. Sbisa is only 22 and has a manageable contract (3 years left, 2.175 million per year), which should make him enticing to many teams throughout the league, while Allen makes 3.5 million dollars, a number Kudron has deemed intolerable. The sense is that Kudron wants to shed more salary in the process of trading the two, but would not be opposed to taking on a bigger contract if it was the right player.

[Psyblast]

Ducks land their Defensemen
Niskanen & Pitkanen bring size and talent to Anaheim

August 15, 2012

ANAHEIM - Slowly but surely, Brian Kudron's vision is already beginning to take hold on Anaheim's roster.

He's only been on the job for a month, but the Ducks' GM has already made the enormous splash he promised to make. This time it was on the blueline, as he acquired Minnesota native Matt Niskanen from Pittsburgh, and Finnish product Joni Pitkanen from the Carolina Hurricanes.

It's not clear why Kudron did not seem to favor Luca Sbisa as a hockey player, but for whatever reason he seemed intent on dealing him, and he found a trading partner in the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 25-year old Niskanen was a natural fit for the trade, and Kudron convinced the Penguins to throw in their 2013 4th round draft pick on top of the deal. Niskanen was originally traded to the Penguins from Dallas along with James Neal in exchange for Alex Goligoski, a trade now viewed as a steal by the Penguins, not just because of Neal progressing into a star winger for Evgeni Malkin, but because of Niskanen growing into a very dependable top four defenseman.

The 29-year old Pitkanen was a bit more costly for the Ducks, as in addition to Bryan Allen, Kudron had to give up the 2nd round pick he had just acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the Matthew Lombardi trade. But the return should be more than worth it, as Pitkanen brings the entire package. He's a big defenseman at 6'3, 210 pounds, but is an excellent skater and puckhandler despite his size. He knows how to use his size in the defensive zone, and has a big slapshot that can come in handy on the power play to boot. He is the true two-way defender that Brian Kudron coveted so much.

The acquisitions of Niskanen and Pitkanen provide much clarity to the Ducks' blueline. With Sheldon Souray and Francois Beauchemin reportedly safe from any trades (unless offered by another team), four of the Ducks' six blueliners seem set in stone. The sixth defenseman remains a mystery; Sami Vatanen, the 5'9 Finn who was picked in the 4th round by the Ducks in 2009, has arrived from overseas and will compete for a spot in training camp. Despite his size, the 21-year old Vatanen is viewed as one of the Ducks' most promising prospects and could very well grab a roster spot. There is some hesitance in the front office to rush him along though, and some feel it would be best for him to start out at Norfolk in the AHL. That could mean calling up the more seasoned Ben Lovejoy, seeking out a temporary solution in free agency, or even making a minor trade for a veteran to put on the third defense pairing.

The final question mark is a big one: Cam Fowler. There almost seems to be a tug of war going on in the front office over Fowler. On one hand, GM Brian Kudron was reportedly almost aghast when he learned of Fowler's contract; a five million dollar pricetag should only go to a top of the line defenseman, something Fowler definitely is not at this point. However, there are still voices in the front office who believe he can reach the potential that landed him that contract. So far it seems like those voices are winning - barely. Apparently the Ducks have put the word out that Fowler could be available for the right offer, but they are not actively seeking out a trade like they've done with Lydman, Sbisa, and Allen.

Trade summaries:

Anaheim gets: D Matt Niskanen & Pittsburgh's 2013 4th round pick
Pittsburgh gets: D Luca Sbisa

Anaheim gets: D Joni Pitkanen
Carolina gets: D Bryan Allen and Minnesota's 2013 2nd round pick

[Psyblast]

Ducks make their move for a center
Not the big fish as rumored, but Vermette fits what Anaheim wants

September 5, 2012

ANAHEIM - The Ducks gave their big guns a rest for the start of the preseason, sitting Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan while giving the youngsters like Nick Bonino, Emerson Etem, and Devante Smith-Pelly a chance to prove themselves at the NHL level. None of them particularly stood out, but one of the Ducks' young prospects caught the eye of a Pacific Division rival, and a trade was worked out.

Antoine Vermette isn't the caliber of a Ryan Kesler or David Backes, who were continually linked to the Ducks in the rumor mill. But Vermette fits everything the Ducks were looking for in a center. He's one of the best in the entire NHL in the faceoff circle and can play on both the power play and penalty kill. Phoenix actually gave Anaheim GM Brian Kudron his pick between Vermette and Martin Hanzal. Hanzal is bigger, younger, and cheaper, but Vermette's experience and clear superiority in taking faceoffs made him the pick, as the Ducks sent Smith-Pelly to the Coyotes in exchange for Vermette and Phoenix's 3rd round pick in next year's NHL Draft.

The deal put a significant dent in the cap space Anaheim had opened up, but it appears - at least for now - that the Ducks are happy with their roster as the regular season looms. Sami Vatanen held his own in the preseason, and the Ducks are going to start him off with the NHL club on the third defense pairing. Cam Fowler, meanwhile, remains a Duck, and there doesn't appear to be anything imminent on that front at all.

Trade summary:

Anaheim gets: C Antoine Vermette & Phoenix's 2013 3rd round pick
Phoenix gets: F Devante Smith-Pelly

[Psyblast]

2012-2013 Anaheim Ducks Roster
#	CENTERS	AGE	HT	WT	SALARY	BIRTH PLACE
7	Andrew Cogliano	25	5'10	188	$2.390M	Toronto, ON
15	Ryan Getzlaf (C)	27	6'4	220	$8.250M	Regina, SK
26	Samuel Pahlsson	34	6'0	207	$1.525M	Ange, SWE
17	Mike Rupp	32	6'5	243	$1.355M	Cleveland, OH
20	David Steckel	30	6'5	217	$1.100M	Milwaukee, WI
50	Antoine Vermette	30	6'1	199	$4.060M	St-Agapit, QC
34	Daniel Winnik	27	6'2	210	$1.800M	Toronto, ON
#	LEFT WINGS	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE
39	Matt Beleskey	24	6'0	204	$0.735M	Windsor, ON
32	Travis Moen	30	6'2	215	$1.850M	Swift Current, SK
#	RIGHT WINGS	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE
18	Radek Dvorak	35	6'2	198	$0.525M	Tabor, CZE
51	Kyle Palmieri	21	5'11	190	$0.900M	Smithtown, NY
10	Corey Perry	27	6'3	212	$8.625M	Peterborough, ON
9	Bobby Ryan	25	6'2	208	$5.100M	Cherry Hill, NJ
8	Teemu Selanne (A)	42	6'0	196	$4.500M	Helsinki, FIN
#	DEFENSE	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE
23	Francois Beauchemin (A)	32	6'0	213	$3.500M	Sorel, QC
4	Cam Fowler	20	6'1	190	$5.000M	Windsor, ON
6	Ben Lovejoy	28	6'2	215	$0.525M	Concord, NH
2	Matt Niskanen	25	6'0	209	$2.070M	Virginia, MN
25	Joni Pitkanen	29	6'3	210	$4.500M	Oulu, FIN
44	Sheldon Souray	36	6'4	233	$3.660M	Elk Point, ALB
45	Sami Vatanen	21	5'9	185	$1.325M	Jyväskylä, FIN
#	GOALIES	AGE	HT	WT	SHOT	BIRTH PLACE
1	Jhonas Enroth	24	5'10	166	$0.755M	Stockholm, SWE
30	Viktor Fasth	30	5'11	198	$2.900M	Kalix, SWE

Anaheim Ducks Depth Chart - 2012-13
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	Bobby Ryan	Kyle Palmieri	Matt Beleskey	Travis Moen
C	Ryan Getzlaf	Antoine Vermette	Andrew Cogliano	Samuel Pahlsson
RW	Corey Perry	Teemu Selanne	Daniel Winnik	Mike Rupp
D #1	Joni Pitkanen	Cam Fowler	Sheldon Souray
D #2	Francois Beauchemin	Matt Niskanen	Sami Vatanen
G	Jhonas Enroth	Viktor Fasth

[Psyblast]

Anaheim Ducks October 2012 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 12	vs San Jose
Oct 14	vs Dallas
Oct 17	vs Carolina
Oct 19	vs Edmonton
Oct 20	at Phoenix
Oct 22	vs Nashville
Oct 25	at Boston
Oct 27	at Montreal
Oct 30	at Toronto

[Psyblast]

Ducks open 2012-13 with a win
Defensive lapses are present, but all four lines contribute offensively against San Jose



Corey Perry started the season hot, netting a power play goal and capping the night with an ENG

San Jose Sharks at Anaheim Ducks
Oct 12, 2012 1 2 3 F SJS (0-1-0) 1 1 1 3 ANA (1-0-0) 1 2 2 5 Three Stars Corey Perry, RW 2 G, 0 A, 2 hits Andrew Cogliano, C 1 G, 0 A, +1 Sheldon Souray, D 0 G, 2 A, +1	Team Stats Comparison SJS ANA Shots on Goal 30 41 Hits 15 22 Faceoffs Won-Lost 24 22 Penalty Minutes 26:00 20:00 Power Plays Converted 0 2 Power Play Opportunities 0 3 Time on Attack 5:04 7:19
Scoring Summary FIRST PERIOD Demers, 1 (Torres), 4:08 Beleskey, 1 (Vatanen), 14:27 SECOND PERIOD Perry, 1 (Selanne, Ryan) (PP), 2:33 Rupp, 1 (Souray), 12:46 Gomez, 1 (Stuart), 18:48 THIRD PERIOD Cogliano, 1 (Souray, Vermette) (PP), 8:10 Havlat, 1 (Marleau, Burns), 17:39 Perry, 2 (EN), 19:50
San Jose Sharks - Goalies GOALIES SHOTS SAVES SV % GAA A. Niemi 40 36 90% 4:01
San Jose Sharks - Skaters SKATERS TOI G A +/- SOG PIM D. Boyle 21:39 0 0 +1 1 0:00 G. Brule 14:03 0 0 +1 2 2:00 A. Burish 11:25 0 0 +1 2 0:00 B. Burns 25:29 0 1 +1 2 0:00 L. Couture 17:04 0 0 -1 1 0:00 J. Demers 19:06 1 0 -1 2 2:00 T. Galiardi 13:02 0 0 -1 2 0:00 S. Gomez 9:05 1 0 +1 1 5:00 S. Hannan 18:11 0 0 -1 1 0:00 M. Havlat 20:55 1 0 0 5 0:00 P. Marleau 18:23 0 1 0 3 0:00 J. Pavelski 13:31 0 0 -2 3 12:00 J. Sheppard 14:16 0 0 0 0 0:00 B. Stuart 20:10 0 1 0 0 0:00 J. Thornton 24:00 0 0 0 2 0:00 R. Torres 11:24 0 1 -1 1 0:00 M. Vlasic 15:25 0 0 0 0 0:00 T. Wingels 8:35 0 0 +1 2 5:00
Anaheim Ducks - Goalies GOALIES SHOTS SAVES SV % GAA J. Enroth 30 27 90% 3.00
Anaheim Ducks - Skaters SKATERS TOI G A +/- SOG PIM F. Beauchemin 29:52 0 0 0 1 0:00 M. Beleskey 7:40 1 0 +1 2 0:00 A. Cogliano 11:25 1 0 +1 3 0:00 C. Fowler 21:39 0 0 +1 1 0:00 R. Getzlaf 22:35 0 0 -1 0 0:00 T. Moen 13:32 0 0 +1 3 0:00 M. Niskanen 11:59 0 0 -2 2 0:00 S. Pahlsson 15:36 0 0 0 1 0:00 K. Palmieri 13:34 0 0 -2 0 0:00 C. Perry 24:13 2 0 0 10 0:00 J. Pitkanen 24:51 0 0 -1 1 10:00 M. Rupp 14:47 1 0 +1 3 0:00 B. Ryan 24:56 0 1 0 4 0:00 T. Selanne 12:13 0 1 -2 5 5:00 S. Souray 17:04 0 2 +1 1 5:00 S. Vatanen 12:38 0 1 +1 0 0:00 A. Vermette 13:42 0 1 0 2 0:00 D. Winnik 7:44 0 0 +1 2 0:00