Pucks of a Feather

When free agency opened at the beginning of July, Ducks fans were eager to see which players Pat Verbeek would add to the roster and improve the team. However, the anticipation was met with silence as the Ducks did not sign any players on the opening day of free agency and the highly coveted players were already on their way to other teams. The only free-agent additions the Ducks made were signing depth forwards Jansen Harkins and Carson Meyer.

The Anaheim Ducks shocked many at the NHL Draft and selected Beckett Sennecke with their third overall pick. The reaction from fans and Beckett himself showed how surprising this pick was. A few looks at pre-draft rankings and opinions from scouts may lead you to believe the Ducks reached for this player, but when you examine the bigger picture of Beckett Sennecke’s development and the player he is becoming, you’ll be able to see why Pat Verbeek pulled the trigger.

As the Anaheim Ducks move into the summer and look toward a new season of hopeful improvement, General Manager Pat Verbeek has stated three areas of the roster he hopes to slot new players into through the free agency market. A top-four right-shot defenceman, a top-six rightwinger, and improved depth to the bottom six are the trifecta of additions that fans can look toward when free agency signings commence on July 1st.

The Anaheim Ducks look set to take on some bad contracts in exchange for draft capital and young prospects. However, that isn’t the only way they can leverage their cap space and abundance of draft picks. One other, whispered of only in the dark recesses of the interweb and shunned by the greater powers of the NHL, is the fabled offer sheet. Offer sheets can be given on the first day of free agency, which in 2022 is the 13th of July. A week after the draft.

The LA Kings have seemingly kicked off the off-season festivities with a smart trade to acquire Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild. Many fans have looked at the Kings model as one for the Anaheim Ducks to follow. In truth, it’s not a bad model to follow, but there are differences in each team’s current lot in life. Notably, the Kings went out to actively start a rebuild. They went all-in on that idea and acquired – then made – a high number of draft selections over a couple of years.

Trades within a division aren’t as prevalent in the NHL as they may be in other sports. However, the Edmonton Oilers and the Anaheim Ducks may just be a match made in hockey heaven. The Oilers are suffering under the weight of Ken Holland’s contract negotiations and Pat Verbeek’s Ducks have a burning need to reach the salary cap floor. Can the former Detroit Red Wings come together and find common ground this off-season?

The recent trade rumours regarding John Gibson have seemingly cooled in recent weeks. Nonetheless, there is some thought that where there is smoke, there is fire. If Gibson is moved this offseason for future assets, the Anaheim Ducks have more than a few options they can pursue. One option that may not come immediately to mind is to take on the onerous contract of Sergei Bobrovsky.

It’s a tough question to ask for a rebuilding team. Are the Anaheim Ducks on the right track? Do they have the required pieces? Can they get the required pieces? Is there a blueprint they can follow? For the Ducks, these questions come with a new leader who presumably has a new management style and fresh new ideas. The former General Manager Bob Murray talked endlessly about finding his Chris Pronger and flip-flopped between acquiring players with size and players with speed.

Alright, alright, hear me out first. Then you can let me know your thoughts below because we all know that you will. Kevin Dupont of the Boston Globe recently published an article suggesting that the Chicago Blackhawks need help and that they may consider trading Kirby Dach. In his proposal, the trade was for the twin 25-year-olds, Jake DeBrusk and Brandon Carlo.

This is less of a question of what the Anaheim Ducks may do with their 2022 NHL Entry Draft selections question so much as it may influence what those picks could be. Let’s not beat around the bush. The Ducks currently have a great prospect pool with some fantastic young players swimming in it. However, there is a clear lack of power forwards in that mix. It’s also worth noting that the Ducks haven’t had a lot of success developing power forwards since Bobby Ryan came through the ranks.