TSN Offseason Plan

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 11:17 AM PDT

DANIEL:

TSN has released its assessment of what the Ducks have going on in the organization and what they need to do moving forward. It's entirely possible that Scott Cullen wrote this having watched, maybe, 5 of our games all season. Still, it's not completely ridiculous, although he and I disagree about the need for top 6 forwards. Read and assess, folks.

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I disagree about the need for top 6 forwards, too.

But I understand where Cullen is coming from. The RPG line is the best 3 man unit in hockey (imo), and Teemu-Saku are very effective second liners. But Teemu-Saku are also aging, and we will eventually need to overhaul that line (Emerson Etem, anyone?).

by light_the_lamp on Jun 14, 2011 2:11 PM PDT reply actions

Etem, DSP, Sexton, Palmieri, Deschamps, Holland. Any of those guys have potential to be top 6 forwards.

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions

Sexton needs to learn how to weeble like Blake, or he will be illiterate by 25 from getting his head smashed in. We need 3/4 line guys that have hands and speed or speed and size on the same line. Now we have speed with no hands, and size with no hands. We are a shrugfest. Forechecking requires a little of all three, but the one we lack the most is hands, those that could forecheck rarely came away with the puck. We can’t spend another year wearing out the top two lines, asking them to score, possess, forecheck, then come back and attack, they were exhausted by the end of the first, so if we weren’t ahead already, we never caught up. If we were ahead, they would grind their way back into the game. The dump and chase is a two part system (hated one that it is) so if you only dump, you lose.

by Buick22 on Jun 14, 2011 3:16 PM PDT reply actions

This.

We can’t spend another year wearing out the top two lines

Teemu really carried the team on his back during the quarterfinals.

by light_the_lamp on Jun 14, 2011 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions

except for the game tying goal that forced the overtime was kinda his fault, other than that he was awesome.

by kvd123 on Jun 15, 2011 12:05 AM PDT up reply actions

I agree that all of those guys have potential to be in the top 6 group but the question is will they get their chance. I’m all for giving it to them but if Teemu does decide to go then a top 6 forward has to be signed.

by Joe Holub on Jun 14, 2011 3:36 PM PDT reply actions

Needs: Two top six forwards, depth forwards.

If Teemu and Kariya both sign, then that takes care of the top six forwards. Murray emphasized that the first priority this offseason is to have a legitimate third line. So I think he’ll take care of that through FA.

What I said the Ducks needed last year: Two top six forwards, one top four defenceman, two more defencemen.

They added: Toni Lydman, Cam Fowler, Andy Sutton, Luca Sbisa, Andreas Lilja, Paul Mara.

Pretty sure they added another guy named Beauchemin. But, you know, I could be wrong..

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 14, 2011 3:52 PM PDT reply actions

Technically, they didn’t add him during the offseason.

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 4:07 PM PDT up reply actions

True, but he was basing the acquisitions off of what he said the Ducks needed last year. Yes, those acquisitions were in the offseason, but then why not just say, “What I said the Ducks needed last offseason”?

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 14, 2011 4:33 PM PDT up reply actions

Maybe because it’s called the offseason plan. I’m just guessing though. It could be one of those things where he only compares what he said they needed last offseason with what they acquired last offseason. I think the depressing thing is looking at all that D and then thinking about how awful our D was early on.

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 4:42 PM PDT up reply actions

I’ve got a bad feeling about our D this year. Unless Murray makes some significant improvements or Sutton doesn’t play like Sutton, I think the D is going to fall apart fast.

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 14, 2011 4:49 PM PDT up reply actions

I think you’re being paranoid. The Ducks have a good 5 D. What we are missing is that top guy who reassures you when he steps on the ice. We don’t have a Lidstrom, Weber, Chara, Doughty, Yandle, or whoever. We don’t have a top guy on D. That makes all the complimentary pieces we have seem insufficient. The Ducks have the makings of a really great D, but we are missing a key piece. This team has a D that can make the playoffs next year, you know if there’s a goalie back there that isn’t a sieve.

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 5:07 PM PDT up reply actions

I agree, that our D is fine for the top 5, I wouldn’t say they are great, but they are good. Sbisa and Fowler are very young, I think they will both make nice improvements during the off season. It would be nice to get a superstar this offseason, but from Murray’s comments, doesn’t seem like it is going to happen, unless by trade. I’m actually a lot more confident in our D this coming season than last season. Just think about what we had to go through last year at the beginning of the year. Lydman injured, Sutton being Sutton and breaking his hand, Sbisa not playing well, and unsure if we’ll even keep Fowler on roster past 10 games. I’m kind of worried about the Euro trip though, I hope we don’t come back really exhausted. We are already slow starters, I don’t think we can afford to start the year slowly again.

by fastat3m on Jun 14, 2011 5:37 PM PDT up reply actions

I’m going to have to disagree. I think with Lydman not starting the season, the pairings will suffer greatly. Whoever will be in net is going to have his work cut out for him.

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 14, 2011 6:00 PM PDT up reply actions

When will Lydmann be back from his surgery?

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 6:38 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

Murray said he’ll probably miss all of October, but at the same time he said, “knowing him, he could be back sooner.”

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 14, 2011 6:44 PM PDT up reply actions

Let Clark come up for a cup of coffee. It’ll give the kid a clear understanding of what it’s like in the NHL. The important thin is to not overreact and get another expensive defenseman that we don’t have room for.

by Daniel AC on Jun 14, 2011 11:03 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I really want to see that kid succeed, but he took a huge step backwards last season in Syracuse.

I got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell

by Natesaduck on Jun 15, 2011 12:30 AM PDT up reply actions

I don’t think he did. Granted, I wasn’t watching the games, but it sounded to me like the Crunch were playing out of sorts from top to bottom. He made a transition from major junior torah next level and he was adjusting. He still has all the tools and whether you like it or not is probably the best option we have at Syracuse right now.

I don’t know what kind if solution you’re looking for, but acquiring another defenseman is too expensive and will hinder our pursuit for depth forwards. Getting more D just isn’t an option. We have to work with what we have and be confident in our players.

by Daniel AC on Jun 15, 2011 8:26 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions

I think our adding depth 2 way forwards will go a long way in making our D look a lot better.

by DavidBL on Jun 15, 2011 2:05 PM PDT up reply actions

So do I. It’s amazing to think how much better we’d be if we just had a few forwards who would fight the puck over the blue line.

by Daniel AC on Jun 15, 2011 3:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Free Agents

Found this site called Spotrac. It lists out all of the current Free Agents and has contract information about Ducks players. Pretty cool you can see ahead in years to who will be free agents. Thought you might like this.

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nhl/anaheim-ducks/

by svallen on Jun 15, 2011 10:11 AM PDT reply actions