2015-16 Ducks Preview: Additions And Subtractions

Additions

Kevin Bieksa

2014-15 Stats

Vancouver	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	BlkSh	Zone Starts
Regular Season	60	4	10	14	48.1	77	20:50	93	49.7
Playoffs	6	0	0	0	48.9	9	18:19	6	60.3

What Was Given Up?

Acquired from Vancouver Canucks for 2016 second round draft pick.

What Does He Bring?

With the departure of Francois Beauchemin to the Avalanche, Bieksa helps fill in his immediate spot in the defense as a reliable, physical veteran. It's a small price to pay to have additional experience on the backend, especially considering rumors earlier in the summer had him tagged for San Jose for a second rounder in the 2015 draft. A year younger than Beauchemin and a touch quicker, the right-hand shot packs a physical presence and had been a positive shot attempts player in six previous seasons before last year. He spent much of training camp and the preseason skating with Hampus Lindholm, and had his first of many "wow, this is so weird" moments when he defended the honor of Corey Perry and fought with Kings forward Kyle Clifford.

Carl Hagelin

2014-15 Stats

NY Rangers	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	Avg SH TOI	Zone Starts
Regular Season	82	17	18	35	50.3	46	15:14	1:57	49.7
Playoffs	19	2	3	5	51.9	6	16:38	2:11	54.8

What Was Given Up?

Acquired from New York Rangers with NYR 2015 second round and sixth pics for Emerson Etem, 2015 second pick.

What Does He Bring?

As we wrote at the time, Hagelin for Etem is a pure 'down the development path' trade where the Ducks made a move for a more sure NHL commodity. In Hagelin, that is a wickedly fast two-way forward that has been one of the Rangers most reliable penalty killers the last several seasons. He has been a consistent midlevel contributor offensively for his career with three 30+ point seasons and back-to-back 17 goal campaigns in Manhattan while primarily being used on the second and third lines. Though waiting until the final two preseason games to make his first appearance for Anaheim, Hagelin has been slotted with Ryan Getzlaf and Chris Stewart, and with his penchant for board play and versatile skill set will be useful most anywhere in the Ducks lineup.

Chris Stewart

2014-15 Stats

Buffalo/Minnesota	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	Hits	Zone Starts
Regular Season	81	14	22	36	39.6	88	15:53	110	42.3
Playoffs (MIN)	8	0	2	2	39.1	2	15:59	15	49.4

What Was Given Up?

Signed a one-year $1.7 mil. free agent contract.

What Does He Bring?

Potential to capture lightning in a bottle, much in the same way the attempt was made with Dany Heatley last summer. The question with Stewart is as much 'how often will he bring it' as much as what he will bring, one that's dogged him for much of his career despite a pair of 28-goal seasons. Last year after languishing in Buffalo at the beginning of the year he played an inspired lower-six role after being traded to the Minnesota Wild, posting a better than 50 SAT% in his regular season games with him. The hope is skating with Ryan Getzlaf can help him find that scoring touch that so tantalized Colorado and the St. Louis Blues, while the deficiencies in the defensive end are limited as much as possible.

Anton Khudobin

2014-15 Stats

Carolina	GP	W	L	OL	GAA	SV%	SO	AdjSV%	Quality Starts
Regular Season	34	8	17	6	2.72	.900	1		16
Playoffs	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

What Was Given Up?

Acquired from Carolina Hurricanes for defenseman James Wisniewski.

What Does He Bring?

Some stability in the crease, which after last year when Frederik Andersen was required to start 20 straight games and 37 of 40 early in the season is much needed. Khudobin is a curious case with his .919 career save percentage, as he's never been afforded the opportunity to truly compete for a starting spot after being caught in the goalie logjam of Minnesota, stuck behind Tuukka Rask in Boston, and Cam Ward's contract in Carolina. With unrestricted free agency awaiting him following this season, though the organization sees him as a pure backup this season that will enable John Gibson time to season in San Diego and keep the load light for Andersen, Khudobin has come in with the mentality of battling for the starting role. His performance through the preseason allowing just one two goals on 67 shots in 140 minutes of action is a strong start.

Shawn Horcoff

2014-15 Stats

Dallas	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	FO%	Zone Starts
Regular Season	76	11	18	29	52.9	27	13:01	50.2	51.4
Playoffs	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X

What Was Given Up?

Signed a one year $1.75 mil. free agent contract.

What Does He Bring?

A depth center with 15 years of experience, Horcoff is an immediate fill for the injured Nate Thompson, and will add some additional competition on the lower-six. After producing offensively in the early years of his career with Edmonton, in Dallas the past few seasons he settled into a defensive role that saw him become one of the Stars better shot suppressers. He will be called upon to do the same with Anaheim; play a smart two-way game with a head for responsible defense, and chip in where possible. During exhibition season he was mostly deployed with Patrick Maroon and Tim Jackman.

Mike Santorelli

2014-15 Stats

Toronto/Nashville	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	FO%	Zone Starts
Regular Season	79	12	21	33	47.4	14	14:23	46.2	43.3
Playoffs (NSH)	4	1	0	1	50.5	0	13:20	100.0	31.3

What Was Given Up?

Signed a one year $0.875 mil. free agent contract

What Does He Bring?

Another depth signing, it's a wonder Santorelli hasn't been able to catch hold with any one team over the course of his career, as he's been a solid lower-six contributor everywhere he's been. He scored 21 goals with the Panthers in 10-11, and has three seasons of near 30 point production. Still, Santorelli's most valuable contribution is his versatility, able to play center or wing, and making smart plays on the forecheck and defensively. With the Jets and Canucks he was able to help turn play, seeing primarily defensive zone starts but posting a positive shot attempt percentage, while struggling a bit when being asked to play a more offensive role with Nashville last year.

Subtractions

Matt Beleskey

2014-15 Season In Review

2014-15 Stats

Anaheim	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	PPG	Zone Starts
Regular Season	65	22	10	32	53.5	41	14:29	4	52.1
Playoffs	16	8	1	9	51.4	2	15:00	3	47.8

Where'd He Go?

Signed a five year $3.8 mil. AAV free agent contract with Boston Bruins.

What Will Be Missed?

A career high in goals in his last season with the Ducks, Beleskey was a regular physical presence that never seemed to find a consistent home line-wise in his time with the Ducks. Occasionally slotted on the first like with Getzlaf and Perry, he produced there, as he did the playoffs beside Kesler and Jakob Silfverberg. Still, last year saw the highest shooting percentage of his career, and with the acquired Hagelin as well as Silfverberg up for contracts during the summer, there wasn't room to pay similar money for a forward that has scored at a lower-six rate for his career.

Francois Beauchemin

2014-15 Season In Review

2014-15 Stats

Anaheim	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	BlkSh	Zone Starts
Regular Season	64	11	12	23	50.0	48	22:45	107	48.4
Playoffs	16	0	9	9	54.4	2	25:25	36	42.9

Where'd He Go?

Signed a three year $4.5 mil. AAV free agent contract with Colorado Avalanche.

What Will Be Missed?

Beauchemin has been the Ducks top minute man on the backend the last several seasons, and his stewardship helped Lindholm find his legs as a rookie and begin blossoming in to one of the next great Swedish defensemen. He was a reliable producer offensively, and when paired with Lindholm evolved in to putting up solid possession numbers. Still, at 35 year-old and at the same cap number he carried last season, Anaheim could ill-afford to keep him around with two forwards, three defensemen and a goalie coming up for RFA status this summer.

Kyle Palmieri

2014-15 Season In Review

2014-15 Stats

Anaheim	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	Sh%	Zone Starts
Regular Season	57	14	15	29	51.2	37	14:06	12.5	49.8
Playoffs	16	1	3	4	51.2	4	13:12	2.9	53.6

Where'd He Go?

Traded to New Jersey Devils for 2015 second round pick and 2016 third round pick.

What Will Be Missed?

Always with one of the sneaky best shots on the team, Palmieri is another player that never seemed to find a consistent home on the Anaheim lines. He could never fully entrench himself in a second line role, and battling through injuries as has been the arc of his career made it difficult for him to get and stay in form offensively.

Emerson Etem

2014-15 Season In Review

2014-15 Stats

Anaheim	GP	G	A	PT	SAT%	PIM	Avg TOI	On Ice Sh%	Zone Starts
Regular Season	45	5	5	10	53.6	4	12:15	4.7	53.8
Playoffs	12	3	0	3	45.0	0	11:42	7.4	66.1

Where'd He Go?

Traded to New York Rangers with 2015 second and sixth round draft picks for Carl Hagelin and NYR 2015 second round draft pick.

What Will Be Missed?

While it's disappointing to see the Long Beach native move on, perhaps it's for the best as his goal scoring pedigree from Medicine Hat in the WHL was never going to be actualized while skating in a lower six role for the Ducks. Etem's speed and flashes of skill captivated at times, especially when paired with Rickard Rakell and Jiri Sekac, but he couldn't fully crack the lineup and entrench a regular role.

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Stats from Hockey-Reference, NHL, War-On-Ice.