Based on the NHL season being delayed and finishing late, we don’t even know when free agency is actually going to take place this year. However, whenever it does open, the Anaheim Ducks should steer clear of any major signings.
The difficult part about this is that if the Ducks don’t add to their roster, they’re probably not going to have a great shot at the playoffs next season. On the other hand though, what the Ducks can’t afford to do is take any spots away from a young player, which they’d likely be doing if they added a player or two in free agency.
The way their lineup is set up, adding a forward would probably bump a young player out of the top-nine, while the Ducks already have a surplus of defensive prospects that they need to start trying to fit into the lineup. It’s a delicate balance and in a way, it’s one of the decisions that forces Anaheim to pick a direction: add to be competitive again in the near future or wait on prospects to develop for long-term gain.
To me, it should be a simple answer. Anaheim has now missed the playoffs two seasons in a row and a good part of the reason is due to their stars aging and not being able to find younger stars to take their place. If the Ducks add in free agency, they’re not giving an opportunity for the prospects they already have to become those stars.
Anaheim has a quality pool of prospects and young players, including the likes of Max Comtois, Sam Steel and Trevor Zegras, along with many others. But in order to rebuild the core of their team, they need to give those players a chance to develop and adding an older player in free agency for short-term gain would be counterproductive.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Do you think the Ducks should be active in free agency this year?
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