Ed Stein: Pass the Duc(t) Tape

Hey guys how it going?

If taking less for Sami means the ability to keep Josh then so be it - Josh has the toughness & skill that no other Ducks D can call on - he is an enforcer without having to allocate a 4th line spot for it & is skilled enough to play top pairing D - Sami is easily replaceable w/ Brandon.
The injuries just blow but hey every team is dealing with them -
I will say I hope Murray takes the same hard line W/ Cam he did with Ricky & Hampus - I don't think he's as valuable as either of those guys - if he gets greedy trade him as he is replaceable also from within -

Normally you hear news of 2-3 guys that need to have some offseason work done. Now it's like every other player was playing through something serious. The injury bug struck at the wrong time. Just like how the pale mare weakened the Yunkai forces outside of Meereen. These things add up, and we all know how that ended up. Here is another example of history repeating itself.

The Ducks have a lot of choices to make. I'll speculate, because there is nothing better to do. Realistically, Anaheim's GM Bob Murray was never one to sell low on roster players. I think the Palmieri and Maroon deals could be seen as an exception, but when he had to resign Lindholm, Vatanen and Rakell choices had to be made. Maroon was a tough trade for the Ducks. I was a hater on him because I knew he could be a 20 goal scorer. Sure enough the dude gets traded and has a monster year. What are you going to do? I attribute Maroon's struggles more to Boudreau's Emotional Rollercoaster. The guys would lose focus and goon it up like 1970s. I wasn't even alive back then, but I've heard stories. Anyways, back to my original point. Will Murray resort to some sort of fire sale prices to protect Manson over Vatanen? Hate to say it, but that's where the choice will be made. There are pros and cons. We don't even know how long Vatanen was injured for? Was that hurting his shot from the point? Probably. Murray and his team are definitely weighing all the pros and cons. Right now, Vatanen won't net a solidified top 6 winger. Not anymore. November is the earliest time table. No training camp. Other teams don't like that. I like this team and all the players, but the future's at stake. The Golden Knights are cashing in, and I don't like it one bit, but that's the way things are right now.

New paragraph. Gibson went down in game 5 and that was the moment when Khal Drogo fell off his horse. We all know what happened after that. The Magie, Mirri Maz Duur, did Daenerys "Stromborn" Targaryen dirty and that was the end of that khalasar!! Same thing when Gibson goes down. Bernier was dealt a tough hand and it's like BAM! Sylvannas Windrunner is played on turn 6 and it's like WTF? Same thing when Gibson goes down. I'm not one for excuses, as Nashville had plenty of hardships too, but that's in the past. Anyways, to get back to my original point. I hope Gibson gets this repeating groin issue fixed. I presume he's still developing a stretch/post game routine to keep him healthy for a whole season, but he's the guy that has to do the heavy lifting.

Will they bring back Thompson? Maybe he gets a 1 year deal. The injuries have been a lot for Thompson. Untimely too. Nevertheless, he finds ways to be effective when plans A, B and C aren't going right. I think a 1 year deal. It's not like there will be any Raymonds this year at training camp. Maybe there will though. Who knows? All I'm saying is Thompson plays good minutes. Wagner, him and Shaw made for a strong 4th line. Management waived Cramarossa and opted for Wagner. I think Wagner was more effective than Cramarossa. Wagner's older though, so that could be why.

Anyways, this should be an interesting offseason.

I don't know. I'm not entirely convinced Vats' value is significantly diminished because of his injury. Players of his pedigree don't become available all that often, and he's signed to a relatively team friendly cap for another 3 years. He isn't in his prime yet, and I would think a team needing his skill set will be more than willing to wait until January to reap the rewards.

Murray has said he's spoken with GMGM, so I feel confident the Ducks won't be losing any significant piece. Time will tell.

If Bieksa waives, GMBM will trade Sami for whatever he can get for him. Slick-skating right-handed defensemen don't grow on trees. He's got to be worth more than just letting him go to Vegas. If Bieksa doesn't waive, all hell will break loose.

BTW I wouldn't believe GMBM that Vegas won't take anyone. Has everyone noticed the moves he makes are usually a surprise? So take what I wrote above and throw it in the trash. Then sit back and watch the master at work. This should be good.

I seriously doubt any defensemen are traded. If it was going to happen, it would have last summer. By the way, trade or expansion, the Ducks lose a defenseman. Why risk losing two of them if Bieksa does not waive? At the moment, cap space is more valuable than the assets Vatanen would bring. Mostly it is unlikely that any team pays actual value for any Ducks defenseman. Murray is just going to decide if he would rather keep Vatanen or Manson and protect that player, while allowing Vegas to take the other. It's a pretty simple scenario.

Have to think the Ducks will buy out Bieksa if he does not waive. Vatanen won't be traded at a big discount. He still has term left and most teams would be happy to have a guy like him healthy for next years playoffs.

I seriously doubt any defensemen are traded. If it was going to happen, it would have last summer. By the way, trade or expansion, the Ducks lose a defenseman. Why risk losing two of them if Bieksa does not waive? At the moment, cap space is more valuable than the assets Vatanen would bring. Mostly it is unlikely that any team pays actual value for any Ducks defenseman. Murray is just going to decide if he would rather keep Vatanen or Manson and protect that player, while allowing Vegas to take the other. It's a pretty simple scenario.
- sniper11

If that happens Murray should be fired.

And why would a D have been traded last year? Makes zero sense. Montour and Theodore weren't NHL ready last year. My gosh, this is just basic stuff.

If Bieksa waives, GMBM will trade Sami for whatever he can get for him. Slick-skating right-handed defensemen don't grow on trees. He's got to be worth more than just letting him go to Vegas. If Bieksa doesn't waive, all hell will break loose.

BTW I wouldn't believe GMBM that Vegas won't take anyone. Has everyone noticed the moves he makes are usually a surprise? So take what I wrote above and throw it in the trash. Then sit back and watch the master at work. This should be good.
- yzermaneely

Who said that? Ducks are losing a player. If you're referencing my comment, I said "significant" player.

Interesting to hear everyone's take on the Vatanen injury. If his shoulder is as bad as Murray says it is there's a good chance Sami won't play next year at all. Does everyone really think McFee will take a player he won't be able to use at all? Anyway, I think I know what will happen, especially after hearing what Bieksa played through. I think Shea Theodore will be traded to Vegas in consideration for not taking Vatanen and Fowler, Manson, and Lindholm will be protected. If the Ducks were willing to play an injured Bieksa over a healthy Theodore, it really shows how far he's fallen in the depth chart. Don't forget, Jacob Larsson is close to NHL ready and would have made the team last year if they had room for him. Carlyle loved him.
Where the Vatanen injury kills Murray is in his trade value. I think the Ducks could have gotten the 3rd pick from Dallas in exchange for Sami, but the fact that he won't play for most of the year probably kills that deal.

Interesting to hear everyone's take on the Vatanen injury. If his shoulder is as bad as Murray says it is there's a good chance Sami won't play next year at all. Does everyone really think McFee will take a player he won't be able to use at all? Anyway, I think I know what will happen, especially after hearing what Bieksa played through. I think Shea Theodore will be traded to Vegas in consideration for not taking Vatanen and Fowler, Manson, and Lindholm will be protected. If the Ducks were willing to play an injured Bieksa over a healthy Theodore, it really shows how far he's fallen in the depth chart. Don't forget, Jacob Larsson is close to NHL ready and would have made the team last year if they had room for him. Carlyle loved him.
Where the Vatanen injury kills Murray is in his trade value. I think the Ducks could have gotten the 3rd pick from Dallas in exchange for Sami, but the fact that he won't play for most of the year probably kills that deal.
- duxcup07

I was also surprised on KB over Shea - for the one game I was Ok with it as I thought Ducks needed the physical side more than Shea was bringing & KB looked fresh but after that I wanted Shea back - I also don't know how the Stoner / Depres situations will shake out and I believe both of those have to be addressed before the expansion draft .... No ?

I was also surprised on KB over Shea - for the one game I was Ok with it as I thought Ducks needed the physical side more than Shea was bringing & KB looked fresh but after that I wanted Shea back - I also don't know how the Stoner / Depres situations will shake out and I believe both of those have to be addressed before the expansion draft .... No ?
- dozerD10

No.

Despres is on LTIR so he's not eligible for the draft. Stoner did not play enough games (missed by 5 games I believe) over the last 2 years so he's also exempt.

Please correct if wrong (hoping my memory is still somewhat accurate).

Wow! A lot of bad injuries. Reminds me of the Kings in 2013 losing to the Blackhawks and finding out the numerous injuries they were playing with. In the Ducks case it appears worse! This is why I have a problem with how they officiate the playoffs vs the regular season. Hockey is by far the toughest to play.

No.

Despres is on LTIR so he's not eligible for the draft. Stoner did not play enough games (missed by 5 games I believe) over the last 2 years so he's also exempt.

Please correct if wrong (hoping my memory is still somewhat accurate).
- quackup

I was thinking more along the lines of salary cap issues - tied into the expansion draft
list - package Stoner w/ another player Shea or Sami to free up space for either Cam or Eaves -

Man. So I'm finally over the loss. And really can't watch the finals. It's probably NBC gushing over sidney crosby. The team played so hard i really can't be mad at them. Especially after looking at all the injuries.
Looking foward we really need to replace or resign patrick eves. This team really turned it up when he got here. And he allowed us to put perry and getzlaf on different lines. I don't think we will be keeping them together regularly. And eves showed googd chemistry. But his contract might be the problem. Maybe we could move stoner or depres if he doesn't get healthy to vegas. I'd help clear 3 million in cap.

Wow! A lot of bad injuries. Reminds me of the Kings in 2013 losing to the Blackhawks and finding out the numerous injuries they were playing with. In the Ducks case it appears worse! This is why I have a problem with how they officiate the playoffs vs the regular season. Hockey is by far the toughest to play.
- arh777

Even though we root for different teams, I think we're kindred spirits when it comes to Tanner. The last exchange was one for the ages. lol

I was thinking more along the lines of salary cap issues - tied into the expansion draft
list - package Stoner w/ another player Shea or Sami to free up space for either Cam or Eaves -
- dozerD10

As long as Despres is on LTIR, his salary is available to spend (can exceed the cap by that amount). Also, Bernier is UFA which frees up over 4M. I still think Vats will be traded, and that adds 4.75M. Nate Thompson is UFA and I doubt he'll be back.

We seem to trade with Toronto, I could see a deal with them. We'll see.

I know this trade would never happen, but according to the Flames blogger, the Ducks have interest in Sam Bennett. Would you guys trade Vatanen straight up for Bennett. I know I wouldn't, because Bennett is only going to get better.

Thoughts?

Even though we root for different teams, I think we're kindred spirits when it comes to Tanner. The last exchange was one for the ages. lol
- quackup

Agreed Quackup, I'm still shaking my head. Has to be a mental disorder!

Agreed Quackup, I'm still shaking my head. Has to be a mental disorder!
- arh777

I don't know if you read my last post. Read his response (it's still accessible). I'm stunned what he said. Would love to hear your take (especially the "fake news" comment).

I don't know if you read my last post. Read his response (it's still accessible). I'm stunned what he said. Would love to hear your take (especially the "fake news" comment).
- quackup

His response baffles me. I lived it! When I was in high school I wanted to be a Meteorologist. That's all they talked about was global cooling. This is what Liberals do is Revionist history. Tanner is a condescending a-hole like most elitists.

https://www.google.com/am...l-cooling-scare-myth/amp/

I know this trade would never happen, but according to the Flames blogger, the Ducks have interest in Sam Bennett. Would you guys trade Vatanen straight up for Bennett. I know I wouldn't, because Bennett is only going to get better.

Thoughts?
- FlamesFan1230

As I said on flames site - I would do this deal so fast it would make your head spin - .... Love SB -

His response baffles me. I lived it! When I was in high school I wanted to be a Meteorologist. That's all they talked about was global cooling. This is what Liberals do is Revionist history. Tanner is a condescending a-hole like most elitists.

https://www.google.com/am...l-cooling-scare-myth/amp/
- arh777

I agree. I also lived it and remember the "hysteria." But to just say it's "fake" and accuse me of lying is mind boggling. The indoctrination is much worse than I ever imagined. Trust me, I'm not letting this go. (You know he would slam your reference because of its source.)

Anyway, should be an interesting offseason for both clubs.