CaliSports News; Anaheim Ducks Summer Roster Moves
- Updated: September 5, 2015
Hockey season is just around the corner and with a new season comes excitement and expectations. After missing the Stanley Cup final by one single game after losing game 7 of the Western Conference Final, Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray was busy all summer long adding depth to improve any weak spots the Ducks roster might have had in hopes these additions could help them go all the way and win their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Of course, it is way too early to tell if Murray was successful or not but CaliSports News Ducks insider Mike Walters and I have teamed up to give our 2 cents about all the summer roster moves the team made.
Ryan Kesler inked a six-year, $41.25 million contract extension
Mike Walters – The biggest and best move of the off-season by the Ducks was giving Kesler an extension. If the Ducks are going to keep the cup window open for the next few years, then they need a player like Kesler to anchor the Ducks second line. Kesler was the Ducks best face-off center during the season at 56.3%. He played in 81 games only being rested one game at the end of last season. He brings solid leadership to the team and also makes the players around him that much better. (i.e. Matt Beleskey and Jakob Silfverberg). Imagine if the Ducks second line is Kesler, Silfverberg, and newly acquired Carl Hagelin?
Jeff Duarte – What happened to the Ryan Kesler that played for the Vancouver Canucks? You know the whiny, injury prone one that made diving into a work of art? Well that’s because now he’s a Duck and because of this, his attitude and determination has improved by leaps and bounds. Kesler was a perfect fit for the Ducks (and vice-versa) and he played some of the best hockey in his career since 2011. He now seems more focused, more hungry and more … dangerous to play against. Kesler played like a man possessed for Anaheim. So here’s my question? Who is the real Ryan Kesler? After such a solid year and a raise with a new long-term contract, will Kesler return to his old negative habits? Could that be the real him or is this the new and improved upgrade version of him? Time will tell but I do believe that Kesler is obsessed with winning the Stanley Cup so he will continue to give Anaheim all he has but I wouldn’t be surprised if this starts to physically break him down again and he’s back to injury prone city. If he can stay healthy, then watch out.
Kevin Bieksa inked a two-year, $8 million extension after being traded from Vancouver for a 2016 second round draft pick
Mike – After the departure of Francois Beachemin, the Ducks need another stay at home defenseman to fill his skates. Bieksa comes in with tons of experience having played 10 seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. He also has playoff experience has played in 71 post season games. Bieksa and Kesler know each well from Vancouver so that will be an added bonus when they are on the ice together.
Jeff – As strong as Anaheim was last season and the season before, there was still a knock on them for the lack of depth with their defensive corps. Signing Bieksa helps end these criticisms. Fearless and experienced, Bieksa is a very strong pick up for the Ducks.
Acquired Carl Hagelin and the 41st pick of the 2015 NHL Draft to the New York Rangers for Emerson Etem, the 59th choice and pick No. 179.
Mike – Bob Murray called Hagelin a “wildcard” because of what he can bring to the team. He averages about 40 points a season and has great speed. He and Andrew Cogliano are the two fastest players on the Ducks team. It will be interesting to see if he plays on the top line or second line. He speed alone at even strength and on special teams is going to be a huge addition to the Ducks roster.
Jeff – I’m not happy that the Ducks brought the speedy Karl Hagelin on board. It’s not because I think it was a bad addition to the Ducks team, actually it’s quite the opposite. This is a brilliant addition for the Ducks and I’m not happy about it because Hagelin will be nothing but a headache for the Los Angeles Kings (like he was in the 2014 Stanley Cup final for the Rangers). The Ducks already have size, a mix of youth and veterans and now have added some insane speed. Bravo Murray. Hagelin is going to give a lot of teams in the West some painful ulcers. He will shine on this team.
Anton Khudobin from Carolina Hurricanes for James Wisniewski
Mike – At the end of the season it looked like the battle for the net would be between Frederik Andersen and John Gibson. The addition of Khudobin has changed the goalie situation in Anaheim. It looks like Khudobin plans to compete for the top spot against Andersen. Back in Carolina, Khudobin did compete with Cam Ward at times for the starting goalie job. I still expect Andersen to be the Ducks starter with Khudobin being the back up. Gibson will likely start in San Diego and get plenty of playing time. Keeping Gibson playing in the AHL is beneficial in case Andersen or Khudobin get injured.
Jeff – This is a depth move by Murray for the Goaltending situation. As talented and full of potential that Frederik Anderson and the young John Gibson have, they weren’t as solid in net last season as Murray had hoped they would be. So in comes Khudobin, who didn’t play very well for a very lousy Carolina team but will have his numbers automatically improve thanks to now playing with a much stronger team in front of him. With that said, I don’t foresee him taking the top spot away from Anderson. Barring injury, A.K. will be a back up in the very least. Gibson will be in San Diego with the farm team honing his skills until he is ready to return to the NHL. Once he is, then it’ll be bye-bye to Khudobin unless Anderson crashes and burns as number 1.
Chris Stewart signs a one-year deal. The deal is reportedly worth $1.7 million dollars.
Mike – Stewart is one of the most interesting signings of the off-season for the Ducks. He has the potential to play on any line. Some have suggested that he might get a shot of the top line with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. If he doesn’t play on the top line then he will likely play on the third or fourth line. He has averaged 36 points in his last five seasons. He has also averaged 18 goals, which he could reach with the Ducks this season. Lastly, he dropped the gloves nine times last year, so there is a good chance he mixes it up next season.
Jeff – Like I said earlier in this article, Murray is loading up his team with more depth and Stewart is another example of this. Picking him up won’t hurt the team at all as he can be placed on any line they need him for. If things don’t work out, then the Ducks only sacrificed a one year contract. No biggie. I think Stewart will do fine as a Duck as long as he has the right attitude and doesn’t get angry or depressed if he isn’t placed on the top line or anywhere in the top 6. For this to work, Stewart needs to accept the unpredictable floating rover role. I feel that he will.
Shawn Horcoff has signed a one-year contract worth $1.75M
Mike – With Nate Thompson out for the first several months of the season, the Ducks picked up Horcoff for added depth at the center position. He will likely either play 3rd or 4th line center at the start of next season. With the addition of Santorelli, Horcoff could also play wing as well. Horcoff brings veteran leadership and a good two-way game to the Ducks roster.
Jeff – The Ducks are going all in this year. It’s pretty much Cup or bust so having Shawn Horcoff join the bottom 6 of the forward roster only strengthens the bottom 6 while also strengthening the entire Ducks roster by … A LOT. With Horcoff, Stewart and the next player we are going to talk about, the Ducks are becoming solid from top to bottom. This team has just became even more dangerous. Plus he’s yet another Center added to this team. Like with Stewart, Horcoff will need to have a positive attitude due to the fact that this team has an overabundance of centers. He might play center or he may be asked to play on the wing? Horcoff needs to be ready for whatever may be asked of him if he wants to be successful.
Mike Santorelli signed for one year $875,000
Mike – Murray worked some more magic and signed Santorelli for a one year deal. This is a depth move as he can play center on the 3rd or 4th line with Horcoff playing the other position. Rickard Rakell will likely play wing as a result. It will be interesting to see what happens when Nate Thompson returns. The Ducks will have six centers on the roster at that point. One might see Rakell and Horcoff play wing when Thompson returns. It is actually a great strategy to have extra centers in the line up to be able to take face-offs when a player gets kicked from the face-off circle.
Jeff – Another depth addition to the bottom 6, another Center and another solid pick up. Same rules apply for Santorelli as they do for Chirs Stewart and Shawn Horcoff. Santorelli plays hard so I think he will fit right into this team without fuss despite what role they ask of him.
Chris Wagner inked a one-year, two-way contract
Mike – Wagner is a valuable player because he can play wing and center. He isn’t an offensive scoring threat, but he plays solid defense and will provide some serious checks on the opponent. With the recent signing of Santorelli and the fact Wagner has to clear waivers, he will likely start the season in the AHL.
Jeff – The Ducks are completely stacked with talent so I’m afraid there isn’t much room for Wagner at the moment. He’ll more than likely be playing in San Diego instead of Anaheim for now but no worries, he will be back.
Brian McGrattan has agreed to a one-year deal
Mike – McGrattan has been known as an enforcer for all his career. It’s never a bad idea to have a George Parros type player on your team. The Ducks could use him on the fourth line especially against teams with size like the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings. If he doesn’t play on the fourth line, then he will be with the Gulls or scratched.
Jeff – Enforcers are becoming a dying breed in today’s NHL. I don’t see him playing much with the Ducks unless there’s an injury epidemic or something else terrible. If he does get called up he will provide some much needed toughness, as long as he doesn’t hurt his own team by taking too many stupid penalties. He’ll be back in San Diego in a heartbeat if he does.
Josh Manson agreed to a two-year, $1.65 million extension.
Shane O’Brien signed a one-year, two-way contract
Mike – Manson and O’Brien will be battling for ice time with the Ducks top 6 defensemen this season. They both bring grit and size to their game. They will both likely start in San Diego, but they could also see time in the NHL if a player is injured.
Jeff – Both these players have the skill and potential to be solid defensemen for the Ducks. One of them might even crack the line up at the beginning of the season but probably not both. There time will come though.
Michael Sgarbossa has agreed to a one-year, two-way deal
Harry Zolnierczyk has signed a one-year, two-way deal worth $600K
Korbinian Holzer has agreed to a one-year, $750,000 extension
Matt Hackett has signed a two-way, two-year deal with Anaheim
Joe Piskula has agreed to a two-way, one-year deal
Chris Mueller to a two-way, one-year contract
Mike – These are all depth moves for the Ducks in San Diego. The Ducks recently didn’t qualify several players in the AHL. These players will likely spend a majority of the season with the Gulls barring injuries to the Ducks roster.
Jeff – All these moves are for rounding out the roster of the Duck’s minor league affiliate San Diego Gulls. More AHL seasoning is recommended for these players.
Whether these summer roster moves by Bob Murray are going to be great and help push the Ducks closer to glory or will greatly fail, this 2015-16 season and playoffs are going to be a very interesting one for the Anaheim Ducks. Do you agree or disagree with any of Murray’s decisions or on any of our opinions? Please feel free to let us know in the comment sections below.
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