Anaheim Ducks Season Preview

It is safe to say the Ducks have one of the strongest cores in the NHL. The Ryan-Getzlaf-Perry line is one of the best trios in the league and can take on anyone. If Teemu Selanne returns, he will bring back his magic to the powerplay. They also have some insane power on the blue line with veteran Lubomir Visnovsky and rookie Cam Fowler. With Jonas Hiller in net, the Ducks have one of the league’s top goaltenders.

The Ducks biggest issue would be their lack of depth. Ducks GM Bob Murray made some off-season moves to hopefully fix those problems.

Losses:

• Todd Marchant: After playing 17 NHL seasons (6 with the Ducks), Marchant has decided to hang up the skates.
• Andy Sutton: After a very disappointing season, the Ducks sent Sutton off to Edmonton in exchange for Kurtis Foster.
• Andreas Lilja: Another disappointing defenseman last season, the Ducks opted not to re-sign him.
• Ray Emery: The Ducks decided to stick with Dan Ellis as their back-up goaltender.

Gained:

• Andrew Cogliano: Cogliano will hopefully fill the Ducks third line center and bring back some of those numbers we saw in his rookie season.
• Kurtis Foster: With 8 seasons under his belt, Foster will add some experience to the Ducks blue line.
• Jeff Deslauriers: A goaltender with potential. Probably won’t see much time in the NHL unless Hiller and Ellis get injured.
• Bryan Rodney: Another solid defenseman who will see more time on the third line, therefore adding depth.
• Jean-Francois Jacques: He saw some time on the Oilers checking line, which is where he will fit in with the Ducks and the Syracuse Crunch.
• Mark Bell: The Ducks are giving Bell a second chance in the NHL after spending the last two seasons in Europe.

Overview:

The Ducks have clearly addressed their depth problem this off-season. All of these signings are going to help the Ducks third and fourth lines so that their core players don’t have to do ALL the work. Cogliano is going to be big for the team if he can put up impressive numbers. Their defense has been boasted with new defensemen Rodney and Foster.

Their biggest concerns are if Selanne will come back, and if Hiller can stay healthy. It seems Selanne wants to come back, but if his knee continues to be a problem than he may not be able to. Hiller is key to the Ducks franchise and without him for an extended period of time they could be in trouble. With their new boosted 3rd and 4th lines and a healthy Hiller, the Ducks are a serious contender both in their division and their league.