The Anaheim Ducks Will Remain Patient Under Holiday Roster Freeze
The Anaheim Ducks will remain patient over the holiday break, not by choice however.
Just when things appear to be taking a turn for the better, an all-out collapse ensues. That’s been the trend of the 2015-2016 season for the Anaheim Ducks thus far. Winning streaks are hard to come by and the consistency has only been found for a quick stretch of games before the lack of identity finds its way into the Anaheim locker room.
The Ducks have played just three games in the past 13 days, the NHL’s scheduling has been quite strange lately and it hasn’t been favorable for the inconsistent Ducks.
The long break before the 5-1 loss to Carolina left cobwebs on every player and it was apparent that the team was not ready to play. Another long break, five days, before the 3-0 loss in Buffalo also had the team looking like they were already on holiday break mode.
The win last night in New Jersey was a different story however. Just one day off between games had the Ducks looking ready to roll and they played arguably their best opening period of the season.
A lucky bounce got the Ducks on the board early and Ryan Kesler finally put one in the back of the net, a long awaited sight from one of the only guys who has worked hard night in and night out, he was finally rewarded with some offensive results.
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The Ducks jumped back into the win column and will conclude their New York/New Jersey road trip in Brooklyn Monday night and at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, a big back-to-back scenario before a four day holiday break ensues.
While recent play has likely sparked a sense of urgency with Ducks management, patience has been forced upon them.
The NHL’s annual holiday roster freeze is now in effect.
What does that mean?
As of midnight last night, December 19th, the NHL roster freeze is in effect and no team may make any trade, loan or waiver move until 12:01 local time on December 28th. There are obvious circumstances that will allow emergency related moves to ensue but for the most part, things will be quiet throughout the NHL in terms of trades until rosters are ‘unfrozen’.
For the Ducks, this is a time for general manager Bob Murray to do some heavy evaluation. The Ducks will finish up their road trip and head home to face the Flyers on the 27th, three games before the roster freeze is lifted.
That’s 9 days for Murray to weigh out all of his options, considering all things long-term and short-term.
Murray has already made one decision relating to his goaltenders. Anton Khudobin cleared waivers and is now serving as the San Diego Gulls number one goalie. Freddie Andersen was back in the crease last night, his first start since November 21st, and it appears that he and John Gibson will continually battle for the number one spot.
Murray could take this time to think about the direction he wants to go with regards to his goalies. Does he try and find a trade for either guy?
Beyond the continuing goaltending drama, Murray has other things to consider.
Last night Clayton Stoner was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Korbinian Holzer took his place playing next to Vatanen and the defense is another area where a potential upgrade could be favorable.
More from Ducks News
- Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
- Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
- Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
- Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
- How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?
Kevin Bieksa has not fit in or played well to begin his first season as a Duck. The decision to scratch Stoner and not Bieksa was an interesting one as it put four right shot defensemen into the lineup. Could Murray find a way to move Bieksa who will carry a cap hit of $4 million for two seasons beyond this?
Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen are clearly leading the way on the blue-line and Josh Manson has played really well recently, does this lead Murray to trust in the youth and remain patient with a defensive minded trade?
It’s no secret that the Ducks have had trouble scoring, 58 goals so far this season has them dead last in that category. A potential move to find scoring help could also be in the works.
This Ducks team could have a new look to it by the time the new year rolls around, saying that shouldn’t surprise anyone. This team has issues and a move to shake things up and wake the players up might do some good.
However, TSN’s Bob McKenzie tweeted last night that one NHL GM claimed, “I can’t even make a bad trade right now.” Just one real player for player deal has been made so far and Bob Murray may have a hard time finding a deal that allows him to keep his future assets intact. Trades are hard to come by right now as this season is an odd one.
There’s no doubt that Murray is looking, but every team feels they’ve got a realistic shot at the playoffs right now and nobody may be willing to help the Ducks climb out of this hole via trade.
The roster freeze will keep things quiet on paper, but you better believe the rumors will start spinning. especially for the underachieving Ducks. If the road trip ends on a poor note, all hell could break loose and it won’t be a very merry Christmas as every Ducks player could be fearing their fate and future in Anaheim.