Anaheim Ducks: Which player gets traded to open cap space?

The Anaheim Ducks are merely 50 days away from facing off against San Jose on October 3rd at the Shark Tank. However, there are still three very significant contracts that GM Bob Murray has yet to deal with.

So far this off-season, the Anaheim Ducks have been able to avoid making some hard decisions. Three players (Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, and Jakob Silverberg) are looking for new contracts before the season begins. So the roster isn’t as settled as Ducks Nation would like so close the regular season.

General Manager Bob Murray needs to take some initiative and make some tough calls soon. Either that or the Ducks will be swimming in a bit of hot water come opening day.

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Over the past month, we have been fortunate enough to see the Anaheim Ducks offer contract extensions to the likes of Adam Henrique, Brandon Montour, and John Gibson. The Ducks have also signed a handful of “fillers” to short-term contracts. However, as exciting as all of this is, it’s time for us to address the elephant in the room.

If Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves are good to go, the numbers game will catch up with someone. Earlier this month, we ran a story asking if Silfverberg is the odd man out. He might not be. Murray may decide he wants to keep the Swedish right wing and sacrifice someone else.

Who then are the likely candidates to be moved? Speculation from the Athletic’s Ducks expert Eric Stephens, among others, indicate a player from the left side may be the one to go. It’s not going to be Rickard Rakell, which leaves unsigned former 2014 10th overall draft pick Ritchie, or popular veteran Andrew Cogliano as the players to leave Anaheim.

“Cogs” is due to earn $3.25M per season for the next three seasons. Is sacrificing his salary to open cap space worth the loss of his defense and penalty kill prowess? That is one of the tough decisions that need to be made in the next seven weeks.

Of course, Murray being as tight-lipped as he is, has yet to disclose any information regarding the progress, or lack of, on these pending contracts. It is doubtful he will say anything until the ink has started drying on the crisp white paper of his player’s freshly signed contracts.