Pucks of a Feather
Fansided

The Anaheim Ducks Don’t Need Erik Karlsson to Be Successful

By Ciara Durant

OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 24: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators prepares for a faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on February 24, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/NHLI via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON - FEBRUARY 24: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators prepares for a faceoff against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre on February 24, 2018 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Jana Chytilova/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 9
Next
OTTAWA, ON – MARCH 24: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators stickhandles the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes at Canadian Tire Centre on March 24, 2018, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images)
OTTAWA, ON – MARCH 24: Erik Karlsson #65 of the Ottawa Senators stickhandles the puck against the Carolina Hurricanes at Canadian Tire Centre on March 24, 2018, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/NHLI via Getty Images) /

News broke on Friday that our cross-state rivals, the San Jose Sharks, acquired Erik Karlsson from the Ottawa Senators. This means that the balance of power in the Pacific has shifted significantly. This is a big problem for the Anaheim Ducks, or, is it?

When the news broke that the San Jose Sharks had acquired Erik Karlsson, I was blue in the face (no pun intended). I will admit, I wanted Bob Murray to get the boot. There have been a few times where I have questioned the decisions he’s made regarding the Anaheim Ducks (i.e. Jason Chimera and Chris Kelly.) However, I have never really questioned Bob Murray’s ability to do his job. That is, until Friday.

When rumors started swirling that Erik Karlsson wanted to be traded to the Pacific Division, most of Ducks Nation rolled out the welcome carpet, hoping he might land in Anaheim. Who can resist the thought of having a 50+ point defenseman and a two-time Norris Trophy recipient on their blueline? We had some great bargaining chips we could have sent to Ottawa in exchange for their star player.

Jakob Silfverberg has seemed to be on the top of everyone’s trade list during the offseason. Why not send a young Brandon Montour? We have some enticing prospects the Canadian team might be interested in. Add in a draft pick or two, top it with a pretty bow, ship it all to Ottawa, and we’ve got ourselves a pretty good deal.

As much as we all wish we could be GM for the day and snatch up an incredible player such as Erik Karlsson, Bob Murray didn’t see things the same way. So, instead of seeing the Swedish Bobby Orr dressed in orange, he’s going to be spending the 2018-19 season in teal.

Home/Ducks News