February 8, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) and goalie Jonas Hiller (1) celebrate the Ducks 3-2 overtime victory against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Okay, a deal is in place, so now we should preview the upcoming Anaheim Ducks 2012-2013 regular season. But first, let’s make a slow recap of last season.

Recap 2011-2013 Season:

It began in Helsinki, Finland, and it pretty much went down the crapper after that. Former Head Coach Randy Carlyle was fired after a 7-13-4 start. He was replaced by former Washington Capitals Head Coach Bruce Boudreau. Under Boudreau the Ducks went 27-23-8, with much improved play and the team just looked better. The Ducks’ big line of Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan were particularly brutal. Perry’s production went from 50 goals and 98 points to 37 goals and 60 points. Getzlaf had a nightmare of a season and by far his worst of his career, posting only 11 goals and 57 points. Bobby Ryan dropped off the least, 71 points to 57 points. Jonas Hiller returned from vertigo to have a roller coaster of a season, with miserable lows early on, but finished very strong. The late playoff push was fun to watch, but the slow start doomed the Ducks from the beginning.

Dec 26, 2011; San Jose CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau leaves the rink after the first period against the San Jose Sharks at HP Pavilion. The Anaheim Ducks defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Additions/Subtractions:

The biggest changes for the Ducks were made on the blue line. They signed veteran defenseman Sheldon Souray who resurrected his career with the Dallas Stars last season. He signed a 3-year, $11-million deal to help the Ducks power play that dropped to 21st in the league last season after being 2nd the year before. The Ducks also signed big, veteran defenseman Bryan Allen from the Carolina Hurricanes. He signed a 3-year, $10.5 million contract. Allen is one of the more underrated defenseman in the league. He is a big body that should really help shut down the opponents offense. The Ducks made some improvements to the bottom forward lines, by signing grinder Daniel Winnik and tough guy Brad Staubitz. When the Ducks have been a successful team, those bottom two forward lines were much more affective than they were this past season. They also signed Swedish goalie Viktor Fasth who has been one of the best goalies in the Swedish Elite League recently. Fasth will have to battle goalie Jeff Deslauriers for the backup spot behind Hiller.

The Ducks also lost a lot over the offseason. Lubomir Visnovsky, the Ducks most dynamic offensive defenseman, was traded to the New York Islanders. Lubo fought hard to null that trade, but to no avail. Long time fan favorite George Moustache, I mean, Parros was released by the Ducks and he eventually signed a 2-year contract with the Florida Panthers. Arguably the best defensive defenseman for the Ducks last season, Sheldon Brookbank chose to go elsewhere by signing a contract with the Chicago Blackhawks over the summer. Both Jason Blake and Niklas Hagman were released to try and make the team younger, both are still free agents. Probably the most difficult loss, is young defenseman Justin Schultz who never even suited up for the Ducks. He chose not to play for the franchise and signed with the Edmonton Oilers.

Preview Current Roster:

Dec 13, 2011; Toronto, ON, Canada; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Bryan Allen (5) pursues the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre. The Maple Leafs beat the Hurricanes 2-1 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Ducks will once again rely heavily on the RPG Line. Some believe that Boudreau might explore the possibilites with moving those three around with different combinations, but we’ll see what happens. Both Perry and Getzlaf are in contract years. They’ll want to put up some good numbers to prove their worth. Ryan has been mentioned numerous times in trade rumors and I’m sure his trust in this franchise is a little shaken at least. But he’s here and he’s gonna play well. The Ducks offense last year was anemic a lot because of their lack of scoring depth. After RPG, Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu are the only other proven point producers on the current roster. They have young guys with offensive potential, like Kyle Palmieri, Devante Smith-Pelly, Peter Holland and Emerson Etem. There’s also Andrew Cogliano who showed some spark during last season with 13 goals. There’s also Nick Bonino and Brandon McMillan who have seen some time up in the NHL but not made too big of an impact on the offense. However, I was really impressed with Bonino last season, by far his most impressive stretch in the NHL so far in his career. Palmieri and Smith-Pelly are locks to make the team, in my opinion. I think both Holland and Etem will spend most of the season with Norfolk.

Back on the blue line, I think the Ducks will be a little better than last season. Even though Souray is not an improvement over Visnovsky, Allen is definitely an improvement to Brookbank. Cam Fowler took a step back last season after an outstanding rookie campaign. However, The Hockey Writers who looked deeper into some advanced stats and said that Fowler “improved his ability to drive play and possess the puck, while playing against better opponents, and maintaining position in the zone where he can put his offensive gifts to the test. Fowler’s partner, Francois Beauchemin, was a rock for the defense last season, leading the team with 25:33 TOI. Luca Sbisa had a decent season last year, but in order for the Ducks to be serious playoff contenders, he will need to plus hockey and help out in the offense as well. I’ve already discussed both Souray and Allen. The final defenseman will most likely be Finnish veteran Toni Lydman. There are two young defenseman who may crack the top six or seven, like Hampus Lindholm or Sami Vatanen. However, I think it’s pretty clear that the seventh and eigth defensemen will be Nate Guenin and Matt Smaby, purely because of experience.

In net, Jonas Hiller looked very good late in the season. He played a career high 73 games last year. He finished with 29 wins while posting a 2.57 GAA and a .910 SV %. I think he can continue to play like that. If he lowers the GAA and raises his SV %, the Ducks will be in every game. He should have a better defense in front of him as well. Deslauriers and Fasth will be battling it out for the back up job.

Feb 14, 2012; St. Paul, MN, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf (15) before a face-off against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at the Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Key Player: C – Ryan Getzlaf

When he’s on his game, he can be one of the most dominant centers in the game. He struggled mightily last season. This being a contract year, he should have no excuse for not having any motivation to play well. If Getzlaf struggles, that will make Perry struggle and ultimately the entire team struggle.

Breakout Player: RW Kyle Palmieri

I am a huge Palmieri fan. He should be on the team for the full season. He’s got the potential and he’s already shown some of his offensive skills in his short time with the Ducks last season. His production could ultimately pick up for the aging Koivu and possible lack of Selanne.

Bust: D – Sheldon Souray

This would not shock me what so ever. His whole contract with the Ducks is based off of a good start he had early on last year with the Stars. He disappeared for large chunks of the season. I think this contract, in the end, will hurt the Ducks.

Predicting Best Storyline:

Jan 10, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks right wing Kyle Palmieri (51) during a break in play against the Dallas Stars during the first period at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Teemu Selanne. Let the “One More Year” chants begin already!

Season Prediction:

This team is improved, but still not enough. The defense is better. The offense is still not good enough. The goaltending SHOULD be fine. This is still not a playoff team in my opinion. Yeah, I want to believe that this team can make the playoffs, but I would be surprised if they did. The offense needs to get some major production from young kids or “finished” veterans in order for the Ducks to make the playoffs. I think the highest the Ducks will finish in the division is third, but fourth is more likely I think. When it comes to the conference, I think the Ducks will most likely finish anywhere from 10th to 14th. Sorry, guys.

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February 15, 2012; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: Anaheim Ducks center Nick Bonino (63) waits for the puck to drop on a face-off against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Ducks won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

C – Nick Bonino: Restricted Free Agent

I definitely think the Ducks should resign Bonino. I’m not the only one that thought this past season was Bonino’s best. This season included his best game as a professional when he registered three assists in a Ducks win over the rival San Jose Sharks late in the season. During the last few weeks of the season, Bonino really shined on the ice. He may not have tallied major numbers but we saw him all over the ice and he always seemed to be in the middle of the action. He is just one of the young guns still on this team and can be a part of the core bunch of guys that grow up together with this team.

LW – Jason Blake: Unrestricted Free Agent

I don’t know if Blake should be resigned. It’s difficult because I made my point throughout the season how when Blake is in the lineup, the Ducks have a better record than with Blake not in the lineup. He’s coming off a season where he suffered that strange injury to his arm that cost many games. He’s 38 years old and doesn’t have much left in the tank. The Ducks have a lot of veteran leaders already and I always prefer a team with a lower average age than just under 30 years old. I think Blake is replaceable, especially by Kyle Palmieri who has grown significantly over this past season and showed how talented he can be. A small little hint from the Select-A-Seat Q&A, GM Bob Murray said that Blake will most likely not return.

RW – Teemu Selanne: Unrestricted Free Agent

Selanne obviously has the ultimate choice here. If he wants to comeback, the Ducks will sign him. He’s coming off of a 66-point season, not bad for a 40-year-old on a bad team. He also played all 82 games for just the fourth time in his entire career and the first time since the Ducks championship run in 2006-07. He is still one of the best players on this team and there is no doubt that if Teemu wants to keep playing, the Ducks will resign him.

Jan 21, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks left wing Niklas Hagman (12) during the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-US PRESSWIRE

LW – Niklas Hagman: Unrestricted Free Agent

Here’s another older guy that could or could not be replaceable. He came to the Ducks early on in the season through waivers. Not exactly a guy you will see a lot in highlights or scorebooks, but he makes some nice plays that sometimes don’t get noticed. He didn’t play that well for the Ducks, but he didn’t play awful. There are younger players that can make certain impacts just as well Hagman. GM Bob Murray also hinted that Hagman most likely will not be back.

RW – George Parros: Unrestricted Free Agent

Unfortunately, I don’t think the odds of Parros staying in Anaheim are high. He appeared in his least amount of games in a season since his first season with the Ducks back in 2006-07. He is a gentle giant off the ice and has contributed plenty to the community. On the ice, he is one of the few heavyweights left in the league. His breed of hockey player are almost extinct. The game is getting away from the big bruisers that main duty is to fight someone. The Ducks do have a guy who will fight almost anyone in Matt Beleskey besides Parros. So, I’m sorry to say this, but I don’t think the Ducks should resign him and it Murray also said that it is uncertain that the Ducks will resign him. Parros has said that he would like to play every night, but that might not be possible anymore here in Anaheim.

Mar 14, 2012; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Rod Pelley (14) checks Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith (2) during the first period at the Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-US PRESSWIRE

C – Rod Pelley: Unrestricted Free Agent

The Ducks have a few different options at center with the current roster. Ryan Getzlaf and Saku Koivu are obviously the top two centers. Then there’s Bonino, Pelley, Andrew Cogliano, Peter Holland and Kyle Palmieri. I believe I read somewhere that Boudreau would like to put Cogliano on the wing. So that leaves Bonino, Pelley, Holland and Palmieri. However, Palmieri most likely will play on the wing as well. I don’t know if Holland is ready to transfer to the NHL full time right now, so I think Pelley could be the fourth line center and primarily a defensive stopper. So, I would not exactly mind it if Pelley got resigned.

The Ducks also have eight forwards not on the current roster that are either restricted or unrestricted free agents this offseason. They include Rick Schofield, Dale Mitchell, Riley Holzapfel, Luca Caputi, Ryan O’Marra, J.F. Jacques, Mark Bell and Troy Bodie. I’m not going to go into detail about whether or not the Ducks should resign these guys or not. You got to fill up your AHL roster as well too. The only guy here that I don’t exactly like is J.F. Jacques. I just think he’s a poor man’s George Parros. So, I would think that most of these guys would be resigned.

I expect to put up “Who the Ducks Should and Shouldn’t Keep: Defenseman” within the next few days. That will not take up as much time since there are less players that are possible free agents. I may even include the goalies into that post too, but I’m not entirely sure about that right now.

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