How The Ducks Attack The Offseason

2. Add a mobile, veteran defenseman.

Apr 28, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; San Jose Sharks defenseman Dan Boyle (22) moves the puck defended by Los Angeles Kings defenseman Alec Martinez (27) during the third period in game six of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Staples Center. The Los Angeles Kings won 4-1. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The Ducks’ biggest weakness on the blue line the past few seasons was lack of mobility. The Red Wings last year and the Stars this year used their speed to overwhelm players such as Francois Beauchemin, Sheldon Souray, Bryan Allen, and Mark Fistric. The Ducks were unable to clear the puck and faced sustained pressure because they were hemmed into their defensive zone.

To fix this issue, the Ducks should look to add some mobility on the blue-line. This does not necessarily mean they have to sign a puck-moving defenseman: it should really be someone who is both defensively responsible and a very good skater. Also, this player should be a veteran. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen will have larger roles and play more minutes this upcoming season, but the team should pair the youngsters with veteran blue-liners for both learning purposes (especially for Vatanen, whose defensive game on the back end is his weak point) and to ease the workload on the youngsters.

Since the Ducks should look to add a veteran, they should explore trade scenarios or free agency. Maybe there is another Lovejoy-type deal out there, but it seems like the best place to address this position is free agency. Many good veteran defenseman are out on the market, and the class is headlined by Dan Boyle. Boyle, whose negotiating rights were traded by the San Jose Sharks to the New York Islanders, has not come to terms with the Islanders and seems to want to test the free agent market. Other veteran options include Andrei Markov, Sami Salo, Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik.

The Ducks should look to add a right-shot defenseman so that Lindholm can play his natural left side with the veteran, while Beauchemin can drop to play with Vatanen on their respective natural sides. However, if that is not possible, it would work to pair Lindholm and Beauchemin together again and have Vatanen play with the new veteran. The Ducks are projected to have slightly over $22.4 million in cap room, according to CapGeek. That is more than enough to offer a veteran blue-liner between four to six million a year.

The Ducks upgrading their blue line should help their possession numbers. Adding a mobile player on the back end who can hold his own and clear the puck should be a big boost. For example, the Sharks controlled 53.0% of shots at even strength when Boyle was on the ice this year and 52.9% in the playoffs against Los Angeles. By comparison, Anaheim only controlled over 50% of the shot attempts at even strength with Lindholm or Vatanen on the ice in the regular season and only with Lovejoy in the playoffs. By adding a possession blue-liner, the Ducks can improve their defense and their overall team: after all, if the other team does not have the puck, they cannot shoot or score. The Ducks should get aggressive in free agency and add a defenseman, especially if Souray and Stephane Robidas do not recover from their respective injuries.