Experts Panel: Are Any Ducks Skaters Untouchable at the Trade Deadline?
By Ed Stein
Ed Stein – Site Expert Pucks of a Feather
The short answer is NO! Let me explain. My belief is that the Ducks must make a huge trade. General Manager Bob Murray needs to land a white whale to put this team in contending position for the next decade. He has the assets to do it but it won’t be easy.
I’m specifically looking at two huge talents, John Taveras and Erik Karlsson. Those two players are head and shoulders above any single Ducks player in terms of talent and both are only 27 years old. The fact that either one of them is being mentioned in the rumor mill is almost unfathomable. When unfathomable shows up, its time to pounce.
Taveras is one of the three or four best centers on the planet. After Steven Stamkos, and Connor McDavid (maybe Auston Matthews) comes JT. What combination of two, three, four, maybe five Anaheim players and picks wouldn’t be available. Obviously, the huge caveat is signing Taveras to an extension due to his pending free agency.
Its almost the same situation with Karlsson. How many defensemen in the world can match his offensive talent? Karlsson’s contract expires in two seasons. Make a deal, sign him to an extension and watch him take the Ducks to the next level. Would you trade four of Sam Steel, Max Jones, Marcus Petterson, Cam Fowler, Jakob Silfverberg and a few draft picks for Karlsson? Heck yeah! As a matter of fact, trade all of them and have Ottawa kick in Mike Hoffman.
The stumbling blocks on Anaheim’s side are the no-movement contracts (NMC) of Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler, and Corey Perry. Kevin Bieksa has an NMC as well, but his deal expires at the end of the year. Murray’s biggest sales job might come in the offseason.