Anaheim Ducks: Unofficial fan’s guide to the 2018 offseason
The Anaheim Ducks are in the middle of an extended summer, but it’s not a rest period. Chris Bushell has the unofficial fans guide to a busy offseason for the Ducks organization.
The calendar is just over a week away from flipping to June. That marks the second month of a long summer without Anaheim Ducks hockey. Watching the playoffs on TV isn’t where the team wants to be or the fans want them to be either.
This summer will bring with it new opportunities and a clean slate heading into 2018-19. The Ducks have plenty of work to do this off-season. Pucks of a Feather has you covered every step of the way. This will be your unofficial guide to this summer’s upcoming events.
2018 Entry Draft (June 22-23)
The National Hockey League descends upon Dallas, Texas in a little over four weeks for the annual entry draft. Over the past few years, Anaheim has made some great selections. They are players expected to make an impact on the team next season.
At pick #23, the Ducks can find some great value and begin to re-stock the prospect pool. Many of the current touted prospects will find themselves in SoCal next season. It remains to be seen who will be in Anaheim or San Diego, but they will be in SoCal none the less.
Free Agency and Arbitration (**July 1-Start of Season)
NHL Free Agency officially opens July 1st for all unrestricted free agents (UFA). Barring a big move the Ducks most likely won’t be major players in the UFA market. They do, however, have some of their own Ducks to keep in a row. Chief among them is Brandon Montour and Ondrej Kase.
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While Montour and Kase need new deals before the season, there is more for General Manager Bob Murray to do. On Murray’s to do list are negotiating contract extensions. Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg, and John Gibson are all free agents, the first two are unrestricted, after the 2018-19 season.
The Ducks may want to get those players locked up so there is no chance of them hitting the open market. All three figure to be big parts of Anaheims future.
Prospect Camp (Early July)
The Ducks have yet to release the actual schedule for this year’s prospect camp but traditionally it is held during the early part of July. Fans can see the Ducks of tomorrow face off in practices and scrimmages.
Players the likes of Sam Steel, Max Jones, and Jack Kopacka should be in attendance as well as prospects from San Diego, Canadian Juniors, and College hockey. It’s the first chance for younger players to make an impression on the coaching staff and management.
Team sessions take place at Anaheim Ice and if tradition holds, are free to the general public.
At the conclusion of camp, Anaheims either plays in a prospect tournament or scrimmage another team. Last year The Ducks prospects had a home and home series with San Jose.
Training Camp (September)
The start of the 2018-19 campaign begins with the start of training camp. Players will have had almost four months to heal up and reflect on last year. There will be a renewed sense of urgency as the Ducks prepare for an 82 game regular season gauntlet. All of their work is designed to culminate in a Stanley Cup playoffs berth.
Golf
One of the big offseason events is the annual Anaheim Ducks Charity Golf Tournament. It usually happens the weekend before opening day. The Tournament benefits the Anaheim Ducks Foundation and is one of the charitable organization’s top fundraisers.
The Wrap
Our staff at Pucks of a Feather is excited for October to arrive. This is the 25th season of Anaheim Ducks hockey. Hopefully, this quarter century celebratory season will end with a second Stanley Cup championship.
Next: Five best late round draft finds in Anaheim Ducks history
Next week look for the Top 5 potential players the Ducks can select with the 23rd pick. After the draft, we will have profiles of the team’s newest prospects.