5 Defensemen the Anaheim Ducks should consider in free agency
With last season officially behind us, it is time for the Anaheim Ducks to look towards the next. There are many areas this team needs to revamp in preparation for the next season. However, the Ducks need to first look at improving their defense.
There are many NHL players who are fast approaching free agency. This is the perfect time for the Anaheim Ducks to strike while the iron is hot. It would be a good move to pick up a player or two that will add where our team is lacking.
In my personal opinion, General Manager Bob Murry’s first order of business should be focused on filling the gaping hole in our defense.
Francois Beauchemin’s retirement opens up a spot in our defense. The likelihood of Kevin Bieksa being resigned for a contract extension looks bleak. This leaves yet another spot to fill.
What Should The Ducks Look For?
Ideally, Anaheim needs another anchor on the blue line. Cam Fowler is essentially the only defensive veteran leadership the team has. Hampus Lindholm is right on the cusp, with five seasons in the NHL under his belt. It still leaves a serious deficit.
It would be in the best interest of the team to find another defensive leader. There is a significant need for a veteran defenseman who is still in his prime. We need a player who can easily adapt at a moments notice. Having the ability to play successfully in a different pairing is something this team lacks.
With Bob Murray’s newly merited “need for speed” mentality, Anaheim needs to bring in another agile defenseman. This team cannot afford any more “flat footed” players who cannot keep up. Obtaining a strong asset on the power play unit would be another bonus.
Internal Solutions
The good news is, Anaheim will likely resign 24-year-old defenseman, Brandon Montour. However, it is still very early in his career. He still has a lot of growing left to do. He stepped up tremendously at the beginning of the season, earning his rightful place in the top four. Nevertheless, we saw him struggle significantly this season when he wasn’t playing in the shadow of Cam Fowler.
The Anaheim Ducks can always consider bringing one of the Ducklings up from San Diego. This would be the perfect opportunity to bring in players like Jacob Larsson or Marcus Pettersson for full-time duty. However, the issue with this is, neither of them has enough NHL experience to play successfully together as the third d-pairing.
After much research and serious deliberation, I have narrowed down the options. Here are the top five NHL defensemen I think the Ducks need to consider looking at.
1. John Carlson (Washington Capitals)
I know John Carlson is probably a very unrealistic acquisition for the Ducks. If the Capitals cannot extend his contract, he is going to be the holy grail of defensemen. Especially if the Capitals pull off a win in the Stanley Cup. There is no harm in dreaming for a few minutes.
Carlson will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, after his six-year $23,800,000 contract with Washington.
Pros: The Numbers Don’t Lie
John Carlson is a force to be reckoned with on the ice. This past season he netted 15 goals, added an impressive 53 helpers, for a grand total of 63 points. His numbers keep rising every season.
Carlson is also a great example of a player who knows where to put the puck. Of his 53 assists this season, 28 of them were on power play goals. The power play is an area where the Ducks need to look at improving.
Carlson is also still relatively young, at 28-years-old. He does, however, have eight years of experience with the NHL.
Cons: Stanley Cup Contender
After 25 years, the Washington Capitals are going to the Stanley Cup Finals. This means that regardless of who signs him, John Carlson is going to get paid “the big bucks.” Imagine how much that will increase if the Capitals win the Finals.
Washington has plenty of tough decisions to make this coming season regarding their internal free agents. This means they don’t have room for everyone. Based on his performance, they could very well decide to offer Carlson another contract.
If Washington can’t swing a new deal, it’s going to make Carlson a top contender for all of the NHL teams. Someone is going to make him an offer he can’t refuse, whether it be Washington or someone else, and that is going to make him a very expensive acquisition.
2. Mike Green (Detroit Red Wings)
Though Mike Green is probably one of my more expensive choices, he is still worth taking a look at. Green is everything the Ducks should be looking for in a veteran defenseman. This summer he will be an unrestricted free agent, coming off of a three-year $18 million contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
Pros: Veteran Leadership
Mike Green was the Washington Capitals first-round draft pick in 2004. He spent his first 10 seasons with the Caps, before signing with Detroit in 2015. That adds up to 13 seasons of NHL experience.
He is also a top-four contender, which would be beneficial for the Ducks. At 33-years-old, he is still able to play significant ice time while keeping up. This would mean that he not only has the experience to lead younger players but also the stamina.
Offensively minded Green netted eight goals, added 25 helpers, totaling 33 points. With numbers like these, he would fit in comfortably with the rest of Anaheim’s defensive line.
Cons: Everything Comes At A Cost
Mike Green’s current contract with Detroit gives him a yearly salary of approximately $6 million. That is a lot of money to invest in a veteran defenseman who has no prior experience playing with the Ducks.
It is also hard to tell whether his decrease in goals and assists the past few seasons is due to his age, his current team, or a combination of both.
Green also recently went through cervical spine surgery. Though the surgery went well, the effects it could have on his game are currently unknown. It’s estimated that the healing process will take about two months. After a tough surgery like that, however, there are lots lot of unknowns.
3. Colin Miller (Vegas Golden Knights)
Colin Miller has only spent three seasons in the NHL, which does not fit with my “veteran leadership” vision for the Anaheim defense. However, he showed significant growth and improvement this season on a team everyone dubbed as “the misfits.”
Miller becomes an RFA at the end of this season with the Gold Knights.
Pros: Offensively Minded Defenseman
Colin Miller had a 41 point regular season with the Golden Knights this year. That is almost three times the amount of points he had in his seasons with Boston. During the regular season, he netted 10 goals and added 31 helpers. Now he’s headed to the Stanley Cup Finals.
His offensive mind on the defensive line makes it easier for him to transition easily into a game that is constantly changing. It is also a good indication that he knows how to handle the puck. It explains why he had a 41 point season.
The 25-year-old defenseman is right on the cusp of entering his prime playing years. He still has time to perfect his craft, which could give another team the opportunity to sign him long term and still see good results produced years down the road.
Cons: Age Is Just A Number
Though Miller is 25-years-old, he only has three years of experience in the NHL. He is lacking the veteran leadership that is desperately needed for solid defense in Anaheim. His time with Vegas has seemed to mature and improve his playing style. Not having a larger veteran presence in Anaheim could cause his play to digress.
It’s also questionable as to whether his offensively minded attitude affects him when he needs to be a defensive player. Though goals and assists are nice, he needs to make sure he is maintaining good defensive positioning.
4. Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Arizona Coyotes)
I honestly didn’t consider Oliver Ekman-Larsson as someone the Anaheim Ducks should consider until five minutes ago. Mostly because I am not a fan of Arizona; however, I realized that there would be significant benefits to acquiring Ekman-Larsson.
OEL is going to be an unrestricted free agent come this summer, and he is coming off of a $33 million six-year contract with the Coyotes.
Pros: He’s Very Good
It’s hard to see a player as “good” when the team behind them is anything but. Ekman-Larsson has essentially been the backbone of a perennially under talented Arizona Coyotes teams. He was fourth in points on the Coyotes this season. He’s producing numbers similar to Cam Fowler on a team that can’t seem to keep itself afloat.
Imagine what Ekman-Larsson could do if he had a team like the Ducks behind him. He’s also a veteran experience that the Ducks could use. He’s been playing in the NHL since the age of 19, giving him eight years of experience. He is still young enough to continue producing results at a high level for quite a few more years.
Ekman-Larsson also already has chemistry with Ducks players Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell. The three of them are responsible for leading team Sweden to gold during the IIHF World Championships.
Cons: There’s Always A Price To Pay
Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been playing for the Coyotes for eight seasons. He’s “grown up” on the team and made a name for himself as one of their best players, and alternate captain. If he was willing to leave Arizona, he’d be giving up a lot.
OEL may not be willing to give up his position on the Coyotes. He makes a comfortable sum of money, $5.5M per season. The Coyotes may not be willing to give him up if they can offer him a contract extension (and they have plenty of cap room to do so). What team wants to give up their star player?
5. Ian Cole (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Ian Cole isn’t a top-four contender. However, he could be a beneficial player in a third pairing situation.
Cole was traded to Columbus by Pittsburgh at the trade deadline. There is a lot of speculation as to whether or not Columbus will resign him.
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Pros: Easy On The Pocketbook
Acquiring Cole would definitely be a bargain for the Anaheim Ducks. He isn’t an extraordinary defenseman, which means the Ducks could get him for inexpensively.
He plays a very simple game, but he gets the job done. If the Ducks want to bring one of the Gulls defensemen up full time, it would be a good idea to pair him with a back to basics veteran defenseman with a similar style as Cole.
Cons: Is It Smart To Settle?
I haven’t followed Ian Cole enough to get a sense as to what kind of player he is. All signs point to him as an average player.
I have one major concern when it comes to Cole. Bob Murray has made it no secret that the Ducks need to focus on bringing speed to the ice. So my question is, can Cole keep up?
I also noted earlier that Ian Cole would be best suited for a third pairing. This puts the Ducks in a little bit of a pickle. A tough decision is going to have to be made, and there are two choices.
The Ducks can reward Cam Fowler for his hard work and give him a partner of equal caliber. The second option is that they continue to rely on Fowler to guide Montour to become that player, and they settle for someone like Cole.