Anaheim Ducks: 6-Pack of 2018 Summer Predictions
By Ed Stein
Prediction 3 – Corey Perry is Staying
I have no idea how Corey Perry made the TSN trade bait list even if he is 25th. What’s even more surprising is when NBC’s “Hockey Talk” picked up the story. The likelihood of him getting dealt this summer is astoundingly small.
For the same reasons fans have for wanting the alternate captain off the roster, opposing teams say to themselves “why would we want him?” Perry has three years at a cap hit of $8.625M per season remaining on his contract.
That means any team that acquires him is on the hook for a cap commitment of $25.875M ($18.5M cash). For a player that hasn’t broken 62 points in four years, that’s a hefty sum especially considering he’s on the back side of his career at 33 years old.
There are other reasons why he won’t get traded this summer. First of all, he has a no-movement clause, so he isn’t going anywhere without his permission. Next, the league is moving toward a faster game on the ice. Perry was never the swiftest, to begin with, and he’s slowing down. Finally, just to bring the point home, the Ducks have an internal cap. At this point, I can’t see the Ducks paying in excess of $12M for Perry to play somewhere else.
Prediction 4 – Patrick Eaves Comes Back
If you think the Ducks had a tough year, imagine how difficult it must have been for right wing Patrick Eaves. He spent multiple hours in the trainer’s room without much relief. Eaves was diagnosed with Guillain-Bure syndrome later in the season. It’s an autoimmune condition that causes pain and soreness in the muscles. Aside from two games early on, he missed the entire season while undergoing treatment and physical therapy.
It had to be difficult for him to watch his team struggle and know he couldn’t help. For someone with a big heart like Eaves, it becomes motivation. Toward the end of 2017-18, he was visible around the team at both Anaheim Ice and the Honda Center. Patrick Eaves is a warrior and we expect him back for training camp.