Anaheim Ducks: When is Enough Finally Enough?

The Anaheim Ducks are in the midst of an eight-game winless streak and one has to wonder what more does management need to see to make a change?

I want to preface this article by saying this is in no way reactionary to last nights game against Edmonton. That game is just the last straw for an article I was already sure needed to be written. We here at Pucks of a Feather have written numerous times this season on changes that needed to be made whether it be coaches or players. And while the coaches and players are ultimately the ones determining a teams fate game in and game out its the front office that runs the team. And to be honest what is happening, or I should say isn’t happening on Katella Ave by General Manager Bob Murray should be a fireable offense.

Definition of Insanity

Bob Murray use to be one of the best GM’s in the game. And when it comes to drafting he still may be. But when it comes to admitting he is wrong about a hire or making moves in the offseason or in-season he seems to have lost his nerve. We all know what we were promised with this off-season. A new system with a new mandate on speed and quick puck movement. Sounded great until you realized it was with a coach in Randy Carlyle who has had the game pass him by and almost to a tee the same exact roster that failed last year. Honestly taking away the fact that presently Rickard Rakell and Corey Perry are injured and Kevin Bieksa is gone what is different?

This is the same team and same coaching staff that failed to do anything in the post-season last year, and we expected this to be any different? This is the definition of insanity. I can certainly understand it is tough to fire someone who you brought back for a job but this is a professional business and sometimes sentiment must be thrown out the window. Any other coach would’ve been fired an hour after the game last night. But for some reason, Carlyle is still here. Which to be honest is more troubling than I once thought.

Direction Finder Is Off

The thought dawned on me as I watched another defeat last night. What exactly is the Ducks plan? In sports, the worst thing in the world is to be middling. You either want to be re-building getting young players or the right players to start making your team a contender. Or you want to be a contender having the team and coaching staff to make championship runs year in and year out. Right now the Ducks are in the middle. Nowhere near good enough to contend for a championship, nowhere near bad enough to be re-building. So what exactly are they doing?

When the Ducks re-upped Murray’s contract back in December here is one of the questions and answers from Murray;

Q:  What type of vision did you have to lay out with ownership?

A: “There’s been ongoing discussions about where the organization is going, and how we’re going to do it. The goal is to get back to a point where we’re a true Stanley Cup contender. There are playoff teams and Stanley Cup contenders. We want to get back into contention to win a Stanley Cup. That’s what we’re talking about. It’s a little difficult because of injuries. That’s not an excuse. You think you’re going to wait until you get healthy to see exactly how certain things are fitting or not fitting. We may never get healthy, so it’s the business these days in the NHL. Lots of teams have injuries. We have a game plan, and we’re going to go about it.”

Obviously changes cant be made overnight but when and where are these changes coming? Pontus Aberg? Daniel Sprong? Good pieces and I’m a fan of both players but neither one of them is leading a team to the Stanley Cup. And neither is properly utilized with this coaching staff and scheme. Their best attributes are the skill and speed Murray spoke of in the off-season but the current coaching scheme stymies them. So where exactly are these changes?

And the question and answer state Murray has had on-going discussions with ownership about the direction. What direction?! There is no direction, it just seems they hope eventually things will turn around and all will be fine. And if ownership is on board with this plan then things are far far worse than they are right now.

Stanley Cup or Calder Cup?

Make no mistake this is no criticism on the San Diego Gulls or fans of the team. I think it’s incredible that the Ducks have been able to finally have their farm team so close to them instead of on the east coast. But at the end of the day, the Gulls need to feed the Ducks. The Ducks need to bring up the players they think can help them. The Gulls haven’t been beaten in their last 11 games with the likes of Troy Terry, Max Jones, and Sam Steel being key members of that stretch. While the Ducks are dropping games left and right have been starving for goal scoring all year. But no please continue to trot the likes of Brian Gibbons and Carter Rowney out there.

More from Pucks of a Feather

• Who could the Anaheim Ducks consider presenting offer sheets to?
• Is Pierre-Luc Dubois on the cards for the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks?
• Making the case for the Anaheim Ducks to trade with the Edmonton Oilers
• Anaheim Ducks might benefit tremendously by trading John Gibson
• How close are the Anaheim Ducks to becoming contenders again?

Even if the kids come up and don’t get it done at least they are getting experience to help this team down the road and learning the NHL game. A game that is vastly different than the AHL game. The bubble has finally burst on the Ducks. John Gibson cannot save them every night and it’s honestly a wonder he has done it to this point. No knock on Gibson but no one can save a team night in and night out over a full 82. The Ducks need to figure out what direction they are headed and fast. Because the players deserve better and the fans absolutely deserve better. This team has gone from Stanely Cup contender to sinking ship. And if Bob Murray isn’t the one to right the team then ownership needs to be looking for someone who is still committed to building a winning team. I’d rather a GM that takes a shot and misses than a GM that’s afraid to ever pull the trigger. As Wayne Gretzky put it, “You’ll miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”.