Anaheim Ducks: 6 Things on Bob Murray’s Offseason To-Do List
The offseason has officially begun, and this marks the beginning of a very busy summer for Anaheim Ducks General Manager, Bob Murray.
For the first time in franchise history, the St. Louis Blues have won the Stanley Cup. Now that Lord Stanley has a home for the remainder of the summer, the offseason has officially begun. For General Managers, this is normally an incredibly busy time of the year. Bob Murray is no exception to the rule of thumb, but the Anaheim Ducks GM has a busier offseason than normal.
With only 95 days until preseason and less time until development camp, Murray has less than two months to check all the boxes and make some very important decisions regarding his team. They are still without a coach, and if Eakins is hired he will also have to find a new coach for the San Diego Gulls, there is a big question mark surrounding next season’s leadership, and the draft and free agency are almost upon us.
His summer to-do list is quite long, and so far, the only moves he’s made is reportedly signed defenseman Jani Hakanpää, signing Lukas Dostal to an ELC, and hiring Jeremy Bettle and Director of High Performance. With a busy summer ahead of him, today we’re going to put his “to-do” list under the microscope and focus on everything that needs to be done during the offseason in order to make the Anaheim Ducks a more successful team come 2019-20. Time is of the essence, so GMBM better get started.
Find a New Home for Corey Perry
After a few days to process the news about Corey Perry‘s future with the Anaheim Ducks organization, I have come to the heartbreaking conclusion that it may be in the best interest if the franchise moves on from the veteran winger. Of course, the day he no longer dons a Ducks jersey will be just about as hard as the day Paul Kariya left the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for the Colorado Avalanche or when Teemu Selanne was traded to the San Jose Sharks during the 2000-01 season.
Hockey, however, like all national sports leagues, is a business, and sometimes the tough calls have to be made. In the case of Corey Perry, an aging veteran who’s point production has decreased, his contract is the most logical to try and get off the books in order to open up more room for the rookies, generate more cap space, and allow the Ducks to move in a new direction without any hiccups.
One possibility that has been thrown around is a buyout, and that will definitely save the Ducks some money. However, the owners of the Anaheim Ducks, Henry and Susan Samueli, don’t like to take that route unless it is the last option available. Finding a team that is willing to make a trade is the other option. Nevertheless, it most likely won’t happen unless the Ducks are willing to retain some of CP10’s salary. It is highly unlikely that a team will want to pay $17,250,000 over the next two seasons for a 34-year-old winger who has no guarantee of getting back to being a 50+ point producer.
There are a few teams who have shown interest in acquiring Corey Perry, and we will get into that at a later date, but Bob Murray needs to be wise about this trade. For all of the years he’s dedicated to the Anaheim Ducks, he deserves to go to a team who is going to use him and his skills to benefit their lineup, as well as a possible Stanley Cup contender.
Perry has been a foundational stone that the Anaheim Ducks have built their success upon, and it will be sad to see him go. However, just because a trade is imminent, doesn’t mean his impact on the franchise will be forgotten. His jersey will one day be hung in the rafters alongside Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, and Scott Niedermayer, there’s no doubt about it, and he will go on to continue inspiring generations of Ducks players and fans for years to come.
Give Ryan Miller a Contract Extension
Ryan Miller isn’t getting any younger, but he still plays with the same fervency he has played with since he entered the league in 2002-03. His performance during the 2018-19 season is proof that he still has gas left in the tank. With Lukas Dostal still a few seasons away from being NHL ready, there is no rush to get rid of Miller. Why fix something if it isn’t broken?
Appearing in 20 games with the Anaheim Ducks during the 2018-19 season, Miller posted a .912% save percentage. While he did struggle significantly on the power play this season, posting a save percentage of .667%, special teams is something that the entire team is intent on working on over the summer and 2019-20 season, and with more consistency in front of him, we should see those numbers improve for Miller.
With John Gibson taking the lead in net, and the recent hiring of Jeremy Bettle, Miller likely won’t be heavily relied upon over the course of the 2019-20 season. However, he has proven that even during moments when Gibson has faltered, he can step up and stand up well under the pressure. He has been a wonderful mentor to Gibson over the past two seasons, and the lessons he has taught will be lessons Gibson will teach to future Anaheim Ducks goaltenders.
Miller made it clear, when rumors abounded during the trade deadline that the Ducks were looking to possibly trade him to the San Jose Sharks, that he wants to stay in Southern California to be close to his wife and son. So, unless the Ducks are willing to offer him another contract, or the Kings want to pick him up in free agency (which doesn’t seem very likely), it wouldn’t be a far reach to say that Miller would retire.
Name the Anaheim Ducks New Leadership
Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler are both out, so this leaves Ryan Getzlaf currently without his alternate captains going into 2019-20. This task isn’t a high priority on Bob Murray’s offseason to-do list, but it is something that has to be done. He could, of course, continue to rotate the “A” between Adam Henrique, Cam Fowler, and Josh Manson until he, and the new head coach, feel they are confident in their new leaders.
However, in my opinion, the Ducks need to walk into 2019-20 with some stability, especially as far as leadership goes. Last season, finding someone who would step up and lead, even when Ryan Getzlaf and his alternate captains were healthy, was an excruciatingly difficult task.
With several rookies looking to snag a full-time spot next season, throwing them into the NHL without that stability is going to be a huge mistake. They are the future of the Anaheim Ducks, but with less than a season of experience under their belt, they need those veteran leaders to look up to and guide them.
Cam Fowler makes the most logical sense, as he is poised to take over for Ryan Getzlaf as the captain in the next few years. Adam Henrique and Josh Manson are likely the two candidates who will be vying for the second alternate captain position, as both of them did a decent job holding the post in the absence of Perry and Kesler. Nevertheless, it would be no surprise if Murray and co. decided to take a risk on someone else like Hampus Lindholm or Jakob Silfverberg just to change things up a little bit.
Make a Decision About 2018-19 Free Agents
The Anaheim Ducks only have four pending UFA’s on their current roster. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Chad Johnson won’t be returning with the Anaheim Ducks. Doubt surrounds Korbinian Holzer and Derek Grant‘s future with the team as well. Ryan Miller seems to be the only player who has a possibility of signing a contract extension with the club.
While four players does not seem overwhelming, that does not account for the 11 non-roster forwards and defenseman currently in the Anaheim Ducks organization that are free agents this summer. Kalle Kossila, Justin Kloos, Ben Street, Sam Carrick, Kevin Roy, Adam Cracknell, Chase De Leo, Andy Welinski, Keaton Thompson, Jaycob Megna, and Jake Dotchin‘s future with the Anaheim Ducks need to be addressed.
My best guess is that Jake Dotchin is out. Dotchin’s temper got him into a lot of trouble this past season, finding himself in the sin bin more often than not. If you thought Nick Ritchie had a bad temper, Dotchin had a total of 107 PIM between his split season with the Ducks and the Gulls.
Ben Street was a decent pick up for the Ducks. His presence didn’t have a big impact for the parent club this season, although his first NHL goal was great. He was, however, a great asset for the Gulls, posting 26 points in 32 games. He won’t be back with the Ducks next season, but he could find a nice home in San Diego.
Keaton Thompson and Justin Kloos are both AHL players, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re kept around with the San Diego Gulls. Adam Cracknell, Sam Carrick, and Kalle Kossila will also likely be brought back to spend most of their time with the Gulls, but will also aid the Ducks should anyone be injured.
Kevin Roy is the kind of player that could do great things at an NHL level, but due to his rough start in Anaheim with injuries and a severely clogged roster, he hasn’t been put into a position that is conducive to his productivity or development. If Bob Murray feels he can make room for the young forward, it is worth giving him another chance. However, it would be unfair to Roy, with all of his potential, to hold him back.
Chase De Leo has been a wonderful pick up for the organization, and although he only played one game with the Anaheim Ducks this season, he had a phenomenal season with the Gulls. It would be great to see the SoCal native be given a chance with the big club. Nevertheless, he is in a similar situation to Roy. He has so much potential but not enough opportunity with the Ducks organization.
With the likely exit of Holzer and Dotchin, there is an open spot for the Anaheim Ducks 7th Dman, and both Welinski and Megna could possibly be in the running to take that spot; although with more NHL experience, it would likely be Welinski. However, there are also several other defensemen currently in the organization poised to take that position. If neither of them fit the bill, it wouldn’t be surprising if Murray offers one or both of them the opportunity to play with the Gulls next season.
Draft Well in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft
Only 7 days remain until the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, and the excitement grows with each passing day. Several starry-eyed prospects are gearing up for what could be the beginning of a wonderful chapter in their hockey careers. The New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, and Chicago Blackhawks have the first three picks this year, but the Anaheim Ducks still have a pick in the Top 10. In fact, going into draft day, the Ducks have two picks in the first round, 9th and 29th overall.
Bob Murray has expressed that he will choose the best player available in the first few rounds, and fill needs from there. While the draft is usually unpredictable, players like Trevor Zegras, Kirby Dach, and Peyton Krebs are among some of the prospects who are currently fan favorites for Ducks Nation, should they be available.
Bob Murray has earned a reputation for himself as having a really good eye for talent in the latter part of the first round. Having had to draft in the 20’s or later over the past few seasons, he’s had to get good at finding those gems. So, having the 29th overall pick is reassuring that the Ducks will walk away with two high-end prospects in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The Ducks are without a third and seventh round pick this year. However, along with their two first round picks, they also have a second, fourth, fifth, and two sixth-round picks to make up for it. Murray needs to consider the future of his team, as this is likely one of his last few drafts with the Ducks. At this point, the team could use a player at any position aside from goaltender.
Hire a New Head Coach
The wait for a new head coach has been agonizing for Anaheim Ducks fans. On this day, four years ago, Bob Murray made one of the worst mistakes of his tenure as GM and brough back Randy Carlyle for his second stint as head coach. Fans want him to make it up to them, and he has taken his sweet time in making sure he leaves no stone unturned.
Todd Nelson and Lane Lambert are both rumored to be out of the running. This leaves Dallas Eakins, Scott Sandelin, Rick Bowness, and possibly an unnamed candidate as the final four coaching candidates for the Anaheim Ducks.
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As the days drag on, the space between Dallas Eakins and the head coach position seems to grow smaller. Although, the other candidates should not be counted out just yet. Murray’s reasons for doubting Eakins’ competence as an NHL head coach are completely validated, and it makes sense as to why he’s taking the extra time to really study his candidates and widdle them down until the last possible second.
As we’ve mentioned, Eakins already has a valuable relationship with several of the players and knows what makes them tick. He has an idea on how to help them continue to develop. He already knows what doesn’t work at an NHL level, so his tactics have most likely changed since his time in Edmonton.
Bowness is praised for his development of several NHL defenseman, and the Anaheim Ducks blueline needs an overhaul. He has the most NHL experience out of all the candidates, and he doesn’t exactly have the most glowing resume. Nevertheless, time away from the head coach position has more than likely given him a fresh perspective.
Sandelin has no experience at the NHL or AHL levels, but he is one of the most successful NCAA coaches in the league. Many thought he was out of the running after signing a contract extension with Minnesota-Duluth but still interviewed with Bob Murray for the head coaching position.
Bringing in a coach that has no previous NHL experience, especially a coach without a black mark on his record like Eakins and Bowness, could be a great way to implement the new system of hockey within the Anaheim Ducks organization. Plus, he is a proven champion, so whatever he’s doing has been working.
With this likely being the last hiring Bob Murray does as GM of the Anaheim Ducks, he has to be very wise about who he gives the position to. So, while it may be difficult for us to sit back and wait, we need to trust him. He’s doing what is in the best interest of the team and, at this point, any coach would be better than Randy Carlyle.
Next. Four of the Ducks Best Late Round Draft Picks. dark
Aside from hiring a head coach, what do you think Bob Murray should put at the top of his summer to-do list? Is there anything we left out you think he should add to his list? Let us know by leaving a comment down below!