Bob Murray’s 2018-19 Trades
Marcus Pettersson for Daniel Sprong
This is probably my favorite trade of the season. The Pittsburgh Penguins needed defense, acquiring Marcus Pettersson, and the Anaheim Ducks were in the market for a player like Daniel Sprong. Being robbed of the opportunity to make a difference in Pittsburgh, Sprong welcomed the change. Although Sprong is still young, he shows the potential to be a dangerous player for the Anaheim Ducks. He has, by far, the best shot on the team, and with a little more growth, he could be a dangerous offensive weapon for them in the future.
Andrew Cogliano for Devin Shore
After refusing to fire Randy Carlyle, Bob Murray decided to deal with his team’s issues by making a few solicited trades. First on the chopping block was Andrew Cogliano. Known for his defensive flare, his production had taken a nosedive during 2018-19 and his blatant mistakes on the ice made him an easy target.
In exchange for Andrew Cogliano, Bob Murray acquired Devin Shore from the Dallas Stars. Shore was a younger version of Coligano who was able to finish on breakaways and added a little more offensive upside.
Luke Schenn for Michael Del Zotto
Trading Luke Schenn was a victory for the Anaheim Ducks, but bringing in Michael Del Zotto wasn’t much of an upgrade. Del Zotto would go on to play only 12 games for the Anaheim Ducks before he was traded to the St. Louis Blues and went on to win the Stanely Cup.
Joseph Blandisi for Derek Grant
Everyone was excited when the news broke that Bob Murray was bringing back Derek Grant after allowing him to walk in free agency. In order to bring Elite 1 C back into the fold, Joseph Blandisi, one of the San Diego Gulls better AHL players, was sent to Pittsburgh.
This wasn’t a trade that affected the Anaheim Ducks negatively, as they didn’t lose anything players from their roster at the time. Nevertheless, this allowed the Ducks to roll out a fourth line with Derek Grant and Carter Rowney at the helm.
Pontus Aberg for Justin Kloos
It was a shock when Bob Murray traded their top goal scorer for an AHL player. However, after rumors that Aberg had an attitude problem and clashed with Randy Carlyle, it made sense as to why he was one of the first players Murray traded. Kloos didn’t have any impact on the Anaheim Ducks roster, but he would go on to score 15 points in 25 games for the San Diego Gulls.
Brian Gibbons for Patrick Sieloff
Brian Gibbons was ineffective for the Anaheim Ducks and was therefore put on the trade block during the trade deadline. It was impressive that Murray was able to even get anything for Gibbons in the long run, but the Ottawa Senators were willing to give up Patrick Sieloff.
Sieloff went straight to the AHL and played 14 games and 3 playoff games for the San Diego Gulls. He didn’t have much of an impact on the roster but it allowed the Ducks to give a spot with the big club.
Michael Del Zotto for 2019 6th Round Draft Pick (Matthew Hill)
Michael Del Zotto was rather ineffective for the Anaheim Ducks, playing only 12 games before being traded to St. Louis at the Trade Deadline. The Ducks were able to snag a 6th round pick for the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, who they used to draft defenseman Matthew Hill. Hill could turn out to be a decent stay at home defenseman for the Ducks depending on how he progresses in his development over the next few years.
Brandon Montour for Brendan Guhle and 2019 1st Round Draft Picks (Brayden Tracey)
Over the past few seasons, Brandon Montour had taken on increased responsibility for the Anaheim Ducks. The young defenseman was forced into a Top 4 role and given increased ice time. He took on his new role in stride, but it was clear that his development had come to a halt under the Anaheim Ducks.
Bob Murray knew that Ducks needed to get younger and faster, so at the trade deadline, with Montour’s contract one of the easiest to move, he traded Montour to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Brendan Guhle and a 2019 1st round draft pick that they used on Brayden Tracey.
Prior to drafting Rasmus Dahlin, Guhle was one of the Sabre’s favorite defensive prospects. However, drafting Dahlin first overall made Guhle expendable to the franchise, making him the perfect trade target for Bob Murray. Although he was injured for most of his time with the Ducks, he proved that he could be responsible in both ends and create controlled chaos for his opponents. Brayden Tracey is going to be a little bit of a project, but if the Ducks are willing to put the work in, he could be an absolute steal at 29th overall.