Ducks News Wrap-up 7/23/19
This off-season for Anaheim Ducks fans has been relatively uneventful aside from the draft. There has been some minor news surrounding the Ducks recently and while they don’t individually warrant their own articles, collectively they’re worth mentioning.
No blockbuster news will be covered in this article pertaining to the Anaheim Ducks but it is a conglomeration of 3 minor stories.
Ducks Sign Michael Del Zotto
The Anaheim Ducks bolstered their fairly thin blue-line depth on July 11th as they brought back Michael Del Zotto. Del Zotto was part of the Ducks this past season for a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment, being traded to the Ducks from the Vancouver Canucks on January 16th, 2019 for Luke Schenn, before being flipped to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline on February 25th 2019 for a 6th round pick.
Del Zotto showed flashes of… not greatness, but at least being able to be competent as a member of the Ducks last season and the former first-round pick is a known commodity for a team that doesn’t have a ton of them on the blue-line past their 3 mainstays.
Del Zotto received a 1-year one-way contract worth $750,000
Recent Ducks Signee Charged with DUI
Now on to a more disappointing story as it was reported on July 18th via “The Daily Mining Gazette” that Blake Pietila, who was one of the Ducks depth pickups at the beginning of free agency has been charged with a DUI in Michigan. The 26-year-old forward will have his preliminary hearing next week on July 29th, and due to having a blood-alcohol level higher than double the legal limit Pietila could be sentenced to as much as six months in jail. This has not been addressed by the Ducks organization, but if it is we will follow up.
Ducks Extend Two and Sign One to Two-Way Contracts
The Ducks extended both Chase De Leo and Justin Kloos who were part of the San Diego Gulls last season, both showed they were capable players albeit not game-changing ones and a one-year extension gives both a longer chance to show what they bring as the Gulls team is set to get a massive overhaul.
The Ducks also signed Chris Wideman to a one year contract. The 29-year-old right-handed defenseman had quite an eventful 2018-19 season, starting the year with the Ottawa Senators before being traded November 22nd to the Edmonton Oilers, he was flipped a month later to the Florida Panthers and was traded yet again, at the trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins, making the 3rd trade for Wideman over a 3 month and 3 day span. Wideman fills a hole left by the departure of Jake Dotchin and Andy Welinski on the San Diego Gulls and will provide injury insurance for the Ducks.
Next. Hampus Lindholm Deserves an "A". dark
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