Anaheim Ducks: Moves Bob Murray Could Make During Offseason
This offseason should be one of the more eventful in recent years, with both the shortened season and the introduction of the Seattle Kraken. What are some moves Bob Murray could make to move the Anaheim Ducks in a different direction?
With the first round of the NHL playoffs coming to an end, more teams are shifting their focus from the play on the ice to working on making their organizations better. The Ducks obviously have been focused on the latter for a while now, missing the playoffs for the third straight year while finishing second last in the NHL standings.
The Ducks joined the other 14 non-playoff teams (excluding Arizona), as well as the newly minted Seattle Kraken, for the 2021 NHL Draft Lottery. While NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly called out the teams in the order of where they would be drafted, no change came from the order of where the team finished.
Of course to the sorrow of all Anaheim Ducks fans, they ended up being the sole loser of the draft lottery, falling one spot to the third overall pick, as the Kraken ended up moving to the second overall selection.
While some fans have voiced their displeasure with losing out on the lottery, the way the upcoming draft looks, having a top-five pick will be a real opportunity to land a difference-maker. With the Ducks now knowing where they will be selecting in the draft, it is a good time to look at how the team’s offseason will go. Our team at Pucks of a Feather will go into depth on our predictions and ideas for what direction Bob Murray and co. can take this team.
In this article, each member will discuss: who we believe the team will select at the #3 overall pick, who they could lose to Seattle in the expansion draft, one trade Bob Murray could pursue, and one free agent the team should bring in.
The Anaheim Ducks are in an interesting spot as they are a team that just finished next to last in the league with a handful of important impending free agents. They are also entering the offseason with a fair amount of cap space, as Ryan Getzlaf‘s $8.25M salary comes off the books. One thing is certain though, the Ducks drastically need to set their direction for the future, and here is how our team sees the offseason playing out.
Who will the Anaheim Ducks select at #3 overall?
Brad Senecal: This is definitely an oddball draft in the middle of a strong run. This year doesn’t have the same hype as 2019 and 2020, even the next two in 2022 and 2023 are projected to be strong. While there are fans that are disappointed that the team dropped to third overall I feel that after Owen Power the next few picks in the top five are pretty interchangeable.
Last year, I predicted the Anaheim Ducks picking a forward (Marco Rossi) with the 6th overall pick from knowing how top-heavy this draft was with defensemen. While they picked Jamie Drysdale instead of a forward, seeing the strong crops of forwards in the next two drafts I believe we will see Bob Murray round out the defensive unit this year. While Power would have been a great addition as a future partner for Drysdale, Simon Edvinsson is a great consolation prize.
Brant Clarke may have the most upside after Power, however, with Drysdale in tow and seeing his defensive struggles in year one, getting a complimentary partner would greatly benefit the team moving forward.
Edvinsson has a lot of the same qualities as Power, with his solid size and skating ability, making him a valuable piece for the Ducks’ future. Look for the team to continue building from the back end this year and bring in high skill forwards in the future.
Ben Thomasian: I think Beniers and Wallstedt will go 1 and 2 in some order, respectively. That leaves the Anaheim Ducks free to make a big gamble (though they will absolutely grab Beniers if he’s available for some reason).
So with that said, I think the Ducks will take a gamble on the right shooting Brandt Clarke. Murray flagged some intent to look at the defensemen in this draft in his recent end-of-season ramble. He even went as far as saying that defensemen are always desirable and able to be moved in a trade.
It’s also noteworthy that Murray is a largely uncreative manager who copies the most recent trends. The Colorado Avalanche are the league’s darling team at present, and given the way their defensemen play almost like additional forwards, I think Murray will be hard-pressed to go past another fleet-footed offensive D.
The Ducks like right shots on their back end and they like players who create and join the rush, all of which, are strengths of Clarkes. Adding another right shooter may allow them to trade away one of their current rights shots (can you say Josh Manson?) to commence the rebuild that Murray seems vaguely aware he should actually commence.
Thus… I think Brandt Clarke is their guy.
Adam Tenenbaum: I’m under the impression that if Mathew Beniers is at 3, that is who we select. If he and Power are gone by number 3, I think we select either Dylan Guenther or Simon Edvinsson. I want to say we select the forward, but given Murray’s recent comments about defenseman heavy draft, I lean slightly towards Edvinsson here.
Ciara Durant: If Bob Murray were smart, he would select one of either Dylan Guenther or William Eklund. The Ducks already have Trevor Zegras down the middle for the foreseeable future, and they have put a lot of stock in him. They also have Jamie Drysdale on the blueline, and I love the trade deadline addition of Haydn Fleury. What they really need is goal scoring, and while they drafted Jacob Perreault last year, one player isn’t going to be the end all be all.
I, personally, really like Guenther, but Eklund is another solid player the Ducks could deploy on the wing down the line. Eklund is definitely the more NHL ready of the pair and definitely more of a playmaker, but I would not be mad with that selection. Besides, who wouldn’t be stoked at the expansion of Swedenheim?
Nevertheless, knowing Murray, and how he always drafts the opposite of what I’d like, he’s going to choose Brandt Clarke or Luke Hughes. While I’d still welcome both players to Anaheim with open arms, Murray usually plays it safe with his first selection of the draft. Safe isn’t always bad, but sometimes it’s worth taking a little bit of risk.
Redan Lopez: I think it’s more a question of what than a who. My hope is that is a dynamic winger and scorer that can step in and help immediately.
The Ducks will lose somebody to Seattle in the expansion draft, who is selected and how much of an impact will this create?
Brad Senecal: This one is a tough call for me but I am going to go with Adam Henrique. While he is a very important veteran presence that Murray signed long-term and was just the captain of the Canadian World Championship team, Henrique getting put on waivers could be a sign that Rico is on his way out.
While his cap hit may not be the most attractive, getting a veteran center would have to appeal to the new franchise that will be searching for leadership on day one. By moving on from Henrique the Ducks would be freeing up $5.825M of cap space to use in free agency or take on a poor contract that teams could be willing to get out from.
With Ryan Getzlaf’s future still up in the air, it would be tough to move on from another important play down the middle, however, if Murray and Dallas Eakins wish to continue the youth movement, this would give guys like Trevor Zegras, Sam Steel, and Isac Lundestrom further opportunity. Seeing as Henrique was put on waivers early in the season, the expansion draft could help Murray if he’s dealing with buyer’s remorse.
Ben Thomasian: I think the Kraken will end up taking Josh Mahura. In the end, his offensive numbers per 60 were better than any other Ducks blueliner, and he’s relatively young at 23-years-old. If the Kraken were looking to create an up-tempo offensively orientated team, he provides the best avenue for that given his youth and potential upside.
Certainly, the Ducks will be leaving other young players on the line. Max Jones seems like a likely candidate to be exposed given his lack of scoring. Yet, from Seattle’s perspective, while Jones is a nice young player, third-liners shouldn’t be overly hard to come by and could easily be sourced from other teams.
Mahura offers a skill set that may not be as easily acquired. Thus, the Kraken go all-in on a player who moves the puck up the ice and who just might be able to quarterback their power play.
Adam Tenenbaum: I said in my article, I think they take Danton Heinen. I’m less confident in that now. I think Murray makes another deal to take someone else and stay away from Hayden Fleury but if he doesn’t, I’ll stick to my word and say, Heinen.
Ciara Durant: While I absolutely hate it, because I love the player, I think Seattle is going to lean towards taking Adam Henrique. This would be a good thing for the Anaheim Ducks, as it would open up even more cap space and get Rico’s ridiculous contract off the books. The draw for Seattle? Henrique was one of the Ducks’ top 5 point producers, top 2 goal scorers, and he has incredible leadership qualities, as we’ve seen with the Ducks and even on the international stage.
He is an extremely versatile player who can slot in down the middle or even on the wing. And I would be proud to have Adam Henrique selected by my hometown team! His presence with the Anaheim Ducks would be missed, but as Brad mentioned, this opens up room for players like BO Groulx, Sam Steel, Trevor Zegras, and Isac Lundestrom to get more opportunities with the big club, especially if Ryan Getzlaf re-signs in Anaheim.
There is always the chance Seattle opts to take Josh Mahura as well. Ben explained it best. But his contract is a lot better in terms of both term and money, and he is a lot younger than Rico. There isn’t much room for Mahura to make his big break with the Anaheim Ducks, especially with the addition of Haydn Fleury and Jamie Drysdale. Seattle might be able to afford him that opportunity.
Redan Lopez: Adam Henrique or Kevin Shattenkirk. Clearly, Shattenkirk has not worked out on his 4.9 mil/year contract and he hasn’t provided the offensive output on the back end the Ducks would have hoped. Henrique may be given up possibly so the Ducks can help Seattle reach the salary floor, but his leadership qualities also work too, as he just captained Canada to the World’s championship over Finland.
The Ducks are in a prime position to make a big splash on the trade market, will Bob Murray pull the trigger?
Brad Senecal: I’ve gone through a lot of these scenarios over the past little while, coming for trades for the likes of Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, even John Gibson but that is for another day. While I was disappointed with Murray’s lack of moves at the trade deadline I think it will be more advantageous holding until after the expansion draft while teams look to recoup lost assets. One team that I look at that could intrigue the Ducks is the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Hurricanes are in a great position as they were one of the most exciting teams in the NHL while winning the competitive Central Divison. Also, looking at their team going into the expansion draft, the Canes are in a safe spot as they likely will be able to move on from either Brady Skjei or Jake Gardiner‘s contract. While the team does have to make a decision on Dougie Hamilton, who is a free agent this summer, they will be a team looking to continue improving their d-core.
Lucky for them, Bob Murray has two fairly good defensemen who can be had for the right price and looking at the prospect depth at forward, the Anaheim Ducks GM should be pursuing a move. The Canes would be a great spot for Josh Manson as they currently have a glut of high skilled puck-moving defensemen. Adding the Ducks hard-hitting blueliner would be a welcomed addition, similarly to how Jani Hakanpaa has fit in since he joined the team. Manson obviously has better two-way skill than his former teammate, making him a great fit in Raleigh.
A trade that stands out to me would be sending Manson to Carolina in exchange for young Swede Noel Gunler along with a second-rounder in the 2022 Draft.
Ben Thomasian: I think the Ducks should make a play for Nolan Patrick. At present, he’s not getting top-6 opportunities with the Flyers and is in danger of becoming a draft bust. Yet, there have been times when he looks every part of the two-way threat he was drafted to become. He likely won’t realize that potential with his current team, but the Ducks can afford to take a gamble here and there.
The Flyers could really use a top-4 defenseman after losing Niskanen to a sudden retirement, and the Ducks could stand to trade one before the expansion draft (and lose one for naught). Naturally, there are moving parts to any deal, and salary structure is certainly one of them.
However, the Ducks and Flyers could come together to make the bulk of the trade prior to the draft, get a little creative, and complete a second trade after the draft in order to make the money work.
It could be something like: Rakell + Manson for Nolan + Voracek + a second-round pick (2022). Sure Voracek is signed for a few more years, but that should overly inconvenience a rebuilding Ducks team given that he is still somewhat productive.
Adam Tenenbaum: I’d like to see Manson traded for scoring help. If we don’t go in that direction, I think we could shake the roster up a bit and send Henrique and/ or Silfverberg packing for younger pieces and picks. I think if Murray is truly on board with rebuilding he will find more players similar to Zegras & Drysdale’s age range and build around them.
Ciara Durant: Josh Manson seems to be everyone’s favorite whipping boy. However, as much as I love Manson, I just don’t think his skill-set really fits with the direction the Anaheim Ducks should be going in. Plus, with the emergence of Jamie Drysdale and the acquisition of Haydn Fleury, something’s got to give and the Ducks could use scoring help in a bad way.
There have always been rumors of Manson going to Toronto for someone like William Nylander. There were also rumors that the Carolina Hurricanes showed interest in him at the trade deadline. The Winnipeg Jets might be a good option too. It is possible that one of these teams could be swayed to trade for Manson. Nevertheless, we know Murray is holding him for a king’s ransom, so this could be a difficult trade to make if Murray doesn’t lower his expectations.
Will Murray pull the trigger? Probably not during the offseason. He thought this team was a contender last year and I have a feeling he’s going to go into 2021-22 singing the same song until he’s sent packing at the conclusion of his contract. But, if he does pull the trigger, my faith in him might be restored just a little bit. Enough to want him back? Absolutely not. However, making unexpected moves that benefit the team would be a good way for him to go out.
Redan Lopez: Rickard Rakell or Josh Manson for Jake Debrusk in Boston. Would help unleash the Ducks, get slightly younger, and open things up for Debrusk struggling to get in the top 6.
Who could the Ducks bring in via free agency that will help this team succeed?
Brad Senecal: The easy answer here is obviously Ryan Getzlaf, as most fans would love to see the captain continue his road to 1000 points. Also, fans could look to manifest at Bob Murray putting the band back together and additionally signing Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan…..not likely, but hey, it’s a thought.
Knowing Bob Murray he will likely be trying to make this team as competitive as possible. When looking at players that could fit I look at two members of the Florida Panthers this year in Alexander Wennberg and Anthony Duclair. Both players are coming off of one-year deals with the Panthers and both had good seasons.
With uncertainty as far as the new salary cap goes, there is potential that these players again have a difficult time securing a long-term deal. If the Ducks could get one of these guys on a short-term contract it would be welcomed additions to the team.
Ben Thomasian: I think the Ducks desperately need to embark upon a rebuild and recruiting older (quality) UFA’s is antithesis to that aim. Thus, I would merely look to bring back Ryan Getzlaf.
Though, if I had to reach outside of the organization I think Jack Johnson could fit in with what the Ducks look like they’re trying to achieve. Given he can’t defend and the Ducks want to tank, securing Johnson on a one-year deal could really help push the Ducks to the front of the line in the Brad Lambert sweep of 2022.
More from Ducks News
- 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?
Adam Tenenbaum: Let me dream for a second that Murray signs a legit scorer to help out this young core, and suggest the likes of Ryan Nugent-Hopkins or Brandon Saad. I chose those 2 because unlike others they are only 28 and still have upside in their game. If they can be had for 3-5 years, it wouldn’t be the worst idea.
An underrated D-man that could be had to help the bottom pair, is Niklas Hjalmarsson. While older, he still can defend at a high level, probably won’t command more than 2-3 mil, and can play shut down defense and help the rest of the d core with his experience.
Ciara Durant: This honestly depends on what happens at the expansion draft. However, the obvious answer is to bring Ryan Getzlaf back. Unless he decides to retire, it is almost as sure as the sunrise that he will be back in Anaheim. Nevertheless, the Ducks really need to find players who can score goals and help with special teams.
While the likes of Alex Ovechkin or Gabriel Landeskog are off the table, and probably far too expensive, there are still a few decent options for the Ducks to go after. If they want to add experience and veteran presence, Mike Hoffman or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins might be decent options. If Murray is looking to make this team even younger, Alexander Wennberg would be an excellent option.
And, of course, as Brad mentioned, there’s always the option of reuniting Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Bobby Ryan. While that may be a pipe dream, it’s a fun one to mull over in your head.
Redan Lopez: A veteran winger that can maybe ignite the power play like Mike Hoffman. If we’re looking for somebody younger and still proven and willing to spend big, go for Patrik Laine on a bridge contract.
dark. Next. Ducks to Draft 3rd Overall at the 2021 NHL Entry Draft
Are you a passionate Anaheim Ducks fan that loves reading Pucks of a Feather? If so, we would love to have you on board as a contributor! Just follow the link above for information on how to join the crew.