saskduckfan

At this point in the season Moose it is best to see this team lose as many games as possible. There is no hope of a playoff spot, so they might as well lose and get a top 5 pick to help the rebuild along. No point in winning any games and hurting their chances. Problem with this team is there are too many players playing above where they should be in the lineup. Strome and Vatrano are not top 6 forwards and the majority of the defense is bottom pairing guys. The potential was not there for this team to succeed at all at the start of the year. They were destined to fail and lead by Eakins just made the failure even more miserable. All you need to do is look at the drop of in talent that left the team last year to who was brought in this year. Even in ineffective Ryan Getzlaf last season was better then Ryan Strome this year. Their offense is about the same and the mere presence and physical play and leadership of Getzlaf sets him above Strome easily. I listed 8 players moving out and 8 players moving in and all 8 players that left are easily more talented them who was brought in as replacements.

As the title says, did we really expect any other results. On paper this was not going to be a playoff team going into training camp. On paper the defense that was put together was abysmal. For me the season is playing out exactly how I expected it to. Verbeek did a poor job of replacing the talent that was lost last year and only replaced the players lost with mediocre bottom pairing defensemen or bottom six forwards. Toss in Eakins as head coach and there was only one place for this team to go. After this far into the season, constant 40+ shots against and 7 goals against almost every night and Eakins is still here, it is pretty obvious this was a tank seasons. Just look at what was lost to what was brought in. Out Getzlaf Rakell Lindholm Manaon Mahura Deslauriers Milano Steel In Klingberg Beaulieu Kulikov Leason Megna Strome Vatrano White A massive downgrade in quality players. After last years deadline this team was awful. Lost a few more guys and replaced everyone with even worse players. Not a shock they are this bad.

Maybe if Bally didn't spend the money to revitalize Fox Trax for powerplays and overtime then they would have more money where they needed it. On the plus side, if the go bankrupt and we get a new provider, they can turf the Fox Trax project. That thing makes it harder to follow the puck then it was without it.

You have an issue paying for Centre Ice to get Ducks games? I guess they could lift the blackout you are referring to, eliminate Centre Ice and then how do you watch. No Canadian cable company carries Bally Sports and never will.

Fox had to sell out of the sports nets. After Disney purchased them then they were told they couldnt have the regional sports nets and ESPN. It was one or the other. Fox wont be buying them back. Basically the Ducks and Angels should join together and start their own sports network, kind of like what the Dodgers did. They can have better graphics then bally uses and drop all the gambling stuff. I much prefer the Fox graphics to the ugly Bally ones taking up the bottom of the screen.

We play our best hockey after the deadline? So that horrendous team after the deadline last year was our best hockey? Expect more the same this year with players going out and nothing coming back.

Possibly or possibly not, he is also on a 1 year contract and could be flipped at the deadline.

Two comments I get tired of hearing as they are just excuses: 1) Bad coach is going to leave bad habits on younger players. Not true. Bring in a good coach and they will be able to coach out any lingering bad habits that are left in the younger players. Bring in another mediocre coach and you may have issues. 2) This veteran needs to be here to teach the younger guys how to play. False statement. If the younger guys can crack a NHL roster, they already know how to play. Anything that they need to work on again falls on the coach to teach, not up to whatever veteran player needs to be on the roster to mentor players.

At this rate, we won't be winning any more games before the TDL either, lol.

As much as the players seem to have no life in them, the last few games when Eakins has been shown even he looks checked out and emotionless on the bench. How could anyone expect this team to be better then where they are at the start of the season. They were garbage post deadline last year, barely winning and constantly being outshot bad. What did Verbeek do to bring in the lost offense from Rakell or lost defense of Lindholm or Manson? Sure he replaced the players but with significantly worse players. How can anyone expect better results when you are moving out good players and replacing them with trash. Lindholm and Manson are huge losses that Verbeek replaced them with Kulikov, White, Beaulieu and Rakell became Vatrano. See how this roster was downgraded? They did nothing to replace that talent at the eeadline and were awful and they did nothing in the offseason. That's how one can easily expec5 the resililts we are seeing now and know nothing is changing this year. Mark my words, Ducks will be 32nd in the NHL at seasons end.

It's not being used to the fullest because too many guys are playing bigger roles then they are capable of playing. Why is that because the team doesnt have the top end talent to fill those roles. This is by far the worst roster the Ducks have ever had. They arent going to magical start winning games because they have nothing to lose. They play with no energy and are playing defeated. We've been through half the season already and 40 plus shots is more of a regular thing. This team basically gets outshot 2-1 on most nights. They arent just going to hit a magic button and start winning games. 30 games is a good enough sample to conclude what you see is what you get. Look at our 2nd line, all are no better then 3rd line players, not 2nd line players. McTavish can be a 2nd liner but Strome and Vatrano are third line at best and would be anywhere else. Our defense has sucked for 30 games with no structure. That isnt magically changing because all of a sudden they are going to play harder as they have nothing to lose. It's going to stay the same as there is no structure and the players suck. Colin White was our #2 paired with Fowler tonight and White is no better then a #7D. Whats that tell you?? That's just the reality. This team is awful because it was constructed to be awful. Hopefully the youngsters not on the team figure it out.

Ducks at least cant pick worse then 3rd. This team will not get out of the bottom 2 all season. Outscored 16-1 in the last 3 games. Constantly giving up 6 or more goals and 40 plus shots. A roster full of bottom 6 forwards or bottom pairing defensemen. Guys playing further up in the lineup then they should and one firther down then he should (McTavish). The only top players on this team, Terry, Zegras, Henrique (should be no higher then 2C), McTavish (should be in top 6), Fowler (2nd pair dman). Other then that no other player cracks top 6 on any other team and no defenseman is any higher then 2nd pair. Sorry to tell you, the talent and skill is not there. This is the worst roster the Ducks have ever put together and that was common knowledge before game 1 of the season.

The problem is there is no bidding. Edmonton has tried to dump this guy for the last two years. Nobody wants him. The only difference now is the comments he made and maybe Verbeek going I can take him off your hands if you include a low round pick and take nothing back.

The guy has said that he doesn't think he belongs in this league. Edmonton is desperate to dump his cap hit. Why would we give up more then a 3rd for someone who is clearly a cap dump to a division rival, who may leave the team when his contract is up in the summer. The only way Edmonton gets a defenseman to help them is to give up more. To dump Puljujarvi, the range of 4th round pick to future considerations is likely correct. Not offensively performing, threatening to leave in the summer, providing Edmonton with cap relief are all negative aspects to Edmonton getting anything decent in return. Yes he was a former 4OA, but Nail Yakupov was a formal 1OA and if he was still in the league I wouldn't be giving anyone more then a 5th for him. Oiler fans all say Puljujarvi is a bust and want him gone. I would trade Kulikov for him but the trade would be Kulikov for Puljujarvi and a 3rd to the Ducks. The Ducks take all the risk with this guy, and possibly losing him for nothing in the summer. Oilers get out of Kulikov's contract in the summer.

Honestly, Puljujarvi to me would be worth nothing more then a 4th round pick at best. The guy has 1 goal all year and has publicly said that he questions if he even belongs in the league. So here is a guy that is a RFA this year, thinks he doesn't belong, and may return home in the summer, and he cant score goals with McDavid, plus giving the Oilers cap flexibility. Actually after all of that, nothing more then a 7th round pick or future considerations. If we give up Kulikov for him, then the Oilers better be adding.

If I were GM this would be the roster I try to put together for next year. Assuming last place finish and 1st OA pick and assuming 22M cap space after Zegras, Terry and Drysdale extensions. Zegras(8M) - Bedard(957k) - Terry (7.5M) McTavish (894k) - Henrique (5.825M) - Pasternack/Horvat (8M) Vatrano (3M)-Strome (5M)-Silfverberg (5.25M) Comtois/Jones(2M)-Lund(1.8M)-Puljujarvi(1.5M) Fowler (6.5M) - Dumba (7M) Zellweger (866k)- Drysdale (3.5M) Graves/Soucy (5M) - Helleson(925k) Gibson(6.4M) Dostal(1M) Total salary spent 80.9M, way better team then what we are icing now. Only problem is enticing these players to come with a new coach.

Yet Vatrano is all over the rumor mill, doesnt sound like a player they are fully invested in at all. And seriously of he worked his way down the lineup, still better then Leason or Megna. The only reason why the Ducks passed is he does make the roster better. This team is built to fail and obviously Verbeek doesnt want to change that this year. I didn't like the Verbeek hiring when it happened and still holding onto reservations but if this team is awful next year or continues with the stupid moves then Verbeek can ship out as fast as he came in. Or the Samuelli's just want to be cheap now instead of having a winner. Maybe if that's the case it's time to sell to someone who wants to compete. So far I could make a better GM then Verbeek. How many 6-1 or 7-2 losses do we have to endure before changes are made. Oh wait, the entire season. I'm shocked the Hurricanes didnt slaughter us.

Stick him in the top six. Can't be worse then Vatrano. Or if his defensive play is so bad put him on Terry and Zegras wing. #1 line should be more offensive anyways. .ore Henriqur back to 2C and waive Megna or Leason. Not that hard to build a better roster. He's worked on the defensive side and Leason isnt all that strong defensive either and Megna should not even be an NHL player. Hust the way this roster is built it is designed to fail. For years we have been saying they need shooters. They get one gifted and pass on him. Makes no sense really.

Why did we pass? The answer was posted above. He is better then the majority of wingers on this team already and would be an upgrade. Doesn't fit into the tanking strategy of this season. Who could the Ducks waive if they did pick him up, hmm, lets see, Leason, Carrick, Megna, White, Beaulieu. There's a few good options. All players that would have been worse and likely not to be picked up.

The value is diminishing but there is still the eat 50% of his contract that has value. And if anyone was thinking that this team wants to compete, Derek Grant playing on the 2nd line. Enough said.

I like your optimism, but with the players brought in there was nowhere close to the talent that the Ducks had at the start of last season. I was fully expecting this roster to continue the downfall at the end of last season.

Two big reasons why my opinion was a tank season, the Klingberg signing and how that contract was made with the intention to trade him for assets (smart thinking in my opinion) and Eakins still being coach. 1 regulation win all season and you still don't fire this guy. Even last year after the trade deadline, 11 straight loses and lots of those games the weren't even close. Eakins record speaks for itself. He should be out of a job, but what they want to accomplish is being done. Eakins wont be fired at all as he gives them the best chances not to succeed. 1 regulation win, constantly being outshot by double what you put on net, etc. There are countless reasons to fire him. I don't buy any of this "wait and see and evaluate" comments. That's just politically saying the right things. The Ducks are doing exactly what they want to accomplish and that's not win. Going into the season with this roster there was zero chance they would be competing for anything other then the basement. No solid defense and the majority of the forwards being bottom 6 players. Not sure how this team was constructed helps the defensive void or offensive void. You can't tell me that Verbeek really thought Vatrano, Strome, Gawdin, Klingberg, Juoveli, Kulikov were going to turn this team into any kind of competitive team for a playoff spot. Not one of those players lives up to Rakell, Lindholm, or Manson. And Kulikov we traded for, ONLY because he is in the final year of his contract and we can flip him again. Currently on a list of all time worst NHL teams by winning percentage, this Ducks team sits in 47th place. The Ducks will finish the season worse then the 2020 Red Wings 17-49-5 at this pace.

Not like the Ducks 1st round picks have been hot either since 2005. 2006 - Mark Mitera - 19 2007 - Logan McMillian - 19 2008 - Jake Gardiner - 17 2009 - Peter Holland - 15 2009 - Kyle Palmieri - 26 2010 - Cam Fowler - 12 2010 - Emerson Etem - 29 2011 - Rickard Rakell - 30 2012 - Hampus Lindholm - 7 2013 - Shea Theodore - 26 2014 - Nick Ritchie - 10 2015 - Jacob Larsson - 27 2016 - Max Jones - 24 2016 - Sam Steel - 30 2017 - no pick 2018 - Isac Lundestrom - 23 2019 - Trevor Zegras - 9 2019 - Brayden Tracy - 29 2020 - Jamie Drysdale - 6 2020 - Jacob Perreault - 27 The Ducks have not had much success with the 2nd 1st round pick every year they get one since 2003. The bolded are the players that have gone on to become decent NHL players, 8 out of 17. 2011 draft the Ducks hit a home run with their picks, Rakell, Gibson, Karlsson, and Manson all selected that year.

Verbeek was not looking to compete with the Klingberg signing. He saw it as a way to reach the cap floor and possibly add another 1st round pick in a deep draft. That's what the whole NMC only until Jan 1 is about. That contract was signed with the intentions to trade him to a playoff bound team with the Ducks able to retain the 50% max and have it come off the books in the offseason. There was nothing screaming contend for playoff spot with that signing.

In reality take a look at the roster. There are two top 3 players (Zegras, Terry), 2 more top 6 in McTavish (hasn't reached potential yet) and Henrique (just makes the cut), and the rest of the forward group is bottom 6 players. Defense, there is no true #1 guy on the team. Fowler is a decent #2 and that is a stretch. The rest are #4-6 guys anywhere else.