Season Expectations

[Gorbachav55]

I didn't get to watch the whole game yesterday.  To be honest, I turned it off when the Islanders went up 5-0.  The Ducks are 1-1, but during both games they got smoked during actual play.  Neither of the teams they played were playoff teams last year, and neither is expected to be a playoff team this year (although the Islanders could conceivably get back there).  I haven't been happy with how the team played, but I needed to think about that a little bit in terms of expectations.

Is this what we should expect from the team given everything we know?  There were varying expectations that I read here and elsewhere, everything from near the bottom of the league to possibly snagging a wild card spot in the playoffs.  Personally, I fell somewhere in the middle, thinking they'd be slightly improved from last year but that their upside was a little higher if the youngsters looked better than expected. I also thought that regardless of how many games they actually won, they'd be more exciting.

Game 1 fit the bill mostly - they got outplayed for 2.5 periods but pulled off a win when the offense came alive just long enough to score some goals.  Game 2 was a crushing disappointment where all of the bad things about this team reared their ugly heads at once - poor forward depth, an atrocious defense, awful coaching, and a goalie whose will (and possibly also his groin) was broken by the second period. 

As a Duck fan, I can't help but go into each game hoping for a win.  Acknowledging their shortcomings intellectually can't fully suffocate my fandom.  But is this what we should expect for the rest of the season?  Are we going to get blitzed by shots every game?  Are we going to spend entire periods hemmed in our own zone while our d-men struggle to regain pucks and our coach fails to implement any sort of effective breakout system?  I think this is just what we're going to get with this team and I'm going to have to get used to it.  I'll have to enjoy the little moments, like McTavish stealing a puck on the forecheck and ripping a shot on goal, or Terry putting a snipe top-shelf.  Because I don't think there are going to be a lot of games where we'll be able to sit back and say, "They played well tonight!"  I think it makes sense to focus on individuals and how they're progressing to see if they are going to contribute to future Duck teams that have a chance at success.

[Jasoaks]

14 minutes ago, Gorbachav55 said:

I didn't get to watch the whole game yesterday.  To be honest, I turned it off when the Islanders went up 5-0.  The Ducks are 1-1, but during both games they got smoked during actual play.  Neither of the teams they played were playoff teams last year, and neither is expected to be a playoff team this year (although the Islanders could conceivably get back there).  I haven't been happy with how the team played, but I needed to think about that a little bit in terms of expectations.

Is this what we should expect from the team given everything we know?  There were varying expectations that I read here and elsewhere, everything from near the bottom of the league to possibly snagging a wild card spot in the playoffs.  Personally, I fell somewhere in the middle, thinking they'd be slightly improved from last year but that their upside was a little higher if the youngsters looked better than expected. I also thought that regardless of how many games they actually won, they'd be more exciting.

Game 1 fit the bill mostly - they got outplayed for 2.5 periods but pulled off a win when the offense came alive just long enough to score some goals.  Game 2 was a crushing disappointment where all of the bad things about this team reared their ugly heads at once - poor forward depth, an atrocious defense, awful coaching, and a goalie whose will (and possibly also his groin) was broken by the second period. 

As a Duck fan, I can't help but go into each game hoping for a win.  Acknowledging their shortcomings intellectually can't fully suffocate my fandom.  But is this what we should expect for the rest of the season?  Are we going to get blitzed by shots every game?  Are we going to spend entire periods hemmed in our own zone while our d-men struggle to regain pucks and our coach fails to implement any sort of effective breakout system?  I think this is just what we're going to get with this team and I'm going to have to get used to it.  I'll have to enjoy the little moments, like McTavish stealing a puck on the forecheck and ripping a shot on goal, or Terry putting a snipe top-shelf.  Because I don't think there are going to be a lot of games where we'll be able to sit back and say, "They played well tonight!"  I think it makes sense to focus on individuals and how they're progressing to see if they are going to contribute to future Duck teams that have a chance at success.

I totally get what you mean. I'm there with you. Finding the enjoyment with the individuals and the promise they show and the chemistry they show with each other. I do the same...I go in every game hoping for a win and after the inevitable loss, finding solace in just helping us get a really, really good pick in the 2023 draft.

I think this team is worse than last year though. Especially on D. I expect us to end up around 3-5 in the overall standings. Chicago, Arizona, and San Jose look atrocious this year lol 

[Aksun]

We'll be fine, there are great players to pick @ #5 too.

To be honest though, I think they still make he playofss. Just no with this coach - I'm sharpening my pitchfork already, though i was somewhat backing him earlier.

[perry_mvp]

My expectations will never be high with this coaching staff. Even though they won the season opener at home (in OT) the Kraken looked like the better team for 2 1/2 periods. The game against the Isles was just an uglier repeat of game 1 although there were fewer shots against Gibson. There is very little chemistry and the one line of Jones, Grant and Regenda that has shown chemistry was broken up in game 2.

The more this goes on, I'm afraid guys like McT, Z and Drysdale will be negatively impacted and that's on Verbeek. He hasn't impressed me so far. 

[Gorbachav55]

27 minutes ago, perry_mvp said:

My expectations will never be high with this coaching staff. Even though they won the season opener at home (in OT) the Kraken looked like the better team for 2 1/2 periods. The game against the Isles was just an uglier repeat of game 1 although there were fewer shots against Gibson. There is very little chemistry and the one line of Jones, Grant and Regenda that has shown chemistry was broken up in game 2.

The more this goes on, I'm afraid guys like McT, Z and Drysdale will be negatively impacted and that's on Verbeek. He hasn't impressed me so far. 

If the team continues like this (i.e. giving up 35 - 40 shots per game and getting dominated from a possession and scoring chance standpoint), I hope Verbeek does make a change in coaches.  I think the plan was to give Eakins the whole season, but Gibson is going to die if this keeps up, and the young players are going to stagnate (at best).  I want to give Verbeek the benefit of the doubt on retaining Eakins, but a whole season of this would be too detrimental to withstand, I think.

The team will have some better games because that's just the way sports work, but there's a pretty brutal stretch in December when the Ducks go on a Canadian road trip, play @ LA when they get home, and then face Minnesota, Calgary, Vegas, and Nashville before the end of the year.  I could see them losing 7 of 9 in that stretch, easily.  If they're getting consistently outplayed and outchanced, and their record is, say, 12-20-5 or something like that, I hope Verbeek makes a move, even if it's just to an interim coach.  And that assumes they win 11 games between now and New Years.  Unless a team is unexpectedly bad, I count nine games they'll be favored in between now and then (@NJ, three against SJ, Chicago, home against Detroit, home against Ottawa, Seattle, and @Montreal).  Of course they might win a couple games they shouldn't, but they also might lose a few of those nine.  I don't think Verbeek can keep a lame duck coach who's on pace for a 64-point season.

[tommer-1]

My guess is that Eakins gets the axe right around Thanksgiving.

If Verbeek wants to have his first gig as a GM be successful, and last more than a few seasons, he will have to find a better coach.

I've said this many times in the past, and it's still true.  This team is NOT a team with talent that ranks them in the top 11 or 12 teams, but they play well below their abilities.  A good coach could get more out of this group.

They are running the risk of defining themselves as a losing franchise, and that is not what anyone wants. Their previous success has almost entirely melted away, and their identity has become that they suck.

If they keep on sucking, that will only get solidified.

[gilligoos]

I never expected them to be a playoff team this year, so I was prepared for losses. I projected 80-82 points, but now believe this may be too optimistic if this defensive structure continues. Under Verbeek I did expect a team with a higher compete level, and a harder team to play against compared to the last couple seasons. I thought to myself that as long as they showed that fight, that the losses would be more acceptable. These first 2 games were disappointing and the complete opposite in terms of an elevated compete level than I expected. Fowler and Henrique are being their usual soft-selves....we keep hearing that leadership will be coming from veterans like them, Shatt, Silf, but none of that has been translated on the ice. I will wait until the end of the road trip  to make a full assessment but this doesn't look good. Eakins doesn't have the pedigree to be an NHL coach. His soft spoken nature and player friendly attitude fits well in the AHL where he can be a motivator for the young players, but he's way above his head here. He seems content to collapse so low and let the opponents skate circles around them, to just stick-check and poke away as if hockey is a non-contact sport, and seems just fine that we play a non-contact mentality protecting the crease. It has been the same old crap since 2018. We can talk about  finding leaders on the ice but the identity should be coming from the coach. Whenever the camera pans to him he looks at the jumbotron.....he's probably looking at the clock and already counting down the season. 

[tommer-1]

it's only two games, but it's obvious that their issue is not results.

Their issue is performance.  They have played two horrendous hockey games.

[tommer-1]

3 minutes ago, gilligoos said:

I never expected them to be a playoff team this year, so I was prepared for losses. I projected 80-82 points, but now believe this may be too optimistic if this defensive structure continues. Under Verbeek I did expect a team with a higher compete level, and a harder team to play against compared to the last couple seasons. I thought to myself that as long as they showed that fight, that the losses would be more acceptable. These first 2 games were disappointing and the complete opposite in terms of an elevated compete level than I expected. Fowler and Henrique are being their usual soft-selves....we keep hearing that leadership will be coming from veterans like them, Shatt, Silf, but none of that has been translated on the ice. I will wait until the end of the road trip  to make a full assessment but this doesn't look good. Eakins doesn't have the pedigree to be an NHL coach. His soft spoken nature and player friendly attitude fits well in the AHL where he can be a motivator for the young players, but he's way above his head here. He seems content to collapse so low and let the opponents skate circles around them, to just stick-check and poke away as if hockey is a non-contact sport, and seems just fine that we play a non-contact mentality protecting the crease. It has been the same old crap since 2018. We can talk about  finding leaders on the ice but the identity should be coming from the coach. Whenever the camera pans to him he looks at the jumbotron.....he's probably looking at the clock and already counting down the season. 

When we watch the game tomorrow night, we should all watch for a few things:

 

1. How easily do the Ducks back off and give up the neutral zone?

2. What does their forecheck look like?

3. How "soft" are they in their own end? Easily hemmed in, collapsing on D, puck pressure?

[FanSince1993]

41 minutes ago, tommer-1 said:

3. How "soft" are they in their own end? Easily hemmed in, collapsing on D, puck pressure?

I am advocating for a few years now to move on from some softies who has been in our defensive corps for many years. That guy who was expected to be our new Scott Neidermayer, have been a symbol of mediocracy for more than a decade now. I never forget 2015 Conference finals, game 6 when Anaheim could close the series and move to the finals. Patrick Kane slicing thru him time after time after time and scoring 2 quick goals. Chicago wins the game and then wins decisive game 7 two days later.  Now, having Drysdale and Zellweger coming next season, we'll have 3 (!!!) similar-style, soft skating, smallish non-physical defenseman? Makes no sense to keep them all, regardless who will be the coach next season. Someone has to go.

Now, let's move on to our new GM. While everyone playing drums on this forum about his greatness, I have an approach "show me first what you can do". I look at cross-town rival, a Hollywood team that acquired a young, prolific, proven scorer Kevin Fiala for draft picks; he will be scoring multiple goals against our team for the next 7 years. The same amount of money PV spent on Vatrano (after getting rid of Milano, a redundant move in IMHO, but hopefully I am wrong) + a generous contract for Ryan Strome, who by the age 29 for the first time ever scored a whopping 21 goals last season. And selecting Mintyukov in the first round is a big question mark. I am not saying PV is not a good manager, but so far I see what I see. And extending this minor-league coach adds to the list of his questionable moves. As I mentioned here before, I don't remember any team in ANY professional sports that would extend their head coach after 3 failed seasons.

[DT2008]

The one thing that stands out to me is the incredible lack of intensity the team plays with.   They seem slow and disinterested.  

[gilligoos]

39 minutes ago, FanSince1993 said:

I am advocating for a few years now to move on from some softies who has been in our defensive corps for many years. That guy who was expected to be our new Scott Neidermayer, have been a symbol of mediocracy for more than a decade now. I never forget 2015 Conference finals, game 6 when Anaheim could close the series and move to the finals. Patrick Kane slicing thru him time after time after time and scoring 2 quick goals. Chicago wins the game and then wins decisive game 7 two days later.  Now, having Drysdale and Zellweger coming next season, we'll have 3 (!!!) similar-style, soft skating, smallish non-physical defenseman? Makes no sense to keep them all, regardless who will be the coach next season. Someone has to go.

Now, let's move on to our new GM. While everyone playing drums on this forum about his greatness, I have an approach "show me first what you can do". I look at cross-town rival, a Hollywood team that acquired a young, prolific, proven scorer Kevin Fiala for draft picks; he will be scoring multiple goals against our team for the next 7 years. The same amount of money PV spent on Vatrano (after getting rid of Milano, a redundant move in IMHO, but hopefully I am wrong) + a generous contract for Ryan Strome, who by the age 29 for the first time ever scored a whopping 21 goals last season. And selecting Mintyukov in the first round is a big question mark. I am not saying PV is not a good manager, but so far I see what I see. And extending this minor-league coach adds to the list of his questionable moves. As I mentioned here before, I don't remember any team in ANY professional sports that would extend their head coach after 3 failed seasons.

My brother and I have called him Cam "Flower" for about 7 years as well. I appreciate his offensive game and his puck recovery, but his tenacity and battles in the corners in big time games are pretty subpar.  Murray's mistake was having him be like our franchise #1. Had he been like a 2nd pairing dman I would not be as critical. His cap hit doesn't scream #1 in todays nhl so it's not as impactful on our cap, but I'd be ok moving on from him after 2023-2024 given Mintyukov and Zellweger are knocking at the next couple years. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by gilligoos

[FanSince1993]

2 minutes ago, gilligoos said:

My brother and I have called him Cam "Flower" for about 7 years as well. I appreciate his offensive game and his puck recovery, but his tenacity and battles in the corners in big time games are pretty subpar.  Murray's mistake was having him be like our franchise #1. Had he been like a 2nd pairing dman I would not be as critical. His cap hit doesn't scream #1 in todays nhl so it's not as impactful on our cap, but I'd be happy moving on from him after this year given Mintyukov and Zellweger are knocking at the next couple years. 

Is he really your brother? I personally don't know him, and I am sure in real life he is a nice gentleman. But we are discussing hockey here, not personalities, and it's open-minded forum.

[gilligoos]

5 minutes ago, FanSince1993 said:

Is he really your brother? I personally don't know him, and I am sure in real life he is a nice gentleman. But we are discussing hockey here, not personalities, and it's open-minded forum.

not sure what you mean. i'm just pointing out that we nicknamed him "cam flower" because he is a soft player. it's an internal joke that i wanted to share with you, because i agree with you that he is soft. i have no relation with Cam whatsoever. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by gilligoos

[g20topdogg]

57 minutes ago, FanSince1993 said:

I am advocating for a few years now to move on from some softies who has been in our defensive corps for many years. That guy who was expected to be our new Scott Neidermayer, have been a symbol of mediocracy for more than a decade now. I never forget 2015 Conference finals, game 6 when Anaheim could close the series and move to the finals. Patrick Kane slicing thru him time after time after time and scoring 2 quick goals. Chicago wins the game and then wins decisive game 7 two days later.  Now, having Drysdale and Zellweger coming next season, we'll have 3 (!!!) similar-style, soft skating, smallish non-physical defenseman? Makes no sense to keep them all, regardless who will be the coach next season. Someone has to go.

Now, let's move on to our new GM. While everyone playing drums on this forum about his greatness, I have an approach "show me first what you can do". I look at cross-town rival, a Hollywood team that acquired a young, prolific, proven scorer Kevin Fiala for draft picks; he will be scoring multiple goals against our team for the next 7 years. The same amount of money PV spent on Vatrano (after getting rid of Milano, a redundant move in IMHO, but hopefully I am wrong) + a generous contract for Ryan Strome, who by the age 29 for the first time ever scored a whopping 21 goals last season. And selecting Mintyukov in the first round is a big question mark. I am not saying PV is not a good manager, but so far I see what I see. And extending this minor-league coach adds to the list of his questionable moves. As I mentioned here before, I don't remember any team in ANY professional sports that would extend their head coach after 3 failed seasons.

Look Cam is not perfect. If you think getting rid of Lindholm was bad what do you think our team would look like with him gone? Especially if he wasn't in the lineup for the past two games. I guarantee you that it would be a lot worse. 

Cam is no Neidermayer. The argument can be made that he was rushed to the NHL. But he's still one of the best defenders on this team. Also, considering who he has been saddled with over the years I think he's been pretty good. He's had what maybe two good partners over that entire span since entering the league? 

I'm defending him here because he deserves better. Is he soft? Sure but not every defenseman needs to be a tough guy. He just needs to be complemented with players who can play with him. He shouldn't have to be covering defensive mistakes for some bottom pair defenseman all the time. 

[Gorbachav55]

Colorado just won a Cup with Toews and Makar as their top defense pairing. And the Ducks' loss against Chicago in 2015 certainly wasn't Fowler's fault. We needed Andersen to make a couple more saves and we needed some depth forwards who could score. Rakell disappeared that series. Fowler is fine. 

[bufbarnaby]

Sonny "5 minutes of fame" Milano signed by Caps / Hershey Bears 750k 

[bufbarnaby]

6 hours ago, g20topdogg said:

Look Cam is not perfect. If you think getting rid of Lindholm was bad what do you think our team would look like with him gone? Especially if he wasn't in the lineup for the past two games. I guarantee you that it would be a lot worse. 

Cam is no Neidermayer. The argument can be made that he was rushed to the NHL. But he's still one of the best defenders on this team. Also, considering who he has been saddled with over the years I think he's been pretty good. He's had what maybe two good partners over that entire span since entering the league? 

I'm defending him here because he deserves better. Is he soft? Sure but not every defenseman needs to be a tough guy. He just needs to be complemented with players who can play with him. He shouldn't have to be covering defensive mistakes for some bottom pair defenseman all the time. 

Nick Lidstrom was not physical,  was one of best D in History  !

[bufbarnaby]

Can Verbeek fire himself ?🤣

[bufbarnaby]

The lack of defensive effort was astonishing! 

It was like I get paid no matter my lack of effort Laughing all the way to bank 🤣

[DucksFan_08]

14 hours ago, Gorbachav55 said:

I didn't get to watch the whole game yesterday.  To be honest, I turned it off when the Islanders went up 5-0.  The Ducks are 1-1, but during both games they got smoked during actual play.  Neither of the teams they played were playoff teams last year, and neither is expected to be a playoff team this year (although the Islanders could conceivably get back there).  I haven't been happy with how the team played, but I needed to think about that a little bit in terms of expectations.

Is this what we should expect from the team given everything we know?  There were varying expectations that I read here and elsewhere, everything from near the bottom of the league to possibly snagging a wild card spot in the playoffs.  Personally, I fell somewhere in the middle, thinking they'd be slightly improved from last year but that their upside was a little higher if the youngsters looked better than expected. I also thought that regardless of how many games they actually won, they'd be more exciting.

Game 1 fit the bill mostly - they got outplayed for 2.5 periods but pulled off a win when the offense came alive just long enough to score some goals.  Game 2 was a crushing disappointment where all of the bad things about this team reared their ugly heads at once - poor forward depth, an atrocious defense, awful coaching, and a goalie whose will (and possibly also his groin) was broken by the second period. 

As a Duck fan, I can't help but go into each game hoping for a win.  Acknowledging their shortcomings intellectually can't fully suffocate my fandom.  But is this what we should expect for the rest of the season?  Are we going to get blitzed by shots every game?  Are we going to spend entire periods hemmed in our own zone while our d-men struggle to regain pucks and our coach fails to implement any sort of effective breakout system?  I think this is just what we're going to get with this team and I'm going to have to get used to it.  I'll have to enjoy the little moments, like McTavish stealing a puck on the forecheck and ripping a shot on goal, or Terry putting a snipe top-shelf.  Because I don't think there are going to be a lot of games where we'll be able to sit back and say, "They played well tonight!"  I think it makes sense to focus on individuals and how they're progressing to see if they are going to contribute to future Duck teams that have a chance at success.

Very well put. Kinda sad, heartbreaking even but that's exactly how I feel about it. 

I sincerely hope PV doesn't need a whole season to form an opinion on Eakins. The man has coached 325 games in the NHL. He's won 115. That's bad. He's not going to magically turn it around and become Scotty Bowman 2.0 .

If Eakins goes (and a decent coach is brought in) my faith in this team will be restored but sadly I don't see him going anytime soon. 

[Fisix]

it's like you guys don't know that the night after we beat Seattle, they beat the Kings 4-1.

we look like Dehydrated Donkey Dung.  it's the second game of the season, and half the team, more than half? are completely new.  the lines are all new, AND they're being shuffled.

you guys love shooting fish in a barrel.  leave the minnows alone, for at least a month.

calm down.  enjoy the suck, then enjoy the inevitable movement upwards.

if you want to complain, complain that Pond beer went up another 50 cents or more over the break, to $19.50.

[Jasoaks]

46 minutes ago, Fisix said:

it's like you guys don't know that the night after we beat Seattle, they beat the Kings 4-1.

we look like Dehydrated Donkey Dung.  it's the second game of the season, and half the team, more than half? are completely new.  the lines are all new, AND they're being shuffled.

you guys love shooting fish in a barrel.  leave the minnows alone, for at least a month.

calm down.  enjoy the suck, then enjoy the inevitable movement upwards.

if you want to complain, complain that Pond beer went up another 50 cents or more over the break, to $19.50.

...that is way too much for beer at a hockey game! wow!! I stopped buying beer there a while ago....this price is insane! My season expectation here is to drink water at games from now on!

[Gorbachav55]

13 hours ago, tommer-1 said:

When we watch the game tomorrow night, we should all watch for a few things:

 

1. How easily do the Ducks back off and give up the neutral zone?

2. What does their forecheck look like?

3. How "soft" are they in their own end? Easily hemmed in, collapsing on D, puck pressure?

1. It's terrible watching them allow teams time and space to navigate through the neutral zone and get across the blue line with possession.  There's very often no attempt at forcing the other team to dump it in.

2. Outside of the third period of the Seattle game, the forecheck has been completely ineffective at forcing turnovers or taking advantage of defensive mistakes.

3. They don't win puck battles and even when they do get the puck, they can't make a direct pass to an open player to save their lives.  It's either banked off the wall or it's being deflected and turned right back around.

[g20topdogg]

1 hour ago, Fisix said:

it's like you guys don't know that the night after we beat Seattle, they beat the Kings 4-1.

we look like Dehydrated Donkey Dung.  it's the second game of the season, and half the team, more than half? are completely new.  the lines are all new, AND they're being shuffled.

you guys love shooting fish in a barrel.  leave the minnows alone, for at least a month.

calm down.  enjoy the suck, then enjoy the inevitable movement upwards.

if you want to complain, complain that Pond beer went up another 50 cents or more over the break, to $19.50.

I get it that it's early and it's not like we're historically pretty bad to start the season (usually). But just watching this team play what looks like hockey, but I'm not so sure, is kind of disappointing. You'd think we could at least resemble some kind of team structure but we look like a jumbled mess. I'm willing to give them more time and I was actually kind of hoping we'd get blown out of the water for two reasons:

1. Guys would actually wake up after an embarrassing start to the season. 

2. Would highlight all the deficiencies of Eakins systems. I'd like to see him gone. I've never soured on a coach this fast before. I've even defended RC for longer. But what we've seen the past couple of years is just... well you can see for yourself. 

[Pazonator]

13 minutes ago, g20topdogg said:

I get it that it's early and it's not like we're historically pretty bad to start the season (usually). But just watching this team play what looks like hockey, but I'm not so sure, is kind of disappointing. You'd think we could at least resemble some kind of team structure but we look like a jumbled mess. I'm willing to give them more time and I was actually kind of hoping we'd get blown out of the water for two reasons:

1. Guys would actually wake up after an embarrassing start to the season. 

2. Would highlight all the deficiencies of Eakins systems. I'd like to see him gone. I've never soured on a coach this fast before. I've even defended RC for longer. But what we've seen the past couple of years is just... well you can see for yourself. 

I totally agree. I’ve seen teams start slow and a few games into it seems like they make adjustments and they learn to play together.  Like the kings last year they didn’t start so well but they figured it out. And this year start 0-2 but no one is worried because you know they’ll take off sooner than later. 
 

the adjustments need to be made to the system. Anaheim is excited as you can see in the home opener it was rocking but if nothing changes we are going to have an empty arena fast

[Fisix]

5 hours ago, Jasoaks said:

...that is way too much for beer at a hockey game! wow!! I stopped buying beer there a while ago....this price is insane! My season expectation here is to drink water at games from now on!

from the sink!

[dtsdlaw]

15 hours ago, Gorbachav55 said:

Colorado just won a Cup with Toews and Makar as their top defense pairing. And the Ducks' loss against Chicago in 2015 certainly wasn't Fowler's fault. We needed Andersen to make a couple more saves and we needed some depth forwards who could score. Rakell disappeared that series. Fowler is fine. 

More than anything, we needed Bob Murray to give up our 2015 1st rounder (that became Larsson) for Antoine Vermette at the trade deadline. The Ducks have another Stanley Cup if Bob hadn't been so stubborn with that draft pick.

[dtsdlaw]

7 hours ago, Fisix said:

it's like you guys don't know that the night after we beat Seattle, they beat the Kings 4-1.

we look like Dehydrated Donkey Dung.  it's the second game of the season, and half the team, more than half? are completely new.  the lines are all new, AND they're being shuffled.

you guys love shooting fish in a barrel.  leave the minnows alone, for at least a month.

calm down.  enjoy the suck, then enjoy the inevitable movement upwards.

if you want to complain, complain that Pond beer went up another 50 cents or more over the break, to $19.50.

There are only 7 new starters (Strome, McTavish, Vatrano, Regenda, Jones, Klingberg, and Kulikov) out of 19 starting spots from last season. Perhaps 8 if you count Silf, since he went on IR in early March. The lines are definitely jumbled though. And the glaring holes in the roster are definitely going to be amplified over the next several weeks while they run the gauntlet. This team desperately needs more guys who can actually defend against the opponents' top forwards. They need top-9 RWs too. Playing Comtois and Regenda as 2nd and 3rd line RWs on their off side isn't going to cut it IMO. This team is going to be 6-14-3 and 10 points out of a wildcard spot by December 1st. I don't know why anyone expected them to be a playoff team this season. It was obvious before the season started that this was not going to be a good team. Fans can complain about Eakins all they want (I plan to as well) but this is a poorly constructed team. Likely by design. 

[dtsdlaw]

11 hours ago, bufbarnaby said:

Sonny "5 minutes of fame" Milano signed by Caps / Hershey Bears 750k 

Milano clears waivers and will apparently be sent to the Caps' AHL affiliate in Hershey. Friedman also mentioned that Milano's agent reached out to the Caps first, after the Ducks claimed Leason off waivers, not the other way around. Turns out nobody really wanted the guy, even for a league minimum 1-year contract. No wonder the Ducks didn't want to give him his $1.8m qualifying offer.