Season Expectations

[MooseDuck]

Clearly what some have forget Ducks Slow Starts always show they always find their feet in during each season cept some over past 29 Years/Seasons.

DuckPride 4ever

MooseDuck

[dtsdlaw]

1 hour ago, Aksun said:

They're homers but they're not completely dishonest. They try to say the adequate thing most of the time. But they're hard homers.

Hazy's man crush on Cam Fowler is obvious and well-documented. 

Advice to all single Ducks fans - find someone who talks about you to their friends and family the way Brian Hayward talks about Cam Fowler on Ducks broadcasts. Flower can do no wrong in Hazy's eyes. 

[FanSince1993]

1 hour ago, dtsdlaw said:

Hazy's man crush on Cam Fowler is obvious and well-documented. 

Advice to all single Ducks fans - find someone who talks about you to their friends and family the way Brian Hayward talks about Cam Fowler on Ducks broadcasts. Flower can do no wrong in Hazy's eyes. 

I remember watching one game on TV, and Fowler was the only player that Hazy called by first name, "Cam does this", "Cam does that", all game long. All other players he called by last name, just as most of TV announcers do. I found it strange and not very professional.

[Belarus]

Ha Ha.  You know, it's ok to admit it when Fowler has a good game - the world won't come to an end.  😉

[Gorbachav55]

This team is playing like an expansion team whose players just met each other.  I know the roster is poor, and the players have underperformed, but this collection of players shouldn't be this bad, right?  I'm more and more convinced every day that the locker room without Getzlaf, Manson, and Deslauriers is devoid of leadership, and they've completely checked out on Eakins without any internal voices to hold them accountable.

I don't think Verbeek can let this go on much longer without long-term damage being done.

[gilligoos]

46 minutes ago, Gorbachav55 said:

This team is playing like an expansion team whose players just met each other.  I know the roster is poor, and the players have underperformed, but this collection of players shouldn't be this bad, right?  I'm more and more convinced every day that the locker room without Getzlaf, Manson, and Deslauriers is devoid of leadership, and they've completely checked out on Eakins without any internal voices to hold them accountable.

I don't think Verbeek can let this go on much longer without long-term damage being done.

Completely agree with your points here. 

This is from an interview with Tortorella during camp:

“As far as the room, I have major concerns about the room,” Tortorella said on the show. “I’ve spent the summer going back and forth. I live in New York, and I go back and forth to Philly trying to relocate there. But spent some time in the office talking to players, talking to personnel, talking to Chuck [Fletcher], all the front office. And I have major concerns about what goes on in there.”

The culture, leadership, and direction starts from the coaching staff. Torts knew the crappy team he inherited but he sure as heck knows how to push the buttons. I'm not saying to get a coach like Torts, but they need a coach that understands the importance of a team culture. 

 

[Jasoaks]

1 hour ago, Gorbachav55 said:

This team is playing like an expansion team whose players just met each other.  I know the roster is poor, and the players have underperformed, but this collection of players shouldn't be this bad, right?  I'm more and more convinced every day that the locker room without Getzlaf, Manson, and Deslauriers is devoid of leadership, and they've completely checked out on Eakins without any internal voices to hold them accountable.

I don't think Verbeek can let this go on much longer without long-term damage being done.

I agree about the leadership issue. I don't agree that we are close to long-term damage. Too often I see teams have terrible locker rooms or seem to be checked out and a new coach completely turns it around and all of a sudden young players are thriving. I keep being reminded of the first season and a half with mcDavid....with...well...we all know who was the coach lol

I'm more worried about our young D. Drysdale mainly. OZ is at least not on the team right now. I can't believe he's not getting PP time unless a player is injured.

Strome and Vatrano were supposed to be the leadership voices, right? And Rico and Fowler? Shatt? Fowler aint gonna speak up. Rico I'm sure is still upset about being put on waivers. I can't imagine players who are brand new to a franchise coming in a having much weight to their voices over players who have had their entire career here. Especially when the clear direction from management is this is another bad year.

The situation for everyone is not good. No one is in a good situation. Eakins, PV, the players...no one.

[BombaysTripleDeke]

1 hour ago, Gorbachav55 said:

This team is playing like an expansion team whose players just met each other.  I know the roster is poor, and the players have underperformed, but this collection of players shouldn't be this bad, right?  I'm more and more convinced every day that the locker room without Getzlaf, Manson, and Deslauriers is devoid of leadership, and they've completely checked out on Eakins without any internal voices to hold them accountable.

I don't think Verbeek can let this go on much longer without long-term damage being done.

No way anyone expected them to be as bad as they were to end last season. They are legitimately playing as bad or worse than teams like Arizona, Chicago and San Jose who are all openly tanking, though San Jose isn’t nearly at the level of the latter.

Their next 3 games at home could all be resounding losses to TB, VGK and TOR before they play SJ and VAN to start November. If they play like butt against those two teams then I think Eakins gets tossed. Can’t keep getting embarrassed and Verbeek might have to make a bench move much sooner than he preferred.

Edited October 24, 2022 by BombaysTripleDeke

[Gorbachav55]

6 minutes ago, Jasoaks said:

I agree about the leadership issue. I don't agree that we are close to long-term damage. Too often I see teams have terrible locker rooms or seem to be checked out and a new coach completely turns it around and all of a sudden young players are thriving. I keep being reminded of the first season and a half with mcDavid....with...well...we all know who was the coach lol

I'm more worried about our young D. Drysdale mainly. OZ is at least not on the team right now. I can't believe he's not getting PP time unless a player is injured.

Strome and Vatrano were supposed to be the leadership voices, right? And Rico and Fowler? Shatt? Fowler aint gonna speak up. Rico I'm sure is still upset about being put on waivers. I can't imagine players who are brand new to a franchise coming in a having much weight to their voices over players who have had their entire career here. Especially when the clear direction from management is this is another bad year.

The situation for everyone is not good. No one is in a good situation. Eakins, PV, the players...no one.

It was Todd McLellan. If you're referring to Eakins' coaching stint there, that ended the year before McDavid got there.  Edmonton had to trade the league MVP, draft arguably the best hockey player of all time, draft another MVP-caliber player, and it STILL took five years before they really shook off the losing vibes for good.*

I know that it's probably an over-reaction on my part.  I don't really think we're in imminent danger of becoming Buffalo West.  However, I also didn't think it was possible to play this poorly to start the season.  This is worse than the team played to end last season, despite adding Strome, Vatrano, Klingberg, and McTavish.  How is that possible?

*I know they made the playoffs in 2017, but they went right back to missing for two straight years before establishing themselves as a perennial playoff team.

[Jasoaks]

32 minutes ago, Gorbachav55 said:

It was Todd McLellan. If you're referring to Eakins' coaching stint there, that ended the year before McDavid got there.  Edmonton had to trade the league MVP, draft arguably the best hockey player of all time, draft another MVP-caliber player, and it STILL took five years before they really shook off the losing vibes for good.*

I know that it's probably an over-reaction on my part.  I don't really think we're in imminent danger of becoming Buffalo West.  However, I also didn't think it was possible to play this poorly to start the season.  This is worse than the team played to end last season, despite adding Strome, Vatrano, Klingberg, and McTavish.  How is that possible?

*I know they made the playoffs in 2017, but they went right back to missing for two straight years before establishing themselves as a perennial playoff team.

🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ oh my god, duh, of course it was McLellan. whoops haha

Well they also had some terrible signings like of Nurse and didn't have an actual goalie till this season. But that's for a different thread.

I think you're dead on about the leadership idea. I don't know where last season McT went. But also where did last season Z, Terry, and Drysdale go? TT lost an elite center so I can understand that. And why Dry is not on the PP I don't understand. But I just can't imagine Klingberg is happy to have landed here and zero defensive system hurts him. And Strome and Vatrano are probably still getting comfortable with it all.

Leadership gone, chemistry gone, line balance gone, an elite-probable-future-HOFer gone -- compounded by the continuation of bad coaching, terrible in-game decisions, and no defensive structure... sigh

[Duckeer]

The leadership is non existent. Period. Fowler looks to be heading home just as soon as the other team scores. 

[perry_mvp]

2 hours ago, Gorbachav55 said:

This team is playing like an expansion team whose players just met each other.  I know the roster is poor, and the players have underperformed, but this collection of players shouldn't be this bad, right?  I'm more and more convinced every day that the locker room without Getzlaf, Manson, and Deslauriers is devoid of leadership, and they've completely checked out on Eakins without any internal voices to hold them accountable.

I don't think Verbeek can let this go on much longer without long-term damage being done.

I don't think they are even playing like an expansion team. An expansion team could be awful talent wise but they are usually motivated. I also don't think the Ducks roster is really poor but they have underperformed. It's like they have totally forgotten how to play hockey. It's very true that there doesn't appear to be any leadership. Guys who should be stepping up aren't.

Verbeek created this monster. He kept the same useless coach. Traded what amounted to the top pair defense pair. Traded a top 6 RW Rakell. Did Deslauriers really need to be traded? He waited way to long to bring in guys on defense and the guys he brought have been awful, Kulikov and Klunkberg. Even Strome looks like a wet behind the ears rookie. I don't think this is what he imagined nor do the rest of us but like you said, he can't let this go on much longer. He needs to eat some humble pie and realize that papa Yzerman isn't around to save him.

[dtsdlaw]

7 minutes ago, perry_mvp said:

I don't think they are even playing like an expansion team. An expansion team could be awful talent wise but they are usually motivated. I also don't think the Ducks roster is really poor but they have underperformed. It's like they have totally forgotten how to play hockey. It's very true that there doesn't appear to be any leadership. Guys who should be stepping up aren't.

Verbeek created this monster. He kept the same useless coach. Traded what amounted to the top pair defense pair. Traded a top 6 RW Rakell. Did Deslauriers really need to be traded? He waited way to long to bring in guys on defense and the guys he brought have been awful, Kulikov and Klunkberg. Even Strome looks like a wet behind the ears rookie. I don't think this is what he imagined nor do the rest of us but like you said, he can't let this go on much longer. He needs to eat some humble pie and realize that papa Yzerman isn't around to save him.

Just for a little perspective, the Detroit Red Wings were 17-49-5 (39 pts) in the 71-game 2019-20 season, which was Yzerman's first full season back in Detroit. And like the Ducks, the Wings also weren't starting a rebuild completely from scratch, as they already had a 23-year-old Dylan Larkin, a 24-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi, and a 25-year-old Anthony Mantha as their top forwards, as well as a 22-year-old Filip Hronek on defense and a 20-year-old Filip Zadina who the previous regime had recently drafted #6 overall. The Wings then picked 4th overall (Lucas Raymond) in 2020.

As far as Eakins goes, Jeff Blashill stuck around for 3 full seasons in Detroit after Yzerman took over, going 17-49-5, 19-27-10, and 32-40-10, before finally being let go this past summer. So I don't think a bad start to this season by the Ducks is going to make Verbeek feel any pressure to make a change behind the bench mid-season. He's ridden out these bad situations before. I don't think he's going to be worried about a bottom-5 finish this season.  

[FanSince1993]

26 minutes ago, perry_mvp said:

I don't think they are even playing like an expansion team. An expansion team could be awful talent wise but they are usually motivated. I also don't think the Ducks roster is really poor but they have underperformed. It's like they have totally forgotten how to play hockey. It's very true that there doesn't appear to be any leadership. Guys who should be stepping up aren't.

Verbeek created this monster. He kept the same useless coach. Traded what amounted to the top pair defense pair. Traded a top 6 RW Rakell. Did Deslauriers really need to be traded? He waited way to long to bring in guys on defense and the guys he brought have been awful, Kulikov and Klunkberg. Even Strome looks like a wet behind the ears rookie. I don't think this is what he imagined nor do the rest of us but like you said, he can't let this go on much longer. He needs to eat some humble pie and realize that papa Yzerman isn't around to save him.

Most of the fans on this forum greeted PV as a new Messaya coming to town. Watching hockey for more than 40 years I learned one golden rule: never judge a player/coach/general manager based only on EXPECTATION. Show me first what you can do. I would wait until February / 1st year anniversary since PV took over the Ducks. If the coach is the same and no roster moves are done, I have to start calling him "Bob Murray's Incarnation"

Edited October 24, 2022 by FanSince1993

[FanSince1993]

48 minutes ago, Duckeer said:

The leadership is non existent. Period. Fowler looks to be heading home just as soon as the other team scores. 

Quiet! Don't touch our legend! Hazy and other fans will be upset. And, by the way, don't call him Fowler. He is Cam.

[Gorbachav55]

26 minutes ago, perry_mvp said:

I don't think they are even playing like an expansion team. An expansion team could be awful talent wise but they are usually motivated. I also don't think the Ducks roster is really poor but they have underperformed. It's like they have totally forgotten how to play hockey. It's very true that there doesn't appear to be any leadership. Guys who should be stepping up aren't.

Verbeek created this monster. He kept the same useless coach. Traded what amounted to the top pair defense pair. Traded a top 6 RW Rakell. Did Deslauriers really need to be traded? He waited way to long to bring in guys on defense and the guys he brought have been awful, Kulikov and Klunkberg. Even Strome looks like a wet behind the ears rookie. I don't think this is what he imagined nor do the rest of us but like you said, he can't let this go on much longer. He needs to eat some humble pie and realize that papa Yzerman isn't around to save him.

I don't think Verbeek created this monster - the monster was already created and Verbeek is trying to dismantle it and reassemble it into something a bit nicer.  Rakell and Deslauriers were pending UFAs.  Rebuilding teams trade those guys.  Kulikov and Klingberg are both solid in their own way; I think the fit might not be great, but both seemed like solid additions.  I don't think there's any humble pie to be eaten, unless it's regarding the retention of Eakins.  The roster moves are all defensible for a team in the middle of a rebuild.

Eakins is the one he might want to have back.

[tommer-1]

1 hour ago, dtsdlaw said:

Just for a little perspective, the Detroit Red Wings were 17-49-5 (39 pts) in the 71-game 2019-20 season, which was Yzerman's first full season back in Detroit. And like the Ducks, the Wings also weren't starting a rebuild completely from scratch, as they already had a 23-year-old Dylan Larkin, a 24-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi, and a 25-year-old Anthony Mantha as their top forwards, as well as a 22-year-old Filip Hronek on defense and a 20-year-old Filip Zadina who the previous regime had recently drafted #6 overall. The Wings then picked 4th overall (Lucas Raymond) in 2020.

As far as Eakins goes, Jeff Blashill stuck around for 3 full seasons in Detroit after Yzerman took over, going 17-49-5, 19-27-10, and 32-40-10, before finally being let go this past summer. So I don't think a bad start to this season by the Ducks is going to make Verbeek feel any pressure to make a change behind the bench mid-season. He's ridden out these bad situations before. I don't think he's going to be worried about a bottom-5 finish this season.  

I just looked at their next 17 games, and optimistically I see them going 5-10-2, which, coincidentally, lines up perfectly in terms of record/points per game with Eakins' previous 300+ NHL games coached.

[BombaysTripleDeke]

1 hour ago, FanSince1993 said:

Most of the fans on this forum greeted PV as a new Messaya coming to town. Watching hockey for more than 40 years I learned one golden rule: never judge a player/coach/general manager based only on EXPECTATION. Show me first what you can do. I would wait until February / 1st year anniversary since PV took over the Ducks. If the coach is the same and no roster moves are done, I have to start calling him "Bob Murray's Incarnation"

The messiah talk is exaggerated but people liking his pedigree at Tampa and Detroit under a great GM was rightfully met with optimism, imo. I don’t know how anyone can accurately judge him after months on the job. I‘m just saying, let’s just see how things are trending in 2024/25 before we start rendering verdicts.

[BombaysTripleDeke]

1 hour ago, dtsdlaw said:

Just for a little perspective, the Detroit Red Wings were 17-49-5 (39 pts) in the 71-game 2019-20 season, which was Yzerman's first full season back in Detroit. And like the Ducks, the Wings also weren't starting a rebuild completely from scratch, as they already had a 23-year-old Dylan Larkin, a 24-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi, and a 25-year-old Anthony Mantha as their top forwards, as well as a 22-year-old Filip Hronek on defense and a 20-year-old Filip Zadina who the previous regime had recently drafted #6 overall. The Wings then picked 4th overall (Lucas Raymond) in 2020.

As far as Eakins goes, Jeff Blashill stuck around for 3 full seasons in Detroit after Yzerman took over, going 17-49-5, 19-27-10, and 32-40-10, before finally being let go this past summer. So I don't think a bad start to this season by the Ducks is going to make Verbeek feel any pressure to make a change behind the bench mid-season. He's ridden out these bad situations before. I don't think he's going to be worried about a bottom-5 finish this season.  

Thanks for this sobering perspective. Didn’t realize that blashill was the head coach for 7 seasons in Detroit. Verbeek just might be fine cracking open tall can Monsters and letting Eakins coach us to the highest pick possible.

[perry_mvp]

1 hour ago, Gorbachav55 said:

I don't think Verbeek created this monster - the monster was already created and Verbeek is trying to dismantle it and reassemble it into something a bit nicer.  Rakell and Deslauriers were pending UFAs.  Rebuilding teams trade those guys.  Kulikov and Klingberg are both solid in their own way; I think the fit might not be great, but both seemed like solid additions.  I don't think there's any humble pie to be eaten, unless it's regarding the retention of Eakins.  The roster moves are all defensible for a team in the middle of a rebuild.

Eakins is the one he might want to have back.

Yeah, I get that pending UFA's get traded but Deslauriers was one of those character guys and leaders. If he wasn't even offered an extension then that's a bad move. The Klingberg and Kulikov deals were done way way after free agency started and my complaint is that he didn't bring in anyone that could at least be a good stay at home defenseman. Also, he signed Beaulieu to a 1 year contract and he's been awful. 

 

1 hour ago, dtsdlaw said:

Just for a little perspective, the Detroit Red Wings were 17-49-5 (39 pts) in the 71-game 2019-20 season, which was Yzerman's first full season back in Detroit. And like the Ducks, the Wings also weren't starting a rebuild completely from scratch, as they already had a 23-year-old Dylan Larkin, a 24-year-old Tyler Bertuzzi, and a 25-year-old Anthony Mantha as their top forwards, as well as a 22-year-old Filip Hronek on defense and a 20-year-old Filip Zadina who the previous regime had recently drafted #6 overall. The Wings then picked 4th overall (Lucas Raymond) in 2020.

As far as Eakins goes, Jeff Blashill stuck around for 3 full seasons in Detroit after Yzerman took over, going 17-49-5, 19-27-10, and 32-40-10, before finally being let go this past summer. So I don't think a bad start to this season by the Ducks is going to make Verbeek feel any pressure to make a change behind the bench mid-season. He's ridden out these bad situations before. I don't think he's going to be worried about a bottom-5 finish this season.  

Detroit is a big market original 6 team though and Yzerman is a legend there. So I'm sure that fanbase is much more forgiving than a small market team in Anaheim. I can't imagine the fans in Anaheim will be showing up to games if Eakins gets 2 more additional years here.

[Gorbachav55]

25 minutes ago, perry_mvp said:

Yeah, I get that pending UFA's get traded but Deslauriers was one of those character guys and leaders. If he wasn't even offered an extension then that's a bad move. The Klingberg and Kulikov deals were done way way after free agency started and my complaint is that he didn't bring in anyone that could at least be a good stay at home defenseman. Also, he signed Beaulieu to a 1 year contract and he's been awful. 

 

Kulikov is supposed to be a decent stay-at-home guy. 

Beaulieu was only signed because of the Vaakainen injury.

As for Deslauriers, that's a tough one.  From what was rumored, the Ducks wanted to trade him and get an asset for him with the understanding that they would bring him back in the offseason, but he got a crazy deal from Philly that beat whatever the Ducks were offering.  Verbeek probably hoped he could find character elsewhere (McTavish is supposed to be a guy like that eventually). Maybe Verbeek should have known what Deslauriers' loss meant to the locker room, I don't know.  That's the only one I could warrant being critical about, and even that is only in hindsight.  I was ecstatic when they traded Deslauriers.

[Fisix]

While I love FrenchyD, if our locker room chemistry depends mostly on his presence, we’re in bigger trouble than losing 5 or 10 games in a row.

Strome has been a good support guy, but a leader?  The other guys… they’re reclamation projects, not team leaders.  They don’t know themselves well enough to lead others.

The silly take?  At least when BM bought an overpriced aged burnt-out too-slow defenseman who didn’t know how to defend anymore, it was for less than $7M/year.  🤪

 

⏳

[g20topdogg]

43 minutes ago, Fisix said:

While I love FrenchyD, if our locker room chemistry depends mostly on his presence, we’re in bigger trouble than losing 5 or 10 games in a row.

Strome has been a good support guy, but a leader?  The other guys… they’re reclamation projects, not team leaders.  They don’t know themselves well enough to lead others.

The silly take?  At least when BM bought an overpriced aged burnt-out too-slow defenseman who didn’t know how to defend anymore, it was for less than $7M/year.  🤪

 

⏳

I agree. He also just wasn't very good for us. But I did notice his enthusiasm after games where players come up to congratulate the goalie/ team. However, I'm still glad he's moved on so Eakins can stop using him and Grant to shut down the McDavids. 

I think Getzy just left that big of a void. He meant more to this team than any other player we had. It's a shame we couldn't of had him transition to somebody of the same ilk. Scotty and Getzy were some of the best captains in the league and we just had it so good for the past decade+. Hopefully Z, Terry or McT will grow into those roles. 

[hoxxey]

3 hours ago, tommer-1 said:

I just looked at their next 17 games, and optimistically I see them going 5-10-2, which, coincidentally, lines up perfectly in terms of record/points per game with Eakins' previous 300+ NHL games coached.

After watching them play against Detroit I don't see any wins coming in the next few games.  Maybe that was the plan all along.  It's unwatchable hockey.  Now I just tune into the final results.  I can't waste any more time watching such a crap product on the ice.  I still love the ducks and hope they turn it around.  

[FanSince1993]

4 hours ago, BombaysTripleDeke said:

The messiah talk is exaggerated but people liking his pedigree at Tampa and Detroit under a great GM was rightfully met with optimism, imo. I don’t know how anyone can accurately judge him after months on the job. I‘m just saying, let’s just see how things are trending in 2024/25 before we start rendering verdicts.

So, after 5 bad seasons you offering us to wait another 3 years "just to see how things are trending?" I wouldn't mind if I new I'll live at least 120 years and still will witness the Ducks being a legit contender, but I afraid most of us not going to make it that far.

[BombaysTripleDeke]

55 minutes ago, FanSince1993 said:

So, after 5 bad seasons you offering us to wait another 3 years "just to see how things are trending?" I wouldn't mind if I new I'll live at least 120 years and still will witness the Ducks being a legit contender, but I afraid most of us not going to make it that far.

In two seasons, we’ll have a really good idea if we’ll have a playoff caliper team after Verbeek hires a new coach, adds to the roster and sees how the prospects are panning out. This team isn’t contending before then no matter what they do anyway.  

[Gorbachav55]

2 hours ago, FanSince1993 said:

So, after 5 bad seasons you offering us to wait another 3 years "just to see how things are trending?" I wouldn't mind if I new I'll live at least 120 years and still will witness the Ducks being a legit contender, but I afraid most of us not going to make it that far.

There are no quick fixes.  Murray left a giant mess behind.  Someone mentioned creating a monster - that was our former GM.

[Belarus]

Leadership, lack of leadership, no leadership. former leadership...

Sparked a question in my head - Who do you think was/is the best Ducks leader of all time?

[Aksun]

3 hours ago, Belarus said:

Leadership, lack of leadership, no leadership. former leadership...

Sparked a question in my head - Who do you think was/is the best Ducks leader of all time?

Getz

[FanSince1993]

11 hours ago, BombaysTripleDeke said:

In two seasons, we’ll have a really good idea if we’ll have a playoff caliper team after Verbeek hires a new coach, adds to the roster and sees how the prospects are panning out. This team isn’t contending before then no matter what they do anyway.  

It's not necessarily true. Look at Ottawa, for example. 2 years ago this team was bad, a new GM signed some really good FA the last 2 summers, and now they have a potential to go really deep in the playoffs.