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Anaheim Ducks Expected To Name Dallas Eakins Their Next Head Coach

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4:09: The Athletic’s Eric Stephens and Josh Cooper (subscription required) confirmed that Eakins will be the next coach and he will be formally announced as the Ducks’ 10th coach in franchise history on Monday.

1:44: The Anaheim Ducks look like they have finally made a decision on their head coaching job as Dallas Eakins looks to be the “last man standing” and, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli the Ducks intend to formally announce him as head coach some time next week. The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford adds that he expects the announcement to be made Monday or Tuesday.

Eakins, who has been coaching the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks AHL affiliate, for the last four years, has always been the lead candidate for the job. However, Anaheim general manager Bob Murray chose to undergo an extensive search for their head coach. That search had already been delayed since Eakins had taken the Gulls to the AHL conference finals, before eventually being eliminated by the Chicago Wolves. However, the extended interviewing process delayed things even further. He finished with a 154-95-15 record over those four years with San Diego and worked with many of the team’s young players, making him a solid candidate to lead the team’s rebuilding project. He does have some NHL experience as the 52-year-old coached the Edmonton Oilers, but didn’t last long as he was fired after 18 months and a 36-63-14 record.

The team interviewed a number of candidates including New York Islanders Lane Lambert, Dallas Stars assistants Todd Nelson and Rick Bowness, Manitoba Moose head coach Pascal Vincent as well as University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin. However, one by one, the candidates were told they were out of the running, with Eakins and Sandelin the last two coaching candidates standing. Sandelin recently signed an extention with UMD, but that wouldn’t have stopped him from taking the Ducks job.

Anaheim is coming off a disappointing season that saw them not make the playoffs, finishing 35-37-10 and forced Randy Carlyle out of a job at midseason with many pointing the team’s lack of effort throughout the year. General manager Bob Murray took over the reigns himself for the rest of the year in hopes of getting a better understanding of what the team would need this offseason.

 

 

Pacific Notes: Donskoi, Eakins, Phaneuf, McDavid

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The San Jose Sharks and general manager Doug Wilson have a lot on their plate this offseason as they have a number of key free agents they must deal with, including Erik Karlsson, Joe Pavelski and Joe Thornton. One name that is often forgotten is free agent forward Joonas Donskoi, who has been a solid contributor as a middle-six forward the last few years.

The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that it looks like Donskoi is leaning towards going onto the open market to see what offers he might receive and could wait to see if a team comes calling when the interview period opens on June 23. Donskoi could receive quite a bit of attention as he has scored 14 goals in each of his last two seasons and had 37 points this year. While that’s hardly amazing numbers, the speedy wing is a good defender and could provide value for a lesser price tag, considering he only made $1.9MM last year.

  • While it looks like the Anaheim Ducks are moving rather slowly in naming their head coach, it looks like there are only two candidates remaining in the race in Dallas Eakins and University of Minnesota-Duluth coach Scott Sandelin, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Eakins remains the favorite, but the team is doing quite a bit of research on him, including interviewing some of the veterans on his AHL squad.
  • Jordan Samuels-Thomas of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that with Dion Phaneuf being bought out, the most likely destination for the veteran blueliner would be a young team that’s several years away from truly competing. The scribe writes that the decline in the 34-year-old’s play would likely have playoff teams looking elsewhere for veteran depth, but Phaneuf’s leadership and his ability to mentor young players would make him more valuable to a lottery team. On top of that Phaneuf could help team’s penalty killing and can provide a physical presence a young team might lack.
  • At a gathering for 500 season ticket holders, Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said he has already met with star center Connor McDavid twice in the last 10 days, including visiting him as he was working out, according to Terry Jones of the Edmonton Journal. He reports that McDavid is doing well and is expected to ready for the start of training camp. The 22-year-old suffered a small PCL tear in his knee on the final game of the regular season, but the injury didn’t require surgery.

Coaching Notes: Nelson, Snowden, Bales

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The Anaheim Ducks are still without a head coach for the 2019-20 season, but we now know a little bit more about the search. Scott Sandelin interviewed for the job last week but instead took a long-term extension with his Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, and now The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required) is reporting that Todd Nelson will also be staying in his current job. Nelson is no longer in the running for the Ducks’ role, though Stephens actually includes a note about Sandelin not necessarily being completely out of the picture, even though it looks that way.

The final candidates now seem to be New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert (UPDATE: Stephens is now reporting that Lambert is also no longer a candidate) and San Diego Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins, though Rick Bowness also may remain in the running. Eakins, the presumptive favorite after the Ducks fired Randy Carlyle, last coached in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers in 2015 but has compiled an impressive 154-95-23 record through four years with San Diego.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs minor league system has found a ton of success over the last few years, including a Kelly Cup championship this season for the Newfoundland Growlers. The Growlers only entered the ECHL this season, but went all the way and took home the title in their inaugural season. Why not then reward the man who led them there? The Maple Leafs today announced a two-year extension for head coach John Snowden, who took over for Ryane Clowe during the season when he was forced to resign due to medical issues.
  • The Carolina Hurricanes will start a search for a new goaltending coach after Mike Bales resigned his position with the team. Bales had been with the organization for two seasons, but is now being linked to the Buffalo Sabres by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. That would make sense, given that Bales served as goalie coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins while Buffalo GM Jason Botterill was still working there. The 47-year old Bales had a long professional playing career, including 23 appearances in the NHL.

West Notes: Canucks, Wheat Kings, Perry

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The Vancouver Canucks will not be signing Linus Karlsson or Toni Utunen this summer, according to Rick Dhaliwal of Sportsnet. Both prospects will stay in Europe for at least one more season to continue their development. Karlsson, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Jonathan Dahlen, was a third-round pick last June and spent this season in the Swedish second league, where he put up 18 points in 52 games. Utunen meanwhile played the season in Finland’s top league after being a fifth-round selection by the Canucks last year. Vancouver will retain both their exclusive draft rights.

Dhaliwal also notes that the team may re-sign restricted free agent Reid Boucher, but no decision has been made at this point. Boucher played just a single game with the Canucks last season, but was a force at the minor league level with 62 points in 56 games. The 25-year old is arbitration eligible however, meaning that if the team issues him a qualifying offer he could file and force a potential one-way deal. Boucher has 42 points through 133 NHL games.

  • If you thought your job was complicated, imagine what it must be like for Kelly McCrimmon. The newly promoted Vegas Golden Knights GM is also still the owner of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, and today announced that the team will not be bringing back head coach David Anning. This comes after McCrimmon also relieved Wheat Kings’ GM Grant Armstrong of his duties last month, leaving huge gaps in management for next season. While his junior club is searching for a coach and GM, McCrimmon also has to navigate the upcoming NHL draft in which the Golden Knights hold five picks in the first three rounds.
  • Darren Dreger was on TSN radio today discussing potential buyout candidates, and noted that Corey Perry will have a market around the league if he finds himself an unrestricted free agent suddenly later this month. Perry looks like he will be leaving the Anaheim Ducks one way or another this offseason, and Dreger suggests the Edmonton Oilers as a team that may kick the tires on him as a veteran leader to help Connor McDavid turn things around. Perry currently has two years remaining on his current contract that carries a $8.625MM cap hit, but could be an attractive option at a much lower number if he happens to be bought out.

Opportunity Coming For Ducks Prospects

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The Anaheim Ducks still don’t have a head coach for the 2019-20 season, but we now know whoever it is will be leading a much different group. The Ducks are on the edge of a huge roster overhaul, one which might bring plenty of opportunity with it for their young prospect core.

Ryan Kesler won’t be back on the ice for the Ducks this season, if ever again, after undergoing a major hip surgery in May. The procedure was completed in part to restore some sort of normalcy to Kesler’s daily life and reduce his pain. He had fought through that pain to reach 1,000 games played for his career but was a shell of his former self on the ice and finished 2018-19 with just eight points in 60 games. Despite the three years remaining on his contract, no one should be expecting a contribution from the 34-year old.

Patrick Eaves too is a question mark for the Ducks after playing just nine games over the last two years. The veteran forward was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome in 2017—a diagnosis that has subsequently been changed to post-viral syndrome—and doesn’t appear to be expected to play at all this season. Even if he was to somehow come back, it’s hard to expect much from a 35-year old who hasn’t played a meaningful stretch of games in more than two years. Eaves has just one year remaining on his contract, but like Kesler is likely headed for long-term injured reserve if the Ducks need some cap space.

That brings us to Corey Perry, who the team is apparently ready to move on from after 14 seasons with the organization. Perry was the 28th-overall pick in 2003 and became a superstar in Anaheim, recording a 50-goal season in 2010-11 to win the Hart Trophy as the league’s most valuable player. He and partner in crime Ryan Getzlaf were the faces of Ducks hockey for more than a decade, something that appears to be coming to an end. If Perry’s contract was traded or bought out, it would not only open up cap space and salary for the front office to work with, but also another roster spot to use on the talent they have coming up through the system—that’s where there’s a glimmering silver lining for fans hoping to get back to the playoffs quickly.

All is not lost if the Ducks manage to open up some roster spots. If everyone was healthy and retained, they would have 12 one-way contracts already signed and not much to look forward to next season. But with the above trio potentially out of the mix, opportunity is coming for some of the prospects just outside of the NHL.

For some of those prospects, they’ve already shown a glimpse of what might be possible.

In 32 games last season Troy Terry recorded 13 points, including back-to-back three-point efforts in early March. The late round draft pick developed into a powerhouse offensive player at the University of Denver and proved he can hang in professional hockey with a point-per-game effort in the minor leagues this year. While the NHL is a different beast, Terry showed enough flashes during his short stint with the Ducks to think he can be a regular contributor as soon as this season.

Sam Steel, another highly touted forward that comes with a considerably higher draft pedigree also proved that his junior scoring totals weren’t a mirage. He put up 11 points in 22 games for the Ducks and was a legitimate scoring threat in the minor leagues. His 13 points in 16 playoff games were good enough for third in team scoring, and he should push for a roster spot in camp.

It doesn’t end there however. The team also has the trio of Isac Lundestrom, Max Jones and Max Comtois ready to push for full-time jobs in the NHL. All three received a taste of the action this season and impressed, strengthening their cases for a spot this fall. There is plenty of time to wait for each of them, but any of the three could be on the roster to start the season, especially if the Ducks make moves to remove some of their other veteran options.

There are big changes coming in Anaheim, and for fans of the team it may be hard to watch familiar faces like Perry and Kesler limp out of town. But make no mistake, their struggles are another player’s opportunity and in this case there is more than enough talent ready to seize the chance and continue their development at the highest level. So many in fact that the team could potentially consider other moves to free up space and embrace the youth movement that is coming in California.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Buyout Watch: Most Likely Candidates As Buyout Window Nears

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At this time next week, there could already be a few notable additions to the impending unrestricted free agent class. The NHL’s buyout window is set to open on Saturday, June 15th, after which teams will have 15 days to buy out unwanted contracts before the month ends and free agency begins on July 1st. This year in particular, there seem to be a surplus of teams upset with their current salary cap position and itching to remove a contract from their books that has not yielded the expected results. Yet, at a cost of two-thirds of the remaining salary and double the remaining term (in most cases), as well as the side effects of pay and bonus structure, it may not always be the best route. The following are some of the top names that could be bought out later this month and the cost to do so:

Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

Contract Remaining: Two years, $8.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.625MM/$6.625MM/$2MM/$2MM

The most recent name to hit the buyout rumor mill, Perry’s contract is undoubtedly an albatross and it is difficult to see him getting back to the pace and production that initially warranted his high cap hit. A buyout would give the Ducks immediate relief this year and $2MM in years three and four is not bad. However, the 2020-21 cost is not ideal. However, it’s hard to see anyone trading for Perry’s contract with so many unknowns about his game, so this could be the only choice for Anaheim.

Dion Phaneuf, Los Angeles Kings

Contract Remaining: Two years, $7MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.917MM/$5.417MM/$1.417MM/$1.417MM

The Kings want to get younger and faster and want some cap space to improve. Moving Phaneuf accomplishes all of that, and L.A. has good blue line depth to fall back on in the short-term. Like Perry, this buyout hurts in year two, but is otherwise tolerable. The Kings will try to trade Phaneuf and may succeed, otherwise this is a likely buyout scenario.

Scott Darling, Carolina Hurricanes

Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.15MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.233MM/$2.333MM/$1.183MM/$1.183MM

One of the earliest reported buyout rumors was that of Darling, and for good reason. The former star backup has not panned out as a starter for Carolina, a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Final with a tandem of a UFA flier and a veteran waiver claim. The Hurricanes may not have any experienced goalies under contract for next season yet besides Darling, but that won’t stop them from moving on and going back to the free agent market or their talented pipeline for answers, especially with this very palatable buyout and few cap concerns.

Ryan Callahan, Tampa Bay Lightning

Contract Remaining: One year, $5.8MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $2.667MM/$1.567MM

Callahan won’t be in Tampa one way or another next season. The team is facing a difficult cap crunch and there’s no room for the veteran, who has played little role in recent years. A buyout doesn’t give the Bolts the full savings they’d hope for this upcoming season and a trade likely remains preferable, but Callahan’s stock is not high and a buyout remains the more likely resolution.

Valeri Nichushkin, Dallas Stars

Contract Remaining: One year, $2.95MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $700K/$450K

Nichushkin’s age makes his buyout fall under the second category of buyout wherein only one-third of the remaining salary is accounted for. As such, his buyout would mean almost nothing for Dallas’ cap calculations. The young winger failed to score a goal last season as a regular player and both sides would seemingly benefit from a split. It’s not certain that the Stars will move on, but should they choose to, a buyout is a painless option.

Brendan Smith, New York Rangers

Contract Remaining: Two years, $4.35MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $971K/$3.146MM/$1.146MM/$1.146MM

Smith has been a disaster in New York and certainly not the player that the Rangers saw perform well in the postseason as a deadline addition in 2016-17. It’s hard to see a fit for Smith moving forward, even more so than other unfriendly defense contracts like Marc Staal and Kevin Shattenkirk. It’s even more difficult to see him having any trade value, so the team would have to go the buyout route. It’s not a terrible option, but as frequently happens, the year one savings come back to bite with a hefty year two increase.

Karl Alzner, Montreal Canadiens

Contract Remaining: Three years, $4.625MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $1.069MM/$4.194MM/$2.194MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM/$1.069MM

Alzner had one point in nine games with Montreal last season, which is enough to say he’s not in the Canadiens’ long-term plans. He could be on their books for a long time to come with a potential six-year buyout structure, but at a relatively low cost most years. Alzner needs a fresh start and it’s fair to assume that Montreal will give him one.

Milan Lucic, Edmonton Oilers

Contract Remaining: Four years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $3.625MM/$5.625MM/$4.125MM/$5.625MM/$625K/$625K/$625K/$625K

Loui Eriksson, Vancouver Canucks

Contract Remaining: Three years, $6MM cap hit
Buyout Cost (each year): $5.556MM/$5.556MM/$3.556MM/$556K/$556K/$556K

Lucic and Eriksson have been tied together by rumors all off-season and one more thing they share: poor buyout possibilities. As bad as Lucic’s contract is, based on his drop-off in performance, his buyout is still very expensive for four more years and then extends another four years beyond that. The Oilers would be better off continuing to search for some way to trade him, no matter how slim the chances. As for Eriksson, his front-loaded contract makes a buyout pointless. The Canucks would pay almost the same amount in each of the next two years as if he was still on the team, then would have the cap penalty for another four years after that. Vancouver and Edmonton are likely stuck with these players, unless of course they swap them for each other.

Anaheim Ducks Ready To Move On From Corey Perry

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The Anaheim Ducks have been rumored to be considering finding a way to rid themselves of the contract of Corey Perry this offseason. Some argue that the 34-year-old star just needs to get healthy and work hard this summer in hopes he can have a bounce-back season next year. Others feel it would be better for the team to trade him or even buy out the remaining two years and $17.25MM.

It looks as if Anaheim come to a decision, however, as Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that the team has decided that they intend to move on from the long-time Duck and will begin looking for a trade partner. If they cannot find one, they intend to buy him out. General manager Bob Murray has stayed in touch with Perry’s agent, as Anaheim intends to treat Perry, who has played 988 games with the Ducks, with as much respect as possible during the process.

After a disappointing 35-37-10 season, which saw them far outside a playoff berth this year, the Ducks are looking forward to a rebuild of the franchise. The team is still searching for its next head coach, but intends to find someone who can help develop the massive amount of young forward prospects that are coming up through the system, including Sam Steel, Troy Terry, Daniel Sprong, Kiefer Sherwood, Max Comtois, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom and Antoine Morand. With that much talent close to being ready for NHL duty, the team will have no choice but to open up roster space.

Perry signed an eight-year, $69MM extension back in 2013 when he was in his prime. He followed that up with a 43-goal season, followed by two 30-goal seasons, but hasn’t been able to produce as well since then. He tallied 19 goals in 2016-17, then a 17-goal performance in 2017-18, then just six goals and 10 points in 31 games last year after missing the first 51 games with a knee injury.

A trade would be challenging for Anaheim, considering the size of Perry’s contract and the likelihood the team would likely have to part with a top prospect or pick to find a team who would be willing to take on his cap hit. Throw in the fact that Perry has a full No-Movement Clause and the team may be forced to buy out the fan favorite. With the first buyout window starting in a week, Perry could conceivably be a unrestricted free agent at the start of free agency on July 1 and could give him an opportunity to join a veteran playoff team.

Overseas Notes: Puljujarvi, Jooris, Murphy

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Even with interest from the KHL, Jesse Puljujarvi seems focused on playing in the NHL next season. Where he’ll do that though is still up in the air, as several reports have come out explaining that a trade may be the best outcome. Now the player himself admits that is a strong possibility, as Puljujarvi spoke to Finnish outlet Iltalehti and explained he may be wearing a different jersey next year. He also revealed that he’s back skating after the hip surgery that ended his 2018-19 season prematurely.

Puljujarvi, 21, was the Oilers’ top pick in 2016 going fourth overall after Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Unfortunately he hasn’t quite worked out like that impressive trio, and has just 37 points through 139 NHL games. Now as he heads into the offseason without a contract—his entry-level deal is set to expire and make him a restricted free agent—his future in the league is up in the air. Puljujarvi will not be waiver-exempt next season, meaning wherever he does land will have to at least give him a shot at the highest level. That likely makes a trade more difficult, as he hasn’t shown to this point an ability to produce at either end of the rink in the NHL.

  • Despite a long playoff run with the Toronto Marlies, Josh Jooris won’t be re-signing in North America. The veteran forward has inked a three-year contract with Lausanne HC in Switzerland. Jooris, 28, scored 55 points in his 213-game NHL career including an impressive rookie season with the Calgary Flames, but will take his talents overseas. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent after his one-year, $650K contract with the Maple Leafs expired this summer.
  • Not only did Kunlun Red Star confirm that Andrej Sustr will be heading to the KHL next season, but also that Anaheim Ducks prospect Trevor Murphy has signed a two-year deal. The 23-year old Murphy was acquired by the Ducks last December and played 37 games for the San Diego Gulls this season, registering 18 points. An undrafted defenseman, he made his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes in 2017-18 and had three points in eight games. Set to be a restricted free agent this summer, the Ducks can retain his exclusive negotiating rights by issuing him a qualifying offer.

Scott Sandelin Staying At Minnesota-Duluth

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The Anaheim Ducks will not be hiring Scott Sandelin as their next head coach. According to Matt Wellens of the Duluth News Tribune, the Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs coach has signed a four-year extension to stay in the NCAA through the 2024-25 season. Sandelin interviewed for the Ducks’ coaching vacancy on Monday, but will make $400K next season with the Bulldogs as he looks for his third consecutive national championship.

It’s hard to imagine Sandelin finding a better situation than he is in right now, even if the NHL is the pinnacle of coaching for many professionals. The former NHL defenseman has been the head of the UMD program for nearly two decades and has experienced nearly unprecedented success. With three NCAA championships, and an all-time tournament record of 21-6 there was little reason for the school to look anywhere else to continue to lead the program. Not to mention the financial stability his success has brought the university, as athletic director Josh Berlo explained in a statement:

Under Scott’s leadership, the UMD men’s hockey program has provided incredible value through exposure on comprehensive institutional success. The program’s recent achievements have generated over $20 million in earned media attention that shines a spotlight on the impressive academics, vibrant student life, groundbreaking research and exciting faculty accomplishments at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Sandelin’s extension does however mean the Ducks must look elsewhere in their search. The team was originally expected to hand the reins over to minor league head coach Dallas Eakins, but instead are taking their time with a thorough interview process of several candidates. It is not clear where GM Bob Murray will eventually land in his decision, but we now know at least one candidate is off the board.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, Skinner, Sustr

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It’s draft season, and the final rankings from several of the hockey world’s leading scouts are starting to come out. Today marked the release of Corey Pronman’s first 2019 mock draft for The Athletic (subscription required), and Craig Button’s top-31 prospects for TSN. Pronman’s mock details some of the rumblings he has heard at the draft combine and elsewhere, and interestingly notes there is still no consensus on who the Chicago Blackhawks will be taking at third overall.

While Pronman lists Alex Turcotte there hesitantly, Button has CHL defenseman Bowen Byram as the third best prospect available. More notable than that even is Button’s ranking of Cole Caufield, who has continued to fly up boards as we close in on the draft later this month. The diminutive forward climbs to fourth on the TSN list, with even more lauding of his ability to put the puck in the net.

  • Bob McKenzie of TSN will release his final draft rankings a little later in the month, but he did tweet out a note regarding Buffalo Sabres forward Jeff Skinner today. McKenzie notes that it is “crunch time” in the negotiations between Buffalo and Skinner, and expects either a deal will get done in the next few days or the sniper will wait until unrestricted free agency. The TSN insider expects an eight-year deal worth $72MM, or something thereabouts. Skinner, 27, is coming off a 40-goal season and has made it clear he does enjoy playing with the Sabres. Still, a $72MM price tag is awfully expensive for any team.
  • A report out of Russia has Andrej Sustr signing a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL, though there has been no formal confirmation at this point. The 28-year old defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after his current deal expires, and spent last season almost entirely in the minor leagues. Sustr was once a full-time member of the Tampa Bay Lightning blue line, but fell out of favor and never found his footing in the Anaheim Ducks organization.

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