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Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks

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With the trade deadline fast approaching, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Anaheim Ducks.

While they don’t really play the most exciting of styles, the Ducks have been a fascinating team this season.  They were one of the surprises of the early going despite several key injuries.  However, they are in a massive tailspin at the moment having won just twice since mid-December.  The expectation is that something has to give and that it’s a matter of if, not when it happens.

Record

21-25-9, seventh in the Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Moderate Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$1.198MM in a full-season cap hit, 0/3 used salary cap retention slots, 48/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2019: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th
2020: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th, ANA 7th

Trade Chips

Strictly based on their position in the standings, it’s likely that GM Bob Murray will be open to moving most of their pending unrestricted free agents.  Winger Jakob Silfverberg will attract the most interest as even though he isn’t picking up a lot of points, he has a very strong track record of postseason success and can hold his own in a defensive role as well.  Between that and being able to play on both wings, he will have numerous suitors.  However, Silfverberg has already indicated his preference is to remain with Anaheim and talks regarding an extension are believed to have gone well so far.  With that in mind, any move involving the 28-year-old will likely come much closer to the deadline.

Defense has been an area of strength for the Ducks for several years and while their depth has taken a hit compared to what it once was, their top four is still pretty strong.  Many teams will be calling about the availability of Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, Brandon Montour, and Josh Manson.  If one of them is to be made available, Anaheim could get a significant return.  At the lower end of the scale, pending Group Six UFA Andy Welinski is an intriguing under the radar candidate.  He has held his own in a third pairing role when called upon and even got a sniff of postseason action last season.

In terms of controllable forwards, it’s unlikely that their top players will be made available.  However, one depth piece that could attract some interest is Carter Rowney.  He’s a fourth liner that can play both center and the wing and has a Stanley Cup title under his belt with Pittsburgh.  He has two years left on his deal at a manageable cap hit of just over $1.1MM which would be affordable for most contenders.  They’d likely want to get out of Patrick Eaves’ deal given his troubles staying healthy this season but that might require moving another asset to get a team to take on his $3.15MM for next year.

Five Players To Watch For: F Brian Gibbons, G Chad Johnson, F Carter Rowney, F Jakob Silfverberg, D Andy Welinski

Team Needs

1) Scoring: On paper, the Ducks aren’t a bad team up front.  However, this hasn’t translated to much success offensively as they are dead last in the league in scoring.  It’s hard to win when you’re barely averaging 2.25 goals per game, no matter how good John Gibson plays (and even he has struggled as of late).  If Murray opts to make a move to try to shake up the core, expect that adding offense will be the primary focus.

2) Cap Space: In the short-term, Anaheim doesn’t have much room to make an addition of consequence without matching salary the other way.  Long-term, they have over $70MM tied up in just 14 players for next season.  Even if the Upper Limit goes up a few million as expected, that doesn’t leave them with much room to work with to fill out their roster and even less so if they can re-sign Silfverberg.  Finding a way to shed some salary for 2019-20 needs to be an immediate priority for the Ducks.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bruins Have Shown Interest In Jakob Silfverberg, Ducks Veterans Won't Waive NMCs

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The Bruins are among the teams interested in Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg, reports Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required), who classifies Boston’s level of interest as great.  The 28-year-old quietly leads Anaheim in goals this season with 12 but his 0.43 points per game average is his lowest since his rookie year.  However, Silfverberg’s two-way play and track record will make him a popular rental for teams looking to add by the deadline.  There is mutual interest in a contract extension but Anaheim’s tagging situation makes that a bit of a tricky proposition if they can’t free up some money for next season in the next couple of weeks.

Trade Rumors: Predators, Avalanche, Henrique, Ferland

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The Nashville Predators made a splash yesterday when they acquired both Brian Boyle and Cody McLeod to strengthen their bottom-six. However, many continue to speculate that the Preds are not done and in fact remain one of the top players for the market’s most valued rentals forwards. That may not be so, though. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen cites an interview with GM David Poile on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville today in which he spoke about the additions of Boyle and McLeod, the return from injury for center Kyle Turris, and his hope of improvement from young winger Kevin Fiala. “If those guys can do it, we’re probably not making any more moves,” Poile stated. It seems that the veteran executive is willing to wait on pulling the trigger on another trade before he can see if the team improves internally. Poile has never been afraid to make a move at the deadline, but is also a careful dealer. “It’s a little bit of an arms race these couple weeks before the trade deadline and I don’t want to say I would react to what another team does. I mean, first and foremost, you’ve got to take care of your own team,” Poile continued, but did add that “nothing is out of the realm of possibilities… I’m making calls. I’m receiving calls. I’m just looking for an opportunity to improve our team. If that comes our way between now and Feb. 25, I’m all in.”

  • One team that will play it safe at the deadline, and understandably so, are the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs have lost four games straight and eight of their last ten and have fallen out of a playoff spot, all the way to 10th-place in the Western Conference, behind both the Vancouver Canucks and St. Louis Blues for the final wild card slot. Colorado still has the talent to right the ship and reach the postseason, but their total lack of secondary scoring and their inconsistent goaltending have put them in a tough spot. GM Joe Sakic is not about to mortgage the future at the trade deadline when his team may has such serious needs and may not even make the playoffs. Sakic told The Denver Post’s Mike Chambers that he believes the team can get back into playoff position and he may look at some minor trades to help them along, but Colorado’s top trade capital is off the table. This includes both of the team’s first-round pick in 2019, their own and the Ottawa Senators’, the latter of which has strong odds of being the No. 1 overall pick. Also included in the untouchables are top defensive prospects Cale Makar and Conor Timmins and top forward prospects Shane Bowers and Martin Kaut. As such, any sellers dealing with Sakic and company should not expect an overwhelming offer for their rental players and, as a result, Avs fans should not expect fireworks at the deadline.
  • The Anaheim Ducks are desperate for a shake-up. The team has just two wins in their last 19 games, including a current five-game losing streak, and have plummeted to 14th in the Western Conference. The team also has more cap space committed to their roster for next season than any other team in the NHL and are equally desperate for help alleviating that cap crunch. The result is that Ducks players not previously thought to be available are popping up on the rumor mill. It seems almost anyone on the Anaheim roster could be had in the right deal, but Adam Henrique is currently the most talked-about name. TSN’s Frank Seravalli recently moved Henrique up to No. 15 on the Trade Bait List; he had previously been off the board completely. Henrique signed a five-year extension with the Ducks back in July and will carry a $5.825MM cap hit beginning next season. Although Henrique is second in scoring for Anaheim, his 27 points through 54 games is significantly behind his production rate from last season after coming over from the New Jersey, as well as his scoring pace in most seasons with the Devils. With the Ducks in search of both re-shaped roster and a lesser payroll, the underacheiving Henrique could be on his way out of Anaheim before ever playing a full season with the team.
  • TSN’s Trade Bait List also reflects another intriguing change on the trade market. Carolina Hurricanes winger Micheal Ferland, once though to be as good as gone, has fallen down the board to No. 9 overall. While still a high ranking, Seravalli notes that trade talks surrounding Ferland have cooled as the ’Canes may prefer to hold on to him. Colleague Darren Dreger recently reported the same thing, believing Carolina could use Ferland as their “own rental”. The Hurricanes are currently three points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets in pursuit of the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, and have played one more game than Columbus and the Buffalo Sabres. However, when your team has holds a league-worst nine-year playoff drought, you jump on any chance you have to get back to the postseason. Ferland is now looking increasingly likely to stay in Carolina as the team tries to make the most of their stretch run and secure a playoff berth, but their play leading up to the deadline will be the deciding factor when it comes to Ferland’s future this season.

Minor Transactions: 02/07/19

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While the NBA sends players all over the league during their trade deadline, the NHL prepares for an extremely busy night on the ice. 28 of the league’s 31 teams will be in action tonight, with prime divisional matchups like Sharks-Flames and Predators-Stars highlighting the action. As always we’ll keep track of all the minor moves as teams prepare for tonight.

  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled A.J. Greer and Anton Lindholm from the minor leagues, giving the team 22 players for their trip to Washington. The Avalanche are trying to right the ship after plummeting out of the playoff race over the last few weeks. The team now sits in sixth place in the Central with a 22-22-8 record.
  • Joel Eriksson Ek has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild after they lost Mikko Koivu for the rest of the season, and he will take up familiar residence as the team’s third-line center. Eriksson Ek is a talented young player, but will have big shoes to fill in Koivu’s absence.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Andy Welinski from the minor leagues to take the roster spot of Korbinian Holzer who has left the team for personal reasons. Holzer has been moved to a non-roster designation, while Welinski will become the team’s seventh defenseman for the time being.
  • With Ben Bishop banged up, the Dallas Stars have recalled Landon Bow under emergency conditions. Bow will serve as backup for Anton Khudobin until Bishop, who is listed as day-to-day, is ready to return.

Korbinian Holzer Leaves Ducks For Personal Reasons

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Korbinian Holzer had only just played his first few games of the season, but now the Anaheim Ducks will have move on to another defenseman for the time being. Holzer has left the team to return home for personal reasons, explaining why Jaycob Megna is in the lineup tonight against the Montreal Canadiens.

It seems as though everything is going wrong all at once for the Ducks, who have lost four in a row by a combined score of 23-5 and are already down to the Canadiens in the first period. Holzer, 30, had only played in the last two games after dealing with injury through the first part of the season, and it’s not clear how long he will be away from the team now.

The veteran defenseman was re-signed to a two-year, $1.8MM contract in the summer of 2017 and is now scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. In 137 career NHL games split between the Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs, he has recorded 20 points and 94 penalty minutes. Hopefully whatever is keeping him away from the team is a positive situation and will see him return before long.

Anaheim Ducks Hoping To Keep Jakob Silfverberg

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If there’s a team that has been more frustrating to watch this season than the Anaheim Ducks, it’s hard to find. The club started the season with plenty of hope and visions of a playoff spot, but have struggled almost right from the beginning. At one point John Gibson was almost single-handedly keeping the team afloat in the Western Conference playoff picture, but now after a stretch of 15 losses in 17 games the Ducks find themselves dropping rapidly towards the bottom of the standings. With that kind of performance any team would begin to be the speculation of trade talk and Anaheim is no different.

In his column today, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) notes that the Ducks are listening on many of their players, but singles out one in particular as a potential building block. Jakob Silfverberg, the team’s most prominent pending unrestricted free agent, has made some progress with the Ducks on a new contract. LeBrun reports that the team will try to get him under contract in the coming weeks, or would be forced to move him at the deadline.

Silfverberg has long been an interesting rental name, given his effective two-way play and relatively low cap hit. The 28-year old winger carries just a $3.75MM hit for the rest of this season, and has recently returned healthy to the lineup. A former 20-goal scorer, Silfverberg has 12 goals in 43 games this season but is still one of the better defensive wingers in the game. He has received Selke Trophy votes for the past three seasons, and can be used in various situations.

Still, there should be at least some hesitation by the Ducks in regards to an extension. The team still has plenty of money tied up for next season in their core, and obviously have work to do in order to get them back to Stanley Cup contender status. While some may point to the devastating injuries the team has suffered, the idea of them experiencing perfect health going forward is a fantasy given the struggles many of their best players have had staying on the ice.

There is help coming in the form of young forwards like Max Comtois, Sam Steel, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom and others, the return for Silfverberg might only help that next wave be even more dominant. LeBrun writes that GM Bob Murray wants to “re-tool his roster big time” but it’s unclear how he’ll go about that if he’s signing veteran middle-six wingers to extensions in a frustrating season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota, Ottawa Put Three Players On Waivers

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Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators put three players on waivers Sunday as the Wild placed defenseman Nate Prosser and winger J.T. Brown on waivers, while the Senators put winger Nick Paul on waivers as well. Friedman also reported that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin and Buffalo Sabres’ Remi Elie both cleared waivers.

Loaded with eight defensemen after the team traded for Brad Hunt and claimed Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Nashville, the Wild had to add some roster flexibility. Wild general manager Paul Fenton is starting to get more active as this is the sixth roster move the team has made in less than three weeks. The team had no choice to make a move and still have two of their top young players, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin sitting in Iowa, awaiting a recall since the All-Star break.

For Prosser, the move likely means the end of the line in Minnesota. The Wild also have defenseman Matt Dumba on IR currently and while he’s not expected back too soon, the team does expect him back at some point this season, meaning they had to make some move. The 32-year-old veteran was a great locker-room presence, but he has appeared in just 15 games this season and hasn’t registered a point. Prosser has played most of his career in Minnesota since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He did opt to sign in St. Louis before the 2017-18 season, but only played one game for the Blues before the Wild claimed him off of waivers from him. He played 56 games for Minnesota last year. If he passes through waivers, which is no guarantee as many teams might be interested in a veteran defenseman, the team can opt to keep him on the roster or send him to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Brown makes his second trip to the waiver wire as Brown was put on waivers last year in January by the Tampa Bay Lightning and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, playing in a bottom-six role for the Ducks. He then opted to sign with the Wild and has played sporadically, often being designated as a healthy scrtatch. He played in 35 games for Minnesota this year, posting a goal and four points.

As for Ottawa, NHL teams could find some interest in the 6-foot-4 Paul, who is still just 23 years old and has some potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that in 20 games with Ottawa as he’s put up just one goal and two points, while averaging just 8:28 of ice time. He played just 5:17 against Pittsburgh Friday and if he clears looks like he’ll be headed back to Belleville of the AHL. Paul cleared waivers to start the season, but the team had to place him back on waivers to return him to the AHL. He has played 15 games there, posting two goals and 11 points.

Pacific Notes: Goldobin, Silfverberg, Chychrun, Kase

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Nikolay Goldobin has found his way back onto the Vancouver Canucks top line next to Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser after having to sit out as a healthy scratch for four straight games and six of the last nine. The Province’s Ben Kuzma writes that one of the key reasons for his return to the first line has been the 23-year-old’s dedication to improving on his shortcomings that has seen him slip out of Travis Green’s good graces.

Goldobin has spent countless hours the last few weeks watching game film and has proven himself to Green to earn his way back to the top line. Kuzma adds that this is not the team’s way to showcase the forward before the trade deadline as his name has surfaced on numerous occasions already.

“That’s not the case,” insisted general manager Jim Benning. “He’s a good kid and wants to do well, and he’s progressing to get better and that’s part of development. It’s also the skill set that makes it worth our time to get that out of him. We’re going to continue to work with him and hope that he can get to where he needs to be.”

While there is no guarantee that his play will be better than it was previously, the Canucks like what they’ve seen from him while sitting in the press box. Goldobin has gone 13 games without registering a point and was struggling when not possessing the puck.

  • TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that the Anaheim Ducks and forward Jakob Silfverberg, who will be a unrestricted free agent this summer, are continuing to discuss a new contract. Talks are progressing and LeBrun writes that Anaheim is very interested in locking up the 28-year-old. Silfverberg has 12 goals and 19 points this season in 42 games, but has missed some time due to injury. The team likely will want a deal in place before the trade deadline, suggesting that if the team cannot, the Ducks are likely to move him.
  • The Arizona Coyotes will be without defenseman Jakob Chychrun once again. Head coach Rick Tocchet said that blueliner, out with a lower-body injury, did not accompany the team on their three-game road trip, which started tonight in San Jose, according to NHL.com’s Dave Vest. “He tweaked something and we just want to nip it in the bud,” said Tocchet.
  • The Anaheim Ducks officially placed forward Ondrej Kase on long-term injured reserve today after the team activated both Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves, according to Orange County Register’s Eliott Teaford. Kase has had a tough season as he didn’t appear in his first game until Nov. 12 after suffering a concussion in a preseason game and now has undergone season-ending shoulder surgery. He finished the season with 11 goals and 20 points in just 30 games.

Minor Transactions: 2/2/19

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With the bye weeks now complete, it’s a very busy slate on the NHL schedule with a total of 26 teams in action.  Accordingly, there should be plenty of roster movement throughout the day.  We’ll keep track of those moves here.

  • The Senators announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled winger Rudolfs Balcers from AHL Belleville.  It will be his second stint with Ottawa after playing in eight games with them last month where he fared relatively well, picking up a goal and an assist but he was sent down during Ottawa’s bye week.  He has been quite productive in the minors with 15 goals and 13 assists in 38 games and with Ottawa likely to be sellers in the coming weeks, he may not be spending too much time down there over the rest of the season.  Balcers will be taking the place of winger Mikkel Boedker who is dealing with an undisclosed injury.
  • The Ducks have transferred winger Ondrej Kase to long-term injured reserve, CapFriendly reports (via Twitter).  Doing so allowed Anaheim to activate winger Corey Perry from LTIR without requiring another roster move and Perry is likely to make his season debut tonight.  Kase will remain on LTIR for the rest of the year as his season is over due to a shoulder injury.
  • The Montreal Canadiens announced today that veteran defenseman Karl Alzner has been returned to the AHL’s Laval Rocket. While the steep decline of the former Capitals stalwart remains a fascinating story, the player taking his spot on the roster is more intriguing right now. The Habs have recalled goalie Michael McNiven from the AHL. McNiven, 21, is in his second pro season and split last year between the AHL and ECHL. The undrafted OHL product has spent most of the season in Laval thus far, but as the backup to established Montreal third-string Charlie Lindgren. Yet, with Carey Price sitting out the next game on a suspension for skipping the All-Star game, it is McNiven who has gotten the call to backup Antti Niemi instead of Lindgren. McNiven has slightly better numbers than Lindgren this season, albeit in fewer starts, and it could be that the hierarchy in net is shifting withing the Canadiens organization.
  • Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson reports that the Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Rinat Valiev from the Stockton Heat of the AHL, which gives Calgary seven healthy defensemen with Travis Hamonic out with a lower-body injury. It’s likely that Valiev will serve as the team’s extra defenseman, which is why the team didn’t recall Juuso Valimaki, who the franchise believes more playing time in the AHL before bringing him up. The 23-year-old Valiev has already played for three franchises in his short career, but has not made an appearance as a member of the Flames yet.

Snapshots: Draft Rankings, All-Stars, Hart

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TSN Insider Bob McKenzie is the latest to release his midseason draft rankings, and like all the rest he still has American phenom Jack Hughes at number one. McKenzie’s rankings are based on a survey of anonymous NHL scouts, meaning that if the draft were held today the young center would undoubtedly be the top choice.

It’s the rest of the rankings that bring some intrigue, as McKenzie notes that there is a group of several players that have closed the gap on Hughes at the top of the list. Players like Vasili Podkolzin (#3) and Bowen Byram (#6) are making scouts turn their heads and notice how dominant they can be, en route to potential top-five selections in June. This year’s draft is sure to be an interesting one given the skill at the top, and one that almost no team is going to want to give up a lottery pick for.

  • The AHL has made two more adjustments to their All-Star rosters, this time adding goaltender Kevin Boyle and forward Michael Bunting to the Pacific Division group. Troy Terry and Pavel Francouz will be unavailable, a disappointing turn for the Anaheim and Colorado players. Still, the Ducks will now get to watch Boyle suit up while the Arizona Coyotes will have another representative in the form of Bunting, who has 26 points in 27 games for the Tucson Roadrunners when he wasn’t playing in the NHL.
  • Anthony Stolarz has done enough to show his health for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and was recalled today by the Philadelphia Flyers, but the player replacing him in the minor leagues will turn some heads. Carter Hart has been sent down over the break so that he can keep playing, but the Flyers will have a decision to make when they return to action. Hart has easily earned a spot in the NHL with his strong play as a rookie, but the team likely wants to get Stolarz some playing time too. They’ll have to work to keep them both fresh down the stretch and see if they are a potential tandem for next season. Stolarz is a restricted free agent while other goaltenders Mike McKenna, Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth are all headed for unrestricted free agency.

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