Anaheim Ducks Fire Randy Carlyle
It looks like the toll of losing finally was too much for the Anaheim Ducks. Despite being told that his job was secure for the remained of the year, the Anaheim Ducks have fired head coach Randy Carlyle and will replace him with Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray for the rest of the season, according to TSN’s Brennan Klak.
“We thank Randy for everything he has done for the organization, Murray said. “Leading the team to a Stanley Cup and three conference final appearances, he has accomplished so much in Anaheim. Difficult decisions need to be made when times are tough, and our play has clearly been unacceptable. We have a tradition of success in Anaheim and we need to get back to that.”
Murray, who has no coaching experience at any level but has been a three-time finalist for general manager of the year and won it in 2013-14, is expected to name a permanent coach in the offseason with San Diego Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins, and former Edmonton Oilers head coach, being the front-runner to take over, according to Klak. With the Gulls deep in a battle for a playoff run, Murray didn’t want to disrupt Eakins and his team. The 51-year-old coach has been the team’s AHL head coach since 2015.
While Murray didn’t want to make a coaching change due to the success that Carlyle has had in Anaheim over the years, the fact that the team has lost seven straight games by a margin of 37-8, was enough that the franchise felt it had to make a change. The worst of it was that the seven-game losing streak wasn’t the worst. The team had lost 12 straight between Dec. 18 through Jan. 15 and have lost 19 of their last 21 games.
Granted the team has dealt with numerous injuries as the team has been without Corey Perry for all but five games, while Patrick Eaves has missed all but seven games this season. Young winger Ondrej Kase is out for the season, after undergoing shoulder surgery and played just 30 games this season. The Ducks have been held together by the impressive play of goaltender John Gibson and kept the team relevant for the first half of the season, but he has struggled of late and the team has suffered even more. The team’s top scorer a year ago, Rickard Rakell who had 34 goals a season ago, has just nine this season and has struggled. The team has quite a few issues as they have a number of veteran players over 30 who are locked in with long-term salaries, including Perry, (two more years at $8.625MM), Ryan Getzlaf (two more years at $8.25MM), Ryan Kesler (three more years at $6.88MM). Eaves also has one more year at $3.15MM. The team has a core of younger players, but few of them have developed they way they had hoped. Many of those players are in San Diego with the AHL affiliate, another reason to keep Eakins there and help develop them now.
Carlyle had already had one stint with the Ducks’ franchise between 2005 to 2012 where he had a record of 290-182-61. He won the Stanley Cup in the 2006-07 season, but wasn’t able to get the team deep into the playoffs after that. He was rehired in the 2016-17 season, leading the team to the conference championships that year before being swept in the first round of the playoffs last year at the hands of the San Jose Sharks. He finished his second stint with a 111-74-35 record.
Patrick Eaves Placed On IR
- The Ducks have placed winger Patrick Eaves on IR due to flu-like symptoms, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The veteran last suited up on Monday so the placement can be back-dated to Tuesday which would allow him to be activated in time for their next game on Wednesday against Vancouver. Eaves has played in just seven games this season due to injuries which included back spasms and a fractured rib.
Minor Transactions: 02/09/2019
It’s a busy Saturday slate for the NHL, with 28 teams set to square off today. All seven Canadian clubs are set to play, as the nation celebrates Hockey Day in Canada, while in the U.S. ten teams will get an early start with 1:00pm ET puck drops. With several other games in the late afternoon, evening, and late night, it’s a true all-day affair for the league. While you enjoy all the action, keep up with what should be a busy day for transactions as well:
- Attached to the trade yesterday that saw Laurent Dauphin and Adam Helewka head to the Nashville Predators from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Emil Petterson was an AHL exchange as well. The Tuscon Roadrunners, affiliate of the ‘Yotes, announced that they have acquired forward Jeremy Gregoire from the Preds’ affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, for future considerations. Gregoire, a former Montreal Canadiens prospect, was not qualified by the team after last season and signed with the Admirals as a free agent. The 23-year-old center has 12 points in 42 AHL games this year. Arizona GM John Chayka has shown in the past that he values a postseason run for his minor league team, adding pieces at each of the past few trade deadlines to help his top prospects experience the postseason even if the Coyotes don’t qualify.
- CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Kevin Boyle from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. This is not a positive sign for the status of starter John Gibson, who left Thursday night’s game with an injury and did not practice yesterday. It seems likely that Boyle will back up Chad Johnson today when the Ducks visit the Philadelphia Flyers. Boyle, 26, has been with the Ducks organization for the past three seasons after signing as a free agent out of UMass – Lowell, but is still looking for his first NHL appearance.
- The Ottawa Senators have called up veteran grinder Darren Archibald, the team announced. Archibald, who turns 29 years old today, was acquired alongside Anders Nilsson from the Vancouver Canucks earlier this season. The big winger has two points in ten NHL games this year, but was held scoreless in his Ottawa debut early last month and then sent back down. Yet, as Archibald continues to quietly put together a productive AHL campaign and brings a heavy, physical presence to any lineup, he has earned another shot with the Senators. The impending UFA is trying to prove to possible suitors this off-season that he is more than just a minimum salary, two-way player.
- After their victory over Winnipeg earlier today, the Ottawa Senators announced they have returned Archibald to Belleville. He did not appear in today’s win.
- The New Jersey Devils have made a flurry of moves, according to CapFriendly. They report that the team has officially placed forward Miles Wood on the injured reserve and activated rookie winger Joey Anderson. Wood left the Devils’ last game with an arm injury, but his injury status had been unclear. Obviously, this is an injury that will keep Wood sidelined for some time. Hopefully Anderson can make up for his absence; the collegiate product had two points through eleven games this season before breaking his ankle in November. New Jersey has called up additional reinforcements from AHL Binghamton as well in forward Nick Lappin and recently-acquired defenseman Ryan Murphy. Lappin has yet to play in the NHL this season after suiting up for 49 games with the Devils over the past two years, but brings some added experience to the table among the options to replace Wood. Murphy, who came over from the Minnesota Wild last week, will hope to show that he can still produce at the NHL level. The 2011 twelfth overall pick has failed to live up to his draft position so far in his pro career.
- CapFriendly also notes that the St. Louis Blues have called up defenseman Chris Butler from the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 32-year-old veteran has over 400 NHL games to his credit, but only 12 this season and 24 total over the past four seasons with St. Louis. However, Butler – the Rampage captain – has continued to be effective in the minors. With the Blues suddenly surging toward a playoff berth, a recent report indicated that they might prefer to hold on to one or both of their impending free agent defenseman on the roster, Jay Bouwmeester and Carl Gunnarsson. If that is the case, the team could be using this opportunity to showcase Butler for a potential trade to a contender so that they might walk away with some kind of return at the deadline without moving an established NHLer.
- Haydn Fleury’s recent stretch of bouncing back and forth between the NHL and the minors continues. The Hurricanes announced that they have sent the defenseman back to AHL Charlotte. It’s the third time in less than three weeks that they’ve done so with recalls coming shortly after each time, something that will likely be the case again this time. Fleury isn’t getting much playing time in Carolina so this is allowing him to at least get some game action in to stay ready in case he’s called upon by the big club.
- It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Penguins to get their starting goaltender back as Matt Murray is expected to back up Casey DeSmith Saturday. Therefore the Penguins announced they have returned Tristan Jarry to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the AHL. Jarry was recalled Thursday on an emergency basis while Murray was out, Jarry’s trip didn’t last long and he didn’t see any action with the club either.
- With Travis Hamonic officially back, the Calgary Flames opted to make a roster move with eight defenseman on their roster. The Flames announced they have assigned defenseman Rinat Valiev to the Stockton Heat of the AHL. The 23-year-old was recalled last Saturday as an emergency defenseman, but never saw the ice.
Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks
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
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.
- Still with Anaheim, don’t expect them to be able to move one of their high-priced veterans to help free up tagging room for Silfverberg deal. Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register notes that centers Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler, as well as winger Corey Perry, aren’t expected to be willing to waive their no-move clauses in the event that the Ducks could find a taker for them in a trade.
Trade Rumors: Predators, Avalanche, Henrique, Ferland
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
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
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
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
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.