Anaheim Ducks Select Leo Carlsson Second Overall
The Anaheim Ducks have made a bit of a surprise choice, selecting Swedish center Leo Carlsson second overall.
Carlsson rose up draft lists thanks to a stellar sophomore season with Orebro HK in the SHL. Carlsson posted 10 goals and 25 points in 44 games in the regular season and helped propel Orebro on a solid run in the SHL playoffs with nine points in 13 games.
While he isn’t the strongest skater, Carlsson offers a tantalizing combination of size and skill. He’s projected to play the center position in the NHL, enhancing his value even further. While he largely played wing at Orebro, he ended up Sweden’s number-one center at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships, and many believe he has the potential to occupy a similar role in the NHL and be the face of a franchise.
To some, skipping over Michigan’s Adam Fantilli is a massive oversight. The well-rounded center was the public consensus second overall pick and was only the third freshman in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker Award for the best player in college hockey.
The Carlsson selection does offer the Ducks a bit more versatility down the middle, giving them options in case one of Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, or Mason McTavish needs to get shifted to the wing longer term. Still, one has to wonder if passing over the likely best player available is a wise choice.
Anaheim Ducks Hire Ryan Getzlaf
It’s been the week of retired players receiving front office roles, with names like Pekka Rinne and Alexander Steen joining their former clubs. Late last night, Ryan Getzlaf was added to the group, accepting a role as player development coordinator with the Anaheim Ducks.
Getzlaf will work under director of player development Jim Johnson to “prepare and educate” the team’s prospects. General manager Pat Verbeek released the following:
We are thrilled to have a player of Ryan’s stature stay with the club into his post-playing career. His experience and knowledge from his NHL and international career will be invaluable for our young prospects. He can help prospects reach their full potential on and off the ice based on his 17 years as an NHL player and valuable insight of the necessary steps from junior or college hockey to the NHL.
The 38-year-old Getzlaf needs no introduction. Selected 19th overall in 2003, he quickly became a key part of the Ducks’ organization, winning a Stanley Cup in his sophomore year. The dynamic duo of Getzlaf and Corey Perry would lead the Ducks to annual regular season success, and several long playoff runs over the years.
In 1,157 regular season games, all with Anaheim, Getzlaf scored 282 goals and 1,019 points, reaching a career-high of 91 in 2008-09. He served as captain for more than 12 years, the longest stretch in franchise history.
Now, after retiring in 2022, he’ll transition to the other side of hockey and start a front office career. While his specific duties are not clear, bringing his leadership and experience back into the room should only serve the Ducks positively.
Anaheim Ducks Acquire Andrew Agozzino
The Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks have completed a swap of minor-league players. Anaheim is acquiring veteran forward Andrew Agozzino from San Jose in exchange for the negotiating rights to veteran defenseman Andrej Sustr, who is set to hit the unrestricted free-agent market on July 1st.
Sharks assistant general manager Joe Will issued the following statement regarding the transaction:
Andrew requested a trade after the season, citing personal reasons, and we wanted to facilitate his request. We thank Andrew for everything he did with the organization last year and we wish him the best of luck moving forward.”
In trading Agozzino, 32, the Sharks have dealt the captain of their AHL affiliate and a player who is under contract through next season at a $775k cap hit. An undrafted player, Agozzino has long been a quality scorer at the junior and AHL level, ever since his days with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs.
He’s a three-time AHL All-Star who led the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda in scoring with 26 goals and 61 points in 63 games. In 664 career AHL games Agozzino has 516 points, and he’s worn a letter at pretty much every stop of his AHL career.
At the NHL level Agozzino has struggled to stick on a roster for an extended period, and he has just 12 points in 51 career games. He did manage to contribute three points in four NHL games this past year with the Sharks, but despite his impressive AHL form the Sharks gave him his first call-up in late March. Agozzino is likely hopeful he’ll get an increased NHL opportunity in Anaheim.
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has looked to overhaul his AHL affiliate this offseason, and he started in April when he hired a new head coach. Now, he’s added a valued leader and potential top scorer to his farm team.
For the Sharks, the motivation behind this deal seems to be largely an effort to do right by a veteran player who had a strong season with their affiliate. There’s no word on whether the Sharks plan on signing the six-foot-seven Sustr, though the 32-year-old does bring a valuable 361 games of NHL experience.
Players and agents across the league take notice of trades like this, when a team goes out of its way to help a player. By trading Agozzino to a potentially more favorable opportunity they’ve done exactly that. It’s possible the true value in this trade for the Sharks lies there.
Anaheim Ducks To Hire Assistant Goaltending Coach
- Sadly, the Anaheim Ducks announced that goaltending coach Sudarshan Maharaj was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy in Toronto. Maharaj is planning to continue his treatments and hopes to have a planned surgery. His goal is to then re-join the club after that. In the interim Maharaj and Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek are planning to hire an assistant goaltending coach and will be making an announcement in the not-too-distant future.
Anaheim Ducks Requesting Compensatory Pick For Failed Dadonov Deal
- The Anaheim Ducks attempted to acquire Evgenii Dadonov from the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2022 trade deadline but failed due to Vegas not properly handling Dadonov’s no-trade clause — which listed Anaheim as a team he could not be dealt to. The deal was nullified by the league as a result, and now the Ducks are requesting a compensatory draft pick from the league, as reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He says the league is considering granting the Ducks’ request, which could likely see them gain an additional pick in this year’s draft, bringing their total number of picks to 10.
Anaheim Ducks Name Greg Cronin Head Coach
The Anaheim Ducks have named veteran assistant Greg Cronin the team’s 11th head coach in franchise history, as announced Monday morning. At age 60, this is Cronin’s first role as an NHL head coach.
Cronin has held head coaching roles at the NCAA and AHL levels, including the past five seasons with the Colorado Eagles. With the hiring, the Colorado Avalanche are now in the market for an AHL head coach.
His previous NHL experience came with the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs. Cronin’s first NHL work came with the Isles in 1998, hired as an assistant coach before being named the team’s director of player development (as well as head coach of the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers) in 2003. After the 2004-05 lockout, though, Cronin returned to the college ranks as the head coach of Northeastern University, a title he held six seasons. He won the Hockey East Coach of the Year award in 2008-09.
In 2011, Cronin returned to NHL coaching by taking an assistant job with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Three seasons later, he returned to the Islanders for a four-year stint on their bench before heading to the Eagles in 2018.
He replaces the outgoing Dallas Eakins, who the Ducks decided not to retain with his contract expiring this offseason. Eakins’ fourth season behind the Ducks bench ended in last place, with Anaheim allowing the most goals against per game of any team in the past 25 years.
Cronin’s hire is thinly veiled as a targeted approach to address their defense. While he could be described as a firebrand personality, he’s regarded as one of the more detail-oriented coaches at the minor league level and should focus on developing the all-around games of Anaheim’s young talent.
Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek alluded to that in a statement:
While we did cast a wide net in searching for the next head coach, it became clear to me that Greg would be the ideal fit for the position. Being a young team, I felt we needed a teacher of the finer points of the game, and someone who has worked extensively over time with talented young players, helping them develop into successful NHL players. Greg has done all that and more, and we are excited to name him head coach of the Anaheim Ducks.
Cronin hasn’t had much to work with in terms of prospects during his time with the Eagles, so it’s unfair to judge him on his development of young players into NHL talents at the pro level. However, that’s the task he’ll have to take on as the Ducks look to gain some forward momentum in their rebuild.
Travis Green Could Be Possible Option For Ducks Coaching Job
The Ducks have managed to keep things quiet for the most part about their head coaching search in terms of who is under consideration. Eric Stephens of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that former Vancouver head coach Travis Green could be a possible fit for the role and knows the market well having played for the team twice while living in the Orange County area full-time. Green spent parts of five seasons behind the bench in Vancouver with the team posting a 133-147-34 record and was considered for Anaheim’s coaching job back in 2016, a job that wound up going to Randy Carlyle.
John Gibson Hoping For Trade From Ducks
Goaltender John Gibson has been a fixture between the pipes in Anaheim for the better part of a decade now and is one of their longest-tenured players. However, it appears that he’s hoping his time with the team has come to an end as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that the veteran has told the team that he is ready for a change of scenery. Lisa Dillman of the Orange County Register adds that the request was made last month.
In his end-of-season presser back in April, Gibson made it clear that he wants to win. He hasn’t been doing much of that lately as the Ducks have missed the playoffs in each of the last five years. Although they’ve made some good progress in their rebuild by adding several key youngsters to the puzzle (including another with the second-overall pick later this month), they’re still not at the point yet where they’re ready to emerge as a consistent playoff contender.
With the team in front of him struggling, Gibson has seen his performance drop steadily as well. He posted a 3.99 GAA this season, leading the league in goals allowed (200) and losses (31) although he still managed a .899 SV% which is right around the league average. His highest save percentage over the last four seasons is .904 after putting up four straight seasons of .917 or better so it’s not as if this was a one-time dip.
It’s Gibson’s previous performance back when Anaheim was a playoff-caliber team that is likely to have teams interested in him this summer. How much of his weakened performance was due to the struggles of the team in front of him, particularly their back end which has gotten considerably weaker over the years? Is he still an above-average goalie with a better team in front of him? If teams believe so, he’ll shoot to either the top of the list or close to it for desired acquisitions this summer in a goalie market that doesn’t have a lot of number one options.
However, the 29-year-old does have a bit of a pricey contract, one that has four years remaining at a $6.4MM AAV. While plenty of teams could use a goaltending upgrade, not many of them can necessarily afford to take on the full freight of that deal. Anaheim hasn’t used any of their three salary retention slots for 2023-24 and beyond although it should be noted that they have two retentions on the books (defensemen John Klingberg and Dmitry Kulikov) until July 1st. Would they be willing to carry some dead cap space for four seasons to help facilitate a trade? Alternatively, taking a high-priced contract back as an offset might be more palatable for GM Pat Verbeek.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Anaheim look to get a goaltender back as part of a return if they move Gibson. Veteran Anthony Stolarz battled injury issues this season and is set to his unrestricted free agency and while Lukas Dostal might be ready to move up full-time to the NHL, he’s far from ready to take over as the starter. If not, they’ll have to turn to free agency for a replacement but Pittsburgh’s Tristan Jarry is the only true number one on the market, assuming he doesn’t re-sign in the coming weeks.
Seravalli noted that Gibson was available last summer but the asking price was quite high. While their asking price is still likely on the high side, if they’re more motivated to move him now as a result of Gibson’s ask, there’s a good chance that he’ll be suiting up somewhere else next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Free Agent Focus: Anaheim Ducks
Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We begin our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Anaheim Ducks.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Trevor Zegras – After finishing as the runner-up in Calder Trophy voting last season, Zegras took a small step forward this season, setting new benchmarks in assists (42) and points (65) while matching his goal total from 2021-22. That allowed him to lead the team in scoring this season. As a center, the 22-year-old is well-positioned to land a significant long-term deal if that’s the way he chooses to go. A max-term agreement could very well push the AAV past the $8MM mark. However, with still five years of team control remaining (he didn’t play enough in 2020-21 to accrue a season of service time for UFA purposes), it’s possible that one or both sides look to a shorter-term bridge deal. That would lower the AAV to somewhere in the $6MM range for now but potentially set Zegras up to push for much more down the road in a more favorable cap environment. Whichever route they take, a big payday is coming his way.
F Troy Terry – In 2021-22, Terry narrowly edged out Zegras for the team lead in points. This season, the tables were flipped but the 25-year-old still put up his second straight 60-point campaign after having just 48 career points over his first 129 NHL appearances. One of the goals for Terry this year would have been to show that his breakout year wasn’t a fluke. Mission accomplished on that front and he is set to reap the benefits. Two years away from UFA eligibility, Terry will have arbitration eligibility this summer and it’s likely that GM Pat Verbeek will be looking to do a long-term agreement and avoid the potential for a hearing. After playing on an AAV of $1.45MM the last three seasons, Terry’s next deal could more than quadruple that cap charge.
D Jamie Drysdale – At a time when the Ducks have all three top CHL defensemen, it could be suggested that Drysdale has fallen off the radar. The 21-year-old suffered a torn labrum in the eighth game of the season and that was it for his year. At that to the fact that he only suited up 24 times in his first year and Drysdale has just 113 total NHL appearances under his belt and the Ducks are working with a small sample size here. Drysdale, a 2020 first-round pick (sixth overall), is still a significant part of Anaheim’s future but with such a limited sample size to work with and coming off a year that was more or less a write-off, a bridge contract is the likely outcome. That could push his price tag closer to the $2MM range on a two-year deal and a bit closer to $2.5MM on a three-year term.
F Max Comtois – Two years ago, it looked like Comtois was coming into his own and was on his way to becoming at least a capable second-line power forward. Players like those have a lot of value but then GM Bob Murray wanted to see if his performance was repeatable first. That proved to be a wise move as Comtois simply hasn’t been able to play at the same level, failing to reach 20 points for the second straight season. He’s owed a $2.445MM qualifying offer this summer which is a bit on the high side for someone struggling to produce. On the other hand, losing him for free would sting with how important of a piece it looked like he was going to be not long ago. Verbeek will need to decide if he’ll give Comtois one more chance under a new head coach or if it’s time to move on.
Other RFAs: D Axel Andersson, D Simon Benoit, G Lukas Dostal, G Olle Eriksson Ek, F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, F Bryce Kindopp, F Josiah Slavin
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Kevin Shattenkirk – While the stigma of having his four-year, $26.6MM deal bought out by the Rangers back in 2019 still exists, Shattenkirk has settled in nicely in a lesser role first with Tampa Bay and the last three seasons with Anaheim. The 34-year-old has been a capable secondary producer throughout his career while becoming more of a willing shot-blocker recently. His days of playing on the top pairing are gone but as a fourth defender capable of logging around 20 minutes a night, there should be some interest in Shattenkirk once some of the big names come off the board. He had a $3.9MM AAV on his deal with Anaheim and the veteran should be able to come somewhat close to that on his next contract.
G Anthony Stolarz – This season was one to forget for Stolarz (the same can basically be said for many of Anaheim’s veterans) but prior to that, he has shown some promise in limited duty, including a .917 SV% in 23 starts back in 2021-22. The 29-year-old isn’t going to be near the top of the market for goaltenders but budget-conscious teams looking for a cheap second-stringer with a bit of upside should be looking his way. That mindset will likely describe a few teams which should give Stolarz a decent market and a shot at surpassing the $1MM mark for the first time in his career.
F Derek Grant – It wasn’t a great platform year for the veteran who had multiple stints on injured reserve, limiting him to just 46 games. However, he still managed to pick up 18 points in those contests, a year after collecting 15 goals and 29 points, both career highs. The 33-year-old also won more than 55% of his faceoffs while logging plenty of ice time shorthanded. Now with over 400 games under his belt, Grant is well-known at this point as a defensively capable middleman that can chip in a bit offensively. Those players don’t get big contracts in free agency but he should have several offers that come in around the $1.5MM he has made in each of the last three seasons.
Other UFAs: D Nathan Beaulieu, D Michael Del Zotto, D Scott Harrington, F Justin Kirkland, F Jayson Megna, D John Moore, D Olli Juolevi, D Chase Priskie, F Dylan Sikura, D Andrej Sustr
Projected Cap Space
Cap space won’t be an issue for Anaheim this offseason as they currently have more than $39MM in cap space based on the projected $83.5MM Upper Limit for next season. New deals for Zegras and Terry will take a sizable chunk out of that but the Ducks still project to be well under the cap for 2023-24, one that is expected to be another rebuilding effort. If there is budget room for them to take on a bad contract or two while being compensated for it with prospects and/or draft picks, they could be a team to watch for in the coming weeks.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
List Of NHL Prospects Attending 2023 Memorial Cup
After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey.
Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite team’s prospects have big performances at this tournament, which runs from May 26 to June 4, we’re providing a comprehensive list of NHL-affiliated prospects attending the tournament.
There will be a new champion this year after last year’s winner, the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, lost to the Gatineau Olympiques in five games in their first-round series in the QMJHL playoffs. Chicago and Dallas lead the way with three representatives at the tournament, while nine teams (Boston, Colorado, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Tampa Bay) don’t have any prospects playing this year.
Anaheim Ducks
C Nathan Gaucher (Québec, 2022 22nd overall)
LD Olen Zellweger (Kamloops, 2021 34th overall)
Arizona Coyotes
RW Dylan Guenther (Seattle, 2021 9th overall)
LD Jérémy Langlois (Québec, 2022 94th overall)
Boston Bruins
none
Buffalo Sabres
RD Vsevolod Komarov (Québec, 2022 134th overall)
Calgary Flames
LW Lucas Ciona (Seattle, 2021 173rd overall)
Carolina Hurricanes
C Justin Robidas (Québec, 2021 147th overall)
Chicago Blackhawks
LD Kevin Korchinski (Seattle, 2022 7th overall)
LD Nolan Allan (Seattle, 2021 32nd overall)
C Colton Dach (Seattle, 2021 62nd overall)
Colorado Avalanche
none
Columbus Blue Jackets
LW James Malatesta (Québec, 2021 133rd overall)
Dallas Stars
C Logan Stankoven (Kamloops, 2021 47th overall)
RD Gavin White (Peterborough, 2022 115th overall)
RW Matthew Seminoff (Kamloops, 2022 179th overall)
Detroit Red Wings
none
Edmonton Oilers
none
Florida Panthers
LD Evan Nause (Québec, 2021 56th overall)
Los Angeles Kings
none
Minnesota Wild
C Caedan Bankier (Kamloops, 2021 86th overall)
RD Kyle Masters (Kamloops, 2021 118th overall)
Montreal Canadiens
C Owen Beck (Peterborough, 2022 33rd overall)
C Jared Davidson (Seattle, 2022 130th overall)
Nashville Predators
LW Reid Schaefer (Seattle, 2022 32nd overall)
RD Luke Prokop (Seattle, 2020 73rd overall)
New Jersey Devils
RW Chase Stillman (Peterborough, 2021 29th overall)
New York Islanders
LW Daylan Kuefler (Kamloops, 2022 174th overall)
New York Rangers
LW Brennan Othmann (Peterborough, 2021 16th overall)
Ottawa Senators
none
Philadelphia Flyers
LD Brian Zanetti (Peterborough, 2021 110th overall)
C Jon-Randall Avon (Peterborough, undrafted)
Pittsburgh Penguins
none
San Jose Sharks
none
Seattle Kraken
C Tucker Robertson (Peterborough, 2022 123rd overall)
St. Louis Blues
C Zachary Bolduc (Québec, 2021 17th overall)
Tampa Bay Lightning
none
Toronto Maple Leafs
C Fraser Minten (Kamloops, 2022 38th overall)
Vancouver Canucks
C Connor Lockhart (Peterborough, 2021 178th overall)
Vegas Golden Knights
C Jordan Gustafson (Seattle, 2022 79th overall)
RW Jakub Demek (Kamloops, 2021 128th overall)
Washington Capitals
C Ryan Hofer (Kamloops, 2022 181st overall)
Winnipeg Jets
C Brad Lambert (Seattle, 2022 30th overall)