Anaheim Ducks Expected To Name Pat Verbeek As GM
While many have been linking the two for a few weeks now, an official announcement is now imminent. According to multiple sources, including TSN’s Pierre LeBrun and The Athletic’s Eric Stephens, the Anaheim Ducks are expected to name Pat Verbeek as their next General Manager. Verbeek will be the official replacement for Bob Murray, who resigned in November, stepping in for interim GM Jeff Solomon. A formal announcement is expected on Thursday.
Verbeek, 57, is currently an Assistant GM for the Detroit Red Wings and the GM of the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He returned to Detroit, where he initially launched his hockey ops career as a scout back in 2006, when Steve Yzerman became the Red Wings GM. Verbeek had previously worked with Yzerman in Tampa Bay, where Verbeek had worked his way up through the organization since 2010. If Verbeek can find success like Yzerman and protégé Julien Brisebois have had, then the Ducks will be in good hands.
An experienced executive, Verbeek of course also had a long playing career. A skilled forward, Verbeek broke into the NHL in his draft year, launching a 19-year career that produced over 1,000 points and nearly 1,500 games with five different clubs. Verbeek even cracked 80 points three times and 40 goals four times and spent four seasons as captain of the Hartford Whalers. He wrapped up his playing career in 2001-02 with the Dallas Stars, posting 20 points at the age of 37.
Verbeek will have a major decision on his hands right off the bat when he accepts the Ducks job. Anaheim is enjoying a surprising strong season and currently sit in a playoff spot. However, their postseason position is far from secure and the team possesses a multitude of high-value rental options. Ryan Getzlaf, Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm, and Josh Manson are all on expiring contract and would each be one of the top trade deadline options if made available. The rebuilding Ducks could certainly use the trade capital that they would fetch; however, the young team could also use the invaluable playoff experience. Verbeek will have to decide before next month’s deadline if he wants to sell and jeopardize the team’s postseason hopes this season, stand pat and try to re-sign some of these core UFA’s, or perhaps even buy and give his upstart group a real chance at a deep run through the weak Pacific Division.
Latest On Anaheim GM Search
- Pat Verbeek appears to be the frontrunner for the Anaheim Ducks vacant general manager position, as Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff names him “the man to beat.” Verbeek, who has served as an assistant general manager under Steve Yzerman in both Tampa Bay and Detroit, played over 1,400 regular season games in the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. He sits 72nd on the all-time points list with 1,062 and has been linked to potential GM openings for several years.
Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tippett, Mrazek, Ducks
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek didn’t hold back on their reporting late this evening on “Hockey Night in Canada”. The duo behind “32 Thoughts” had plenty to contribute, starting with Friedman’s report on the Vancouver Canucks. With the Vancouver front office finally coming together, with Patrik Allvin being named GM of Jim Rutherford‘s new-look front office, the Canucks are starting to get busy in trade talks. Although the .500 club is still in the Western Conference wild card race, the reality is that any true playoff success for Vancouver lies in the future. It should come as no surprise then that the Canucks are listening to trade offers – and not just for talked-about target J.T. Miller. Friedman reports that nearly any Vancouver forward could be had for the right price outside of captain Bo Horvat and young star Elias Pettersson. That includes Conor Garland, who the team just acquired themselves this past summer and signed to a reasonable five-year, $24.75MM deal. It is believed that the Boston Bruins, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and New York Rangers are in pursuit of Garland, though there is likely no shortage of interest in the skilled forward, who has 102 points in 155 games dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season.
- The Florida Panthers are one of the biggest surprises of the season, currently leading the top-heavy Atlantic Division with a .744 points percentage that is also third-best in the NHL. The Panthers are expected to go all-in on a Stanley Cup run this season and specifically are hoping to land a legitimate top-four defenseman. As they go about working the phones, Marek reports that one major name they are dangling is Owen Tippett. The 2017 first-rounder still has yet to make his mark in the NHL, struggling to find enough consistency at the top level to stick in the Florida lineup. However, he is only 22 and still a well-regarded as well as well-liked prospect. Tippett will likely end up as the centerpiece to any big trade the Panthers make this season.
- With Jack Campbell playing at an elite level this season while Petr Mrazek has struggled with injuries and inconsistency, the latter has proven to be little more than a pricey backup for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season while the former will be the team’s offseason priority as an impending free agent. As a result, teams have begun to inquire about Mrazek’s availability. If Campbell does stay in Toronto, the team will have a proven starter and have some promising young options like Joseph Woll and Ian Scott behind him. Marek also adds that the Maple Leafs are in hot pursuit of undrafted OHL standout Mack Guzda, who would further boost the depth chart if Toronto can win a heated race for his services. This hypothetically makes Mrazek and his $3.8MM cap hit expendable, even though he just signed with Toronto this past summer. However, for now the Leafs are maintaining that Mrazek remains a part of their plans. Marek was not so sure about that, but does report that any decision on a Mrazek trade will have to wait for the offseason.
- Among the other suitors for Guzda are the Ducks, Hurricanes, Islanders, Rangers, Penguins, and Predators. (Notably, Guzda is a Tennessee native.) One of those teams is about to get much more serious in their pursuit, as well as in the trade market. Friedman notes that Anaheim is closing in on naming a general manager. While there are still several names in contention, he believes that Pat Verbeek is the odds-on favorite. Once a permanent GM is named, the Ducks will become a fascinating team to watch; they are both well within the thick of the Western Conference playoff race, yet also possess numerous high-value rentals.
Josh Manson Injured Against Ottawa
- The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Josh Manson suffered an upper-body injury in today’s game against Ottawa. He suffered the injury on a hard hit from Brady Tkachuk in the first period. Manson, a pending unrestricted free agent, has six points in 42 games heading into today’s contest although he is second in the team in hits with 111.
Latest On Anaheim GM Search
The Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams that still need to make a decision on who will be their next general manager, and initial interviews have been completed according to Pierre LeBrun on last night’s Insider Trading segment.
What we’re being told is that the Ducks have wrapped up the first round of interviews. They’ve interviewed ten candidates, three in house that we’ve discussed before. Two of the external candidates are Pat Verbeek, assistant GM from Detroit and Ryan Martin, assistant GM from the New York Rangers. The Ducks plan to start second interviews shortly here, they should have a GM in place over the next month.
Jeff Solomon, who currently serves as the interim GM of the team is one of the internal candidates for the full-time job and certainly has his plate full at the moment. Not only is the team searching for a new leader, but preparation will need to begin for the March trade deadline. The Ducks are one of the most interesting teams in the league to watch as that deadline approaches, given their mix of high-end players on expiring contracts and surprising early-season success.
Once again last night Trevor Zegras wowed the world with an impressive show of skill, scoring a lacrosse-style goal with ease partway through the second period. It was the first of two goals he would tally last night, enough to lead the Ducks to victory over the Montreal Canadiens despite a third-period push.
It’s that success that will complicate things for Solomon and whoever takes over as the new GM. Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell, and Josh Manson all present opportunities to secure shiny new draft picks and prospects, but are also part of the backbone of a team that is currently in second place in the Pacific Division. With that in mind, getting a general manager in place sooner rather than later seems prudent.
Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils
Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.
A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:
- The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
- Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
- The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.
Anaheim Ducks Activate Troy Terry, Cam Fowler
The Anaheim Ducks are getting some big names back into the fold. They tweeted today that they’ve activated forward Troy Terry and defenseman Cam Fowler from COVID-19 protocol, assigning forward Vinni Lettieri to the team’s taxi squad to make roster space.
Anaheim is still in playoff position in the Pacific Division. However, they’ve entered a bit of a slide with big names out of the lineup, posting just a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 games.
The Ducks’ return to relevancy certainly came sooner than expected this season, and Terry and Fowler are big parts of that. Heading to his first All-Star Game this year, Terry leads the team in goals (22) and points (36) in 38 games. Fowler’s once against logged big minutes this year, playing 23:42 a game and notching 20 points.
Lettieri comes out of the lineup playing decently well in injury relief, notching seven points in 15 games while receiving a top-six role at times.
Cam Fowler Clears COVID Protocol
- Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler has cleared COVID protocol and is set to rejoin Anaheim on their road trip in Boston, relays Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The activation means that Anaheim has just two players remaining that are in the protocol in goaltender Anthony Stolarz and defenseman Josh Manson. As for Fowler, he leads all Ducks defenders in ice time per game at just under 24 minutes a night while chipping in with 20 points in 39 contests so his return will certainly be a welcome one.
Ducks’ Deadline Strategy Still Developing
The Anaheim Ducks are one of the teams in the NHL still without a full-time general manager. After Bob Murray‘s resignation earlier this season, Jeff Solomon is working as an interim GM, though he’s also a candidate in their current search. That search has reached the interview stage, and whoever is eventually selected for the position will have some difficult decisions to make.
The Ducks woke up yesterday on a four-game losing streak and had won just twice since Christmas. That stretch had erased much of the early season success the team had experienced and meant they were unable to pull away from some other Pacific Division teams that had also been through recent struggles.
In his column yesterday, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote that no decision had been made on what direction the Ducks will take at the trade deadline. The team has some of the most impressive rental options in the league should they decide to sell them, including Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm, and Josh Manson.
If Anaheim is waiting to see what kind of performance they have over the next several weeks, they certainly got off to a good start. The Ducks picked apart the defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, defeating them 5-1 on the back of a strong performance from John Gibson.
That’s the kind of game that makes the Ducks’ deadline strategy so interesting. At times, they’ve shown an ability to compete with the best teams in the league, relying on a strong defense, exceptional goalie, and forward group dotted with impressive young talents. Trevor Zegras, the club’s uber-skilled sophomore, will be at the All-Star Weekend to show off his hands and creativity in the Breakaway Challenge despite not being selected for the actual game.
But there is also real value in selling off some of those expiring contracts, especially if further negotiations aren’t going to happen in the next few months. Extensions for all three would seem unlikely at this point, though LeBrun does write that he guesses the team will circle back to Manson at some point.
When considering the future of the Ducks, Zegras, All-Star Troy Terry, top prospect Mason McTavish, and rookie blueliner Jamie Drysdale stand out as the main pieces to build around. In fact, only Cam Fowler and Gibson are signed past the 2023-24 season, meaning whichever candidate lands the GM job will have the flexibility to shape the entire roster. That shape starts with the decision of whether to buy or sell at this deadline, a decision that could have ripples for years to come.
Fowler, Stolarz, Manson Placed In COVID Protocol
Jan 18: Elliott Teaford of the OC Register tweets that Josh Manson, assistant coach Geoff Ward, and video coach Joe Piscotty have now also been placed in the COVID protocol. With the Ducks off until tomorrow, they haven’t announced any activations but did send Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the AHL.
Jan 15: The Anaheim Ducks won’t have John Gibson in net tonight and they won’t have Anthony Stolarz either. The latter has joined the former in the COVID protocol, leaving Lukas Dostal and the recently recalled Olle Eriksson Ek as the two goaltenders on the active roster.
The worries don’t end there, however, as Cam Fowler has also been placed in the COVID protocol. The Ducks have recalled Vinni Lettieri and Greg Pateryn along with Eriksson Ek as they try to fight through this newest outbreak. Brendan Guhle is expected to enter the lineup in Fowler’s place.
Anaheim has lost two in a row and now seven of their last ten, but remain in second place in the Pacific Division. A big part of that is the fact that they’ve already played 40 games though, meaning they’ll need to get back on track here or risk dropping quickly down the standings.
Stolarz has been exceptional in relief of Gibson this season, posting a .919 save percentage through 13 games. In fact, since arriving in Anaheim in 2019-20 there hasn’t been much to complain about. In 22 appearances, the 27-year-old netminder has posted a .923 save percentage in a Ducks sweater. Dostal and Eriksson Ek meanwhile have a combined two games at the NHL level.