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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Anaheim Ducks

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Anaheim Ducks.

What are the Ducks most thankful for?

The light at the end of the tunnel.  It has been a few rough years for Anaheim as they haven’t even come close to a playoff spot in each of the last three years.  However, those struggles have yielded some promising prospects, headlined by centers Trevor Zegras plus Mason McTavish and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  Those are three strong building blocks after not really being able to develop any in-house over the past few years.  Are they ready to vault themselves back into consistent playoff contention yet?  Probably not but there is certainly a roadmap to getting there with their promising young core.

Who are the Ducks most thankful for?

Troy Terry.

Since being held off the scoresheet in the opening game of the season, the 24-year-old has recorded at least a point in 16 straight contests.  That’s impressive for anyone but especially for a player who had only reached 16 points in a single season once.  Yes, it had been a particularly quiet first few seasons for him despite the fact that Terry lit up the scoresheet in college with Denver but all of a sudden, he has grabbed hold of a spot on the top line and gone with it.  His dozen goals have helped propel the Ducks into the top five in goals scored, a mark that hardly anyone would have seen coming.  Is this sustainable to the point where he can join the other top prospects as a piece to build around?  That’s the big question from a long-term perspective but for now, Anaheim’s just enjoying the ride.

What would the Ducks be even more thankful for?

A return to form for Max Comtois in the second half.  It has not been a fun season for the 22-year-old after he led Anaheim in scoring last season, earning himself a two-year deal at just over $2MM in the process.  He’s not a pure power forward but brings enough physicality with some scoring touch to make him a key part of their attack.

But things haven’t gone well at all this season.  Comtois has just one assist in 13 games, has been scratched, and is now out until probably January as he recovers from a broken hand.  The first half has been a complete write-off but if they’re going to hang around the playoff mix, they’ll need him to be the impact player he was last season.

What should be on the Ducks’ Holiday Wish List?

Since ownership has already acknowledged that their GM search will likely go into the offseason, that chair isn’t getting permanently filled over the next few weeks.  But the key item on interim GM Jeff Solomon’s wish list will be defensive stability.

In terms of the current roster, there is a need to add with both Simon Benoit and Josh Mahura both better suited for depth roles and right now, one of them is in the lineup on a regular basis when everyone’s healthy.  Adding a veteran defender, particularly one that can play in the top four when injuries strike, would be a good addition for the Ducks.

But stability also extends beyond this season.  Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson are both pending unrestricted free agents.  Getting one or both of them signed would certainly go a long way towards giving them some more defensive certainty but finding the right price point to sway them away from the open market will cost a pretty penny.  There’s also the potential that one or both are moved to avoid the risk of losing them for nothing.

It won’t be easy but Solomon needs to find a way to retain or replace those two veterans, especially since Anaheim’s prospect depth is largely littered with forwards beyond Drysdale; it is an area of need long-term.  That’s a tall task for anyone let alone an interim GM but securing the future of their back end will go a long way towards securing their future as a team on the rise.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Ducks Return Mason McTavish To Junior

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Mason McTavish’s time with the Ducks this season has come to an end as the team announced that they have assigned the center back to Peterborough of the OHL.  Interim GM Jeff Solomon provided the reasoning for the decision:

While we are happy with Mason’s development to date, we believe it is in his best long-term interests to continue his development playing in the OHL for the remainder of this season and, hopefully for Team Canada in the upcoming World Junior Championships. Among other things, this move should afford Mason the opportunity to gain additional experience playing his natural center position, which we believe will be beneficial to Mason and the Ducks in the long run.

The 18-year-old, who was the third-overall pick in this year’s draft, made the team out of training camp but dealt with a lower-body injury early in the year which stopped his games played clock and actually created a window for him to be sent to AHL San Diego on a conditioning stint, something that can’t be done on a regular assignment as he’s too young to be sent down as part of the CHL-NHL agreement.  That allowed Anaheim to delay a decision on what to do with McTavish until now.

McTavish posted decent numbers offensively with two goals and an assist in his nine games but struggled on the possession side of things.  What certainly would have complicated the decision for Anaheim is that they’re banged up at the moment with wingers Max Comtois, Max Jones, and Rickard Rakell all out with injuries which has thinned their forward depth as a result but they’ve opted for the longer-term play here.

With this move, Anaheim will not activate the first season of his entry-level deal meaning that McTavish will still have three years remaining on his three-year contract after this season while the Ducks will still have seven seasons of club control.  Meanwhile, McTavish will go back to Peterborough, a team he hasn’t spent a lot of time with since that league didn’t play at all last season; he last suited up for the Petes more than 18 months ago.

Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek was the first to report McTavish’s assignment.

Max Comtois Undergoes Hand Surgery

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced that Max Comtois will be out for the next six weeks after he underwent surgery yesterday on his right hand to remove a small bone. Comtois hasn’t played in more than a week, last suiting up against the Seattle Kraken on November 11.

Despite being one of Anaheim’s brightest stars in 2020-21, Comtois has been nearly invisible this season. The 22-year-old forward registered just a single assist in 13 games before going down to injury, failing to score on any of his 19 shots. His minutes had been dropped, and even his physical play had seemed blunted compared to a year ago, when he recorded 33 points, 93 hits, and 40 penalty minutes in 55 games.

Now he’ll miss six weeks with hand surgery, hopefully, a procedure that can help him get back to the player he was last season. The Ducks, who dropped out of first place last night when their winning streak was snapped, don’t desperately need that Comtois to contend for a playoff spot, but it would certainly help.

It will be interesting to see how the lineup shakes out when Comtois is ready to return. The team already sent Benoit-Olivier Groulx to the minor leagues today after a few healthy scratches, and Mason McTavish will burn the first year of his entry-level contract with the next game he plays. The team has enough young depth to allow Comtois to take his time, but he’ll have to work hard to re-establish himself as a top-nine option upon his return.

Bob Murray Resigns As Ducks GM

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A day after being placed on administrative leave, Ducks general manager Bob Murray has tendered his resignation and will enroll in an alcohol abuse program, per a team announcement.  Jeff Solomon, who was named the interim GM yesterday pending an investigation into Murray, will retain that title for the time being.  Murray released the following statement:

I want to apologize to anyone adversely affected by my behavior. I vow to make changes to my life, starting with enrolling in a treatment program. I want to thank Henry and Susan Samueli, and Michael Schulman, as working for them has been one of the highlights of my career. As I step away from the Ducks, I will focus my attention on where it should be: improving my life for the betterment of my family and friends.

Murray had been with the organization since 2005 when he joined them as their Senior VP of Hockey Operations and GM of their AHL affiliate which was in Portland at the time.  The 66-year-old was promoted to GM midway through the 2008-09 campaign where he took over for Brian Burke, a role he had held ever since until today.

Over that stretch, Murray made a whopping 105 trades and signed 287 contracts, per CapFriendly.  Among his notable signings were the eight-year deals handed to franchise mainstays Corey Perry ($69MM) and Ryan Getzlaf (66MM) which remain the richest contracts in franchise history plus the eight-year pacts that defenseman Cam Fowler ($52MM) and goaltender John Gibson ($51.2MM) are currently on, ones that have generally been viewed as team-friendly deals over the years.  Anaheim made eight playoff appearances with Murray running the show, getting as far as the Western Conference Final in two of those years.

As for Solomon, he’s in his first year with Anaheim after being hired just a few months ago following 14 seasons in the front office for the Kings.  It appears as if the interim GM title could very well be his through the end of the season; owners Henry and Susan Samueli indicated in a statement that they will now undergo a “methodical, extensive search” that they hope to complete no later than next summer.  Accordingly, Solomon will have an opportunity to make a strong case for the full-time role; helping get Anaheim to the playoffs after missing three straight years would certainly help on that front; the Ducks are off to a good start with a 7-4-3 record early on, good enough for second in the Pacific Division and are definitely in the mix in the early going.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report Murray’s resignation.

Anaheim Ducks Place Bob Murray On Administrative Leave

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The Anaheim Ducks have placed general manager Bob Murray on administrative leave pending an ongoing investigation related to professional conduct. The team has released this statement:

We recently became aware of accusations of improper professional conduct against Bob Murray. After internal review, we enlisted Shephard Mullin to perform an independent investigation. Upon recommendation from their initial findings, we have decided to place Bob on administrative leave pending final results. In the interim, Vice President of Hockey Operations and Assistant General Manager Jeff Solomon will assume the role of Interim General Manager. We will have no further comment until the investigation is complete.

The team did not release any information in regards to the investigation. Solomon, who will take over for the time being, was only hired by the Ducks a few months ago after spending the first 14 years of his front office career with the Los Angeles Kings. When hired, his role was to “oversee strategic budget planning in relation to the NHL’s CBA and the salary cap, contract and arbitration negotiation, and player evaluation. Though he has never held the role of general manager, Solomon is no newcomer to the NHL. Before his stint with the Kings, he was an agent for nearly two decades.

Murray meanwhile has been with the Ducks since 2005 and took over as GM during the 2008-09 season. He has been in NHL front offices for nearly three decades, starting out as the director of player personnel with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1991, soon after his 1,008-game playing career had ended.

Sheppard Mullin is an international law firm with headquarters in Los Angeles.

Injury Notes: O’Reilly, Wild, Schenn

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St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly is likely to return to the lineup Sunday night when they take on the Anaheim Ducks, per Blues writer Chris Pinkert. The 30-year-old center missed the team’s last four games while in COVID-19 protocol. He’s likely to return to top-line duties between David Perron as well as Brandon Saad, who’s also missed time while in COVID-19 protocol this season. Prior to departing the lineup, O’Reilly had five points in five games while averaging 19:13 of ice time per game.

Other injury notes from around the league:

Ducks Recall Mason McTavish And Simon Benoit, Assign Lukas Dostal To San Diego

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  • The Ducks have recalled center Mason McTavish from his conditioning stint along with defenseman Simon Benoit, per the AHL’s transactions log.  McTavish had a goal and an assist in three games with the Gulls as he worked his way back from a lower-body injury.  Goaltender Lukas Dostal was sent down to San Diego in a corresponding move after serving as the backup last night.

Ryan Getzlaf Sets Anaheim Ducks Franchise Points Record

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In what could be potentially his last season in the NHL, Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf set the team’s all-time points record today with his 989th point. In doing so, he passed previous record holder Teemu Selanne.

The 36-year-old center, historically known for his playmaking ability, set the record with a primary assist on a Troy Terry breakaway game-winning goal today in a 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens.

While there was some speculation about Getzlaf’s future playing status this offseason, the longtime Ducks captain signed a one-year, $3.0MM deal on July 28, 2021, to stay with the team. Getzlaf’s had a hot start this season, notching seven assists in 10 games while averaging over 18 minutes a game still. It looks to be a solid uptick on last year’s production, where he had just 17 points in 48 games, the lowest totals of his career.

Getzlaf’s played in every Ducks season post-lockout, he’s now had eight seasons with 50+ assists. He’s played over 1,100 games as a Duck and his 17 seasons in Anaheim eclipse Selanne’s 15 years.

Injury Notes: Canadiens, Lightning, Watson

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The Montreal Canadiens are facing two big game-time decisions for Sunday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks in defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Brendan Gallagher, as reported by The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu notes that Sami Niku will draw in for Petry if he’s unavailable, while Jake Evans, who’s still not 100 percent in his recovery from an undisclosed injury, would play in place of Gallagher if needed. It’s tough news for an already banged-up team that also lost Mathieu Perreault to injury today for two-to-three weeks. Petry and Gallagher have both had extremely slow starts, as Petry has no points through nine games with Gallagher has just a goal and an assist. It’ll undoubtedly force a lineup shakeup for Sunday’s game.

More injury notes from around the league:

  • The status of Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Boris Katchouk is uncertain for Monday night’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that Stamkos was absent from practice Sunday, taking a maintenance day, and head coach Jon Cooper is “hopeful” he’ll play Monday night but isn’t certain. Katchouk was hurt in practice Sunday and could be out longer. The 23-year-old forward has gotten into four games this season and is still searching for his first NHL point.
  • Ottawa Senators forward Austin Watson is close to returning and could be ready for the team’s game against the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday, per head coach D.J. Smith. Watson hasn’t played this season due to an ankle injury suffered during training camp. The return comes slightly ahead of the four-week timeline issued on October 10th. He could draw into the lineup in place of Logan Shaw, who’s registered no points in seven games while playing just 8:08 per game.

West Notes: Golden Knights, Eichel, Rakell, Hakanpaa

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With all of the rumors swirling around the Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel, the bold take right now may actually be the a deal is not imminent. There are quietly signs pointing in that direction as well. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that trade talks for the elite center did in fact heat up earlier this week, but have since cooled. Dreger notes that there is mounting pressure on the Sabres to make a move with Eichel’s camp threatening to file a grievance with the NHLPA in regards to his deferred neck surgery. GM Kevyn Adams is well aware of that threat, but won’t let it dictate how he handles what will likely be the biggest trade of his career as a hockey executive. While Dreger acknowledges that just one phone call could shift the status quo, all is quiet for the time being. On the Vegas side, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger responded to eager fans that the Sabres are not even scouting the Knights’ Friday night game. If the two sides are close on a deal that is expected to contain at least some current members of the Vegas roster given the cap implications for both teams, wouldn’t Buffalo be getting all the information they can before a pivotal trade? Sure, an Eichel trade could very well happen and maybe it does happen tonight or this weekend, but those doomscrolling their Twitter feeds awaiting deal at any moment may be disappointed – Eichel to the Knights is not done yet.

  • Another team interested in Eichel has been the Anaheim Ducks. While acquiring a player of his caliber is as far from a knee-jerk move as possible, the Ducks do have some added incentive today. The team announced that top forward Rickard Rakell has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The team did not provide any details on the severity of the injury or the expected length of Rakell’s absence, only stating that he was hurt in the team’s most recent game on Thursday. While Rakell has the appearance of a slow start with just four points in eight games, eighth in scoring for the Ducks, he has quietly led the team in goal-scoring with four tallies making up his only four points. Rakell is also leading all forward in ice time. The dangerous winger has finished no lower than second in team scoring in each of the past four years so his absence will certainly be felt. Vinni Lettieri, recalled to fill Rakell’s roster spot, is far from a suitable replacement. With division rival Vegas suddenly “close” on an Eichel deal, is the loss of Rakell the last straw for the Ducks to get them to jump back into the race and win the Eichel sweepstakes?
  • Another player sidelined out west is Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. The big blue liner has entered the NHL’s COVID Protocol, the team has announced. He has been ruled out for Friday night at the very least with the team likely to update his status this weekend. A free agent addition brought in to add some grit to the back end in Dallas, Hakanpaa leads the team in hits and in limited ice time at that. As he continues to learn from veteran pair mate Andrej Sekera, Hakanpaa could continue to develop into a great shutdown option for the Stars. They hope to have him back on the ice soon.

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