Ducks Sign ECHL Affiliation Agreement With Tulsa
- The Ducks announced that they have signed a multi-year affiliation with Tulsa of the ECHL. The term of the deal was not disclosed. Anaheim has been without an affiliate at that level for the last two seasons. Meanwhile, the move means that the Blues, who had previously been affiliated with Tulsa, will be looking for a new partner for next season.
Ducks Name Martin Madden Assistant GM
The Ducks have made a front office move, announcing that they’ve promoted Martin Madden to assistant GM. He has been with the team for the past 12 years as their Director of Amateur Scouting but his role will be expanding considerably.
Per their release, the 49-year-old will now oversee all scouting duties, including amateur and professional. He will also now take a bigger role in the overall hockey operations of the team under GM Bob Murray. It’s a natural role progression for Madden and will certainly boost his profile if he decides to pursue a GM position down the road. In the meantime, his influence in terms of setting their draft rankings for the upcoming draft will be unchanged.
Prior to joining Anaheim in 2008, Madden spent seven years with the Rangers and three with the Hurricanes in a scouting capacity. Scouting also runs in the family as his father, Martin Sr., has been a scout with Anaheim since 2012 and started his NHL career back with Philadelphia in 1969.
Snapshots: The Return Of Sports, AHL, Ducks
Commissioner Gary Bettman will appear with 5 other sports commissioners on tonight’s ESPN special The Return Of Sports, the NHL announced. Also appearing on tonight’s program will be Roger Goodell of the NFL, Adam Silver of the NBA, Rob Manfred of MLB, Cathy Engelbert of the WNBA and Don Garber of MLS. The show should provide a hefty amount of equivocation, but there’s at least the possibility of some interesting insights mixed in, especially as the WNBA has released their return to play and MLB continues the public squabble that stands in the way of their 2020 season.
- The American Hockey League released their own Return to Play task force today. Leading the charge will be outgoing AHL President and CEO David Andrews. He’ll serve as Chairman of the AHL 2020-221 Strategic Return to Play Task Force. A number of NHL general manages are also serving on the committee. The role of the committee, per the AHL, will be to provide strategic expertise and planning, rather than the execution of the AHL’s return to action.
- The Anaheim Ducks will not furlough or release any employees at this time, which includes staff at the Honda Center, per Elliott Teaford of the OC Register/Southern California News Group. Those making $75K or more may face a pay cut, but it’s still encouraging to see a team do their best to keep staff employed. The Ducks had previously announced that part-time staff will be paid through the end of the month, but there’s nothing new on that front. The Ducks are done for the year after finishing in 13th in the Western Conference with 67 points. With the playoffs not yet underway, it’s impossible to know when the Ducks will hit the ice next. It’s hard to know right now exactly how next season’s schedule might be impacted by this year’s delay.
Justin Kloos Signs In KHL
The season is over for the Anaheim Ducks, who didn’t qualify for the 2020 playoffs. For one of there minor league players, that means it is time to pursue other opportunities. Justin Kloos has agreed to sign in the KHL for the 2020-21 season, joining Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.
Kloos, 26, played this season for the San Diego Gulls fo the AHL, recording 11 goals and 30 points in 53 games. A standout at the University of Minnesota, Kloos was an undrafted free agent signing by the Minnesota Wild in 2017 but has only played two NHL games to this point.
His contract, a one-year two-way deal signed in 2019, would have normally left him a restricted free agent given his age. But Kloos is eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency since he has been given such little opportunity in the NHL, meaning he can choose his next destination without any restrictions.
Joel Persson Returns To SHL
After a season in the NHL, defenseman Joel Persson is headed back to his native Sweden. In fact, he will return to the SHL’s Vaxjo Lakers, the same team he played with for the two seasons prior to his jump to North America. The team has announced a new three-year deal with Persson that will keep him in Sweden through the 2022-23 season.
Persson, 26, actually signed his first NHL deal with the Edmonton Oilers in 2018. However, he stayed with Vaxjo on loan through the 2018-19 season before inking a one-year extension with Edmonton. He arrived in the NHL this season and recorded two points in 13 games with the Oilers, adding 16 points in 27 games with AHL Bakersfield. Persson was traded to the Anaheim Ducks at the deadline, but did make an appearance with the team and was held scoreless in the minors as well. So while a recent report noted that the Ducks had communicated with all of their pending free agents, it is no surprise that there was no mutual interest in a continued relationship between Anaheim and Persson.
While Persson’s first season in North America was not a failure, it didn’t live up to the expectations set by his meteoric rise in Sweden. Fortunately, he is still young enough to make the decision to return home without it eliminating the chance of an NHL comeback. Persson will be 29 when his new deal with Vaxjo expires. Based off his performance in his first two years in the SHL – 65 points in 101 games and league championship – his stock will likely be even higher at that time. NHL teams will likely be keeping tabs on the talented puck-moving, right-handed blue liner over the next few years. It’s quite possible that this is not the last of Persson in the league.
Murray: Ducks Have Had Talks With All Pending Free Agents
- Speaking on a conference call with reporters including Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register, Ducks GM Bob Murray indicated that he has had talks with all of their pending free agents. Goalie Ryan Miller and defenseman Michael Del Zotto highlight their list of unrestricted free agents while blueliner Jacob Larsson plus wingers Troy Terry and Sonny Milano are among the restricted free agents. Of those, Terry is a section 10.2 player and is not eligible for an offer sheet or salary arbitration.
Anaheim Ducks Sign SHL MVP Kodie Curran
The Anaheim Ducks have made an intriguing free agency splash by signing defenseman Kodie Curran, the reigning MVP of the Swedish Hockey League. Curran has inked a two-year, one-way contract with the Ducks that carries a $1MM AAV, reports numerous sources including the OC Register.
To say that Curran has had an unconventional path to the NHL would be an understatement. The 30-year-old was never drafted after playing his developmental years with AJHL and USports. He played two seasons in the minors in North America before embarking on a career in Europe in 2016. Over the past four years, he has played in Demark, Norway, and Sweden, dominating in all three countries. He won a championship in each of his single seasons in the top Danish and Norse leagues and was an All-Star and top defenseman each year as well. The highlight of his career came this past season in the SHL, when he recorded 49 points in 48 games for Rogle BK to lead all defensemen in assists and points, to lead all imports in points, and to take home the honors of Defenseman of the Year and MVP.
His greatest challenge will now come in the NHL though and he will face an uphill battle to make the Anaheim roster before he even has a chance at regular action at the top level. The Ducks have six defensemen on one-way contracts already signed for next season, including four making $4MM or more against the cap. This does not include RFA defender Jacob Larsson, who will also be back with the team. They also have young blue liners like Brendan Guhle and Josh Mahura who will push for opportunity. Curran will need to be at his best to make the Opening Night roster and to stick in Anaheim. However, he has shown an impeccable ability to rise to the occasion in recent years and it will be exciting to see if he does so again in his newest venture.
Cory Schneider, Ryan Miller Discuss Playing Futures
The current pause in the NHL season has had a major effect on each and every player in the league and could have a lasting impact on careers beyond this year. However, veteran players may be influenced the most, as the past two months have provided insight as to what a life after hockey might look like. The New Jersey Devils’ Cory Schneider and the Anaheim Ducks’ Ryan Miller, two aging goalies whose futures were in question even before the pandemic, recently spoke on how they are feeling about their current circumstances and the outlook on the rest of their careers.
Schneider, 34, remains optimistic that his playing days are far from over. Schneider told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that he is using this time to get back into “peak physical condition” and that he has not “entertained thoughts of retirement at all.” Schneider suffered a major core injury in 2015-16 and has not been the same player since. Once one of the league’s top goalies, his numbers have dropped precipitously year-to-year as he has struggled to stay healthy and to rediscover his elite form. Now passed up as the Devils’ started by young MacKenzie Blackwood, Schneider has two years left on his contract at $6MM AAV and would be a prime buyout candidate, standard or compliance, for New Jersey. However, Schneider’s hope is to remain with the team. “”I’m not naive to the business side of things,” Schneider explained, “but I feel that when I’m playing well, I can do a lot for our team on the ice and off the ice. That’s the role that I want to fill.” Schneider best chance to continue playing in a meaningful NHL role may also come with New Jersey. If he were bought out, Schneider would find himself in a free agent market this off-season that is chock-full of veteran keepers looking for one last contract and teams without much money to spend on aging backups.
Miller, 39, is part of that group. While Miller’s numbers in 2019-20 are the worst of his career, they are still palatable, especially in a backup role. Miller has in fact maintained a solid and at times stellar level of performance throughout his late 30’s. While no one would blame the former star netminder for calling it quits at his age with his resume, Miller has maintained that he would like to continue playing. Previously, the obstacles to that plan were Miller’s insistence on remaining in the California area near his family, as well as the aforementioned market, which also includes names like Mike Smith, Jimmy Howard, Craig Anderson, Corey Crawford, and Brian Elliott as older names who are past their prime and just looking for one last go-round. However, Miller recently spoke to Sportsnet’s Gene Principe and admitted that the COVID-19 pause has placed another roadblock in the way of extending his career: not wanting to leave newfound day-to-day role with his family amid the return to a “new normal” post-pandemic. “There’s a lot of talk here in California that schools are not going to be fully in session possibly into next year. That changes the dynamic around the house and what needs to happen and what’s important,” Miller stated, adding “what that means for sports and life – and wrapped up in that is family and how family is going to need to be taken care of during this time.” It remains to be seen whether remaining with the Ducks would be an option for Miller and if that would even allow him to be comfortable in his role with his family. If not, no one would blame Miller for hanging up his skates and his departure would allow for one other veteran keeper, perhaps even Schneider, to continue pursuing his career dreams.
Stretch Run Storylines: Anaheim Ducks
As things stand, the NHL is planning to have games resume at some point over the coming weeks. Assuming the regular season continues (something the league remains hopeful of doing), there will be plenty of things to watch for over the stretch run. Over the weeks ahead, PHR will examine the top stretch run storylines for each team. We continue our look at the Pacific Division with Anaheim.
After struggling mightily in the second half of last year, the Ducks wound up at the bottom of the league in goals scored and sixth in the division. Not much has changed this season despite Dallas Eakins being behind the bench. They’re still in the bottom five in goals scored and once again sit sixth in the division. Despite being out of contention, there still are a few things to watch for them down the stretch.
Scoring ‘Race’
The Ducks don’t have anyone in the top-100 in NHL scoring (one of the by-products of being a team near the bottom of the league in goals) but they do have one of the more interesting team scoring races to follow. Their top four point-getters are within four points of each other while the top three are only separated by a single point. The top of their leaderboard is as follows:
Adam Henrique: 43 points
Rickard Rakell: 42 points
Ryan Getzlaf: 42 points
Jakob Silfverberg: 39 points
It seems unlikely that any of these players will crack the 50-point mark which would make it the second straight season that no one reaches that total which is somewhat rare in recent years. But at the very least, it’s a ‘race’ that would go down to the wire.
Swan Song For Miller?
Veteran goaltender Ryan Miller has seemingly been on retirement watch for the last few years. The Ducks convinced him to stick around last June and gave him a one-year deal that had more performance bonuses ($1.2MM) than base salary ($1.125MM). He has provided an okay return on that investment as well with a 3.10 GAA and a .907 SV% in 23 appearances. For context, starter John Gibson’s numbers are nearly identical with a 3.00 GAA and a .904 SV%. Miller’s numbers are a step back from a year ago but as far as backups go this season, he has still done enough to earn another contract.
But will he want to suit up for what would be his 18th NHL campaign? Miller will turn 40 in July and has ties to the Southern California area that would realistically limit his options if Anaheim wasn’t going to re-sign him. At the outbreak of this pandemic, he told James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) that it was too soon to ponder his playing future but that was two months ago. By the time regular season play resumes (if it does at all), there’s a good chance that he’ll have decided on whether or not it’s time to hang up his skates. Even if not, his last few games may be the final one of what has been a very strong NHL career.
Youth Movement
The cancellation of the AHL season means that the post-deadline recall restrictions will be lifted. For a team like the Ducks who have quite a few players with AHL San Diego that will be pushing for roster spots in the near future. This makes any remaining games effectively like a mini training camp before next season’s camp which will make this otherwise largely meaningless stretch a lot more important.
Up front, Troy Terry would have a lot to prove. He struggled during the first half of the year but was productive in the minors and he’d likely be given a shot. Maxime Comtois and Isac Lundestrom are also among their better forward prospects and would be worthy of more NHL testing.
On the back end is where things could be interesting. Jani Hakanpaa and Brendan Guhle have recently been given contract extensions while Josh Mahura held his own this season in his games with Anaheim. All three would likely be part of any taxi squad and with veterans Michael Del Zotto and Matt Irwin likely heading for unrestricted free agency this offseason, there are spots open for the taking. A good showing down the stretch could help one or two of those players lock down a full-time position.
There is a youth movement coming in Anaheim. It started this season and with their postseason aspirations basically gone (barring a 24-team playoff with six teams per division and no crossovers), this would be a good opportunity for the Ducks to see what some more of these younger players can do.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anaheim Ducks Re-Sign Brendan Guhle, Sam Carrick
3:00pm: The Ducks have confirmed the deals with an official announcement. This makes four official extensions in a matter of days for the Ducks, who are keeping busy while the league is on pause.
11:30am: The Anaheim Ducks continue to lock up some of their depth. Just days after the team inked Christian Djoos and Jani Hakanpaa, the team signed two more players to new contracts. CapFriendly reports the Ducks signed defenseman Brendan Guhle to a two-year, contract worth $800K, while forward Sam Carrick signed a one-year, $700K deal. Both deals are one-way contracts.
Guhle was a promising prospect in the Buffalo system back when they took him in the second round in 2015, but struggled to break into the Sabres’ lineup. Buffalo finally packaged Guhle and a 2019 first-rounder to the Ducks for Brandon Montour. The 22-year-old got some playing time with Anaheim last season, playing 30 games with four goals and eight points, but was sent down at different points to the AHL to work on his skills. He ended up playing 27 games for the San Diego Gulls with the hope that he might be in line for a full-time role with the Ducks in 2020-21.
Carrick has had to work harder over the years to earn his way into the NHL lineup. The 28-year-old has only appeared in 34 NHL games and only nine last season, but has been a solid mainstay on the Gulls, where he has scored 55 goals over the past two years there. He did score a goal and an assist in his nine games with Anaheim and while he could offer some scoring depth for the team, he is more likely a top-liner and leader for the AHL squad.