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Expansion Primer: Anaheim Ducks

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We’re continuing to break down each team’s situation as it pertains to the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, coming up next week: which players are eligible, and which will likely warrant protection or may be on the block. Each team is required to submit their protection lists by 4pm CDT on June 17th. The full rules on eligibility can be found here, and CapFriendly has provided a handy expansion tool to make your own lists.

The expansion scenario for the Anaheim Ducks is one of the more fascinating stories of this off-season. Ever since the rules of the Expansion Draft were announced, fans have been wondering how the Ducks could traverse such a difficult process for teams with depth at all positions. That was even before Anaheim marched to a Pacific Division title and Western Conference championship appearance behind career-best seasons for Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Fowler, and Josh Manson. Neither the 7-3 scheme nor the 8-skater scheme offer the Ducks enough protection to emerge June 21st unscathed and they have been desperately looking for trade help since they were eliminated from the postseason. Will they find it? Or will the best player on the division rival Vegas Golden Knights be a former Duck?

Eligible Players (Non-UFA)

Forwards
Corey Perry (NMC), Ryan Getzlaf (NMC), Ryan Kesler (NMC), Rickard Rakell, Jakob Silfverberg, Andrew Cogliano, Antoine Vermette, Jared Boll, Logan Shaw, Sam Carrick, Chris Wagner, Corey Tropp, Emerson Etem, Nicolas Kerdiles

Defense
Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, Kevin Bieksa (NMC), Simon Despres, Clayton Stoner, Josh Manson, Jaycob Megna

Goaltender
John Gibson, Dustin Tokarski

Notable Exemptions

Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, Jacob Larsson

Key Decisions

The first decision the Ducks really need to make is what scheme they want to use. Many at first thought that the Anaheim would have to use the 8-skater format to protect four defenseman: centerpieces Hampus Lindholm, Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, and Kevin Bieksa, who has a No-Movement clause. However, as the season went on, that decision became even more difficult. Bieksa fell out of favor under head coach Randy Carlyle and will almost surely waive his clause or, if he refuses, be bought out. Yet, young Josh Manson has developed into a shutdown defender like no other in Anaheim. While puck-movers like Lindholm, Vatanen, or Fowler could be replaced by up-and-coming prospects Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, and Jacob Larsson or a healthy Simon Despres, the Ducks would be hard-pressed to replace the skill set of Manson.

So, the Ducks could go eight skaters and protect Lindholm, Vatanen, Fowler and Manson. The problem with that is then Anaheim would lose a young impact forward. Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler have No-Movement clauses, but would be locks to be protected regardless. That would leave just one slot left and two budding stars, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg, in need of protection, not to mention iron man Andrew Cogliano. Vegas fans were salivating at the though of either Rakell or Silfverberg lining up on the Knight’s first line next year, but after the seasons they had, that seems next to impossible. The Ducks are in win-now mode and can ill-afford to lose one of their vital top-six forwards, especially in such a weak free agent market.

Instead, Anaheim will likely choose to go seven forwards and three defenseman as their protection scheme. Perry, Getzlaf, Kesler, Rakell, Silfverberg, and Cogliano will all be safe, as will three of the Ducks’ top four defenseman. Rather than lose the fourth for nothing, Anaheim has recently boosted its efforts to trade Vatanen. If they cannot, they will have to make a call between he and Manson, as Lindholm and Fowler have separated themselves from the pack as the team’s top two defenders.

The Ducks will also have to make a call about their seventh and final forward. Other noteworthy top-nine regulars like Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase are exempt from the draft, so the decision will probably come down to veteran Antoine Vermette or youngster Logan Shaw or Nicolas Kerdiles. Either way, Anaheim is in good shape with meeting the two-forward quota with the likes of Jared Boll and Chris Wagner both qualifying while not really in the conversation for protection. Vermette had a good first season in Anaheim, but he is 34 years old and has lost a step on his famous two-way game. The 25-year-old Shaw plays a physical game and contributed 10 points in 55 games in 2016-17, but was only given limited ice time and doesn’t have the ceiling of a player like Kerdiles. Yet, Kerdiles only played in one regular season game and four playoff games, notching just one assist. His AHL numbers suggest that he could do much more if given the chance though.

Projected Protection List

Scheme: 7F/3D/1G

Forwards

Corey Perry (NMC)
Ryan Getzlaf (NMC)
Ryan Kesler (NMC)
Rickard Rakell
Jakob Silfverberg
Andrew Cogliano
Nicolas Kerdiles

Defensemen

Cam Fowler
Hampus Lindholm
Sami Vatanen

Goalie

John Gibson

If the Ducks are unsuccessful in trading Sami Vatanen, Josh Manson could be the prize of the draft for the Golden Knights. The 25-year-old righty has the makings of top-pair defensive blue-liner who could anchor an entire defense. However, he just simply hasn’t reached that level yet, while Vatanen is an elite puck-mover.

If the Ducks do trade Vatanen, Manson is safe and Vegas won’t touch Kevin Bieksa, nor would would they likely take a chance on the injury-riddled Simon Despres. Minor league-caliber keeper Dustin Tokarski won’t generate any interest either. At this point, that decision on the final forward becomes key. Vegas will be on the lookout to get as much upside as possible in the Expansion Draft, and that is what Kerdiles provides. Anaheim can best protect their forward corps by retaining the young winger’s services. Vegas may have interest in Antoine Vermette as a veteran leader, but it’s doubtful. By default, Shaw could be the pick, but it wouldn’t be a major loss for the Ducks.

From potentially losing Jakob Silvferberg, Rickard Rakell, or Manson, if the Ducks can trade Vatanen and get Bieksa to waive his No-Movement clause, they could in fact leave Vegas with very little to choose from and could escape expansion with largely the same team that nearly made the Stanley Cup Final this season.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Three

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Just prior to puck drop of Game Two of the Western Conference finals tonight between the visiting Nashville Predators and host Anaheim Ducks, the Ducks announced that they have recalled a trio of players from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Joining Anaheim presumably for the remainder of their playoff run are goaltender Jhonas Enroth and forwards Nicolas Kerdiles and Sam Carrick. 

The group was no longer of use in the minor leagues, as the Gulls season came to an end last night in a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Barracuda, their rival and the affiliate of Ducks’ rival the San Jose Sharks, in Game Five of the series. Now, they’ll look help out the big squad in any way they can. Enroth is simply an insurance policy should John Gibson or Jonathan Bernier somehow unexpectedly be unable to suit up. The veteran keeper began the year at the NHL level with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but after a disastrous start of 0-3-1 to the tune of an .872 save percentage and 3.94 goals against average, he was traded to the Ducks for this exact purpose of being a fallback option. Enroth has eight years of NHL experience and should be able to step in in the unlikely chance that his services are needed. Kerdiles and Carrick lack the experience, but make up for it in energy and ability. Kerdiles made his NHL debut earlier this season and then added two playoff games to his resume earlier in the postseason. He has yet to record a point in three games, but it’s only a matter of time given that the 23-year-old was a point-per-game player for the Gulls in the AHL playoffs. Carrick has not seen NHL ice for over a year, and never with the Ducks nor in the playoffs. The 25-year-old played in 19 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs between 2014-15 and 2015-16, recording a goal and an assist. Carrick has 39 AHL points this season between San Diego and the Rockford Ice Hogs, following a minor mid-season trade with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Whether the Ducks intend to play Kerdiles and Carrick or not, the pair is not in the lineup tonight for Game Two. Anaheim announced their lineup shortly after making the call-ups official, but still went with Chris Wagner and Jared Boll on the energy line. If the Ducks lose at home again tonight and head to Nashville down 2-0, they may look to change things up and give Kerdiles or Carrick an opportunity to make a difference in their playoff fate.

Snapshots: Holtby, Ritchie, Vrana

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Washington’s Braden Holtby will get the start for Game 3 in Pittsburgh. He was yanked after surrendering 3 goals on just 14 shots through 2 periods. Philipp Grubauer didn’t fare much better, however, as he let in 2 of 9 himself in the final period. The decision to pull the reigning Vezina trophy winner was maligned following the game by commentators, such as the Washington Post’s Dan Steinberg who believed the move was “a sign of panic”. Holtby has struggled this post-season, not looking particularly strong in the first series against Toronto. His .911 save percentage these playoffs is certainly respectable but also easily his career low. It’s difficult to believe that his massive workload over the course of the season isn’t playing a factor in his drop-off in play. The netminder played an absurd 63 games this past season, which is difficult to defend from a coaching standpoint. His backup in Grubauer performed well above expectations, helping the duo capture the Jennings trophy. Additionally, the Capitals looked to be a lock for the post-season well before April, so why Holtby was subjected to yet another season of heavy lifting seems confusing. At least he didn’t play 73 games, like he did two seasons ago. One has to wonder if Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Braden Holtby have all succumbed to fatigue to varying degrees, considering their individual struggles come playoffs. Regardless, Holtby will need to improve if Washington hopes to claw their way back into the series on the road.

  • Anaheim forward Nick Ritchie and defenseman Sami Vatanen are both potential options for tonight’s game against Edmonton. Ritchie is out with the flu, and Vatanen has been out with an upper body injury since Game 1 versus Calgary in the last round. Both took the ice for the optional skate this morning, but no further information was provided. Vatanen had been replaced by Korbinian Holzer, who struggled in the season with a very poor 40.4 Corsi For percentage, taking a huge step backwards from the previous season in terms of driving possession. Ritchie had been replaced by Jared Boll, the heavy right-winger who accumulated an abysmal 39.3 CF% on the season – one of the league’s worst – to go along with his 0 goals through 51 games. The re-addition of Ritchie would be huge for a team that has had difficulty penetrating the wall that has been Cam Talbot.
  • Washington prospect Jakub Vrana was scratched last night for the Hershey Bears. The 21 year-old left-winger is crafty with the puck and was projected to be an effective offensive force. The Czech has had trouble adjusting his style to the North American game, however. He was drafted 13th overall in 2014 and had a decent sophomore season when he played, earning 21 games up with the Capitals, notching 3 goals and 3 assists in that span. He was held pointless through 3 games in the Bears’ series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Head coach Troy Mann was displeased with his unwillingness to engage physically and defend on the backcheck. His effort level is remarkably low for a prospect which was considered top-tier. Getting scratched at the AHL level of play doesn’t bode well for his future in the NHL, although stranger things have happened.

Anaheim Ducks Announce One-Year Extension For Logan Shaw

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After rumors of the deal yesterday, the Anaheim Ducks have announced the signing of a one-year extension for young winger Logan Shaw. Though the team has not released the details, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that the deal is one-way and will see Shaw earn $650,000 next season. Logan Shaw

Shaw was the return for Michael Sgarbossa earlier this season from Florida, and has turned into an effective bottom-six penalty killer for the Ducks. In 43 games, he has just five points and has never been much of a scoring threat even going back to his junior hockey days. Instead, he is a big body who can skate well enough to effectively defend and give the team a bit of energy.

He also gives Anaheim another body to expose in the upcoming expansion draft, not unlike Chris Terry for Montreal. While the Ducks will likely have to go the eight skaters route leaving them perfectly covered in the 70/40 expansion requirements up front, if they can work out a deal with Vegas or move one of their defensemen prior to the draft, they may have been stuck with just Jared Boll meeting the requirements up front. They now have options as Shaw and Boll will definitely be left exposed.

Snapshots: Kovalev, Aulie, Kalinin, Boll

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Long-time NHL forward Alexei Kovalev is coming out of retirement as he is expected to play for EHC Visp of the Swiss NLB today according to a report from Swiss Hockey News.  The 43 year old last played with Visp back in 2013-14 before hanging up the skates.  Kovalev is currently their team manager but has been skating with the club all season and due to an injury to one of their import players, a spot in the lineup has opened up for him.

Kovalev played in over 1,300 games in his NHL career with the Rangers, Penguins, Canadiens, Senators, and Panthers.  With 1,029 points in that span, he ranks third all-time among Russian scorers in NHL history.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Defenseman Keith Aulie, who attended training camp on a PTO with Columbus, has signed a tryout deal with their AHL affiliate in Cleveland, Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch notes on Twitter. Aulie last played in the NHL with Edmonton back in 2014-15, where he got into 31 games.  He spent most of last season with HIFK in Finland.
  • Devils forward Sergei Kalinin has recovered from his illness that had him on injured reserve, reports Andrew Gross of Fire and Ice. However, he has not yet been activated off IR and won’t be eligible to suit up until Thursday night against the Bruins.  Kalinin has not yet played this season and is coming off an eight goal, seven assist rookie campaign with New Jersey.
  • Anaheim right winger Jared Boll is settling in as he plays his first season outside of Columbus where he spent nine seasons, writes Eric Stephens of the OC Register. He has yet to see much ice time this year as he is averaging less than five minutes per game, in large part due to the fact that the Ducks have yet to have the lead this season, which has resulted in their fourth line being overlooked often.  With over 1,200 penalty minutes in his career, Boll knows his role will be the same in Anaheim as it was with the Jackets, one where he will be expected to play physical every time the fourth line gets out on the ice.

Snapshots: Zetterberg, Miller, Brown

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With the departure of Pavel Datsyuk to the KHL, Detroit Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg assumed the mantle as the team’s longest tenured player. Entering his 14th NHL campaign and soon to turn 36-years-old, the skilled Swedish forward has certainly seen better days as evidenced by his 16-point drop in scoring from 2014-15 to this past season. That being said, Zetterberg is still someone the Wings will lean on if the team wishes to stretch its streak of qualifying for the postseason to 26 years.

Zetterberg acknowledges a drop-off in his play during the second half of each of the previous two seasons and suggests he is looking at different ways to stay fresh throughout the coming season, according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press.

“That’s what’s gotten me the last two years, I ran out of gas. You can’t play hockey in this level when you run out of gas. So that’s one thing we’re going to play around with.”

Zetterberg tallied 27 points in the season’s first 34 games through December but struggled down the stretch recording just nine points over the final 24 contests. He also chipped in just a single point, a goal in game three, during Detroit’s five-game, first-round playoff loss to Tampa Bay. Zetterberg stated he is at least willing to listen if head coach Jeff Blashill suggests decreased ice time or even taking a game off here and there.

“As a player, as soon as you hear ’less minutes,’ you’re not happy. I don’t think I will go and tell Coach I need less minutes. But if he decides that I need to play less or get some rest dates, I’m open to listen to that.”

“We want to see the younger guys take steps and kind of take minutes from the older guys. But I won’t give it away, they have to earn it. That’s part of the transition. I went through it when I came in and started to play more. But you have to earn it.”

Zetterberg has five seasons remaining on a long-term deal that took effect in 2009-10. He carries a cap hit just in excess of $6MM annually but the final three seasons of his contract come with actual salaries of $3.35MM, $1MM and $1MM respectively. It will be interesting to see if Zetterberg is both willing and able to finish out the pact with the Red Wings.

Elsewhere around the league:

  • After trading away talented young blue liner Dougie Hamilton and steady veteran defender Johnny Boychuk in successive offseasons, the Boston Bruins are still searching for a reliable top-four defenseman, as Joe Haggerty opines. An aging Zdeno Chara is still the club’s top defenseman with Torey Krug likely not far behind but beyond those two, pickings are slim. Haggerty admits the team has the cap space and veteran assets to make a trade if they so choose, though they may already have the top-four option they seek on the roster. While also listing prospect Brandon Carlo and youngster Joe Morrow as possibilities, Haggerty believes Colin Miller might be the Bruins “X-factor” on the blue line. As Haggerty notes, Miller scored 19 goals and 52 points in 70 AHL games with the Manchester Monarchs in 2014-15, suggesting he has the skill to put up points in the big leagues. Miller came to Boston from Los Angeles in the Milan Lucic trade during the 2015 offseason and may be coming into his own as an NHL player after producing 16 points in just 42 games as a rookie. With few quality options available either on the trade market or in free agency, it might be wise for Boston to give Miller a chance before looking outside the organization for a top-four blue liner.
  • According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet (via tweet), Mike Brown is the latest veteran player to land a PTO with the tough guy winger signing on in Columbus. Brown, 31, spent time with both San Jose and Montreal last season, scoring two goals and three assists in 58 games with 90 PIMs. For his career, Brown has potted 19 goals and recorded 778 minutes of penalties in 407 NHL games. He has suited up for Vancouver, Anaheim, Toronto and Edmonton in addition to the Sharks and Habs in his nine NHL seasons. The Blue Jackets bought out the contract of veteran enforcer Jared Boll earlier this summer and could see Brown as a possible replacement depending on his play during training camp.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Max Jones To ELC

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Jun 24, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Max Jones puts on a team jersey after being selected as the number twenty-four overall draft pick by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2016 NHL Draft at the First Niagra Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY SportsUpdate (4:00pm): Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register fills in some of the financial details, via Twitter. The deal comes with an NHL salary of $925K and an annual AHL pay rate of $70K.

Cap Friendly adds that the pact contains no performance bonuses in any of the three years. The tweet suggests this is the first ELC in seven years signed by a player chosen 24th overall that did not include performance bonuses.

2:49pm: After drafting Max Jones 24th overall in the latest entry draft, the Anaheim Ducks have signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract. No financial details were released.

Jones, 18, played last season in London alongside fellow first-rounders Olli Juolevi and Matthew Tkachuk and was a finalist for the OHL Rookie of the Year award. His 52 points in 63 games ranked him second among league rookies and sixth on the Memorial Cup winning Knights.

While he is still extremely young, Jones has matured physically and stands at 6’3″ 205 lbs. He uses that long frame and size to remove defenders from the puck, but can get a little overzealous in the physical side of the game. His 106 penalty minutes ranked him second on his team and eighth in the entire league. That would seem to lend itself perfectly to Randy Carlyle and the type of hockey the Ducks play; they led the league in fighting last season and brought in Jared Boll this offseason.

While Jones may not have the offensive flourish of some of his first round contemporaries, he’s almost a lock to make it to the NHL in at least a bottom-six role. If his skating and creativity progress, he could find himself in a scoring power winger slot on an Anaheim team in the next few years.

Glen Miller also contributed to this post

Jared Boll Comments On Joining Anaheim

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After being bought out late in June, there were some who didn’t expect enforcer Jared Boll to quickly resurface with a new team.  However, less than a week later, Boll signed a two year, $1.8MM deal to join the Anaheim Ducks.  His whirlwind couple of weeks continued as just four days after signing, he got married as well.  Boll opened up about his offseason in an interview with AJ Manderichio of the Ducks’ official website.

On being let go by Columbus and signing with Anaheim:

“At the end of the season and the beginning of the summer, I wasn’t expecting this. It was a total change for me, a surprise. When I let it all sink in, I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of this organization and finally get out there.”

Anaheim’s surprising decision to hire Randy Carlyle for a second stint as head coach helped play a factor in Boll choosing to join the Ducks as well:

“He always has tough, hard teams to play against, and that fits my game perfectly. That was another huge reason why I was so excited to come to Anaheim. He’s proven he can win. He won a Cup there a few years back, so it will be nice to get there, learn the system and play the way he wants to play. I think it fits my game really well.”

Carlyle’s teams in the past have routinely deployed enforcers (such as Colton Orr and Frazer McLaren with Toronto and George Parros and Shawn Thornton in his first stint with Anaheim) so it’s easy to see the allure for Boll.

Last season, the 30 year old played a sparing role with Columbus, suiting up in just 30 games while recording three points and 61 penalty minutes.  He also sits ninth in the NHL in penalty minutes among active players.  The Ducks don’t have a ton of depth up front so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him play more of a regular role on the fourth line than he did with the Blue Jackets last season.

[Related: Ducks’ Depth Chart]

Jared Boll Signs Two-Year Deal With Anaheim

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Jared Boll is off to the west coast, as according to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch, the Anaheim Ducks are the free agent forward’s likely landing spot.  Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register confirmed the signing and gives us the financial details: Boll will receive a two-year deal that pays him $900K per season.

One of the league’s preeminent tough guys, Boll has 154 regular season NHL fights under his belt in during his nine year career.  He has scored only 27 goals and 62 points across his 518 games.

After landing Boll, Anaheim will be even more dangerous with their fists; the team led the NHL in fighting majors last season with 42, and have brought back noted tough-guy coach Randy Carlyle to head the bench next season.

Boll would likely fill the same roll he always has, playing under eight minutes a night but providing some protection for the star players of his team. Anaheim seems like the perfect landing spot, as they continue to develop a young, mobile defense corps, and still have elite scoring talents up front.

Thursday Buyout Waivers: Boll, Korpikoski, Carle, Seidenberg, Greene, Jackman

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Today is the last day to place players on waivers for the purposes of buying out their contract in advance of Friday’s free agency period.  Here are the players that are on the waiver wire.

Jared Boll (Columbus) – The Blue Jackets announced that they will buy out the final year of his deal.  The enforcer played in just 30 games last year, picking up a goal and two assists with 61 PIMS.  The buyout will carry a cap charge of $567K in each of the next two seasons.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Lauri Korpikoski, Matt Carle, Dennis Seidenberg, Matt Greene, and Barret Jackman are also all on buyout waivers.

Korpikoski (Edmonton) played in 71 games with the Oilers last season – his first with the team – collecting 10 goals and 12 assists.  The 29 year old has 181 career points in 540 NHL games, split between the Rangers, Coyotes, and Oilers.  Edmonton will carry a cap hit of $500K in 2016-17 and $1MM in 2017-18 as a result of the buyout.

Carle (Tampa Bay) is by far the biggest of the buyouts.  He collected just 9 points in 64 games last year despite collecting a $5.5MM salary.  He has 45 goals and 237 assists in 724 career games between San Jose, Philadelphia, and Tampa.  The Lightning will be charged with a cap hit of $1.833M for the next four years.

Seidenberg (Boston) has spent the last four years with the Bruins.  In 2015-16, he played in 61 games, picking up a goal and 11 helpers.  In 758 games split between the Flyers, Coyotes, Hurricanes, Panthers, and Bruins, he has 224 career points.  Boston will carry a cap hit of $1.167M in 2016-17, 2018-19, and 2019-20 as well as a $2.167MM cap charge in 2017-18.

Greene (Los Angeles) played in just three games with the Kings and missed the rest of the year with shoulder problems.  He has played in 589 career games with Edmonton and LA, picking up 78 points and 644 PIMS.  The Kings will have a cap charge of $833K for each of the next 4 years.

Update: Pierre LeBrun of TSN/ESPN reports that Greene’s waiving may not result in a buyout after all.

Jackman (Nashville) played his first season with the Preds last year after spending parts of 13 seasons with St. Louis.  Last year, he had a goal and four assists in 73 games while playing a smaller role as the season progressed.  In his career, he has 186 points and 1,102 PIMS in 876 games.  The Predators will be charged with a cap hit of $667K for each of the next two seasons.

Players that have a no-move clause in their contracts do not have to go through the waiver process to be bought out.  The deadline for those moves to happen is 4:00 PM CST.

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