Post-Game Talk: Game #64 - Anaheim Ducks @ Seattle Kraken - 7pm PT - ESPN+, Hulu

[Leonardo87]

Feel like Lisa Dillman is just salivating over the prospect of getting a call to come back and cover the Kings. Totally mailing it in this year.

Her and Stephens are probably still talking about the Dustin Brown statue.

There are TONS of hockey fans in Washington.
The WHL is huge and has a fan base dating back to the 80's
Between the WHL teams:
Seattle, Everett, Tri Cities, Spokane, Portland and Victoria.........
Huge amount of fans to adopt Seattle as their NHL team.
All these teams are within the state, and Portland is a 3 hour drive from Seattle.
Victoria is across the water by ferry.
There has always been hockey here.

You guys have a very good team there, hope the Ducks are there in a couple of years. Will be rooting for you guys against the Kings and/or Vegas.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

Watched a bit of the game, I was surprised of the pace of the game. Was I the only one thinking it had a playoff-like pace? Not that we're fighting for playoffs (still mathematically possible tho ), but nice to see we can keep up.

I don't even care that much about those comments but another + to Derek Lee, he's the man, no doubt. Very happy to have him cover the Ducks. He's even doing these now: Quack of Dawn: Ducks Report | The Sporting Tribune

That's his main gig now, which is why he's probably got more access b/c The Sporting Tribune focuses on all so cal + vegas sports as well as other sports in general. I guess the Hockey Writers doesn't get access to the team nowadays and there's a huge void in covering the Ducks on the daily.

I'm very glad Derek Lee is moving up and we're benefiting from it.

 

[Leonardo87]

That's his main gig now, which is why he's probably got more access b/c The Sporting Tribune focuses on all so cal + vegas sports as well as other sports in general. I guess the Hockey Writers doesn't get access to the team nowadays and there's a huge void in covering the Ducks on the daily.

I'm very glad Derek Lee is moving up and we're benefiting from it.

Dillman made one tweet last night, Stephens made three, unreal. Lost count on the amount Derek made during the game. It's so sad that we have to share writers with a rival team.

 

[Static]

Dillman made one tweet last night, Stephens made three, unreal. Lost count on the amount Derek made during the game. It's so sad that we have to share writers with a rival team.

Stephens officially came out and said he just didn't use Twitter anymore, just the athletic message thing.

 

[Leonardo87]

Stephens officially came out and said he just didn't use Twitter anymore, just the athletic message thing.

Still don't like he is shared between the Kings and Ducks.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

Derek Lee has been great, I gave him a compliment and thank you for his work, and he replied very sincere and humble. Really hope he can get more access to stuff. Ducks need their own passionate beat writer, not two shared writers with a rival team.

Also, posted this…

I was thinking about that second tweet last night. When was the last time he tried something like that, probably the disallowed lacrosse goal against Minnesota a couple months ago

 

[Leonardo87]

I was thinking about that second tweet last night. When was the last time he tried something like that, probably the disallowed lacrosse goal against Minnesota a couple months ago

That's why Cally said that on the broadcast it was the only way to really score that goal. It just was a good heads up play by him all around, wasn't trying to be fancy, it was just him showing his Hockey IQ and skillset.

That disallowed goal still annoys me it didn't count, but it was off-sides. Regardless of being off-sides or not , that goal is still scores. Sometimes that off-sides challenge really sucks the fun out of the game. But I guess if you are on the other side of it, I understand.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I’ve said this over and over, gotta get this kid support. I’m sorry Brock F’ing McGinn or Ryan Strome isn’t it. The skill, talent and determination is there. Verbeek needs to know that. They can put him on the road to being a star or just let him peak at a 70-80 point 1C. That is his floor right now. There is so much potential beyond that.

This begs the question, "Is Verbeek wasting quality years of Terry, Zegras, Lundy, and McTavish?"

​

Ducks Youth​	2021-22​	​	​	​	​
Skater​	GP​	G​	A​	Pts​	PPG​
Terry​	75​	37​	30​	67​	0.89​
Zegras​	75​	23​	38​	61​	0.81​
Lundestrom​	80​	16​	13​	29​	0.36​
McTavish​	9​	2​	1​	3​	0.33​

Anaheim was 3rd in the Pacific when Verbeek took over as Ducks' GM.

Ducks Youth	2022-23
Skater	GP	G	A	Pts	PPG
Zegras	64​	21​	33​	54​	0.84​
Terry	57​	17​	30​	47​	0.82​
McTavish	63​	14​	23​	37​	0.59​
Lundestrom	43​	4​	10​	14​	0.33​

We are currently battling for the first overall pick and own the 4th worst record. The odd part is that we own the worst goal differential in the league at -99 GD and the next closest is Columbus with -72 GD, who currently owns the worst record in the league. The team is overachieving and we're not realizing it.

The scoring rates for Zegras, Terry, and Lundy have stayed the same this season without the same proper roster balance, physicality, and defense. McTavish has skyrocketed in his first, full rookie season. Z and McTavish are instant NHL products with star quality. Terry took awhile to become a star. Lundy looked amazing defensively last year and this year is inconsistent.

While all four of these players are NHLers today and will be for the foreseeable future, their talents will be languishing for the next two to three seasons because the org is depleted in talent, talent depth, and set on building through the draft.

The Ducks' biggest void of talent at both the NHL and AHL levels is on the blue line. Drysdale's progression is halted this year. We have no one worth mentioning at the AHL level, otherwise they'd be on the NHL roster today. Anaheim has a lot of defensive prospects coming over next year, but their timeline is murky. How long will it take Minty and Zellweger to learn how to play defense? How fast can LaCombe and Hinds adapt to the pro level? It could take two to three years or more.

RD Helleson was acquired last year's TDL and Verbeek raved about Helleson to sign the junior after his NCAA season was over. Helleson got some games in last year and in his full season this year. He doesn't look ready for the NHL next season. RD Andersson has been with the org for the past two and a quarter seasons at the AHL level and still isn't ready for the NHL because he's been made out of glass.

To get high end talent asap, Verbeek will have to overspend or waste a lot of assets to acquire the high end talents. That runs contrary to Verbeek collecting assets to build organizational depth and that depth is supposed to control the cap.

Verbeek traded away four UFA's because they did not fit the timeline Verbeek has in his head. This year, the youth forwards are scoring like last year, save McTavish, but lacking support. Are we wasting Terry and Z's talents this year and the ensuing years waiting for the rebuild to stop? Did Verbeek misjudge the talent on the team to want to reset the rebuild?

 

[FiveHoleTickler]

I was thinking about that second tweet last night. When was the last time he tried something like that, probably the disallowed lacrosse goal against Minnesota a couple months ago

I don't know if it's a conscious effort to avoid plays like that or if he just doesn't have the room/opportunity but it definitely feels like we haven't seen it as often this year.

 

[Leonardo87]

This begs the question, "Is Verbeek wasting quality years of Terry, Zegras, Lundy, and McTavish?"

​

Ducks Youth​	2021-22​	​	​	​	​
Skater​	GP​	G​	A​	Pts​	PPG​
Terry​	​ 75​	​ 37​	​ 30​	​ 67​	​ 0.89​
Zegras​	​ 75​	​ 23​	​ 38​	​ 61​	​ 0.81​
Lundestrom​	​ 80​	​ 16​	​ 13​	​ 29​	​ 0.36​
McTavish​	​ 9​	​ 2​	​ 1​	​ 3​	​ 0.33​

Anaheim was 3rd in the Pacific when Verbeek took over as Ducks' GM.

​

Ducks Youth	2022-23
Skater	GP	G	A	Pts	PPG
Zegras	64​	21​	33​	54​	0.84​
Terry	57​	17​	30​	47​	0.82​
McTavish	63​	14​	23​	37​	0.59​
Lundestrom	43​	4​	10​	14​	0.33​

We are currently battling for the first overall pick and own the 4th worst record. The odd part is that we own the worst goal differential in the league at -99 GD and the next closest is Columbus with -72 GD, who currently owns the worst record in the league. The team is overachieving and we're not realizing it.

The scoring rates for Zegras, Terry, and Lundy have stayed the same this season without the same proper roster balance, physicality, and defense. McTavish has skyrocketed in his first, full rookie season. Z and McTavish are instant NHL products with star quality. Terry took awhile to become a star. Lundy looked amazing defensively last year and this year is inconsistent.

Verbeek traded away four UFA's because they did not fit the timeline Verbeek has in his head. This year, the youth forwards are scoring like last year, save McTavish, but lacking support. Are we wasting Terry and Z's talents this year and the ensuing years waiting for the rebuild to stop? Did Verbeek misjudge the talent on the team to want to reset the rebuild?

I think progress has been pretty good, but think it can be better and think Eakins has done well with the youth but when he have to throw 4th liners or 3rd liners on the top lines way too often, that is a depth/roster issue and that's on Verbeek.

I think that is why getting a Top 3 pick is so critical because it will fill a huge hole in our Top 6, and we would still need support after that. Rico for one being out has really shown how bad our depth is, but even with him healthy it's still very thin.

Really need more out of Strome for one, and Vatrano who has cooled off as of late, has still been good for the middle six.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Dillman made one tweet last night, Stephens made three, unreal. Lost count on the amount Derek made during the game. It's so sad that we have to share writers with a rival team.

what's annoying is she will tweet lines/line info on some nights but not others. lack of consistency even seems sloppier than just never doing it lol