2019 Offseason

[Nurmagomedov]

Let's get this thread going, the draft this summer will only do so much for the next season or two.

Probably best to start with looking at what we have on the roster to see what we need. It's tempting to assume a wholesale improvement from the roster with a new coach but i'm not going to do that.

Center:
Getzlaf
Henrique
Steel
Rowney
(Kesler)

If Getz bounces back we're in decent shape here, especially if Steel takes another step and can put up Henrique rivalling numbers. If Getz doesn't bounce back we're toast as far as challenging for the playoffs. No real improvement options either unless you can trade Henrique + a kid + futures for an upgrade.

LW:
Rakell
Ritchie
Jones
Shore

Weak link of our offense, even as i'm confident Rakell will improve. Potential is there with Jones generating a ton of chances but he needs to start converting.

RW:
Silfverberg
Kase
Terry
Sprong
Perry
(Eaves)

Oodles of potential, no need to improve externally, if only Kase could stay healthy.

Defence:
Fowler
Lindholm
Manson
Guhle
Larsson

Serious investment needed here. Despres, Sami, Montour and Theodore gone inside 2 years will leave a mark in the depth. Prospects we have (Guhle, Larsson, Welinski, Mahura) should initially be relied on only in limited roles.

Goal:
Gibson is a stud, just need a decent backup.

Seems to me we need a veteran top-4 defenseman (Of the Lydman kind, not the Bieksa kind), a backup goalie and a scoring left winger.

What do we have to spend to improve? 83M cap is irrelevant so looking at salaries rather than cap hits (Anaheim Ducks 2019 Salary Cap) we have 71M committed including Guhle, Sprong and Terry but not Jones, Steel or Larsson. Add 3M for Eaves and 3.3M for those three prospects and a 800k backup and that's 77.3M. If Kesler's contract is indeed insured for 80% that saves 5.3M so 72M for the roster outlined above. Not much left over to improve the defence i'm afraid, not knowing what the budget is. Not without sending salary away, which seems to be very difficult to do these days, even only a couple mil.

So what's out there? The only real scoring left wingers out there are Panarin and Skinner, both woefully outside our price range. For a veteran defenseman the only UFA's i'd be interested in are Edler, Stralman and if you're really tight on money, Lovejoy. Perhaps Stralman could be in our range?

We're in a pretty tight spot looks like, lots of cheap(ish) youth surrounding and expensive core that isn't good enough. Perry and Eaves together are about 40% of our winger spend.

Click to read more...

 

[Trojans86]

Now that Getzlaf is slowing down we have no elite talent outside of Gibson but with an add on d and some development from our young guys we have have a very balanced and well rounded team in my opinion. That is if we stay healthy.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Is this going to be another one of those repetitive threads? If this is just going to rehash the roster, we already have a thread for that.

 

[Masch78]

Off-season will be way too long.

 

[Masch78]

we have no elite talent

We will see.

 

[darkwingduck]

Any decision now has to be done with Seattle Expansion '21 in mind. Instead of trying to protect the players they have, I believe BM should lean into it.

If we add a caliber RH defensemen (without a NMC clause), you can get two good years out of them and then expose them and have their cap now off the table.

 

[Nurmagomedov]

Is this going to be another one of those repetitive threads? If this is just going to rehash the roster, we already have a thread for that.

Of course it's going to be one of those repetitive threads, it's the offseason. You are welcome to continue discussing the 18-19 roster for as long as that thread is open.

 

[Static]

I like exit's idea of going after wennberg but I don't know if the salary works out. Maybe if Kesler is put on LTIR we can afford to replace the salary with his in light of the weird LTIR rule that stipulates the space is only available if it's used.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Given the transitional state of the team I'd be surprised if they used all of Kesler's contractual savings (assuming he finally buys in and insurance covers a big chunk of it) on a replacement player, at least next year.

 

[Static]

Given the transitional state of the team I'd be surprised if they used all of Kesler's contractual savings (assuming he finally buys in and insurance covers a big chunk of it) on a replacement player, at least next year.

Maybe, but I'd wonder about the owners realizing that the only way to draw in our market is to be competitive.

 

[duxfan1101]

I like exit's idea of going after wennberg but I don't know if the salary works out. Maybe if Kesler is put on LTIR we can afford to replace the salary with his in light of the weird LTIR rule that stipulates the space is only available if it's used.

If we're getting Wennberg, I'd imagine Henrique is going the other way.

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Maybe, but I'd wonder about the owners realizing that the only way to draw in our market is to be competitive.

We've always only gotten snippets from Bob about dealing with the budget so it's hard to know for sure how Henry sees his ownership on a macro basis. Which makes it hard to know if he feels he's learned anything that would possibly changes his approach to spending. But if we go on what Bob has told us in the past, he has a budget which is below the cap and if he feels we're close on a cup run Henry has opened the purse on an exception basis.

But I do think it will be interesting to see where things go this summer. A new coach, a new system, an acknowledgement from Getz that youth will be served and Bob having learned things he never knew about his team. Oh boy, stay tuned.

 

[Mr Rogers]

Very curious to see who Bob Murray chooses to bring in as head coach and whether he lets the new guy choose his assistants. If it's Eakins, you'd think they'd announce it shortly after San Diego's season is done. He would want him there for the draft. As long as he doesn't bring in Guy Boucher, I'll be fine

 

[Dr Johnny Fever]

Even if they hire Eakins he'd be useless at the draft. As would any outsider hired. Bob and the scouts are the cocoon of draft knowledge.

 

[Dirk316]

If Kesler and Eaves retire I'd like Anaheim to sign Wayne Simmons as that is a definite buy low opportunity. Checks off all the boxes
PP specialist, adds veteran leadership, obvious toughness and could easily bounce back as he is not old and can still skate.
They definitely need to stop messing around and sign a tough dman and actually play him Ala Dotchin
Manson is getting worn down from having no help in that department
I can assume Steel and Jones are locks
Terry and Comtois are on the bubble

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

If Kesler and Eaves retire I'd like Anaheim to sign Wayne Simmons as that is a definite buy low opportunity. Checks off all the boxes
PP specialist, adds veteran leadership, obvious toughness and could easily bounce back as he is not old and can still skate.
They definitely need to stop messing around and sign a tough dman and actually play him Ala Dotchin
Manson is getting worn down from having no help in that department
I can assume Steel and Jones are locks
Terry and Comtois are on the bubble

I don't think Manson is worn down from being tough all the time. He's rarely an intimidating presence.

 

[Dirk316]

I don't think Manson is worn down from being tough all the time. He's rarely an intimidating presence.

This year it showed and he hardly played physical. Dotchin and Schenn were the only physical dmen this season and they were not given chances to play

 

[The Duck Knight]

Simmonds would be great as long as they pay him for what he is now (4th line forward at even strength) and not what he used to be. It's not going to happen though because someone will give him a stupid contract and come to regret it.

 

[KelVarnsen]

Terry is more of a lock than Jones at this point. I don’t disagree on the need for a physical dman but it can’t be a scrub like Dotchin and Schenn. They may be physical but they are not that good at playing actual hockey. I would love for Murray to get a physical dman who is not a liability.

 

[Deuce22]

If Kesler and Eaves retire I'd like Anaheim to sign Wayne Simmons as that is a definite buy low opportunity. Checks off all the boxes
PP specialist, adds veteran leadership, obvious toughness and could easily bounce back as he is not old and can still skate.
They definitely need to stop messing around and sign a tough dman and actually play him Ala Dotchin
Manson is getting worn down from having no help in that department
I can assume Steel and Jones are locks
Terry and Comtois are on the bubble

If we're going to spend to sign a vet, it should be for a RHD or a backup goalie. We have plenty of options at the wings.

 

[Dirk316]

Simmonds would be great as long as they pay him for what he is now (4th line forward at even strength) and not what he used to be. It's not going to happen though because someone will give him a stupid contract and come to regret it.

He should be payed about what Shore makes

 

[Trojans86]

If we're going to spend to sign a vet, it should be for a RHD or a backup goalie. We have plenty of options at the wings.

Exactly

 

[Dirk316]

Terry is more of a lock than Jones at this point. I don’t disagree on the need for a physical dman but it can’t be a scrub like Dotchin and Schenn. They may be physical but they are not that good at playing actual hockey. I would love for Murray to get a physical dman who is not a liability.

Dotchin and Schenn are scrubs? I can't recall a game thread where anyone complained about their game. As a #6 who would you suggest that is better? The likes of Megna, Welinski and Holzer is what this team went with that's true useless scrubs

 

[Dirk316]

If we're going to spend to sign a vet, it should be for a RHD or a backup goalie. We have plenty of options at the wings.

No options at wing that provide what Simmonds brings (toughness and leadership)

 

[darkwingduck]

Still need a #4 defenseman before they worry about 5 or 6