In 12 years, GM Murray has had the team in the playoffs for 8 years. He had a 6-year playoff streak, a 5-year Pacific Division streak, and went to two conference finals. For a team that doesn't get a top-5 pick in his 11 years overseeing the draft as a GM (he didn't become the Ducks' GM until Nov of 2008) we've hit a rough spot for the past two seasons. I maybe in the minority here, but I believe GM Murray when he says the players need to step up because when he became interim GM, the players did elevate their play. The past two seasons, GM Bob has denoted the same problem and that's with two different head coaches, without including himself (because the team responded well).
Vegas would have snagged any one of our top, young D-men and you'd all still be complaining. Vegas tweeted that they were eye-balling all of our defense before the expansion draft. It sucked that Vegas robbed us of our scouts' hard work drafting all those defensemen.
Bob Murray is in charge of head coaches and we bash Carlyle's second stint, but Carlyle did bring us to the playoffs twice in that stint along with a Conference Finals appearance. Carlyle broke Boudreau's "playoff home ice advantage to lose at him in game 7" curse. But the players eventually tuned him out.
Murray's too loyal and he gave Carlyle a long leash because the two playoffs berths bought him time. Murray's too loyal again with Eakins to give him full reign and be hands off b/c this was Eakins' second stint. Murray gave Eakins a liaison with Sutter as an inbetween so that Murray wouldn't be a helicopter mom/GM.
I read so many comment and the way it read its as if we were the Oil who has been collecting #1 overall picks, being at the bottom of the standings for a decade, and not be close to a playoff sniff.
We're spoiled. We had a 6-year playoff streak. We had a 5-year Pacific Division title. We do possess a lot of youthful talent, but the whole transition thing is a bit rough right now. I keep hearing, "trade every veteran away to get more draft picks." In 2016, we had two first round draft picks (Jones and Steel). In 2019, we had another two first round draft picks in Zegras and Tracey. This coming 2020 draft, we have another two first round draft picks.
It's been five years since Steel was drafted and we're still waiting for him to breakout to be average. Do people acknowledge it takes time to develop players, especially since we're usually drafting in the late 20s? Zegras is a 9th overall draft pick and his talent pushed him to get signed away from college after one year. Can Zegras finally break the "our scouts can't draft forwards" curse? Kase should have been that player, but he was far too injury prone to continue in a Ducks' uni.
Who knows if there is another better GM. I just know this GM is always thinking the present and tomorrow with his decisions. I was dismayed when he finally admitted that he was pushing the kids this past season when he said he wouldn't. But hey, he fessed up. He doesn't want that many youths up unless they've earned it.
But seriously, our defense has been devastated for the past couple of seasons due to mass injuries that most teams can't overcome. We lost our top-3/4 blue liners this past season and we still were able to win. We went 5-3-1 after the trade deadline with our new guys. We're fortunate everything stopped because we surely would have risen up with more wins to keep the faint playoff berth alive. Instead, we're stuck with the 5th overall pick today.
I guess we can make a significant change if we did what Burke did and sell off our farm. But what if we lose our scouts under Murray? Then we might be under Burke again and can't draft worth a crap. I like the devil I know than the devil I don't.
Most teams shoot themselves in the foot with Ladd's, Lucic's, and Neal's of the world. We have brought in good minor deals (yes and some have not worked out as well).
