Speculation: 2021 Offseason Roster Discussion

[pbgoalie]

For those in the know

what year did the current strength and training coach start?

 

[lwvs84]

Eakins really should be an assistant coach that works with the young guys. He did a good job in San Diego and, for the most part, the young guys seem to be responding here. It's just everything else that has been a problem. I'm not sure what is "better on the hierarchy" either being an assistant coach in the NHL or a head coach in the AHL, but those seem to be the better roles for him. He can focus on what he's good at, from my very amateur analysis, AHL seems to have a lot less structure (in terms of how the teams play) and Eakins seems to have issues when playing structured teams.

 

[IDuck]

This team/organization is a joke.....5 years of not scoring, playing a "old fashion" style game, and another year of no progress from its core players while having one of the worst pp's in NHL HISTORY and the message is "we will be better next year"... piss off, only in Anaheim can this happen over and over and everyone still has a job. Look forward to another frustrating season of below average hockey and players losing even more value. Ducks hockey.

 

[405Entrance]

Henrique is not walking away from 3 years @ 5.8 million

The Ducks are stuck with that one

One can dream no ?

 

[405Entrance]

This team/organization is a joke.....5 years of not scoring, playing a "old fashion" style game, and another year of no progress from its core players while having one of the worst pp's in NHL HISTORY and the message is "we will be better next year"... piss off, only in Anaheim can this happen over and over and everyone still has a job. Look forward to another frustrating season of below average hockey and players losing even more value. Ducks hockey.

I also look forward to them sucking next year plight for wright

 

[SirQuacksALot]

The team is definitely tanking unless a couple of the young guys take BIG steps forward. It's likely going to be another tank.

We're allowed to say "the 'T' word" now right? It's the offseason in Anaheim.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

The team is definitely tanking unless a couple of the young guys take BIG steps forward. It's likely going to be another tank.

We're allowed to say "the 'T' word" now right? It's the offseason in Anaheim.

Be my guest.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

I would actually be fine with them sucking if I thought they were playing old-fashioned Ducks hockey, but they're not even doing that. And that's the most frustrating thing about this franchise right now: we're two years into the Dallas Eakins experiment and we don't have any clear identity. If anything, it feels like a team transitioning between the identity of a fast-paced transition hockey team and a heavy cycle team down-low.

Part of that is the coaching aspect; as others have said here, Eakins does have a system that works and allows them to be competitive against really good teams when they execute it, but the players don't seem to truly know what it is and it is just completely abandoned at times for the freelance, firewagon brand of hockey that can excel in the AHL if you have more talent than everyone else but isn't going to work against structured NHL systems.

But since we're in this thread, part of that is because this roster is just a mishmash of random parts that don't appear to make the sum of a good hockey team. The young forwards want to push the puck in transition and try to make plays through center ice, but they're either not skilled enough to do it or advanced enough to do it against NHL players. Fine, so play classic, old-school dump-and-chase Ducks hockey (which I contend can still work in today's NHL) except the kids aren't developed physically enough to win the majority of those battles and the veterans are either not fast enough to get in deep or unwilling to expend the effort to get in on the forecheck and engage physically. Defensively, it's the same issue, the guys who are the most capable of skating the puck out of the zone don't take enough charge (Drysdale has shown flashes but may not be the guy for another couple seasons) and seem terrified of making a clean first pass because they're afraid if they do, they won't have enough support from their forwards and it's coming back the other way as an odd-man rush but they don't recycle possession either (Gibson's inability to handle the puck doesn't help matters) so you're stuck with these prayer lobs to center.

Got a little bit long-winded there, but bottom line: there ARE pieces here to a competitive hockey team, but there are just too many guys in here that either aren't good or don't make sense if you want to build a team with a style similar to say Colorado (who the front office seems to echo as this year's team to model). Go draft a star or make a big trade, fill out your middle-six with some fast, hard-working complementary forwards who can score (I know that Toronto is going to move heaven and earth to try and keep him, but Zach Hyman would be an absolute dream) and get another legitimate puck-mover on the backend (even if he's a one-dimensional offensive guy who has some struggles in his own end) and we can have a conversation about this team moving in the right direction again.

 

[Deuce22]

I would actually be fine with them sucking if I thought they were playing old-fashioned Ducks hockey, but they're not even doing that. And that's the most frustrating thing about this franchise right now: we're two years into the Dallas Eakins experiment and we don't have any clear identity. If anything, it feels like a team transitioning between the identity of a fast-paced transition hockey team and a heavy cycle team down-low.

Part of that is the coaching aspect; as others have said here, Eakins does have a system that works and allows them to be competitive against really good teams when they execute it, but the players don't seem to truly know what it is and it is just completely abandoned at times for the freelance, firewagon brand of hockey that can excel in the AHL if you have more talent than everyone else but isn't going to work against structured NHL systems.

But since we're in this thread, part of that is because this roster is just a mishmash of random parts that don't appear to make the sum of a good hockey team. The young forwards want to push the puck in transition and try to make plays through center ice, but they're either not skilled enough to do it or advanced enough to do it against NHL players. Fine, so play classic, old-school dump-and-chase Ducks hockey (which I contend can still work in today's NHL) except the kids aren't developed physically enough to win the majority of those battles and the veterans are either not fast enough to get in deep or unwilling to expend the effort to get in on the forecheck and engage physically. Defensively, it's the same issue, the guys who are the most capable of skating the puck out of the zone don't take enough charge (Drysdale has shown flashes but may not be the guy for another couple seasons) and seem terrified of making a clean first pass because they're afraid if they do, they won't have enough support from their forwards and it's coming back the other way as an odd-man rush but they don't recycle possession either (Gibson's inability to handle the puck doesn't help matters) so you're stuck with these prayer lobs to center.

Got a little bit long-winded there, but bottom line: there ARE pieces here to a competitive hockey team, but there are just too many guys in here that either aren't good or don't make sense if you want to build a team with a style similar to say Colorado (who the front office seems to echo as this year's team to model). Go draft a star or make a big trade, fill out your middle-six with some fast, hard-working complementary forwards who can score (I know that Toronto is going to move heaven and earth to try and keep him, but Zach Hyman would be an absolute dream) and get another legitimate puck-mover on the backend (even if he's a one-dimensional offensive guy who has some struggles in his own end) and we can have a conversation about this team moving in the right direction again.

This is my consistent objection to the current regime. There is no coherent plan or direction. Eakins talks about being in a rebuilding phase, but Murray's personnel moves are geared toward competing now. They organization is in urgent need (IMO) of a new, focused direction. All I am observing now is chaos, patching holes, and trying not to sink.

 

[Goose of Reason]

This is my consistent objection to the current regime. There is no coherent plan or direction. Eakins talks about being in a rebuilding phase, but Murray's personnel moves are geared toward competing now. They organization is in urgent need (IMO) of a new, focused direction. All I am observing now is chaos, patching holes, and trying not to sink.

Was trading Kase for futures a win now move? Was trading Hakanpaa for a young struggling defender with upside that had fallen down the depth chart a win now move?

People glom onto the Shattenkirk signing as Bob thinking he was the final piece for some contender but you can want to get back into the playoffs on a rebuilding team, in fact that's literally the purpose of rebuilding. Every year, yes even in a rebuild, the players should be trying to make the playoffs. If they're not we should just forfeit because what's the point of playing games?

 

[bsu]

The Hank deal was great whichever way you slice it.

 

[Goose of Reason]

The Hank deal was great whichever way you slice it.

Yup, a rare win-win trade for both sides.

 

[Deuce22]

Was trading Kase for futures a win now move? Was trading Hakanpaa for a young struggling defender with upside that had fallen down the depth chart a win now move?

People glom onto the Shattenkirk signing as Bob thinking he was the final piece for some contender but you can want to get back into the playoffs on a rebuilding team, in fact that's literally the purpose of rebuilding. Every year, yes even in a rebuild, the players should be trying to make the playoffs. If they're not we should just forfeit because what's the point of playing games?

Were signing Silf and Henrique to above market extensions rebuilding? Was playing Hutton and Shattenkirk big minutes instead of giving younger D valuable experience rebuilding? Was keeping vets that could have been traded for futures or younger players at the deadline rebuilding? This is my point, there is no direction. Some win now moves, some rebuilding moves.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

Were signing Silf and Henrique to above market extensions rebuilding? Was playing Hutton and Shattenkirk big minutes instead of giving younger D valuable experience rebuilding? Was keeping vets that could have been traded for futures or younger players at the deadline rebuilding? This is my point, there is no direction. Some win now moves, some rebuilding moves.

There's easily a direction, but if you think a team can or should only make certain moves depending on where they're trending then yeah I guess I see the confusion. Then again you might just be seeing what you want to see, it's a bit curious to make that Hutton argument and ignore the forwards.

 

[DavidBL]

Were signing Silf and Henrique to above market extensions rebuilding? Was playing Hutton and Shattenkirk big minutes instead of giving younger D valuable experience rebuilding? Was keeping vets that could have been traded for futures or younger players at the deadline rebuilding? This is my point, there is no direction. Some win now moves, some rebuilding moves.

Now they're above market value? Those deals were fine then. If it weren't for COVID the cap would be around 86 mill going into next year.

 

[Deuce22]

There's easily a direction, but if you think a team can or should only make certain moves depending on where they're trending then yeah I guess I see the confusion. Then again you might just be seeing what you want to see, it's a bit curious to make that Hutton argument and ignore the forwards.

What is the direction? Please enlighten me.

 

[Deuce22]

Now they're above market value? Those deals were fine then. If it weren't for COVID the cap would be around 86 mill going into next year.

Those deals were made with the goal of winning hockey games immediately. Murray won't commit to a proper rebuild, even if Eakins says that's what it is. Fine then? Not fine now. Ducks would have to add to get anyone to take those guys off their hands.

 

[The Mighty Duck Man]

What is the direction? Please enlighten me.

They're rebuilding, they're even saying it out loud now. I don't think signing a sub-$4 million defenseman refutes that, literally every rebuilding team also adds players.

 

[DavidBL]

Those deals were made with the goal of winning hockey games immediately. Murray won't commit to a proper rebuild, even if Eakins says that's what it is. Fine then? Not fine now. Ducks would have to add to get anyone to take those guys off their hands.

Assuming neither is a locker room issue I don't see how they're hurting the rebuild. How many Steels and Jones do we need?

 

[bsu]

Lol Jones might be one of lowest hockey sense and awareness players to ever put a ducks jersey.

 

[tomd]

Now they're above market value? Those deals were fine then. If it weren't for COVID the cap would be around 86 mill going into next year.

They did seem a little rich and long at the time...at least to me.

 

[KyleJRM]

Just because not literally every move was min-maxed to your personal idea of what rebuilding should look like does not mean that it wasn't a rebuild or that the direction was unclear.

The organization believed that institutional stability with a small number of core veterans would be beneficial to the next wave of young players. Maybe they were right, maybe they were wrong, but they didn't extend Silfverberg and Henrique because they weren't sufficiently committed to the tank.

 

[Deuce22]

Just because not literally every move was min-maxed to your personal idea of what rebuilding should look like does not mean that it wasn't a rebuild or that the direction was unclear.

The organization believed that institutional stability with a small number of core veterans would be beneficial to the next wave of young players. Maybe they were right, maybe they were wrong, but they didn't extend Silfverberg and Henrique because they weren't sufficiently committed to the tank.

Waiving said "core veteran" early in the season doesn't seem to line up with the mentoring theory.

 

[ShadowDuck]

 

[Mr Rogers]

what a year it's been for Rico