GDT: Game #16 of the season Ducks visit Sharks 10:30 PM ET on 2 - 15 - 21

[Ducks in a row]

6 - 6 - 3 for 15 points with a Road Record of 3 - 3 - 1 and 5 -4 - 1 in last 10 games

Production Leaders
Goals: Comtois with 6
Assists: Rowney with 6
Points: Comtois with 8


vs.

5 - 7 - 1 for 11 points with a Home Record of 0 - 1 - 0 and 4 - 5 - 1 in last 10 games

Production Leaders
Goals: Couture and Hertl with 6
Assists: Couture and Kane with 5
Points: Couture with 11

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[KelVarnsen]

Wow the Sharks are in Cap Hell with some of those contracts.

 

[Kalv]

This one we need to take.

Yotes lost a point and now are on same point % that we are on (.500). Minny have better point % but because they sit out for so long, their schedule should be a mess right now and hopefully it will come down. Let's get into playoffs boys!!!

 

[Gliff]

Wow the Sharks are in Cap Hell with some of those contracts.

I for one am shocked that giving a defensemen an 8 mil a year contract until they are 40 is not working out well.

 

[Tyler Durden]

Big question is who goes in net for Sharks. Martin Jones has been horrible in his last 3 starts. He's allowed 3+ goals in his last 6 games. He has a 3.96 GAA and .867 save percentage. Devan Dubnyk is still DTD. Their backup is Alexi Melnichuk....

 

[Leonardo87]

If they can keep playing like how they have the last 5 games should have a good chance tonight.

Next 5 games are against teams below them(barely). Now is the time to get some distance between those teams if they are going to have any legit shot for a playoff spot. I hope they come out hungry or hangry. Lol.

 

[Zegs2sendhelp]

Been a few days hopefully the team is still feelin it

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I like the Ducks getting an extra day or two between the usual one day break between games. Eakins calls off practice the next day because the team is exhausted from the game the previous night. With the extra day or days, then that means the team can practice together and, possibly, get instructions for improvement.

Hope to see the Dead Sexy Line get more points this game. Let's go, Ducks, "2 more points!"

 

[Anaheim4ever]

All they need to do is get pucks on Net, Jones will always give up a few soft goals.

 

[KelVarnsen]

I for one am shocked that giving a defensemen an 8 mil a year contract until they are 40 is not working out well.

Then add Jone, Vlasic, couture, Kane, Burns.......

All on huge long term contracts. Scary if you’re a Sharks fan.

 

[Gliff]

Couture: 8 mil until age 37. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.
Karlsson: 11.5 mil until age 36. Full NMC.
Burns: 8 mil until age 40. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.
Vlasic: 7 mil until age 39. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.

The Sharks are going to be bad for a long long time. It is only going to get worse as those 4 guys inevitably get old like Getzlaf. Serviceable player but not worth his pay.
Just for reference. Getzlaf is 36. Imagine if the Ducks had 3 of him, signed for 1, 3 and 4 more years.

Even if the Sharks draft AMAZING, they are going to be f***ed for atleast the next 5 years until Vlasic and Burns are off the books.

 

[Paul4587]

I would be willing to bet Burns is Seattle bound. The Vlasic and Jones contracts are the absolute worst. Vlasic went from top pairing dman to replacement level seemingly overnight and Jones is the worst goalie in the NHL earning over $5M per year. Ouch.

 

[Leonardo87]

What’s up with the 7:30/10:30 start? Most games are 7/10pm. I gotta go to work tomorrow morning, lol.

 

[AngelDuck]

What’s up with the 7:30/10:30 start? Most games are 7/10pm. I gotta go to work tomorrow morning, lol.

I was hoping they finally did away with the abomination of starting a weekday game at 7:40, but perhaps I was wrong

 

[Leonardo87]

I was hoping they finally did away with the abomination of starting a weekday game at 7:40, but perhaps I was wrong

Just looked at the schedule for the rest of the season, it’s only a 7:30/10:30pm start when we play the Sharks in San Jose. Just add another reason to hate them, lol.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

Couture: 8 mil until age 37. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.
Karlsson: 11.5 mil until age 36. Full NMC.
Burns: 8 mil until age 40. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.
Vlasic: 7 mil until age 39. He has a 3 team trade list so he basically chooses where he goes.

The Sharks are going to be bad for a long long time. It is only going to get worse as those 4 guys inevitably get old like Getzlaf. Serviceable player but not worth his pay.
Just for reference. Getzlaf is 36. Imagine if the Ducks had 3 of him, signed for 1, 3 and 4 more years.

Even if the Sharks draft AMAZING, they are going to be f***ed for atleast the next 5 years until Vlasic and Burns are off the books.

SJ is really good at drafting & developing forwards and while they aren't as good with Dmen & goalies, this years draft has quite a few can't miss Dmen picks.
They'll at least be getting alot of top 5 picks because of Jones. Jones is a big boost for tanking.

If they had to pick between buying out Jones, Karlsson or Vlasic they go with buying out Vlasic.
Karlsson will at least be valuable in helping mentor Clarke, Powers, Lambos, Edvinsson or Luke Hughes.

 

[Leonardo87]

No Karlsson tonight, not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing, lol.

 

[Paul4587]

It’s a bad thing, his ankle is completely shot and he can’t defend on the rush whatsoever.

 

[TheGoodShepard1]

I would be willing to bet Burns is Seattle bound. The Vlasic and Jones contracts are the absolute worst. Vlasic went from top pairing dman to replacement level seemingly overnight and Jones is the worst goalie in the NHL earning over $5M per year. Ouch.

I thought that too until I saw what the Sharks situation up front looks like. They only hold the rights to 7* NHL forwards next season and are they really going to prioritize protecting Donato/Balcers/Gambrell over at least one (if not 2) first-rounders (which is what I would imagine it would cost to shed that contract)?

You're dead-on about the second part though. Vlasic in particular is a massive anchor due to the no-move and he's effectively buy-out proof for the next two seasons.

EDIT: They actually have 8 forwards. I completely forgot about LaBanc who Doug Wilson inexplicably rewarded for betting on himself and proceeding to have a horrendous season.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

No Karlsson tonight, not sure if that’s a good thing or bad thing, lol.

Its a boost to their GAA without Karlsson playing. He's guarenteed to lead to one goal against.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

I thought that too until I saw what the Sharks situation up front looks like. They only hold the rights to 7* NHL forwards next season and are they really going to prioritize protecting Donato/Balcers/Gambrell over at least one (if not 2) first-rounders (which is what I would imagine it would cost to shed that contract)?

You're dead-on about the second part though. Vlasic in particular is a massive anchor due to the no-move and he's effectively buy-out proof for the next two seasons.

EDIT: They actually have 8 forwards. I completely forgot about LaBanc who Doug Wilson inexplicably rewarded for betting on himself and proceeding to have a horrendous season.

Forwards they drafted and developed (including ones they traded away):
Jamie McGinn - 2nd round in 2006
Nick Bonino - 6th round in 2007
Couture - 9th overall 2007
Charlie Coyle - 28th overall in 2010
Chris Tierney - 2nd round in 2012
Tomas Hertl - 17th overall 2012.
Kevin Labanc - 6th rounder in 2014
Timo Meier - 9th overall 2015.

Forwards waiting to see how they pan out: Rudolf Balcers and Josh Norris.
Pretty good list including 5 centers, esp when you consider the Ducks picked Holland in 2009 and Ritchie in 2014.

When it comes to Dmen drafted by SJ i see mostly Depth Dmen who play 2nd pair or 3rd pairing or just didn't pan out.
This is why they've traded for alot of quality Dmen cause they can't develop them. They traded for Boyle, Burns and Karlsson for example.

 

[McDonald19]

Even if the Sharks draft AMAZING, they are going to be f***ed for atleast the next 5 years until Vlasic and Burns are off the books.

Not to mention, the one aging player they should of kept around, they let walk as a UFA. Joe Pavelski, the guy who stirred the Sharks’ drink for 13 years.

 

[MMC]

 

[Arthuros]

Hoping for some life out of that Steel line tonight.

 

[Duck Off]

I like those lines.