The Anaheim Ducks are staying busy during these dog days of summer. While the rest of the hockey world has been transfixed on the drama unfolding in Minnesota, Bob Murray and company have been tinkering away at a Ducks roster that missed the playoffs last season.
The Ducks made a semi-big free-agent splash with the immediate signings of Sheldon Souray and Bryan Allen. Both are veteran defenesman with different skill sets and will help bolster the blue line of a team that struggled defensively in 2011-12.
- Souray is crafty and can fill the void left on the power play by the draft day trade of Lubomir Visnovsky.
- Allen is 6'5" and 226lbs. He immediately adds size and grit to the Ducks back end.
Souray should provide toughness and veteran leadership to the Ducks, while Allen's physical, stay-at-home style is something the Ducks have last over the last couple of season's.
The Ducks have 17 roster spots tentatively filled with just over $23 million left in cap space left. They still have some work to do to get a full team on the ice for the upcoming season. While Selanne is expected to return, he is not signed as of yet. Murray is scheduled to meet with Selanne about his plans for the upcoming season very soon, if he hasn't already. That should eat up another $4 million of so in cap space.
Now that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have chosen to grace the Minnesota Wild with their presence, the rest of the summer's domino's can start to fall. For the Ducks that means seriously taking a look at the future of Bobby Ryan in Anaheim.
Ryan requested a trade after his name surfaced in rumors for the second time in the last six months and I believe the Ducks have to oblige him. So far the trade talk has just been that, talk. Expect the chatter to intensify with the teams losing out in the Parise sweepstakes quickly shifting their attention to plan "B."
The Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers are said to be very interested. Don't be surprised if the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers poke their head around, especially if the Rangers can't pry Rick Nash out of Columbus.
Ryan, 25, had 31 goals and 57 points even as the mid-season trade rumors swirled in Anaheim. Ryan would give any team looking for an offensive upgrade another scoring winger. He has three years remaining on his five-year deal worth $25.5 million.
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Since July 1st the Ducks have added...
- Bryan Allen D
- Sheldon Souray D
- Jordan Henry D
- Brad Staubitz RW
- Richard Rackell RW
- Matt Smaby D
Since July 1st the Ducks have lost...
- Ryan O'Marra C
- Sean Zimmerman D
- Dale Mitchell RW
- Rick Schofield C
- Iiro Tarkki G
- Troy Bodie RW
- Mark Bell LW
- Jason Blake LW
- Sheldon Brookbank D
- Dan Ellis G
- Niklas Hagman LW
- Jean-Francois Jacques LW
- Petri Kontiola C
- George Parros RW
- Rod Pelley C
- Teemu Selanne RW
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