Open Door

The opportunity for John Gibson to be a star is now upon him. He has the talent to be an elite goalie in the league. Its his team to lead for the next several years.

Randy Carlyle is back. He experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during his first tenure as head coach. There is no substitute for the experience of leading a team to a championship. Carlyle knows what it takes to win. He also knows what its like to lose a team and have the whole thing go south in a hurry. A rare opportunity, the coach can erase the bad taste he left in the mouths of Ducks Nation when he left the first time.

Sometimes a door opens unexpectedly and it is up the individual to go through and make his mark. Hampus Lindholm is at home watching games on television in Sweden, so 2015 first round pick Jacob Larsson earned a roster spot with his impressive training camp performance beating out Montour and Shea Theodore. A talented all around performer, he can lessen the impact of Lindholm's absence.

It is no secret the Ducks are very thin at left wing. With the dearth of quality at the position, 2014 first round pick Nick Ritchie is thrust into a very enviable position. He will Join Anaheim's top line along side of Getzlaf and Perry. If things go well, he could be a big star.

Door Cracked Open

Lindholm still has a shot to get back his cache with the fans, but it better be quick. Details of his contact demands have been made public. He is looking for a contract similar to the one Aaron Ekblad received from Florida, eight years, $60M. With all due respect to Lindholm, he isn't Ekblad. Anaheim is still a Perry/Getzlaf driven production. In Florida the team is built around, Ekblad, Jonathan Huberdeau and Aleksander Barkov. If Lindholm would take a deal similar to the ones recently signed by Seth Jones and Rasmus Ristolainen, six years, $32.4M, he'd be playing tonight. He should look up Wally Pipp, it might change his perspective.

Closed Door

Due to his most recent long term injury as well as his $1.6M contract has more than likely close the door on Nate Thompson's Anaheim Career.

The Bruce Boudreau era is over. A good coach, he couldn't get his team over the hump in the playoffs.

At age 34 its probably the last chance for Antoine Vermette to make a difference for a contender.

Closing Door

Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry have been staples of the Ducks' lineup for years. Both are now 31 years old. Additionally, Ryan Kesler is now age 32. The door is closing on their time to bring in a second Ducks Stanley Cup. Considering how hard each of them plays the game on a nightly basis, how many years do their bodies have left?

Most offseasons General Manager Bob Murray shows everyone his value when putting together a winning roster while overcoming serious budget constraints. The 2016-17 season has begun and two of his best young talents are not on the ice due to lack of contracts. His inability to sign Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell in addition to the re-hire of Randy Carlyle as head coach puts his genius in doubt.

Two years ago, Clayton Stoner was signed to a 4-year, $13M contract because Murray wanted to add his playoff consistency as well his toughness to the roster. For the most part Stoner played a steady, unspectacular style of defense and was a solid bottom pairing defenseman. He was placed on waivers the other day despite the fact that it gives Murray only a third of Stoner's contract back under the cap. He has fallen from fifth or sixth defenseman to 11th in the organization in 24 months.

Brandon Montour didn't make the team out of camp. At 22, he is behind younger more touted defensemen in the system. He'll probably get a cup of coffee with Anaheim during the season, but if he is going to be a factor for the team, the time is running out. He will probably suit up somewhere else in the NHL by next season.

How much time does, 34 year old Kevin Bieksa have left as a Duck or for that matter an NHL player?

Revolving Door

When the Ducks acquired goalie Jonathan Bernier from Toronto, he seemed like the perfect guy to back up Gibson. Bernier seems to have found some of the mojo he lost last year and has had a very good exhibition season. So much so, that Carlyle has said his newest goalie is his 1B starter. If Bernier keeps it up, the Ducks could do what they did last year and alternate goalies. Toronto is tough place for many hockey players to ply their trade. Not everyone can handle being under that microscope. Bernier played very well in his previous stint in SoCal as a King. This might be a better environment for him.

This just in. The Ducks have claimed Emerson Etem off waivers from Vancouver. Anaheim's 2010 first round pick in 2010, he was traded to the Rangers for Carl Hagelin. Etem didn't fare well in New York and was sent to the Canucks. Now he's back as the 13th forward. The door does indeed revolve.

Game 1 at Dallas

Here is the Ducks expected lineup for the season opener:

Forwards
Ritchie-Getzlaf-Perry
Cogliano-Kesler-Silfverberg
Raymond-Vermette-Sorenson
Garbutt-Wagner-Boll

Defensemen
Fowler-Manson
Despres-Vatanen
Bieksa-Larsson

Goalies
Gibson
Bernier

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