The Anaheim Ducks are going back to the future.
Literally.
Randy Carlyle, fired by Ducks GM Bob Murray in 2011, is returning to the bench of Anaheim. Under Carlye's stewardship, the Ducks won a Stanley Cup in 2007.
Carlyle will replace Bruce Boudreau who was turfed on April 29 after the Ducks were eliminated at home in a Game 7 for the fourth straight season.
Talk about a grand slam. Oy, vey.
Boudreau's blessing was that he could get his team's into deep playoff runs. His curse will always be losing Gane 7s in front of the home fans. Boudreau was always the bridesmaid and never the bride in Anaheim. He is now the head coach of the Minnesota Wild.
The Carlyle hiring hasn't been confirmed by the club yet. However, according to a John Buccigross tweet Monday night, it is a certainty.
The Ducks appeared to be zeroing in on Utica Comets head coach and former Duck Travis Green as their next head coach. Bob Murray interviewed Green twice for the job. Green is now free to pursue an assistant coach job in Buffalo or elsewhere. Ditto Paul MacLean, Trent Yawney, Todd Rierden, and Stumpy Thomas.
Carlyle was into his seventh season as head coach of the Ducks when he was canned on December 1, 2011. His second season as bench boss in Anaheim proved to be his most successful, as the Ducks won the Stanley Cup after amassing a 48-20-14 regular season record.
Boudreau was an easy going, less demanding hockey mab. His Ducks players took full advantage of his cogeniality and it got him fired. Boudreau was a “players coach” ans a polar 180 degree oppositw to Carlyle who likes to coach and motivate with a heavy hand. Bob Murray said at hia season ensing presser that he needed a coach to get his players'personalities and egos to play as one. Carlyle has coached and had success with Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Cam Fowler and Andrew Cogliano, who remain from Carlyle’s previous stint in Anaheim. Ryan Kesler and Kevin Bieksa played for Carlyle for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League in 2004-05.
On January 6, 2015, the Toronto Maple Leafs fired Carlyle triggering their tanking campaign.
On the day that Carlyle was given hia walking papers in Toronto, the Leafs were 21-16-3 and held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. However, they were 3-7-0 in their previous 10 games after starting the season at an impressive 18-9-3 clip.
Under Carlyle in 2014-15, the Maple Leafs struggled defensively throughout the season, allowing 34.4 shots per game, the second-highest total in the NHL.
Carlyle won't be asked to tank in Anaheim.
The 2016-17 Ducks will be a very competitive veteran squad. Getzlaf, Perry, Kesler, Cogliano, Bieksa, Fowler, Silfverberg, Stoner will be the veteran leadership group.
However, there will be a changing of the guard.
Defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen are pending RFA. They are going to get paid in the the $6 million AAV neighborhood over 7-8 seasons. Cam Fowler and his $4 million salary cap hit will likely be the defenseman leaving Orange County for greener pastures.
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The Buffalo Sabres will be at the front of the line of teams fighting to acquire the slick puck moving QB to their top D pair.
Sabres GM Tim Murray has been patiently and persistently pursuing a trade partner from whom he can take a left shooting, top four QB defenseman.
I've been telling you for over a year about the shadow dancing between Tim Murray and Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray. The Ducks GM scouted the Sabres in person seveal times last season. B. Murray also sent his AGM, Director Player Personnel, Director of Scouting, and Director of Player Development to Buffalo on more the one occasion during the 2025-16 season. Yes, they were scouting power winger Jamie McGinn, whom they acquired at the trade deadline. The Ducks GM and his lieutenants were also watching individual Sabres players like Girgensons.
Bob Murray is sitting on a diamond mine of young, talented defensemen right now. So many that he cannot find NHL roster spots for them all.
That is a great luxury for the Ducks to have and hold on to. However, Murray has to free up cap space to pay his pending RFAs in Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm.
Bob Murray is the owner of an embarrassment of rear guard riches which extends from Orange County to San Diego, California. Murray has quality D-men in spades on the big club with Cam Fowler, Kevin Bieksa, Sami Vatanen, Hampus Lindholm, Simon Despres, Josh Manson, Clayton Stoner, and Corbinian Holzer.
Murray also has a stash of lethal offensive/defense weapons playing in AHL San Diego in top organizational prospect Shea Theodore, and future stars Brandon Montour, and Jacob Larsson. These kids are scary good and will be stars in the NHL before too long.
Some observers, this one included, credit the dominating play of the 21 year old Theodore with turning around the fortunes of the Ducks and saving their season.
Theodore more than capably passed his NHL audition when he filled in for Fowler. Theodore was thrown from the frying pan to the fire which bought needed time for the former Windsor Spitfires star to take his time to heal completely from his knee injury.
What a revelation it was to Bob Murray and Boudreau because it opened their eyes to life without Fowler being not such a bad thing, albeit for 6 weeks and 5 games. Bob Murray, a former NHL defenseman, is one of the best GMs in the NHL and has been for a decade. He identifies great young defensive talent via scouting them live in person then he drafts them with excellent aplumb.
The fact is that the left handed Theodore is far too good a player to be playing in the AHL.
The Langley, B.C. native got a taste of the good life and wants more of it.
On December 27, the Ducks were out of a playoff spot and falling fast in from playoff contention. That was the day that Fowler suffered a knee sprain and was forced to the IR. Theodore made his NHL debut the in the Ducks' next game on December at Calgary. He scored his first NHL goal on January 13 vs. Ottawa. Theodore (2G,6A, 18:31 TOI per game) plays a mature, efficient and physical game which served as an inspiration an otherwise beaten down, struggling veteran Ducks team.
At that time, the vultures were circling over Bruce Boudreau's dome and a head coaching change appeared to be imminent. Then, the Ducks, without Fowler in the lineup, started ripping off wins and they saved their season with a huge assist to Shea Theodore thriving on the power play and at even strength.
Now may be the ideal time for Bob Murray to trade Cam Fowler away and immediately promote Shea Theodore to Anaheim on a full time basis. The kid is too good to continue to play in AHL San Diego.
Fowler plays the fast and furious brand of hockey that 29 NHL GMs are striving to copy cat from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Fowler will earn $4 million for the next two seasons. Bob Murray has to sign both of his young pending RFA D-men in Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm. Bridge deals won't get it done for Vatanen and Lindholm. They will be looking for Fowler type money. How many $4M AAV defenseman can Bob Murray keep on his roster which is already bottom heavy with NHL D-men.
Murray needs to balance out his roster at the NHL trade deadline.
Trading Fowler for a physical power forward who can create, check, kill penalties and finish at the net will be key for Bob Murray.
I used to think that the Buffalo Sabres could trade a top six forward like Tyler Ennis and a second round draft choice in exchange for Fowler. I don't think that Bob Murray is interested in the concussed Ennis, He's reportedly more intrigued by the physical center/winger Zemgus Girgensons.
The young Latvian really established himself as a relia ble, dependable 200 by 85 foot player last season under Ted Nolan. Girgensons was Buffalo's best, most engageg, and consistent performer in their season of "The Tank".
Girgensons scored 15 goals and added 15 assists in his all star season in 2013-14. Last season, Girgensons battled injuries and sinking confidence and scored just 7 goals and added only 17 assists in 71 games. He was used primarily on the wing and he played with several different line mates. What makes Zemgus so appealing to the Ducks is that he flushes the walls, wins pucks, is always above the battle and is not shy about throwing his weight around. Girgensons had 125 hits last season. He blocked 41 shots too. He had 30 takeaways, won 153 draws and lost 182 draws (45.7%).
Girgensons is a foot soldier's foot soldier. Not pretty to watch but is very noticeable by the way he batters opponents to create time and space for his line mates.
The 6'1” and 205 lb. Riga, Latvia native loves to play the grit grinder game which would give the Ducks another real threat when they play NFL football teams on ice in the LA Kings, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues. Hammering the snot out of the skilled players of the Chicago Blackhawks and Dallas Stars is the key to slowing those high octane teams down.
Girgensons, 22, was the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
There is no doubt that he figures strongly in Buffalo's future plans. However, if Tim Murray ends up landing pending UFA super star Steven Stamkos, then Girgensons would become expendable.
The Sabres are already center-rich with Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Eichel, Samson Reinhart, Larry Larsson and Zemgus Girgensons, who played most of last season on the wing. Girgensons will yell you emphatically that he is a center not a winger. Dan Bylsma says otherwise.
Signing an A-List UFA like Stamkos would add another wrinkle in the Buffalo center depth ranks. Something would have to give. I believe that Tim Murray is in the driver's seat to land Stamkos when unrestricted free agency begins on July 1. Murray has had his eagle eye on Stamkos since last June 30 when #91's no movement clause kicked in.
Trading Girgensons for Cam Fowler makes a lot of sense for the Sabres and the Ducks.
I'm a huge Zemgus fan. I think that the kid's ceiling is very high. He hasn't played his best hockey yet. He is RFA this summer.
If Tim Murray is truly serious about trading for Cam Fowler he is going to have to up the ante.
There is no denying that Dan Bylsma and Terry Murray have gotten all that they can from their 8 man D corps this season. Simply put, the Sabres need a better left D to playing for 25+ minutes alongside wunderkind Rasmus Ristolainen. Josh Gorges has done a great job showing Risto the ropes, however, his 31 year old legs can't continue to work in the mid to high 20s in terms of TOI per game. Cam Fowler's 23 year old legs can do just that, and more.
If Murray and Murray can consumate a trade for Fowler it would give Bylsma a top D pair capable of skating 25+ minutes TOI per night, QB'ing the PP while scoring 45-60 points per season.
Talk about weapons if mass destruction!
Did you see how Kris Letang positively impacted the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs? Cam Fowler can distribute, create, defend and s ore the same way. That is why Dan Bylsma and Tim Murray love the kid. He is the QB the Sabres have been searching for to distribute pucks to ROR, Eichel, Reinhart, EKane, Moulson, Gionta and the Buffalo forwards.
For all that and more, I'm wolling to trade Zemgus Girgensons and a second rounder to Anaheim.
How about you?
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