This is the second Q&A Dan Wood has conducted with me. His insights into the Ducks are very appreciated.
Q: Many fans are worried about who the Ducks will lose in the expansion draft. Are the players who could be exposed just as concerned?
A: Honestly, I haven’t heard a single word from any player regarding the upcoming expansion draft. Then again, I haven’t asked any of them, or been around if anyone else has asked them. I really don’t think it’s too heavy on their radar screens, though. I’m sure they’re all aware of it, but as for being concerned about potentially being selected by Vegas, I imagine that would come up after the season ends, if at all. It’s similar to the possibility for a player of being traded. That possibility is always there, so an expansion draft really doesn’t add all that much more likelihood that a player will be changing addresses.
I will say this. Understanding the fans’ angst about potentially losing a player the Ducks would prefer not to lose, I think the situation will work itself out. Obviously, every team is going to lose a player, and in the case of the Ducks, it will probably be a pretty decent player. But I think the Ducks will find a way to protect the guys they really want, and need, to protect.
Q: In an effort to save as much cap space as possible, GM Bob Murray has had Shea Theodore on the Anaheim – San Diego shuttle. How has Theodore handled the situation?
A: Good question. I haven’t specifically talked to Shea about this, but ironically, I did chat with Stefan Noesen about it shortly before New Jersey claimed him on waivers. Noesen totally understood the situation, why he was repeatedly being assigned to San Diego and recalled. He said that Bob Murray had been real good about explaining everything to him, and Noesen didn’t seem to have a problem with it at all. I would have to think Theodore’s outlook would be similar. These guys understand what’s going on. Having said that, I certainly think it’s fair to say that Theodore’s development this season probably hasn’t been as rapid as he and the Ducks had hoped. Could the yo-yo between San Diego and Anaheim have anything to do with that? Perhaps, but by his own admission, Theodore didn’t perform particularly well in training camp, so this all goes back well before the multiple trips between Anaheim and San Diego.
Q: Speaking of handling a difficult situation, how has Sami Vatanen responded to his healthy scratch against Winnipeg?
A: Really, it’s probably too early to say, given that Vatanen, and the Ducks, have played only one game since he was a healthy scratch in Winnipeg. And that game, Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to visiting Edmonton, wasn’t a particularly good one for anyone. I thought Vatanen was OK in that game, certainly better than he had been in his previous game, when he was on the ice for all five goals against and finished minus-4 in a 5-3 loss at Minnesota on Jan. 21. The thing that concerns me about Vatanen is that going all the way back to when I first saw him play on television for Team Finland in the World Junior Championships, he’s always had an incredibly dynamic element to his game. He’s always been a player who tried to go out and win a game, as opposed to a player who was trying not to lose a game. And this season, that dynamic element hasn’t showed up much at all. That puzzles me. I think Vatanen needs to get back to being a bit more daring on the ice, more creative, trying to make things happen offensively. Perhaps this is the same thing that happens to virtually all young defensemen, especially those who have early offensive success. They later get so caught up in trying to be responsible defensively that their offensive game suffers. It usually happens earlier in one’s career, but I don’t have any other explanation.
Q: Antoine Vermette has become an important part of the Ducks. What can you say about his mentoring of the young forwards (Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase) on his line?
A: I can’t say enough about the positive impact I think Antoine Vermette has had on the Ducks. In addition to solid play and mindboggling faceoff success, I definitely agree with the idea that he has been a very good influence on younger players, particularly his usual linemates, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase. I certainly don’t think the success that Ritchie and Kase have had is unrelated to playing with Vermette. Vermette is a very positive personality, a fun guy to be around and, yet, a solid veteran who understands what it takes to have success in the NHL. I believe it was a tremendous offseason signing for the Ducks to get Vermette.
Q: At the break, the Ducks rank 19th in goals scored. What player do you expect to have a second half breakthrough and why?
A: I’m not really sure what I expect, but the obvious answer as far as who the Ducks need to provide more offense the rest of the way is Corey Perry and, to a lesser extent, Ryan Getzlaf. I don’t think the Ducks can possibly expect any more offense than what they’ve gotten from Ryan Kesler, Jakob Silfverberg, Andrew Cogliano and Rickard Rakell. That leaves Perry and Getzlaf among top-six forwards. And I don’t know that it’s realistic to expect more offense from bottom-six forwards, including Ritchie. Getzlaf has actually been pretty good this season, except in the goal-scoring column. That’s never been his No. 1 strength, but on this team, at this time, the Ducks simply have to have more goal-scoring from Getzlaf. And clearly, Perry is way off his average career numbers. The hope is that as the season progresses into the final stages, those two players will step up. If not, the Ducks aren’t going to go very far.
Thanks again to Dan for his time and candor.