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His Anaheim Dicks have scored just 60 goal sin 32 games played. They have given up 82 goals in 32 games. Their goal differential is -22.
Bob Murray should just rip off the bandage one and for all.
His Anaheim Ducks have become the NHL's most inconsistent, enigmatic club.
What the hell happened to the Ducks team that was one win away from representing the Western Conference in the 2015 Stanley Cup Finals?
The 2015-16 Ducks are pathetic and they are about to get their head coach, Bruce Boudreau, fired.
The Ducks have now lost two of the first three games on this Eastern roadie.
Anaheim is now in last place in the Western Conference standings as well as last out of seven teams in the highly competitive Pacific Division.
The Ducks lost 5-2 in Brooklyn on Monday night after winning in Newark on Saturday night. The Ducks kicked this critical four game road trip with a 3-0 shutout loss in Buffalo last Thursday night.
Boudreau said after the loss that "Every mistake we make seems to end up in the back of our net".
He's correct.
The Anaheim D and forwards are making the types of dopey mistakes that house hockey and bar league hockey teams make. The alarming thing is that this madness has been allowed to go on for months.
Couple the stupid mental mistakes with an abhorrent lack of goal scoring and you have the 2015-16 Anaheim Ducks.
The Ducks leadership group of players seem content to allow the same dumb players to make the same dumb mistakes night after night.
It is amazing to me that Bob Murray hasn't finally flipped his lid and traded a player or two yet. NHL trade freeze went into effect at midnight on 12/29 and will end on 12/27.
After the moratorium ends, I fully expect Bob Murray to make a dramatic move. I think he will trade a big name player before he fires Bruce Boudreau.
The Ducks need electroshock therapy in the form of a massive trade to stop the bleeding and to correct the malaise that has befallen this once great team.
On Monday, Freddy Andersen, who got the start for Anaheim in Brooklyn.
The once great Dane allowed 3 quick goals on the first 11 shots he faced in the first period and qas quickly hooked by Boudreau and replaced by John Gibson to start the second period.
Three goals in five minutes is not a good luck for Andersen, who just got his net back on Saturday night after having to sit out eight straight games while Gibson played in his place.
Earlier this month, Andersen was forced to sit out a week with a bad strain of the flu.
That illness forced the Ducks to recall Gibson from AHL San Diego, which allowed Gibson to run with the starting gig — which eventually forced the club to keep their prized goalie prospect at the NHL level, and waive/demote veteran backup Anton Khudobin.
The Ducks play the NY Rangers on Tuesday night.
A loss will all but guarantee a huge trade will be made. Which Duck player could be on the move?
At this point in the season, I would say that the only two "untouchables": in Anaheim are Corey Perry and Johns Gibson. All others are fair game, including captain Ryan Getzlaf who has one goal in 28 games this season. Yes, it was an empty net goal, too.
Who knows, Bob Murray may trade a big name player and can Boudreau at the same time.
Thanks, Ducks TV
***
Ryan Johansen improved his trade value by crushing Ian Cole of the Penguins through the glass on Monday night.
Johansen has been a frequent flyer in John Tortarella's doghouse for two months. "Joey", as his soon-to-be ex Columbus teammates call him, was against his will a healthy scratch last week.
Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen supported Torts' decision to scratch the 23 year old power forward. Kekalainen to the Columbus Dispatch that “sometimes a message has to be hard, and it’s obviously a hard message when a player is scratched.…
Johansen sat out two games as a healthy scratch.
Joey to Jarmo and Torts: "I got your hard message right here!!!"
Watch Johansen crush Penguins defenseman Ian Cole through the glass with a a rarely used body check. Johansen is 6'3" and 225 lbs. and should be finishing all of his checks like the one that sent Cole into the expensive seat.
Johansen hits Cole and the glass comes loose pic.twitter.com/5YGmrlX377
— Stephanie (@myregularface) December 22, 2015Thanks, Stephanie @myregularface
If Johansen keeps playing this way he will punch his ticket straight outta CBUS sooner than.
There are plenty of NHL clubs who are looking to add a big, skilled, snarly center at or before the February 29 NHL trade deadline.
Buffalo, Montreal, Nashville, Anaheim, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Florida are all looking to add a top six forward.
Johansen is a $4 million AAV this season and next. He will eligible to become RFA in July 2017.
**
Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray, his head coach Dan Bylsma, and their players are on well deserved holidays right now.
The pesky Sabres are a .500 team at the NHL Christmas break and have surprised more than a few critics with their new and improved brand of of hockey in their first 34 games this season.
Murray has been searching high and low since July for a left handed D-man to help add scoring and defensive depth to his already impressive blue line. He is committed to making a trade or two to improve his club moving forward. Murray has $9.5 million in salary cap space to invest in a difference making blue liner. He has some forward depth, prospects and premium draft choices to use as trade currency.
Murray and his 29 NHL GM counterparts are in the midst of the NHL trade freeze which will thaw on December 27. I fully and completely expect Murray to be active and aggressive leading up to the February 29 NHL trade deadline.
It will not surprise me in the least if Murray makes a trade in early January to send the message to his young team that he believes enough in them enough to trade assets for a players or two who can help the Sabres to rack up points and improve their win-loss record now.
The Eastern Conference is a dog's breakfast right now. There is no clear cut favorite team other than the Washington Capitals. Tampa, NY Rangers, Montreal, Detroit, Boston, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Philly, NY Islanders, and Florida are no great shakes right now.
Murray and Bylsma need to seize the day and add a piece or two that can help them to take advantage of the struggling Eastern opponents that await the Sabres in the new year.
The Sabres are just six points out of eighth place and the final Eastern Conference playoff spot right now.
Now that the Buffalo bills are knocked out of the NFL playoffs, Murray may want to reward the die hard Sabres and Bills fans that there is still a team worth shouting for in playoffs starved Buffalo.
Murray has $9.5 million in salary cap space and he is not afraid to use it.
Here is my holiday wish list for left D:
Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks
You should know my feelings by now on this big, strong, skilled left-handed D-man. Fowler can do it all. He can do it all very well. He has 78 hits and 53 blocked shots this season. He is a perennial 30-40 point threat who plays in all key situations. He averages 23 minutes TOI per game. He just turned 24 years old and is about to take his game to a whole new level.
Fowler is earning $4 million this season and for the next two seasons after this one.
If he is so great why would Anaheim trade him?
The Ducks are a mess right now. There are too many alpha dogs in their room and there is a serious disconnect between their coaching staff and their largely veteran group. The Ducks, on the lap top screen appear to be powerhouse. Were it not for a Game 7 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Western Confernce Finals, the Ducks would have played the Tampa Lightning in the Cup Finals. This season's troubles cannot be laid at Fowler's skates. He is one of the few bright spots on the Ducks blue line. The emergence of young blue liners Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen is a positive development for the Ducks, who also have top prospect Shea Theodore waituing in the AHL San Diego. Theodore is a rock solid prospect who should be in the NHL right now. He, like Fowler, is also a lefty. Trading Fowler for a top six forward would create an immediate roster spot for Theodore to play right away in Anaheim.
The Ducks re a team in need of some serious shock therapy to shake up the status quo. Trading Fowler would send a definite message to the rest of the roster that nobody is untouchable.
Jack Johnson, Columbus Blue Jackets
Big, work horse lefty who can play in all situations. Johnsion currently has 46 hits and 41 blocked shots.
The 28 year old veteran D recorder 40 points last season and 32 points the season before last. He is presently leading the Blue Jax with 25:20 TOI per game.
Has a $4,357,142 cap hit for this and the next two seasons.
Ryan Murray, Columbus Blue Jax
The 22 year old slick left handed puck transporter with speed to burn. He was the second overall pick in the 2012 NHL Draft. In 35 games this season, Murray has 3 goals and 10 assists. He projects to be a 35-40 point per season D. Murray has 19 hits and 61 bloicked shots this season. Murray is an even player, which is a remarkable accomplishment considering his Blue Jax team has been a mess.
He is in the final season of his entry level contract and will be RFA in July.
Why would Jarmo Kekalainen trade Johnson or Murray now?
The Blue Jackets are a huge disappointment and they have an obvious chemistry and compete issue. Now would be a great time to tear it down to studs and compete for Auston Matthews in the NHL Draft Lottery.
Alex Goligoski, Dallas Stars
This 30 year old puck mover is well known to Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma. Goligoski was a second round draft pick of the Penguins in the 2004 NHL Draft. He cut his teeth in Wilkes-Barre and played three solid seasons with the Penguins before moving on to the Dallas Stars. Goligoski averages 23:27 TOI per game this season, will succeed in all situations, and is a respected, competent puck mover who will give you 30-40 points per season. Goligoski has 41 hits and 65 blocked shots this season.
Goligoski will be UFA in July and is earning $4.6 million this season.
Why would the Stars trade Goligoski now?
Jim Nill is looking to add another skilled forward to his top nine group. The Stars have solid depth on their blue line. It's not likely that the Stars will re-sign Goligoski to a multi-year extension for north of $4.6 million oper season before he hits unrestricted free agency.
Erik Gudbranson, Florida Panthers
Imagine the Buffalo Sabres adding Zach Bogosian clone to their blue line before the NHL trade deadline. Gudbranson leads the Florida Panthers with 84 hits and 41 blocked shots this season. This 23 year old towering (6'5…, 220 lbs.), multi-tool D-man is a righty by nature, however, can play the left side as well. He averages 20:09 TOI per game, and was the third overall pick in the 2010 NHL Draft. He is a stout defender who still has a high offensive ceiling. Gudbranson can and should be a 25-35 point getter this point in his NHL career. He would thrive under the tutelage of Sabres D boss Terry Murray.
Gudbranson will be RFA in July and is currently earning $2.5 million.
Why would the Panthers trade Gudbranson now?
Their GM Dale Talon is currently scouring the NHL for another top six forward. When he was the AGM in Ottawa, Tim Murray scouted Gudbranson closely when he played with the Kingston Frontenacs. He is a Tim Murray type of player: big, mena, tough as nails and skilled.
Mathias Ekholm, Nashville Predators
On most other teams in the NHL Ekholm would be a top pair, go-to guy. Not in Nashville where the big Swede has to play in the large shadows cast by Sghea Weber, Roman Jossi, Seth Jones, and Ryan Ellis. Ekholm plays well is all situations and is Mr. Reliable. He has 30 hits and 31 blocked shots this season. He averages 18:09 TOI. He has 10 points in 34 games this season and could easily achieve more points production with more 5-v-5 and PP TOI.
Ekholm, 25, earns $1,037,540 this season and has be signed to a 6 year, $22.5 million contract extension ($3.75M AAV).
Why would David Poile trade Ekholm now?
The Preds are a Western Conference powerhouse right now and are looking to add another top six forward.
Jonas Brodin, Minnesota Wild
Brodin, 25, has it all: size, strength, skill, and a left-handed shot that is hard and accurate. He is a solid defender who can play in all situations. With additional TOI on PP, he can boost his point totals into the 30s or 40s. He averages 21 minutes TOI per game, has 13 hits and 35 blocks this season.
So why would Chuck Fletcher trade Brodin now?
Living in the shadows of Ryan Suter isn't easy for a 22 year old defender. Marco Scandella is locked in to along term contract. Youngsters Jared Spurgeon and Matt Dumba will be RFA's this summer, however, will be re-signed to long term extensions in the new year. Where does that leave Brodin, who is on year one of a six year, $25 million contract extensions ($4,166,666 AAV).