Ana-who? A look at the Ducks’ roster, past, present and future.

After a curious deadline day, I look at the Anaheim Ducks’ roster and I’m at a loss for words. Is this the same Ducks team that I wildly cheered on as they powered their way to a Stanley Cup Championship just two years ago? Quite frankly, no, it is not.

First, let’s look at the 26 names eternally engraved on a ring of Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Goalies:
Giguere, Bryzgalov
Defensemen:
Beauchemin, DiPenta, Huskins, Jackman, S. Niedermayer, O’Donnell, Pronger
Forwards:
Carter, Getzlaf, Kunitz, Marchant, May, McDonald, Miller, Moen, Motzko, R. Niedermayer, Pahlsson, Parros, Penner, Perry, Selanne, Shannon, Thornton



Two years later, only twelve—count them, twelve—remain on the Ducks, and one of those (Drew Miller) is still being yanked back and forth between the AHL and the big club.
A look at those that remain: Giguere, Beauchemin, S. Niedermayer, Pronger, Carter, Getzlaf, Marchant, Parros, Perry, Selanne.
The rest of the current roster (according to http://ducks.nhl.com 3/7/2009) is as follows: Bodie, Brookbank, Brown, Christensen, Ebbett, Festerling, Hedican, Hiller, Larsen, Nokelainen, Ryan, Whitney, Wisniewski.

Now let’s look at the status of this team going into next season. The Ducks have 16 players (10 forwards, 4 defensemen, and 2 goalies) locked up for next year. 6 are currently headed for unrestricted free agency, and 6 (3 of which are minor-leaguers) are restricted free agents.
Without regard to potential trades, the Ducks locked in for next year are: Beauchemin, Belesky, Brookbank, Carter, Ebbett, Getzlaf, Giguere, Hiller, Mikkelson, Miller, Nokelainen, Parros, Perry, Pronger, Ryan, Selanne, Whitney.

For 2010-2011: Belesky, Carter, Getzlaf, Giguere, Parros, Perry, Whitney.

This means next year (again disregarding potential trades and re-signings), only 9 Ducks remain of the 26 members of the Cup team. The year after, only 5.

What does this mean for the Ducks? Youth. Restructuring. Rebuilding. A fresh start. However you want to look at it, it means change. As much as I would have loved to keep that Cup team in tact for ever and ever, I have to accept this for what it is. Yes, it killed me when the Ducks started disappearing, starting with those who didn’t re-sign after 2007, to the Andy Mac trade last year, to the recent deadline day deals. However, this is also an exciting time for Ducks fans. With so few players locked in for the upcoming years, Ducks management will be busy bringing in new players from free agency, trades, minor league affiliates, and draft picks. No, this will not be the same team that we have gotten used to, but with patience, hopefully it can grow into another special group of Ducks.

The Cruel Question Mark

per Link, rumor has it that Chris Pronger to Boston is a done deal. In summary, here is what it looks like:

Bruins get: Pronger and Moen

Ducks get: An unnamed Bruins roster player, Stuart, Colborne, and a first rounder in '10

Seeing that the Ducks are on the verge of an implosion, the identity of this roster player is VERY important. Having sources tease us like this is just plain cruel. Having said this, let's try to narrow down some possibilities as to who it might be:

First, it is useful to compare this deal to the one the Ducks made a few years ago. To recap:

Oilers get: Lupul, Smid, a first rounder, a second rounder and another conditional first.

Ducks get: Pronger

I find that the comparison to the Oilers trade works because despite the fact that Pronger has a few years burned off his contract and is a few years older (both of which should decrease his trade value), he is fresh off winning a cup and is being dealt in a deadline deal to a team I will call the cup favorites (both of which should increase his value). Having said this, I feel we can eliminate the first rounders right off the bat. We are left with:

Oilers get: Lupul, Smid, a second rounder and a conditional first.

Ducks get: Pronger

Bruins get: Pronger and Moen

Ducks get: An unnamed Bruins roster player, Stuart, Colborne

Using math, we can probably get away with doing this:

Bruins get: Lupul, Smid, Moen, a second rounder and a conditional first

Ducks get: An unnamed Bruins roster player, Stuart, Colborne

Now I am of the thought that Lupul was worth more in 2006 that Colborne is worth now and that Moen is worth more than Stuart. I think these are pretty safe assertions seeing that Lupul was hot off stellar playoff runs at so young an age, proving that he was a solid first round pick (a title he continues to uphold). Sure, Colborne is averaging a PPG in his first year in college and that definitely points to his panning out to be a solid first round pick of his own. Having said this, he is still a prospect. Moen, on the other hand, has proven to be tight in the defensive end and has proven that he is a consistent playoff performer that can skate with the best. I think Stuart has yet to show the league that he is underrated. In other words, this mystery player from the Bruins had better be worth at least a B level defensive prospect, a second rounder, and a conditional first at the very least.

After losing Kunitz, I think it might be safe to say that Mr. Question Mark is a forward.
Possibilities include: Wheeler, Kobasew, Kessel, Krejci, or Lucic. Should the Ducks receive anybody worse than the 5 named here, I would consider the Bruins to have robbed us. Out of the 5, getting Kessel may be a long shot (but hey, I'd love to have him) so it is more likely the other four. Who is worth at least a defensive prospect, a second and a conditional first?, I'd say Wheeler or Lucic. However, no way Lucic goes because he is signed into next year for pennies. Thus, fair value states we'd probably get Blake Wheeler.

However, I'm going to factor in my rose colored glasses and predict that the Ducks will get Chuck Kobasew. I think we'd be getting the short end of the stick if we got him, but I'd rather be either right or pleasantly surprised.

You heard it here first folks:

Bruins get: Pronger and Moen

Ducks get: Kobasew, Stuart, Colborne, and a first rounder in '10


PS. If I get this right, Murray owes me an internship.