Gunner Staal

@gunnerstaal @Hockey_Hurts hockeyhurts.com Rochester, NY • United States • 30 Years Old • Male

Murray desperate

Bob Murray has recently made comments saying that anybody is available for trade on the Ducks roster with the exception of Selanne and Koivu (both have NTC and are not expected to waive).

This hypothetically would mean that Getzlaf, Perry, and Ryan would all be available on the trade market.

Any potential move with those core players I perceive as a desperate attempt by Murray to save his own job. Those are the kind of players that other teams are desperate to acquire to help build their organizations, why would you trade any of them? Especially given their extremely friendly cap hits for what they bring. All extremely gifted in the skill, grit, and compete level departments with a positive track record.

The current season for the Ducks is lost. There is no way around that. No matter what extreme trades they make they are not going to make the playoffs. Any moves Murray makes to the core forward group at this point is not for the betterment of the Ducks franchise long term, but for his short term job status.

You can make the argument that tweaks to the Ducks roster are not enough at this point to get them back on track long term, you would be correct. Good thing the Ducks have about 19M in cap space opening up this off season if they choose to use it. That is more than enough to change the dynamic of the team. Their second line of Selanne, Koivu, and Blake is a combined 116 years old (Selanne is obviously not an issue). Use the cap space to get some younger players in the top 6 to compliment the RPG line.

Any trade involving somebody from their big 3 is going to be extremely tough to get equal value, let alone equal cap value back. Most players that are equal value to the caliber of player on the RPG line do not come with equal cap hits, the Ducks would be more than likely inheriting more cap hit back. I just don’t see how trading recent Gold/Silver medalists, and Stanley Cup champions, who are young and in their prime, helps you.

Another variable that the Ducks need to be sensitive to is player name recognition given their market. Selanne and Kariya are obviously at the top of the list for the Anaheim franchise, but after this year Selanne will most likely be gone. You are left with the RPG line that can carry that same kind of player/fan relationship that has been in place with somebody like Selanne/Kariya. Aside from the actual on ice product I think moving any of those players would be a mistake for off ice reasons.

Time to start thinking about canning the GM in Anaheim, not their young star players. Wait until July 1 and make the appropriate changes without losing major assets.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to leave a comment.