2010-11 NHL Season Preview: Anaheim Ducks

Now three seasons removed from winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, the Anaheim Ducks have become a victim of the NHL salary cap. Key players from the 2007-08 Stanley Cup run like Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Chris Kunitz, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Andy McDonald are all gone, leaving the Anaheim Ducks essentially in rebuilding mode.

Solid Forwards
Somehow, the Anaheim Ducks have still managed to maintain a great forward group that easily ranks among the best in the NHL. The top line of Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry is one of the most dynamic lines in the NHL. They can check, score and grind, which is very rare for the top players.

From there, the second line is comprised of veterans in Teemu Selanne, Saku Koivu and Jason Blake. Jason Blake was added at the 2010 NHL Trade deadline and put up 15 points in 26 games with the Ducks last season. That production should, at the very least, remain steady, though a small spike could occur if everything lands correctly.

The biggest thing that needs to go right is a full (or near full) season from Teemu Selanne. When Selanne is on the ice he is still one of the best scorers in the NHL. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2007, though, Teemu Selanne has missed 101 games in three seasons. Selanne will need to remain healthy for the Anaheim Ducks to recover from their terrible 2009-10 NHL season.

Saku Koivu turned out to be an excellent pick up by the Anaheim Ducks last year. The long time Montreal Canadiens captain provided great leadership when the Ducks found themselves in difficult situations, and combined with Bobby Ryan and rookie Dan Sexton to create another great scoring line for the Ducks. By the end of the season Koivu had amassed a team leading +14 rating. Look for more consistent play from Saku Koivu in 2010-11.

Defensive Shakeup
The forwards might be the same, but the defense will look radically different. The Anaheim Ducks won the Stanley Cup due in part to the help of surefire Hall of Famers Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger. Pronger was traded before last season, and Scott Niedermayer opted for retirement over the 2010 NHL off-season. That is very bad news for the Ducks, as they no longer can lay claim to the most fearsome defense in hockey.

Lubomir Visnovsky will be leading the charge, and the Ducks could certainly do a lot worse than Visnovsky. He is an excellent offensive defenseman, but he sometimes loses sight of the defensive game.

Toni Lydman will be expected to cover the defensive end. The former Buffalo Sabres d-man was another free agent signing, and is a solid player to provide the Anaheim Ducks support. Lydman will not be a game changer, though a combination with fellow stay-at-home defenseman Sheldon Brookbank could be a great shutdown pair.

For the most part, the Anaheim Ducks will be hoping to fill their defense with young players in the hope that something pays off. The Ducks hit the jackpot at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft when they got Dan Fowler with their first pick. Fowler was projected to go in the top five, so there is probably a good chance Dan Fowler will see at least some playing time in the NHL this season.

Luca Sbisa is another young player who will look to step into the NHL. While not a rookie (Sbisa played 37 games with the Philadelphia Flyers two seasons ago), Luca Sbisa is fairly unproven at the NHL level, but has a ton of potential. An extra year of development will no doubt have been beneficial to Sbisa, and a spot in the top two defensive pairs should not be out of the question.

Rebound?
The Anaheim Ducks missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-05 NHL lockout last season. It was just the continuation of the slump the Ducks had experienced since running into salary cap issues after winning the Stanley Cup (take heed, Chicago Blackhawks).

Unlike other teams in similar situations, though, the Anaheim Ducks have not declared themselves to be rebuilding, even though the makeup of the team has changed radically. It is clear that the focus has changed from defense to offense, especially building around Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry. Getzlaf was derailed last season by an ankle injury, but should be good to go for 2010-11. That is a dangerous proposition for any opposing teams.

What the Ducks will need to avoid if they want to get back into the playoffs is an over-reliance on goaltender Jonas Hiller. Hiller is a great goalie, and stole a lot of games last season, but the Ducks will not have Jean-Sebastien Giguere to fill in when Jonas Hiller gets tired any more. The Ducks routinely let Hiller handle 30 or more shots per game last season, which is not a good way to go if you want success.

The difference between last year and this year will be health. Having Ryan Getzlaf in the line-up all year will make a big difference, as will having Teemu Selanne around if he can at least make it to 65 games.

One injury from last season that often goes overlooked is Ducks enforcer George Parros missing 25 games. Parros is a tough guy, but he has also registered a +15 plus/minus rating over the last three seasons. Parros is an underrated defensive forward, and other teams let him get away with it because of the enforcer label.

The Anaheim Ducks are not down with the changes. The 2011 NHL trade deadline will no doubt be an active one for the Ducks. Still, the Anaheim Ducks are a tough team, and a late surging team who are more dangerous if their sneak their way into the playoffs than if they find success all year.

Predicted Standings
Pacific Division: 3^rd
Western Conference: 8^th
NHL: 13^th

Depth Chart

Forwards
Bobby Ryan - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Jason Blake - Saku Koivu - Teemu Selanne
Matt Beleskey - Kyle Chipchura - Dan Sexton
Aaron Voros - Todd Marchant - George Parros
Troy Bodie - Ryan Carter - Joffrey Lupul (IR)

Defense
Lubomir Visnovsky - Toni Lydman
Sheldon Brookbank - Andy Sutton
Luca Sbisa - Danny Syvret
Dan Fowler - Brett Festerling

Goaltenders
Jonas Hiller
Curtis McElhinney
Timo Pielmeier

Sources

http://www.nhl.com
http://www.tsn.ca
http://www.espn.com
http://www.hockeydb.com
http://www.nhlnumbers.com