On the Anaheim Ducks …
Craig Custance of ESPN: Looking at areas that Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray should focus on this offseason.
- Go after Jonathan Drouin – If there is an expansion draft next year, they won’t be able to keep both John Gibson and Frederik Andersen. They won’t be able to keep all of their young defensemen. The Ducks should move a defenseman for a high-end forward. The Oilers will call be calling Ducks, but if they aren’t offering Taylor Hall, Jonathan Drouin may be the better option.
- If expansion, trade a goalie – The Ducks can only protect one goalie, so either Gibson or Andersen should be moved. It could be a buyers market this offseason. They should be calling the Flames who are looking for a goalie.
- Long-term deal for Hampus Lindholm – GM Murray may have to chose between re-signing Lindholm and Sami Vatanen. The Ducks should try for eight-years, but a six-year deal is more likely. Though Oliver Ekman-Larsson signed his deal in 2013, his $5.5 million cap hit could be a comparable.
On the Eric Staal …
Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo! Sports: Eric Staal knows that he might have to move his family this offseason and that he’s not getting close to the $9.5 million base salary he made this past season. The 31-year old is hoping to get a chance in a teams top-six.
“I’ve played in the league long enough. You want to be comfortably where you are, but I want to be in a role where I’m counted on. I don’t need to be ‘the’ guy,” he said.
“I think I can have a good bunch of years left. I can be effective offensively, more than I have been. I can be better. But I have to stay confident and know that I have the ability to be a difference-maker on an important team, in a larger role.”
When asked about heading back to Carolina.
“I’m not going to close the doors on anything,” he said. ” kind of just see how things play out here.”