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Speculation: 2023-24 Roster Thread

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KaseMeOutside said:
Drysdale has barely played the last 2 years, I wouldn't be counting on him for anything he's probably the one that should be on the trade block
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FiveHoleTickler said:
I think you're an outlier on this one. Most here have said repeatedly that he could be a top 6 option if given better linemates. While I don't agree with that either, I do think he's a useful player with some offensive upside.

The shooting percentage fluke you alluded to is absolutely an outlier, but I think that was enough of an indication to show that he's capable of producing at a decent pace for a third line center.

He's also responsible with the puck, which I think will fit well with what Cronin is trying to instill in this team.

Also, I think you're exacerbating a lot of the negatives you see in his game. His hands aren't on Zegras' level or anything, but slightly better than Max Jones' is a bit of a ridiculous take in my opinion.
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Perhaps my analysis of his hands is overly harsh, but I think seeing him as a top 6 option is just as ridiculous. He doesn't provide physicality on the forecheck, and even if his hands aren't awful, his shot is just ok. And his instincts and playmaking ability in the offensive zone seem to be virtually non-existent.

However, even if you ignore all of that, there's the claim that he's a good defensive center. At best, he's below average. He's ok. Maybe. His shot/chance suppression numbers are all mediocre, but only if you compare them to other Ducks. When compared to the league as a whole, they're not good. And when his offensive production at even strength is as bad as it is, he needs to be a very good, if not elite, defensive center to be a useful player on a good team. Among forwards who played more than 500 minutes for the Ducks from 2020 - 2022 (three seasons, including his good one), he's 15 out of 19 in expected goals for, ahead of Deslauriers, Silf, Leason, and Carrick. If he's that bad on offense, he needs to be great on defense to provide positive value. As it is, he's just fine on defense.

I will grant that there are mitigating factors. His coach, his linemates, and his usage could all be pointed to as reasons for the bad stats. Because of that, I'm fine with seeing what he can do under Cronin, perhaps with some different linemates. But I don't have much hope that he's going to be a useful 3C on a good team.
 
Assuming Lundy comes back next month, I'd like to see what he does the last few weeks of this season and bring him back next season to see if he has another step. The Ducks will have depth and good D (assuming everyone is healthy) so he should have a good opportunity. I think the only time he's had good line mates was when he had Rakell and Comtois? Even though he wasn't getting many points, that line produced. Hopefully in a depth role with good players (especially if we run 3 scoring lines), hopefully he can produce or show he can be a really good defensive/PK forward.
 
JAHV said:
Perhaps my analysis of his hands is overly harsh, but I think seeing him as a top 6 option is just as ridiculous. He doesn't provide physicality on the forecheck, and even if his hands aren't awful, his shot is just ok. And his instincts and playmaking ability in the offensive zone seem to be virtually non-existent.

However, even if you ignore all of that, there's the claim that he's a good defensive center. At best, he's below average. He's ok. Maybe. His shot/chance suppression numbers are all mediocre, but only if you compare them to other Ducks. When compared to the league as a whole, they're not good. And when his offensive production at even strength is as bad as it is, he needs to be a very good, if not elite, defensive center to be a useful player on a good team. Among forwards who played more than 500 minutes for the Ducks from 2020 - 2022 (three seasons, including his good one), he's 15 out of 19 in expected goals for, ahead of Deslauriers, Silf, Leason, and Carrick. If he's that bad on offense, he needs to be great on defense to provide positive value. As it is, he's just fine on defense.

I will grant that there are mitigating factors. His coach, his linemates, and his usage could all be pointed to as reasons for the bad stats. Because of that, I'm fine with seeing what he can do under Cronin, perhaps with some different linemates. But I don't have much hope that he's going to be a useful 3C on a good team.
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I also agree that him being a top 6 option is ridiculous. IIRC, a lot of the posters saying that were also suggesting Comtois was bound for 2nd line duties. Take that for what it's worth.

I think you hit the nail on the head when you mention mitigating factors in regards to his statistics. Another one for me that is his offensive zone starts through his career is under 40%. I doubt very many players have positive metrics with that kind of deployment.

He'll have a new coach and better linemates, so I'm hopeful and optimistic he'll trend towards being a positive impact player.
 
JAHV said:
Perhaps my analysis of his hands is overly harsh, but I think seeing him as a top 6 option is just as ridiculous. He doesn't provide physicality on the forecheck, and even if his hands aren't awful, his shot is just ok. And his instincts and playmaking ability in the offensive zone seem to be virtually non-existent.

However, even if you ignore all of that, there's the claim that he's a good defensive center. At best, he's below average. He's ok. Maybe. His shot/chance suppression numbers are all mediocre, but only if you compare them to other Ducks. When compared to the league as a whole, they're not good. And when his offensive production at even strength is as bad as it is, he needs to be a very good, if not elite, defensive center to be a useful player on a good team. Among forwards who played more than 500 minutes for the Ducks from 2020 - 2022 (three seasons, including his good one), he's 15 out of 19 in expected goals for, ahead of Deslauriers, Silf, Leason, and Carrick. If he's that bad on offense, he needs to be great on defense to provide positive value. As it is, he's just fine on defense.

I will grant that there are mitigating factors. His coach, his linemates, and his usage could all be pointed to as reasons for the bad stats. Because of that, I'm fine with seeing what he can do under Cronin, perhaps with some different linemates. But I don't have much hope that he's going to be a useful 3C on a good team.
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If Ducks run 3 scoring lines with Leo, McTavish, and Zegras down the middle, I don't see a role for Lundestrom moving forward. He's fast and can carry the puck. Not much happens once he gets into the O zone. If he can become a good PK'er and the Ducks try to establish a legit shut down third line, maybe. I see Gaucher passing him on the depth chart in a year or two. Just as much offense (maybe more?) plus size and physicality.
 
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Rooch said:
Are we certain that Vaaks is the d-man most likely to sit in the press box given Drysdale's return? I feel he's been much more solid and consistent than LaCombe.
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He was the 7th dman in practice yesterday. I am personally OK with rotating Vaak and LaCombe in the short term. If one outplays the other, then that player can get more games down the road. And if Vaak outplays LaCombe, I would be fine with sending him down to San Diego for a bit and bringing up Hagg to sit in the press box.
 
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Rooch said:
Are we certain that Vaaks is the d-man most likely to sit in the press box given Drysdale's return? I feel he's been much more solid and consistent than LaCombe.
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The team seems pretty high on LaCombe, considering he and Luneau both got placed on the top pairing and Vaaks has never even gotten a look there. I would be shocked if they thought Vaaks should play over him.
 
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JAHV said:
Perhaps my analysis of his hands is overly harsh, but I think seeing him as a top 6 option is just as ridiculous. He doesn't provide physicality on the forecheck, and even if his hands aren't awful, his shot is just ok. And his instincts and playmaking ability in the offensive zone seem to be virtually non-existent.

However, even if you ignore all of that, there's the claim that he's a good defensive center. At best, he's below average. He's ok. Maybe. His shot/chance suppression numbers are all mediocre, but only if you compare them to other Ducks. When compared to the league as a whole, they're not good. And when his offensive production at even strength is as bad as it is, he needs to be a very good, if not elite, defensive center to be a useful player on a good team. Among forwards who played more than 500 minutes for the Ducks from 2020 - 2022 (three seasons, including his good one), he's 15 out of 19 in expected goals for, ahead of Deslauriers, Silf, Leason, and Carrick. If he's that bad on offense, he needs to be great on defense to provide positive value. As it is, he's just fine on defense.

I will grant that there are mitigating factors. His coach, his linemates, and his usage could all be pointed to as reasons for the bad stats. Because of that, I'm fine with seeing what he can do under Cronin, perhaps with some different linemates. But I don't have much hope that he's going to be a useful 3C on a good team.
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Lundy is a defensively sound 3C with a little offense. Being our best defensive forward, his line gets called to be on the ice to face the opposing team's best offensive line so that our two top-6 lines don't get bogged down. That's probably why his line's xGF isn't high.

2020-21 season, Lundy was juggled around a bit as he started off as a top-6 LW. On his call-up from the Gulls, Lundy was put at center once again due to injuries and got uber hot with Rakell and Comtois as his wingers. As players got healthy, Lundy was separated from the two wingers and put back at 3C.

2021-22 season, Lundy as a 3C with a healthy Silf were bonkers to start the season. Then Silf contracted COVID and it affected Lundy's offense. When Silf returned, Lundy's offense perked up some, but not at the same level as when they started.

2022-23 season, Lundy had incurred an injury in training camp and it seemed as though it never healed as he played through the injury.

What's amiss here is that not only is Lundy our best defensive forward, but he's probably the fastest forward on the team. Gaucher cannot skate as fast as Lundy nor be agile in turning, Gaucher turns like an ocean liner. Lundy is going to be a healthy boost for our PK unit, which is often under duress because the team can't help pile up penalties like a gift at an Oprah Christmas gift-away.
 
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Rooch said:
Are we certain that Vaaks is the d-man most likely to sit in the press box given Drysdale's return? I feel he's been much more solid and consistent than LaCombe.
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Put Vaak on his offside on the top pairing with Fowler and see how they compare. LaCombe looked amazing before taking Drysdale's spot.
 
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DuckDuckGetz said:
The team seems pretty high on LaCombe, considering he and Luneau both got placed on the top pairing and Vaaks has never even gotten a look there. I would be shocked if they thought Vaaks should play over him.
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Vaak got a look on the top pairing. When Drysdale fell to injury after game 2, Luneau played on the top-pair for two games and the coaching staff thought he wasn't ready. That's when Vaak got his chance. He last a game and a half. LaCombe replaced him during game 6. Vaak hasn't seen top pairing duties since.

Sources, official Ducks Tweets ... err, X's on the lineup
- HF GDT, Game 5 (page 4) Vaak on top pair
- HF GDT, Game 6 (page 8) Vaak on top pair
- HF GDT, Game 7 (page 3) LaCombe on top pair
 
Hockey Duckie said:
Vaak got a look on the top pairing. When Drysdale fell to injury after game 2, Luneau played on the top-pair for two games and the coaching staff thought he wasn't ready. That's when Vaak got his chance. He last a game and a half. LaCombe replaced him during game 6. Vaak hasn't seen top pairing duties since.

Sources, official Ducks Tweets ... err, X's on the lineup
- HF GDT, Game 5 (page 4) Vaak on top pair
- HF GDT, Game 6 (page 8) Vaak on top pair
- HF GDT, Game 7 (page 3) LaCombe on top pair
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Good memory!
 
CrazyDuck4u said:
Honestly.. We gotta ship a d man out.. And I would not be surprised to see Bush get traded... Vaks has been playing great and they are defensively sound with Gudas..
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The Boosh factor wears off fans after a bit, and he wears down, too(his style). He will return an asset, and Vakks steps right in.



Can't believe that people would consider scratching LaCombe. I mean maybe a night in the press box to see a different angle after a bad night, but kid has too much potential to be sitting.
 
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TheGoodShepard1 said:
-1.35 net penalties/60 is obscene lmao, what the hell?

It's been updated since last night when you posted this, but the gap in penalty minutes between us and Tampa Bay at 2 is effectively the same as Tampa Bay and Edmonton/Seattle at 19.
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I just made a thread in the main forum. It’s time to share our woes lol.
 
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QuackAttack90 said:
You would need the greatest marketers in the world to make other teams think that Silf is worth any assets whatsoever.

Leason should be playing over Silf no matter what
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Yeah, they probably wouldn't even worry about the salary, because it's Silf, but a penny saved is a penny earned, even if it's not for cap reasons. If I could give him away with a 6th, and get a 6th back , I'd love it, but I doubt they do that to him. On the other hand, would he and his agent want to be elsewhere to play in the playoffs? Showcase? Then you could maybe make that deal work with some retention.
 
Daz28 said:
Yeah, they probably wouldn't even worry about the salary, because it's Silf, but a penny saved is a penny earned, even if it's not for cap reasons. If I could give him away with a 6th, and get a 6th back , I'd love it, but I doubt they do that to him. On the other hand, would he and his agent want to be elsewhere to play in the playoffs? Showcase? Then you could maybe make that deal work with some retention.
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By the time the trade deadline rolls around, and after retaining 50%, we're looking at saving something like $500k, if even that. Silf isn't good as a player any more, but he's been a warrior for the franchise for almost 10 years and he's clearly respected as a leader in the locker room (and probably a mentor for Carlsson) - I actually don't think it's worth it to trade him for anything lower than a 4th rounder. And if we can get a 4th rounder for him, Pat Verbeek should say, "Thanks Peter Chiarelli, but are you sure you don't have to run this by Doug Armstrong first? No? Ok then!"

I think the good will and mentorship is worth at least whatever any team would be willing to give us. And the money savings are meaningless.
 
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