Speculation: 2023-24 Roster Thread

[MMC]

“ reset the rebuild “ didn’t happen, that’s a made up narrative I see in this discord . That somehow part of the ending phases of a rebuild don’t include trading veteran players who want to cash in on their final big contracts. Also, said players never got it done for us when we were good. There was no reset, our GM has had the same ideas/plans as when he was pitching the Samuelis on why he should become gm. That’s my honest take. I know it will come with pushback

Yeah so many people took him saying that the rebuild was already underway and seemed to think that that meant that there wouldn't be any more selling, and of course there's no way for you or I to know exactly what he was thinking when he said that but I never took it that way at all. I always took that as him referring to the fact that we have no anchor contracts that he would have to figure out how to move, already had a pretty good prospect pool in place, and had a pretty blank cap sheet for the future.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

 

[robbieboy3686]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

I swear I actually feel the same way, but I haven’t wanted to be that candid as to not jinx it. Lol

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

I swear I actually feel the same way, but I haven’t wanted to be that candid as to not jinx it. Lol

We can only hope at this point.. lol

 

[robbieboy3686]

I don't really disagree with what your saying. Perhaps I should just say I'd prefer to approach the season as the glass being half full vs half empty.

Disagree with we’re an injury away from having plugs come in. Guys like Tracy and Perrault , Although they haven’t shown like they will be future top 2 line players, probably talent wise and better fitness and coaching could be fine 3rd line guys next season if given a chance . They Have been marinating with the gulls for seemingly forever. We have guys like gaucher who probably are ready to make the jump. Young hungry guys, who imho make the plugs like grouxl trade targets since they won’t have a place with the ducks. Same with our defense, one could argue that our Gm is going to be way way to slow marinating them. And if we have an injury or 2 to anyone other than fowler/Gudas , that guys like zellwegger and minty might actually come in and be better replacements. Also, I know it was only a 4th round pick that was traded for lubushkin, but we were also rumored to be heavily in on that little midget that Detroit signed. If we’re showing team togetherness and anywhere sniffing a playoff spot, with core players making huge jumps. Our gm won’t necessarily wait until off-season to bring in help. Just my gut feeling added in with some logic of things I’m seeing our gm do. Obviously could be dead wrong. But who knows.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

NHL has a playoff?

 

[Gliff]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

You're crazy. Even if Drysdale has a good bouceback and is a solid 2nd pairing guy, Gudas on the top pairing is not ideal. I've talked about it before but look at his career TOI. He is a bottom pairing guy and if he is expected to play 22+ minutes a night then that is going to be rough.

The current defense is still one of the worst in the league. Maybe the worst. But like a typical "worst" and not historically "worst" like last year.

I think if the Ducks had a true top pairing RHD and a solid 2nd pairing LHD then they would be there.

 

[MMC]

Disagree with we’re an injury away from having plugs come in. Guys like Tracy and Perrault , Although they haven’t shown like they will be future top 2 line players, probably talent wise and better fitness and coaching could be fine 3rd line guys next season if given a chance . They Have been marinating with the gulls for seemingly forever. We have guys like gaucher who probably are ready to make the jump. Young hungry guys, who imho make the plugs like grouxl trade targets since they won’t have a place with the ducks. Same with our defense, one could argue that our Gm is going to be way way to slow marinating them. And if we have an injury or 2 to anyone other than fowler/Gudas , that guys like zellwegger and minty might actually come in and be better replacements. Also, I know it was only a 4th round pick that was traded for lubushkin, but we were also rumored to be heavily in on that little midget that Detroit signed. If we’re showing team togetherness and anywhere sniffing a playoff spot, with core players making huge jumps. Our gm won’t necessarily wait until off-season to bring in help. Just my gut feeling added in with some logic of things I’m seeing our gm do. Obviously could be dead wrong. But who knows.

Not really sure why you think Tracey and Perreault could come in and be third liners, neither were even top 5 for the Gulls in scoring last season. Groulx was more productive and no one thinks he’s ready to be an NHL third liner. They should at least be top players for the Gulls before the claim is made that they’re being over marinated

 

[Leonardo87]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

I think they are a Top RHD and Top LHD from competing. Fowler is more than fine on the 2nd pairing with say even Gudas within 1-2 years and eventually our D prospects will take those slots when ready that are not top pairing.

But who is going to fill the top pairing? Has to be from within the system. Have a few D prospects who have that potential but are still not there yet. Drysdale also has potential to be a #2 but he lost a year of development.

 

[robbieboy3686]

Not really sure why you think Tracey and Perreault could come in and be third liners, neither were even top 5 for the Gulls in scoring last season. Groulx was more productive and no one thinks he’s ready to be an NHL third liner. They should at least be top players for the Gulls before the claim is made that they’re being over marinated

First round offensive guys, often when given the opportunity are at least given 3rd line minutes to be given opportunity to succeed. These are guys that know it’s make it or break it season. Hopefully they have been acting accordingly.

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

First round offensive guys, often when given the opportunity are at least given 3rd line minutes to be given opportunity to succeed. These are guys that know it’s make it or break it season. Hopefully they have been acting accordingly.

You shouldn't assume that they haven't been trying up until now. And if you're right, these are not people we want around.

 

[MMC]

First round offensive guys, often when given the opportunity are at least given 3rd line minutes to be given opportunity to succeed. These are guys that know it’s make it or break it season. Hopefully they have been acting accordingly.

Their draft position is pretty meaningless right now, they have to earn their opportunities just like everyone else.

 

[robbieboy3686]

You shouldn't assume that they haven't been trying up until now. And if you're right, these are not people we want around.

Definitely agree. I guess what I meant was, they should be in full do or die mode.

 

[Ducks DVM]

I think they are a Top RHD and Top LHD from competing. Fowler is more than fine on the 2nd pairing with say even Gudas within 1-2 years and eventually our D prospects will take those slots when ready that are not top pairing.

But who is going to fill the top pairing? Has to be from within the system. Have a few D prospects who have that potential but are still not there yet. Drysdale also has potential to be a #2 but he lost a year of development.

I think that Fowler could be a legit 2D, IF there was a legit 1D to pair with, and IF we had other legit 2nd pairing D to eat some of his minutes.

I optimistically hope for that in 3 years.

 

[Leonardo87]

I think that Fowler could be a legit 2D, IF there was a legit 1D to pair with, and IF we had other legit 2nd pairing D to eat some of his minutes.

I optimistically hope for that in 3 years.

Yeah agreed. Fowler is a legit #2, but sadly we only have bottom pairing guys or kids still developing to pair up with him.

I said before. If Fowler - Gudas was a 2nd pairing and we had a better pairing above them, we’d have a very solid D group. This is very realistic to happen in 1-2 years from now. Depending if some of our D prospects like Minty, Drysdale, Zell, and etc, hit their top potential or close to it.

 

[CrazyDuck4u]

You guys are sleeping on Zellwegger.. I think hes going to impress alot. Certain scouts are comparing him to a young Makar..

 

[Bergey37]

You guys throw around tags like "1D, 2D, 3D, 4D" like confetti; and like confetti, it doesn't mean diddly. What's meaningful is that Fowler is OUR 1D NOW; and what matters is finding a player that can work well with him. Most folks here have accepted Gudas as that guy, but I wonder if Lyubushkin might not fit better. He's 4 years younger than Gudas, so he can take the minutes better; and he comes with a history not unlike another gut who had considerable success with Fowler (his name was Despres) before his head got cracked again. Cronin might surprise us.

 

[DavidBL]

You guys throw around tags like "1D, 2D, 3D, 4D" like confetti; and like confetti, it doesn't mean diddly. What's meaningful is that Fowler is OUR 1D NOW; and what matters is finding a player that can work well with him. Most folks here have accepted Gudas as that guy, but I wonder if Lyubushkin might not fit better. He's 4 years younger than Gudas, so he can take the minutes better; and he comes with a history not unlike another gut who had considerable success with Fowler (his name was Despres) before his head got cracked again. Cronin might surprise us.

There was also Lovejoy. Guys who know their role and compliment Fowlers skill set can make a solid pair. I think either of Gudas or Lybushkin could do it and make a decent top pair. Will it be the best pair in the league no, but it should take pressure off the other pairs.

 

[Bergey37]

Yes; forgot about Lovejoy, but very much the same story.

 

[Duck Off]

Call me crazy.. But we are one legit LHD from a possible playoff roster.. Having Drysdale back will be huge.. and Not having eakins.. makes it that much better..

Sorry, not trying to be a "Debbie downer", but I disagree unless the LHD you're referring to is a better defenseman than any we have.

Here's the lineup I'm assuming right now to start the season:

Killorn - Zegras - Terry
Henrique - McTavish - Strome
McGinn- Carlsson - Vatrano
Jones- Carrick - Silfverberg

Fowler - Gudas
LaCombe - Lybushkin
Hagg - Drysdale

Gibson

The top 6 forwards look solid, but unless McTavish takes a major step this year, it's average in the league. I'd argue that we currently only have 5 top 6 forwards right now. Strome and Vatrano are borderline but are ideally on the 3rd line for playoff teams IMO. Obviously if we could put them with superstars it'd help, but our guys just aren't there yet.

Our bottom 6 looks rough to me. Carlsson is obviously a wild card, but Jones, Carrick, Silfverberg, and McGinn are guys who are playoff teams 4th lines for the most part.

That D is going to be rough. Yes, it's better than last year's, but last year's was the worst in the league. I love Cam and he gets way too much shit on this board, but if he's by far your best defenseman, you're going to struggle. I see guys in situations where they're playing more minutes than they should. The young defenseman, including Drysdale are the wild cards, but unless one or two of them takes a massive step, it's going to be a bottom 5 defense in the league.

Gibson is Gibson, but unless we have major good fortune with injuries (lol), and other teams don't, I think we finish somewhere between 8th-11th worst team next year. I'll predict 9th and we'll fall a spot in the lottery and draft 10th.

Here's hoping I'm wrong and you're right though!

 

[Hockey Duckie]

You're crazy. Even if Drysdale has a good bouceback and is a solid 2nd pairing guy, Gudas on the top pairing is not ideal. I've talked about it before but look at his career TOI. He is a bottom pairing guy and if he is expected to play 22+ minutes a night then that is going to be rough.

The current defense is still one of the worst in the league. Maybe the worst. But like a typical "worst" and not historically "worst" like last year.

I think if the Ducks had a true top pairing RHD and a solid 2nd pairing LHD then they would be there.

Kinda like what we had to start the 2021-22 season? Except it was a true top pairing LD (Lindholm) and a 2nd pairing RD (Manson).

I think they are a Top RHD and Top LHD from competing. Fowler is more than fine on the 2nd pairing with say even Gudas within 1-2 years and eventually our D prospects will take those slots when ready that are not top pairing.

But who is going to fill the top pairing? Has to be from within the system. Have a few D prospects who have that potential but are still not there yet. Drysdale also has potential to be a #2 but he lost a year of development.

There's another alternative to not having a true 1D which is to have three pairs of 2nd pairing D-men. Currently, we have only one 2nd pairing D-man in Fowler. Our blue line prospects has us with several top-4D men. We can eventually make a package with our prospects not in the NHL to acquire a 1D.

With the way PV is building the forward group of bigger players and shutdown types (Gaucher, Myatovic, Hvidston), we can get away with a bunch of 2nd pairing D like Florida.

 

[robbieboy3686]

Kinda like what we had to start the 2021-22 season? Except it was a true top pairing LD (Lindholm) and a 2nd pairing RD (Manson).



There's another alternative to not having a true 1D which is to have three pairs of 2nd pairing D-men. Currently, we have only one 2nd pairing D-man in Fowler. Our blue line prospects has us with several top-4D men. We can eventually make a package with our prospects not in the NHL to acquire a 1D.

With the way PV is building the forward group of bigger players and shutdown types (Gaucher, Myatovic, Hvidston), we can get away with a bunch of 2nd pairing D like Florida.

I would argue that manson that season isn’t much better than Lubush will be this season ( a contract year for him) and the 18/19 minutes we hope Gudas plays at max, can’t be so so much worse than 18/19 lindholm minutes. Definitely he isn’t lindholm, but maybe the difference between that gap can be made up from the difference in how much better drysdale will be this season than he was in 21 and how much better someone like Lacombe is than Benoit was

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I would argue that manson that season isn’t much better than Lubush will be this season ( a contract year for him) and the 18/19 minutes we hope Gudas plays at max, can’t be so so much worse than 18/19 lindholm minutes. Definitely he isn’t lindholm, but maybe the difference between that gap can be made up from the difference in how much better drysdale will be this season than he was in 21 and how much better someone like Lacombe is than Benoit was

• Just comparing ATOI: Manson v Lybushkin
  
  • Manson = 19:45 with Anaheim; 17:24 with Colorado. Helped win a Stanley cup.
  • Lyubushkin = 15/16 mins
  • .
  • Manson is a top-4D, Lybushkin is not.

• Just comparing ATOI: Lindholm v Gudas
  • Lindholm = 22/23 mins
  • Gudas = 17 mins
  • .
  • Lindholm is a top-pairing D, Gudas is not.

I don't see how Lyusbushkin can be elevated to Manson level in that season nor do I believe Gudas + is similar to Lindholm. Lindholm carried that Boston D when it was missing several defensemen, McAvoy and Grzelcyk, to start their season to an 11-2-0 record with Lindholm recording 13 points, +12 rating, and 21:33 - 29:47 TOI in those first 13 games.

 

[robbieboy3686]

• Just comparing ATOI: Manson v Lybushkin
  • Manson = 19:45 with Anaheim; 17:24 with Colorado. Helped win a Stanley cup.
  • Lyubushkin = 15/16 mins
  • .
  • Manson is a top-4D, Lybushkin is not.

• Just comparing ATOI: Lindholm v Gudas
  • Lindholm = 22/23 mins
  • Gudas = 17 mins
  • .
  • Lindholm is a top-pairing D, Gudas is not.

I don't see how Lyusbushkin can be elevated to Manson level in that season nor do I believe Gudas + is similar to Lindholm. Lindholm carried that Boston D when it was missing several defensemen, McAvoy and Grzelcyk, to start their season to an 11-2-0 record with Lindholm recording 13 points, +12 rating, and 21:33 - 29:47 TOI in those first 13 games.

I can’t agree with manson having been a large part of the avs winning a cup a lot of their fans said he was blah that cup run. I’ve been one of the all time supporters of Hampus, also wasn’t calling Gudas Hampus. I said he’s probably not so so far behind Hampus as far as impact when on the ice and lesser minutes that he plays ( which yes is a decent chunk below Hampus toi) also to add, I’m speculating that this upcoming season lubush will turn into the latter stages manson the ducks had( where in reality he was highly overrated the last couple of duck seasons but his intangibles carried most of his worth )

 

[The Midnight Burrito]

Ducks Stream interviews: Stalock -- heavy minnesotan accent, sounds like a typical suburban dad. Mostly talked about taking his kids fishing and playing pickle ball. He sought out Anaheim, targeted them before the offseason and was happy they chose him. Cronin and PV both stressed that he'd be competing for a job in camp so he should show up in shape and ready. Mentioned that he was on SJ when Getz and Thornton fought in the playoffs and always enjoyed the rivalry.

Lyubushkin -- Quick interview as his answers were fairly short. He called the trade to Anaheim "good news" and I wish Alexis had followed up on that. Said he had a bunch of secondhand info about Anaheim because he's good friends with Vishnevsky, who loved it there and apparently still lives around there. Doesn't care for golf.