Anaheim Ducks Post-Cernak Pre-Draft Analysis
Aug 5, 2022 5:57:31 GMT -6
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Post by Anaheim Ducks on Aug 5, 2022 5:57:31 GMT -6
GM Felts made a splash early this off-season by shocking the PFHL with a massive and successful offer sheet for Erik Cernak. He also made a depth trade, swapping fan favourite Kyle Palmieri for Veteran D-man Alex Edler. There is still the draft and Free Agency, but let’s look at the projected roster for 2022/23.
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Anaheim Ducks 2022/23 Roster and Lines (Pre-Draft)
Forwards:
Line 1: Tkachuk (75) / Staal (78) / Stone (82)
Line 2: Comtois (75) / Steel (75) / Sprong (75)
Line 3: Eriksson Ek (76) / Pageau (76) / Blais (72)
Line 4: O’Regan (67) / Johnson (72) / Evans (69)
Scratches: Lucic (71)
Defense:
Pair 1: Theodore (83) / Anderson (73)
Pair 2: Edmundson (74) / Cernak (77)
Pair 3: Pysyk (70) / Edler (72)
Scratches: Yandle (71) / Braun (70)
Goalies:
Starter: Hart (83)
Backup: Halak (75)
(Dostal 1m cap hit on Pro Roster)
Current Cap Hit: 82.758625 (1.258625m over)
Takeaways:
It is clear GM Felts will do have to do some cap shenanigans to get under the cap ceiling. Lucic is a potential target for a trade or buy out. Also, Felts could place him on waivers and send him to the minors if he does not get claimed, clearing 1.5m in cap. This would make the Duck’s roster tight to the cap, but Felts can ice a playable roster with 2 spares.
Johnson is another target for a trade, buyout, or demotion to the minors to free up space. However, both the GM and coach have spoken about how much they appreciate Johnson’s versatility, and this will most likely be a last resort.
Braun is a potential target for a trade. With the growth of Andersson and the additions of Cernak and Edler, Braun’s position on the Duck’s depth chart dropped. Felts would prefer to keep the younger, cheaper, and more physical Pysyk to round out his bottom pair. As an added bonus, this move alone would place Anaheim under the cap. However, last season head coach Jeff Blashill relied on Braun much more than Pysyk. This may be a battle for ice-time and a roster spot in the pre-season if Felts can’t find a trade partner for Braun.
The veteran Keith Yandle will probably serve as the 7th or 8th D-man on the roster. Yandle will receive ice-time when there are injuries. Also, Felts has given the green light to Blashill to run a lineup of 11 Forwards and 7 D-men in certain situations in the past, which should increase the amount of games Yandle gets in. He could be available for a trade as well, but is not actively being shopped.
Comtois, Steel, and Sprong will all be promoted to the big club full-time, and Blashill will be tasked with finding the right fit for them. O’Regan also will most likely make the cut as a 4th-line player but may find himself as the 13th forward if more moves are made or if Felts decides to keep Lucic in the lineup.
Lastly, Felts might not be done yet. If Lucic, Johnson, and Braun were all moved, Felts would have 9.5m more in cap to play with. That is enough space to land another spicy target in Free Agency, or potentially acquire an elite player via trade. Look for him to poke around for a skilled playmaking forward.
It might be a financially expensive season for the Anaheim Ducks, but it seems like the owners gave GM Felts carte blanch to aggressively improve the roster however he sees fit. Perhaps missing the playoffs last season by one point stung the owners almost as much as the players.
Anaheim Ducks 2022/23 Roster and Lines (Pre-Draft)
Forwards:
Line 1: Tkachuk (75) / Staal (78) / Stone (82)
Line 2: Comtois (75) / Steel (75) / Sprong (75)
Line 3: Eriksson Ek (76) / Pageau (76) / Blais (72)
Line 4: O’Regan (67) / Johnson (72) / Evans (69)
Scratches: Lucic (71)
Defense:
Pair 1: Theodore (83) / Anderson (73)
Pair 2: Edmundson (74) / Cernak (77)
Pair 3: Pysyk (70) / Edler (72)
Scratches: Yandle (71) / Braun (70)
Goalies:
Starter: Hart (83)
Backup: Halak (75)
(Dostal 1m cap hit on Pro Roster)
Current Cap Hit: 82.758625 (1.258625m over)
Takeaways:
It is clear GM Felts will do have to do some cap shenanigans to get under the cap ceiling. Lucic is a potential target for a trade or buy out. Also, Felts could place him on waivers and send him to the minors if he does not get claimed, clearing 1.5m in cap. This would make the Duck’s roster tight to the cap, but Felts can ice a playable roster with 2 spares.
Johnson is another target for a trade, buyout, or demotion to the minors to free up space. However, both the GM and coach have spoken about how much they appreciate Johnson’s versatility, and this will most likely be a last resort.
Braun is a potential target for a trade. With the growth of Andersson and the additions of Cernak and Edler, Braun’s position on the Duck’s depth chart dropped. Felts would prefer to keep the younger, cheaper, and more physical Pysyk to round out his bottom pair. As an added bonus, this move alone would place Anaheim under the cap. However, last season head coach Jeff Blashill relied on Braun much more than Pysyk. This may be a battle for ice-time and a roster spot in the pre-season if Felts can’t find a trade partner for Braun.
The veteran Keith Yandle will probably serve as the 7th or 8th D-man on the roster. Yandle will receive ice-time when there are injuries. Also, Felts has given the green light to Blashill to run a lineup of 11 Forwards and 7 D-men in certain situations in the past, which should increase the amount of games Yandle gets in. He could be available for a trade as well, but is not actively being shopped.
Comtois, Steel, and Sprong will all be promoted to the big club full-time, and Blashill will be tasked with finding the right fit for them. O’Regan also will most likely make the cut as a 4th-line player but may find himself as the 13th forward if more moves are made or if Felts decides to keep Lucic in the lineup.
Lastly, Felts might not be done yet. If Lucic, Johnson, and Braun were all moved, Felts would have 9.5m more in cap to play with. That is enough space to land another spicy target in Free Agency, or potentially acquire an elite player via trade. Look for him to poke around for a skilled playmaking forward.
It might be a financially expensive season for the Anaheim Ducks, but it seems like the owners gave GM Felts carte blanch to aggressively improve the roster however he sees fit. Perhaps missing the playoffs last season by one point stung the owners almost as much as the players.
