Post by Anaheim Ducks on May 24, 2023 15:05:32 GMT -6
Season End Statement from Felts
After a disappointing season GM Felts refused to take questions from the media. Instead, he issued the following statement:
I’m going to make this quick, and any questions you have are questions that we don’t have a concrete answer to yet. I could spew a bunch of vague bullshit, but that is wasting both of our time. Everyone is unhappy about how the season played out. The players, ownership, myself… the entire organization is pissed off right now.
People can make excuses, fabricating reasons why we missed the playoffs two years in a row because of the division we are in. The bottom line is people underperformed. That falls on everybody. Key players, depth guys, coaches, myself, I mean everybody. Some trades had to be made to everyone a kick in the ass, and maybe I should have done it sooner. Coach (Jeff Blashill) could have figured out the lines and systems earlier on in the season. Some players could have stepped up, some players could have done more to earn a spot in the big league.
After the playoffs were out of reach, we started playing better. Maybe everything finally came together, or maybe Mark Stone’s departure woke everyone up. Or it’s possible once the games didn’t mean anything, the players felt unburdened and stress-free. We will be analyzing everyone’s performance. Will the young guys mature and be able to handle pressure? Were some veterans phoning it in, and content living in Anaheim and collecting a paycheck playing hockey? Was there a problem in the locker room that is no longer there?
There is a winning team in that room. As pissed off as we all are, we believe in each other. This is big draft for us. It is very deep, and we have picks 8 and 11. We will be happy picking great young guys, or perhaps we move one or both picks. We have a long off-season to tinker with the lineup. Our goal is to play meaningful games next season and give the young guys experience in what it takes to win important games. We will not be tearing it down or rebuilding. Consider it a re-tool, and an opportunity for players to take charge and become part of the core in the absence of Stone, Eriksson Ek, and Pageau.
Lastly, the players and coaches better come to training camp with a chip on their shoulder and something to prove, or they won’t be staying in Anaheim long. It is not cup or bust, or even an expectation of making the playoffs, but I expect improvement in the upcoming season.
