by Patrick - posted August 13th, 2009 at 4:30 pm [ News ] No Comments »
Miller was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the sixth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 186th overall.
(LAYNE MURDOCH/GETTY IMAGES)
The Anaheim Ducks addressed a need for size at the forward position today by dealing Drew Miller and a 2010 3rd round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Evgeny Artyukhin. Standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 224 pounds, Artyukhin could slot into a position on coach Randy Carlyle’s checking line (although he has plenty of competition for a spot there).
Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray offered up the following thoughts (quoted from the OC Register article linked below):
“We had gotten a bit more skill and moved a few things around. In doing so, we lost a little bit of our size, sandpaper or grit. We have been trying to find a way to patch that for a little while.”
Apparently, this is not the first (or even the second) time the Ducks have tried to deal for the big forward. The article mentions previous attempts made by Murray at last season’s trading deadline and the entry draft in June. It is not clear what packages were offered at those times, or if the Ducks had to bulk up their offer (spoken ironically, of course, as Miller drew the antipathy of many Anaheim fans for his lack of bulk).
For his part, Murray also added that he felt Miller probably did not get a fair shake with the Ducks.
“He had a good run here with us,” Murray said. “He was a little bit like Bobby Ryan. He was an easy guy to move down (to the minors) and it was a bit unfair to Drew. He handled it well and he played well for us.”
Though the words are flattering, one wonders if Murray is simply being diplomatic in this case.
by Patrick - posted August 11th, 2009 at 1:59 pm [ News ] No Comments »
(FABRICE COFFRINI/GETTY IMAGES)
With Ryan Getzlaf absent from Hockey Canada’s Olympic orientation camp due to injury, Hockey Canada announced today that Jason Spezza has been invited in his stead. Spezza has plenty of experience to lean on, having played in five previous IIHF World Championships for Team Canada. Hockey Canada executive director Steve Yzerman had initially omitted Spezza from the list of camp invitees that was announced in July.
The camp is slated to run from August 24 to 27. It will include 25 forwards, 16 defencemen, and five goaltenders.
by Patrick - posted August 10th, 2009 at 10:25 am [ News ] 1 Comment »
Pogge was named CHL goaltender of the year in 2006. (DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)
UPDATE (8/10/2009, 12:30PM PT): It’s official – Justin Pogge to the Ducks for a conditional 2011 draft pick.
Darren Dreger is reporting on TSN.ca that the Toronto Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks are about to complete a deal that would send Justin Pogge to Anaheim for a conditional draft pick (based on Pogge’s post-trade performance). It is expected that the trade will be completed today (8/10).
Pogge posted a record of 26-21-5 with a .895% save percentage and 2.70 goals against average for the Toronto Marlies in the AHL last season. He also had a brief, 7-game stint in the NHL with the Maple Leafs where he went 1-4-1 with a .844% save percentage and 4.36 goals against average.
Next to the start of free agency in July, perhaps no single event during the off-season is as important to a hockey fan as the release of the upcoming NHL schedule. As such, it is incumbent upon the sites covering the NHL teams to analyze this schedule to death in the name of journalism. So without further delay, here are the highlights of the 2009-10 season for the Anaheim Ducks:
Few athletes throughout the annals of sport have managed to raise the bar of excellence for on-field play to legendary heights, the likes of which mere mortals can only dream — fewer still have done the same for the pre/post-game interview, arguably professional sport’s weakest link.
Enter Ilya Bryzgalov: interview superstar (or super-tsar, if you will). Proving to be equally adept at delivering both saves and quips, Bryz treats the Score to a few gems regarding the Canadian climate. Also note that during the interview, he transitions from one voice to another.
Hit the break to see Bryzgalov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere describe the designs featured on their respective masks.
NHL.com correspondent Eric Stephens checks in with two articles about the Ducks as part of the site’s 30 Teams in 30 Days feature. The first takes a look at the Ducks’ recent history (on and off the ice) and evaluates some top prospects:
The fact is the savvy GM saw no reason to tear things down when his team was sitting outside the playoff picture at the trade deadline last March. And with Niedermayer and Selanne back for perhaps a final season – something that’s now closer to reality – Murray is again willing to go for the Cup while also building for the future.
The second feature is an overview of Bobby Ryan’s career, from the weight of his status of number two overall pick to his Calder Trophy caliber 2008-09 season:
No longer is Ryan just “The Guy Picked After Sidney Crosby” or “The Guy Who Really Isn’t Bobby Ryan.” A 31-goal, 57-point rookie season and being a Calder Trophy finalist helps move people past those signposts of his path of life.
Given that the pace of the off-season has slowed, these two articles give fans something to be excited about for the upcoming year of Ducks hockey. The piece on Ryan is especially interesting as it includes a few quotes about wanting to establish his own identity in pro hockey.
Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf underwent successful surgery Wednesday for what is being described as a sports hernia that developed over the course of summer workouts. The surgery was recommended by the Ducks medical staff after an MRI concluded that the injury (previously a “minor ailment”) was not improving over time. It is not believed that the injury occurred during the course of the regular season or playoffs, and therefore was not a hindrance to Getzlaf’s on-ice performance.
The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia.
Getzlaf is expected to be ready to return by the time the Ducks open training camp in September.
In what will hopefully will turn out to be an auspicious debut, it is with great pleasure that we present Quacked, an Anaheim Ducks fan blog.
This site owes its existence and a debt of gratitude to the handful of individuals who helped achieve a great vision in relatively short order. First and foremost, I would personally like to thank Alex Jones for all the hard work he has put into getting the layout pixel perfect, and for staying cool under pressure (and some lunacy from the Wordpress ecosystem). I want to also extend thanks to Rob at The Breakaway Network (whose logo adorns our sidebar) for offering a free plug and subforum for Ducks discussion.
The gnarly 3D Ducks logo in the image rotator was provided courtesy of Chaz Hooker, who was kind enough to put aside his disdain for the Ducks (he is, after all, a Wings fan) and let us use it.
Please take the time to check out our twitter feed if you want to stay on the cutting edge. Also be sure to pay a visit to the rest of the TBN blog network (all linked under NHL Blogs on the sidebar) and see what’s going on around the league.
With training camps on the horizon, things are sure to pick up soon, and we’ll be ready. Our fingers are both crossed and poised over the keyboard, ready to go (a surprisingly challenging physical feat). Wish us luck!
Miller was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the sixth round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, 186th overall.
(FABRICE COFFRINI/GETTY IMAGES)
Pogge was named CHL goaltender of the year in 2006. (DAVE SANDFORD/GETTY IMAGES)
This is not how Ryan Getzlaf got injured. (
In what will hopefully will turn out to be an auspicious debut, it is with great pleasure that we present Quacked, an Anaheim Ducks fan blog.
