The true beauty of blogging is not found in garnering the recognition and rewards that conventional journalism offers, but in being easily forgotten. It sounds contradictory to the mandate of good business (and website) ownership to wish your project an inconsequential existence, but in this case I think it’s entirely appropriate.
As of this posting, it has been slightly over five weeks since the last post on Quacked — but no need to fret, the season hasn’t kicked off yet and the games are not for keeps. Though it is true that the off-season brings with it very little of the excitement of the regular season and playoffs, to suggest that the last month has been uneventful would be patently absurd. The upshot for Ducks fans is that their team has been relatively unaffected by the maelstrom of recent activity. For better or for worse, Bob Murray took care of business early and things have remained relatively status quo ever since.
READ MORE »
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.
LINKS
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.
LINKS
(IMAGE)
