Anaheim Ducks media season previews

Link. (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=2579683)

Anaheim Ducks: Everybody's sexy pick to win the Stanley Cup, or at least go to the 2007 Stanley Cup finals, the Ducks (minus the Mighty) will have to learn about playing with expectation as opposed to sneaking up on folks as they did en route to the Western Conference finals last spring.


The biggest reason for the Ducks bandwagon becoming standing-room-only is the offseason arrival of all-world defenseman Chris Pronger, whose wife found life in Edmonton unappealing. It cost GM Brian Burke a top forward in Joffrey Lupul (28 goals) and defensive prospect Ladislav Smid. But being able to throw Pronger onto the ice either in tandem with or alongside Scott Niedermayer gives the Ducks the best one-two defensive punch in the NHL. Add hard-hitting, hard-shooting Francois Beauchemin, who was stolen from Columbus last season, and the Ducks have a most imposing corps of defensemen.


Rumors persist Burke will try to deal former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jean-Sebastien Giguere, but until the flaky Ilya Bryzgalov proves himself capable of carrying the No. 1 goaltending load, Burke will be loath to disrupt that all-important goaltending depth.


Up front, the departure of Lupul will put additional pressure on youngsters Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, but that shouldn't be a bad thing.

Everybody's sexy pick? :biglaugh:

The Sharks own you.

Lets start compiling these season previews. I know there are quite a few out there right now.

This is from the Canadian Press.

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/sports/story.html?id=07aaad32-07f2-4472-a574-1d632dc790bf

Anaheim Ducks: The team that reached the Western Conference final last spring will have only a few new faces but one they added is awfully hard to miss -- superstar defenceman Chris Pronger, who was acquired in a blockbuster move with Edmonton by GM Brian Burke. Arguably the best player in the NHL playoffs after leading the upstart Oilers to within one game of a Stanley Cup ring, the former Hart Trophy winner joins former Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer in a formidable 1-2 punch unmatched in the NHL. In goal, Burke has yet to resolve his issues with former No. 1 J.S. Giguere, who is still a Duck even though Ilya Bryzgalov is ready to the take the job permanently after starting in the playoffs. Giguere has one more year left on his deal at US$3.99 million and won’t be easy to move so the tandem may stay together for a few more months. Up front, the Ducks hope the loss of winger Joffrey Lupul to Edmonton will be tempered by the return of Russian winger Stanislav Chistov, who played with Evgeni Malkin in Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season. The 23-year-old former first-round draft pick played with the Ducks in 2002-03 and 2003-04 before spending the last two seasons in Russia. Veteran winger Teemu Selanne is coming off a huge comeback year that saw him put up 40 goals and 90 points, his best output since 1998-99. But can the 36-year-old Finnish Flash do it again this season? Still, with the further development of young forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner, this is a team that will contend for the Stanley Cup -- if not win it.

This is from the sporting news. Click on link for complete article.

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=126725

A lot of us missed the Ducks last season, figuring they would be a middle-of-the-flock bunch with some nice players in the wings but little chance of flying high in the playoffs.

I do recall getting advice from colleague Kara Yorio not to overlook them, especially with Scott Niedermayer running the show on defense. But nobody had a clue about how well Teemu Selanne would play, how much success young forwards like Dustin Penner and Ryan Getzlaf would have or that Ducks scouts saw something a lot of teams overlooked -- how well Francois Beauchemin could play.

This season, the Ducks won't be a surprise. Federal game wardens will be stationed outside dressing rooms across the NHL because every team will be gunning for them. Better have those duck stamps ready, lads.

Oh yeah, they've got this other guy in the lineup now; big defenseman, has some hardware, almost had another big chunk or two. What's his name again? Got traded up north someplace for a bag of used pucks and decided he couldn't stick around much longer. Something about rumors of some kind.

Yeah, Chris Pronger is now an anchor for the Ducks, sharing the spotlight with Neidermayer in a formidable pairing the likes of which we haven't seen since . . . well, Pronger and Al MacInnis in St. Louis.

Everybody's sexy pick? :biglaugh:

The Sharks own you.

Yeah, they owned the Ducks last year since they split the series last year:rolleyes: and may win the Pacific Division this year too. But the Ducks have done better than the Sharks in the playoffs.

OC Register from Dan Wood

Click on link for complete article

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/abox/article_1276576.php

Ducks raise expectations
Their offseason acquisition of Pronger and a surprising playoff run last season fuel optimism.
By DAN WOOD

The Orange County Register

ANAHEIM – Highlighted by a blockbuster trade that landed superstar defenseman Chris Pronger, the offseason couldn't have gone much better for the Ducks.

The Ducks generated a huge splash by obtaining Pronger, who joins fellow former Norris Trophy winner Scott Niedermayer to give the Ducks two of the top three defensemen in the NHL. General Manager Brian Burke also subtly tweaked an already-promising roster.

Among those at Anaheim Ice for today's opening training-camp session will be veteran role players Travis Green and Ian Moran, who arrived from the Boston Bruins via free agency, and left wing Stanislav Chistov, who returns to the Ducks organization after having played last season in his native Russia.

Coach Randy Carlyle, who started from scratch last season in his first year on the job, now has a club that many pundits project will improve on a surprising run to the Western Conference finals.

"The bar has been raised," Carlyle said. "Our expectations probably coincide with the growth we displayed last year, but it's going to be a lot tougher to duplicate. We're not going to sneak into any buildings."

Pronger's arrival guarantees that.


Also don't miss Dan Wood's training camp roster comments on individual players.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/sports/atoz/article_1276388.php

LA Times. Click on link for complete article

http://www.latimes.com/sports/hockey/nhl/la-sp-ducks15sep15,1,5309789.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nhl&ctrack=1&cset=true

Ducks Think of Finish at Start

Expectations are high as team begins training camp, with veterans and newcomers enjoying the buzz. Defense is getting the most attention.

By Eric Stephens, Times Staff Writer
September 15, 2006


Sean O'Donnell doesn't count on playing hockey too many more years. At 34, he insists he's no Chris Chelios, the Detroit Red Wings' 43-year-old wonder.

"I'm not going to be around in three or four more years, I can guarantee you that," O'Donnell said.

So it figures that the opening of training camp for the Ducks today at Anaheim Ice would be just another run-of-the-mill exercise for the veteran defenseman, now 12 years into the league with his sixth team.

But this camp is like no other one for O'Donnell or the Ducks, a franchise that faces expectations it has never had in its 13-year history. The Ducks are actively thinking Stanley Cup and may have the goods to deliver it.

From nhl.com. Be sure to click on the individual links for complete analysis.

http://www.nhl.com/features/preview/2006/ana_preview.html

Ironically, the Anaheim Ducks have dropped the "Mighty" from their nickname just as the team appears ready to need it.

In GM Brian Burke and coach Randy Carlyle's first season with the team, the Ducks shook off a disappointing 2003-04 season in style. The team went 43-27-12, returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and upset the Calgary Flames and swept the Colorado Avalanche before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in five games in the Western Conference Finals.

Last summer's signing of defenseman Scott Niedermayer was a huge move for Anaheim and Burke make an equally big addition this summer when he acquired dominating Chris Pronger from the Oilers. Adding Pronger gives the team -- now known officially as the Anaheim Ducks, complete with new colors and uniform design -- another dominating backliner.

This will be an interesting season for several Ducks. Teemu Selanne rejoined Anaheim prior to 2005-06 and had a banner season, scoring 40 goals and 50 assists and Andy McDonald was a revelation with 34 goals and 51 assists.

Defenseman Francois Beauchemin came over from Columbus and emerged as a big-time contributor. This season, the onus will be on young forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Dustin Penner to reprise the exciting roles they filled during Anaheim's playoff run.

I say this as a Duck fan: Over-rated.

I'll be disappointed if we don't make the playoffs. Anything beyond that is a crap shoot.

From cnnsi.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/allan_muir/09/07/pacific.report.card/index.html

On the spot: GM Brian Burke

Greatest needs: Resolve the goaltending situation, get proven scoring from the left wing, boost the power play.

Did he fill them? Last summer, Burke signed Scott Niedermayer. This summer, he traded for Chris Pronger. Next time Ken Holland's phone rings, it'll be Burke asking about Nick Lidstrom.

Not that the Ducks need Lidstrom. The bold trade for Pronger gives them the best one-two blueline punch in the league. It also adds an impact performer to the power play and penalty kill, both of which should be top-10 units. And given that both Pronger and Niedermayer can play upwards of 25 minutes a night, opponents won't have many shifts when one of the dynamic duo isn't on the ice. Come playoff time, the Ducks will be the last team anyone wants to face.

Burke paid a dear price, though -- emerging sniper Joffrey Lupul, top prospect Ladislav Smid and draft picks -- but the addition of Pronger makes the losses of Ruslan Salei and Vitali Vishnveski almost meaningless.

Burke managed to re-sign seven key free agents, including the surprising Francois Beauchemin, Andy McDonald and the resurrected Teemu Selanne, and finished off his summer by inking Ilya Bryzgalov. But while Burke got the Russian at a great price, the deal reinforces that he has unfinished business. Although Burke earns an A for his efforts, he could bump it to an A+ if he moves J-S Giguere for a proven scorer.

This article is a few weeks old from the Canadian Press

Click on link for complete article.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=175709&hubname=nhl

The Anaheim Ducks are primed for a run at the Stanley Cup this season, a young and talented roster seasoned by last year's run to the Western Conference final.

Oh, and it's a club that's added superstar defenceman Chris Pronger.

"I know it's fashionable in our line of work to downplay your chances going into a season because all your planning is still just on paper," says Ducks GM Brian Burke. "Until we drop the puck it's guesswork. But we have to accept the fact that expectations have risen. Not only because our team overachieved last year but also because we added a big piece. And we are being picked by some to win the West, being picked to go to the Cup final, being picked to do this and being picked to do that.

"Good organizations, as their teams get better, manage those expectations. I have high hopes and high expectations as well."

There's apparently a buzz in their market, too. The Ducks are projecting being at 10,500 season tickets by the time the season opens, up from 9,000 at the same time last year.

"When the Samuelis bought the team (in June 2005), that was a big story here, they're highly respected and well-liked Orange County people," Burke said of his owners, Henry and Susan Samueli. "Once Disney got out of the hockey business and they bought the team there was an immediate response."

I think Jerky could change his name to Copy Paste. ;)

Is the general consensus really that Bryzgalov is the starter??

All those previews seem to indicate Burke has been doing his darndest to move Giguere ... I can't see that with Bryzgalov's minimal experience....... maybe come Christmas if Ilya is playing lights out, but even then ... look what happened last year when some of the top talents went down ... Lundqvist, Hasek, Belfour (ok that ones a stretch!!!) Vokoun, even guys like Cloutier. the back-ups filled in admirably, but they just couldn't get it done over the long haul. What's behind Bryzgalov if Giggy does indeed get moved??

Is the general consensus really that Bryzgalov is the starter??

All those previews seem to indicate Burke has been doing his darndest to move Giguere ... I can't see that with Bryzgalov's minimal experience....... maybe come Christmas if Ilya is playing lights out, but even then ... look what happened last year when some of the top talents went down ... Lundqvist, Hasek, Belfour (ok that ones a stretch!!!) Vokoun, even guys like Cloutier. the back-ups filled in admirably, but they just couldn't get it done over the long haul. What's behind Bryzgalov if Giggy does indeed get moved??

See the thread "Giguere or Bryzgalov".

The thing that has dogged Bryzgalov during a lot of his professional career is his inconsistency. He's a very streaky goaltender, as could be seen when he lost the starting gig in Cincy to Cassivi and during the playoffs when he started strong and then faded. If he can play at a consistent level, Anaheim would have a better feel for which goaltender is worth keeping around.

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ed: here is Kevin's season preview at HF. Click link for complete article.

http://hockeysfuture.com/article.php?sid=9064&mode=threaded&order=0

The Anaheim Ducks begin training camp at the Anaheim Ice facility this weekend. This will be the Ducks' 13th season of play in the NHL, however, it will be their first under their new shortened moniker.

After bowing out in the Western Conference finals last season against the Edmonton Oilers, the Ducks are looking to take the next step and see themselves as serious competitors for the Stanley Cup in the 2006-07 season. That being said, the Ducks will look quite different from the team that lost to the Oilers in the playoffs. In addition to their new logo and uniforms, Anaheim has made a number of significant moves this off season, however, that leaves them with very few roster spots open for the upcoming season.

Twenty-five players who are considered prospects under Hockey's Future criteria have been invited to training camp. Of those 25, all but one, Simon Ferguson are considered Ducks property, although Ferguson played with the Ducks' affiliate in Portland last season and is signed to play there again this year. All the other prospects are signed to contract with Anaheim, except for WHL blueliner Brendan Mikkelson and QMJHL goaltender Jean-Phillipe Levasseur, both of whom are expected to return to junior this season.

Three prospects who have little to fear are Ryan Getzlaf, Dustin Penner and Corey Perry. Getzlaf and Perry spent the majority of the 2005-06 season with the Ducks and will be expected to take on an even larger role with the team this season. Intended to be developed as linemates, the duo will slot in behind Andy McDonald and Teemu Selanne to provide secondary scoring and should also see time on the power play. Penner only played in 19 regular season games with the Ducks last year, leaving him still considered a rookie for this year in the NHL's eyes. He saw almost as much action in the post season, breaking out with an impressive showing in 13 playoff games which solidified his full-time spot on the roster. Penner will probably line up either beside McDonald and Selanne on the top line or round out the young gun line with Getzlaf and Perry.

Preview from tsn.ca. Click on link for complete preview.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=6985&hubname=

Offseason Moves: Acquired defenceman Chris Pronger from the Edmonton Oilers for right wing Joffrey Lupul, defenceman Ladislav Smid, a 2007 first-round pick, a 2008 second-round pick and a conditional first-round pick; signed left wing Stanislav Chistov, who had been in Russia; signed goaltender Michael Leighton, who had been with the Buffalo Sabres, to a one-year contract; signed right wing Shawn Thornton, who had been with the Chicago Blackhawks, to a one-year contract; signed centre Travis Green, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a one-year contract; signed defenceman Ian Moran, who had been with the Boston Bruins, to a one-year contract; acquired forward Karl Stewart, a 2007 second-round pick and a conditional draft pick from the Atlanta Thrashers for defenceman Vitali Vishnevski.

Wow, nice copilation Jerky.

Wow, nice copilation Jerky.

Oh Waahh?? :help:

http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=copulation

:D

Oh Waahh?? :help:

http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=copulation

:D
What did you do to the newspapers? That's sick!

Good work guys. Enjoyed reading the articles.

Oh Waahh?? :help:

http://www.webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=copulation

:D

C'mon now, it was late.