Now that Boudreau is gone, Gibson or Andersen as the #1 in Anaheim?

[rataylor22]

Not bad actually for a guy they may NEED to trade anyway.. Is Gillies really projected to be the next young stud?? The next hot commodity between the pipes??

I mean. Goaltending development is obviously all over the map, but that's the plan yea. The current options being thrown around are:

1) Find a stopgap solution to get you to Gillies. MAF, Elliot, someone older who's a bonafide starter.

2) Use the (expansion exempt) Gillies to land a young goalie who's on the cusp of the next step. Murray, Vasilevskiy/Bishop, Allen, Andersen.

But yea. Gillies is legit.

[The_Flash819]

Anaheim really needs to trade a goaltender, not because Andersen or Gibson deserves to have a net of their own but because it's smart asset management. Andersen has proven to be a very good goaltender and we know Gibson's reputation. The Ducks might fetch a good top6 winger for Andersen.

If I'm Bob Murray though, I find a way to get rid of Kesler's albatross of a contract and give Rakell the #2C spot permanently.

Kesler was arguably the Ducks best player the whole season. His defense alone was worth the money. Rakell is talented, but needs to improve his consistency which comes with age.

Source: I'm a Ducks fan....For better or worse.

[rataylor22]

Kesler was arguably the Ducks best player the whole season. His defense alone was worth the money. Rakell is talented, but needs to improve his consistency which comes with age.

Source: I'm a Ducks fan....For better or worse.

Yea THIS season.

Which would be great if it was a two year contract.

But paying big money to declining assets is how good teams stop being good.

[The_Flash819]

Yea THIS season.

Which would be great if it was a two year contract.

But paying big money to declining assets is how good teams stop being good.

Fair point. I think you need to see it from a GM's perspective. You have a player of Kesler's stature (reliable defensively and in the faceoff circle) who just came off a great playoff performance. Murray had the choice of seeing him walk at the end of his contract for nothing or paying him what he wants to continue to be a contender. Is the term long? Yes. Is the price worth it? Not, in a few years. But that being said Ducks are in a win now mode and keeping Kesler is how we stay competitive during our closing contending window (as seen by Perry and Getzlaf being irrelevant during the playoffs).

[rataylor22]

Fair point. I think you need to see it from a GM's perspective. You have a player of Kesler's stature (reliable defensively and in the faceoff circle) who just came off a great playoff performance. Murray had the choice of seeing him walk at the end of his contract for nothing or paying him what he wants to continue to be a contender. Is the term long? Yes. Is the price worth it? Not, in a few years. But that being said Ducks are in a win now mode and keeping Kesler is how we stay competitive during our closing contending window (as seen by Perry and Getzlaf being irrelevant during the playoffs).

Sure. So it's worth it if they win. Which they didn't this year, and now will have to try and do next year without one of Vatanen and Lindholm, and without Andersen. In fact, Kesler is probably what costs them one of those two D.

[The_Flash819]

Sure. So it's worth it if they win. Which they didn't this year, and now will have to try and do next year without one of Vatanen and Lindholm, and without Andersen. In fact, Kesler is probably what costs them one of those two D.

I wouldn't be so sure that they can't keep both Vatanen and Lindholm. Andersen will for sure be traded for a forward and for all we know one of Fowler, Lindholm or Vatanen can net a top 6 forward as well. The emergence of Theodore and Montour gives them some affordable players that can replace one of their defensemen.

Either way its going to be a very different Ducks team next season. We can go back and forth about Kesler till we're blue in the face but end of the day its a done deal, but if the Ducks can win at least one during the duration of his contract I don't think Ducks fans would care too much.