I only have one more thought on the Chris Pronger trade. A lot has been said of him recently (some good, more than his fair share of bad), fans who are sad to see him leave (me), those who are thrilled to see him go (your typical Pronger haters) and those who are looking at the whole picture (Ramon, UJ, many others...and slowly, but surely...me). I just want to make it clear, that while yes, his career has been somewhat controversial...I hope that ALL NHL fans around the league remember this one thing about him...
Fans don't boo nobodies.
So, please remember hockey fans...when you boo Pronger, it's because he's a real somebody...a force, a great defenseman...and someone out there (me) is a big fan. You are definitely lucky to have him on your roster for next season, Philly. Enjoy him.
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Okay, while the Chris Pronger era in Anaheim has officially come to a close, it's time to move on to next season with
Mr. Niedermayer (Scotty of course...you DO have to clarify these things sometimes). I am VERY happy to see that he is going to be returning to the Ducks next season, and I'm hoping at a cheaper price. However, with the recent loss of one GIANT defenseman, it's going to be vital that the Ducks are able to retain James Wisniewski AND/OR Francois Beauchemin (who I still predict will be playing for the Anaheim Ducks of Toronto next season...against my own personal wishes). As Ducks fans, we're all blessed to have a blueliner like Scott Niedermayer for a 5th season (WOW) and there is no doubting what he has brought to this franchise as a whole. By helping to put Anaheim into serious contention over the past few years (cup lifting and all), Scotty is exactly what the Ducks will need to make another run for the cup in 2010. Is it impossible to be done without him? No. Will it help? Hell yea.
Robbie? Well, that Niedermayer is sill a question mark.
Someone else who is likely to help make another serious run for the cup is Teemu Selanne. Returning once again this season for the second year on his current contract, Selanne will continue to threaten goalies once more. However, crucial to Selanne's success, will be the quality of his linemates. The Finnish Flash has shown no signs of slowing even with injuries sidelining him mid season. However, linemates who are able to get him the puck, fly with him through center ice, and take on the physical battles to give Selanne space and time will be crucial. Will Lupul be able to provide the speed, the physicality and the creativity required to play along side Selanne? Will the cheap Ryan Carter or Andrew Ebbett be slotted alongside the two? Bobby Effin Ryan? All of these questions will be answered once the season begins...or sooner depending on how the remainder of the off-season is handled.
Overall, the most important factor for the team this off-season is to address the need for second line scoring if they want to continue to be a Western Conference threat.
While it's great to see both Niedermayer and Selanne returning (and therefore quickly putting an end to the Nieder-lanne-ronger drama), there is SOOOOOO MUCH that needs to be done this off season for the Anaheim Ducks. Bob Murray has shown that he isn't afraid to move ANYONE. July 1st is just days away and fans are sure to see more names hit the headlines. I HOPE we see more names hit the headlines, because the fans want to see a successful year out of this franchise. We want WAY more than what we got out of the regular season, and definitely more in the post season!
Do your thing Murray, we'll all be watching, waiting, hoping...
GO DUCKS!!!
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