Federov to the Ducks!

[MrBug708]

Former Red Wing joins the Ducks (http://espn.go.com/nhl/news/2003/0719/1582918.html)


Quite the development. I thought he was going to go to the Kings

[DeToxRox]

As a Wings fan, I will say, it's sad to see him go, but he'll regret it.

Who is gonna' complement him as a scorer? Chistov? Not yet, Rucchin? Not his game. Prospal? Nope.

He's gonna' get all the attention on the ice and pay for it. This will be his worse season in his career, I can feel it now.

But onto better news..

Wings may send CuJo to the Blues for Demitra.. If we pull that off, I won't miss Feddy at all, afterall, they were just about the same in scoring last year. The lack of defense will hurt, but adding him to our team would be huge.

[Ksyrup]

Anaheim traded for Peter Worrell to "protect" him. Maybe that'll have to do.

[Ksyrup]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
Anaheim traded for Peter Worrell to "protect" him. Maybe that'll have to do.

My bad, it was Colorado. I think the radio announcer intended to say Prospal, but got that deal and the Avalanche deal for Worrell confused.

[DeToxRox]

lol.

So do you think Feddy is gonna' get the boo birds out in Detroit?

I for one do, but just because of the way he went out. He kept saying he'd be back, and then bam, decides to leave, it was just shady from thet get go.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by Ksyrup
My bad, it was Colorado. I think the radio announcer intended to say Prospal, but got that deal and the Avalanche deal for Worrell confused.

well, you made me do quite a double-take.

[MrBug708]

The Ducks don't rely on high scoring to win games. Granted, it hurt them against NJ, but Federov is a good 2 way forward, something Kariya was not. The Ducks also signed a forward from TB I believe

[DeToxRox]

yes, but seeing Detroit play all the time, a big thing with Fedorov is the fact that he takes games off.

Anaheim cannot afford this, and they're not a shue in for the playoffs. I think they're gonna' be on the outside looking in when it comes spring.

It's the Hurricanes all over again.

[klayman]

Who do you place in the West coming ahead of the Ducks? Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, and maybe St. Louis. That's still 4 spots open for the Ducks, and I think they'll easily pick up one of those. Even if Jiggy has a complete meltdown next season, I think the ducks would be hard pressed to miss the playoffs.

Don't forget the Ducks were the 2nd best team in the NHL during the 2nd half of the season. They are not so much the 'surprise team' of the playoffs that the media made them out to be.

[Draft Dodger]

Originally posted by klayman
Who do you place in the West coming ahead of the Ducks? Detroit, Colorado, Dallas, and maybe St. Louis. That's still 4 spots open for the Ducks, and I think they'll easily pick up one of those. Even if Jiggy has a complete meltdown next season, I think the ducks would be hard pressed to miss the playoffs.

Don't forget the Ducks were the 2nd best team in the NHL during the 2nd half of the season. They are not so much the 'surprise team' of the playoffs that the media made them out to be.

I agree on the 2nd part, but I'm not so sure on part 1. I don't think there's any guarantee that Anaheim will be in the playoffs at all - after the top 5 teams (add Vancouver to your list), there's going to be a LOT of competition - San Jose, Minnesota,, LA, Edmonton...maybe Phoenix. and, really, I don't even think the Top 5 are locks...it's a wild division

[sachmo71]

Originally posted by DeToxRoxDVHStyle
As a Wings fan, I will say, it's sad to see him go, but he'll regret it.

Who is gonna' complement him as a scorer? Chistov? Not yet, Rucchin? Not his game. Prospal? Nope.

He's gonna' get all the attention on the ice and pay for it. This will be his worse season in his career, I can feel it now.

But onto better news..

Wings may send CuJo to the Blues for Demitra.. If we pull that off, I won't miss Feddy at all, afterall, they were just about the same in scoring last year. The lack of defense will hurt, but adding him to our team would be huge.

I wouldn't count Prospal out...but what about Elias? He's pretty good... :D
Fedorov is the type of complete player that Anaheim needed. Good move for them. I don't think Fedorov will regret it.

BTW, if the Blues make that trade, they are morons. But it wouldn't suprise me. Detroit has a way of getting the best of teams. Demitra for Cujo...sheesh.

[DeToxRox]

I'd say Minnesota is still all around better.

So there are 6 teams (counting Vancouver and the 4 mentioned), so it could come to a two team race, and if LA is healthy, I'd think they'd make it, and you still have San Jose, Pheonix, Edmonton and Anaheim.

I dunno, I think they're staying home this year.

[Chief Rum]

Wow! How about that?

I guess it was a false assumption by some media pundits that signing Prospal would mean no Federov.

With all due respect to DeRox, I couldn't disagree more. Detroit, Colorado and Dallas are the only teams that are clearly more talented than the Ducks right now. I would put Anaheim on par with St. Louis and Vancouver easily, with the added caveat that, unlike those two teams, this team didn't collapse in the playoffs when the heat turned on.

The Western Conference is brutal enough--in reality, no one, not even the top three, are cinches in this conference--but I think the Ducks have done more than enough to show they deserve to be considered among the few "locks" in the conference for a playoff spot. To call them 2003's version of the Canes is simply about as false as you can get, in context of the moves they have made.

Yes, Oates and Kariya are gone, but one was old and the other was a one-way player who has gotten worse five years in a row. Instead, we get another solid option in Prospal (he may not be as good as last year, but he should be good for 50+ points, and at least 15 goals), and we at least replace Kariya if not improve upon him with Federov. And if you think teams didn't focus on Federov already--with all respect to Yzerman--then you have been looking at the Red Wings with Yzerman colored glasses for too long. For instance, when the Ducks shut the Wings down this year, it was Federov who attracted Carney and Rucchin's attentions.

Right now, here are the Ducks forward lines, as I see them:

Prospal, Federov, Sykora
Krog, Niedermayer, Chistov (would switch to right, has the stickhands to do it)
LeClerc, Rucchin, Bylsma (as a great heavy third line)
MacDonald (back to wing), Pahlsson, Lupul

And that doesn't count Smirnov, who will get playing time in there somewhere, or that hotshot forward from St. Cloud (sorry, Cards4ever, I forget his name again). I wouldn't normally throw out guys who haven't played in the NHL like the St. Cloud forward or Lupul, but Lupul was a top five pick in the 2002 draft, and great scoring offensive forwards in American colleges have shown they can step into the NHL right away and contribute (like Drury and MacDonald have done, for instance).

That seems like a pretty solid two-way forward group with some offensive excitement as well, to add to one of the best defenses and goaltenders in the league.

Including Smirnov, that's also seven forwards (Smirnov, Krog, Chistov, MacDonald, Pahlsson, Lupul, the St. Cloud kid) who are all young and developing and can be expected to be more solid and consistent next year, and none of them have to worry about the pressure of being on the top line or the defensive pressure of being on the third line. And that doesn't even talk about the three solid first round forwards we picked up in the draft this year, although by reports they all seem to be at least a year away from even a chance at the roster.

I don't think it's a stretch at all to include the Ducks in the next tier of teams below Dallas, Colorado, and Detroit and with other playoff locks like Vancouver and St. Louis.

Look at this way: if the Ducks kept Kariya and Oates instead, and didn't sign Prospal or Federov, you would still likely say they were going to be in the playoffs, right? Basically, the names have changed, but the talent remaisn the same--or maybe even better.

Chief Rum

[Chief Rum]

Curious, but where exactly is Minnesota better than Anaheim?

They are a solid team that bought into the system well, but everyone--even Minnesota fans--acknowledge they don't have all that much talent. They have speed, they are committed, and they have a very good coach.

I love the Wild and what they did last year, and I will root for few other teams before I root for them. But I just see a big talent gap between them and the Ducks. In fact, I thought that was kinda proven in the Western Conference finals.

Chief Rum

[sachmo71]

I still like the Wild, but I think they will have a harder time repeating their success than Anaheim will. I don't think they will be a bad team at all, just not as good as last year.

[DeToxRox]

Here's my logic on Minnesota

They're younger, and have crucial experience. They have two solid goalies, and they have the best coach in the NHL. I think with all their guys in that system for another year is gonna' make them even better. They're gritty, and they don't make mistakes. They have a solid defense, moreso in my opinion then Anaheim.

Anaheim on the same level as the Canucks and Blues, eh. Depends on the Blues getting Cujo, if they do, I think they're a level ahead, and as much as I dislike the Canucks, they got the big two, a solid D core, steady regular season goaltending and a good coach.

The Kings in my opinion are the sleeper this year, if Allison and Deadmarsh stay healthy, they have guys who can put it in the net.

Also, my thing about Anaheim's scoring, Fedorov had 80 points last year, his most since 94 when he had 100, but he played with guys like Hull, Zetterburg, Shannahan, etc. He can create for himself, but he need's guys to create for him too, he won't get that from Prospal and Sykora on a consistent basis.

And no, I am not banking on Yzerman, but if the Wings can sign a guy like Niuendyke, to go with Dats, Yzerman and Draper, they'll be solid up the middle. Zetterburg is also a natural center, but if they don't need to move him, they won't.

If this Demitra thing happens, which I doubt it will, but hey, it could happen, then the Blues drop a bit, but the Wings improve a lot. Hasek, Hatcher and Demitra for Fedorov and Cujo? I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Yes, I do realize Minnesota looks a lot like Carolina from style and the two goalies, etc, but they play the best system in the NHL aside from New Jersey, and have been for the last two seasons. Anaheim's done it once. We'll see if they can do it again with more people keying in on them as a contender.

One more thing regarding Feddy.. He's in a place condusive to his lifestyle, and this probably won't make a difference, but you never know. He's known for not giving it his all in the regular season, and could get away with it on Detroit, but now he's the man, and on a team that cannot afford their star to take nights off. Just something to think about.

[MizzouRah]

I guess the friggin Blues aren't going to do a damn thing in the off season!

Way to go Laurie! Take your Walmart cash and wait for that chance at a Basketball team, yeah like that would be wise here in St. Louis. We don't need Cujo, especially for Demitra, but who knows what Pleau is up to?

Dallas, Colorado, and Detriot get better and St. Louis sits idle and ticket prices go up.


Todd

[sachmo71]

I would argue that Dallas did not get better. We took a hit on defense for sure. Good thing we were already pretty darn good. :D
The Blues need to have faith in Osgood and forget about Cujo. Giving the Wings Demitra or Weight is a bad, bad move.

Oh wait! We did sign Jarod Skalde...again. Whoo hoo!

[MizzouRah]

After posting that, I was wondering if Dallas has added anyone yet this year. :)

If we lose Weight, I might skip hockey this year. ;)


Todd

[sachmo71]

Actually, besides resigning some RFA's, our most notable signing was Don Sweeney. Nice veteren presence on the blueline, but nothing exciting.

[Cards4ever]

Actually Minnesota isn't as young as what you think. The Wild do not have the scoring depth yet to be a consistant Cup contender. Sure they can make the playoffs, but they need to find someone to complement Gaborik, our one pure scorer. Systems are nice, but, Anaheim has the better goalie.