As expected former Vancouver Canucks forward Brendan
Morrison was signed on Monday, and stayed on the West Coast, joining the Mighty
Ducks of Anaheim.
Terms have yet to be disclosed but it’s reportedly either a
one or two year contract.
It’ll be interesting to see what Morrison’s new contract
will be, given the Ducks are currently sitting around $54 million in cap space.
Of course the Ducks coud get some additional cap relief if
as rumored they end up peddling Mathieu Schneider’s $5.75 million contract for
next season.
Morrison’s performance has been hampered by injury over the
past three seasons, two of which he played through nagging pain which clearly affected
his play. If he can stay healthy this season however he could be good for 55-60
points this season and provide valuable offensive depth to a Ducks club lacking
scoring punch last season.
The Tampa Bay Lightning meanwhile continued to add to their
forward depth by signing veteran forward Mark Recchi to a one-year, $1.25
million contract.
For those wondering why the Bolts are loading up at forward
at the expense of their defense, it’s believed they’re planning to shop a
forward (possibly Jussi Jokinen or Michel Ouellet) for a defenseman.
Recchi had a rough start to last season with the Pittsburgh
Penguins, netting only 8 points in 19 games and becoming a healthy scratch, but
rallied after being dealt to the Atlanta Thrashers with 40 points in 53 games.
If Recchi can manage that same pace for a full season with
the Bolts he could be a good, affordable addition.
From the outside, the Morrison acquisition stinks immediately of the Bertuzzi and Weight signings of last season. It remains to be seen if Brendan will be healthy enough to play 75+ games. What makes Burke think that he will miraculously turn his recent slide around and become productive once again?
Who knows... Morrison may be the second line center that the Anaheim Ducks need. Oops... Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Sorry. I thought the Samueli's changed the name of the team two years ago. My bad.
Brian Burke continues his love affair with broken down Canucks. Loyalty should count for something, I suppose...
Recchi is a good pickup for Tampa Bay, a steady voice in the room that can fill the leadership void left when Dave Andreychuk retired. If Tampa Bay pulls a Philadelphia -- going from worst to a healthy playoff run -- Recchi will have proven to be a valuable addition.
Should Tampa Bay be in the market for a defenseman and be willing to part with Jussi Jokinen, I'd look north to Edmonton for a possible deal.
There's still a lot of depth on the Oilers blueline at the NHL level, and Springfield is brimming with talent that needs a place to play. With Visnovsky, Souray and Gilbert as the offensive rearguards, and Staios, Smid and Roy penciled in as the stay-at-home guys, that potentially puts Denis Grebeshkov into play as tradebait.
Jokinen, while undersized, would be a nice fit in Edmonton and the Oilers have expressed an interest in him before. Grebeshkov plays a two-way game, and would be an affordable upgrade by Tampa Bay.
On the Oilers "Heart and Soul" depth chart, I think Mr. Grebeshkov ranks somewhat well down the list. He's not exactly gritty, and I haven't seen him lay down in front of any slapshots when the game is out of reach. I expect those kind of leadership qualities in my heart and soul players.
I realize he's a former first round draft pick by the Los Angeles Kings, but sadly that doesn't win him any additional points on the Edmonton "Heart and Soul" meter. (Of your first rounders to play for Edmonton, I'd put him ahead of Jimmy Carson, but well behind Martin Gelinas.)
Of course, you really can't do a proper evaluation until you see a guy perform in the playoffs. I'll get back to you next May with a detailed report on Grebeshkov.
Even as a diehard Ducks fan, I am really starting to question Burke's moves lately. I am really not sure where Burke came up with the idea that the Ducks 2nd priority (after signing Perry) is a 2nd line center. Burke need to take a close look at his roster, then maybe he will come to the realization that he has no wingers. Best case scenario right now is that Selanne and Ryan will be the Ducks 2nd line wingers. Selanne has yet to decide whether he will play, and Ryan is unproven. Waiving Bertuzzi doesn't seem like such a hot move now. The $1.3 mil buyout plus Morrison's $2.75 mil pretty much equates to Bertuzzi's salary of $4 mil. Bertuzzi still had 40 points in 68 games, which is not bad compared to Morrision's 25 points in 39 games last season. It does not seem the Ducks are any better off.
Gosh, TKF, when my immediately preceding post discusses Edmonton trading Denis Grebeshkov to Tampa Bay for Jussi Jokinen, and your post states "Just as Edmonton continues to trade away there [sic] Heart and Soul guys", and none of the three previous posts mention the Edmonton Oilers at all, Reading Comprehension 101 suggests in that context that your comment was referring to my post and the proposed dealing of Grebeshkov.
To do otherwise would be to assume you were referencing the Edmonton Oilers completely out of the blue without any relationship to the ongoing discussion, essentially committing a nonsensical non sequitur.
How could I ever surmise that you would compose a posting with such an irrational rationale?
The Pens also have 8 credible NHL d-men signed to the roster, with a few AHLers potentially making the roster. I wouldn't be surprised if Shero takes a look at bringing back Oullett or taking a look at Jokinen. I'm not convinced that this will happen, but the Pens have a D-man to shop somewhere along the way. Whether before the season or during, remains to be seen.
You made a few valid points, flash. Looking at Anaheim's roster, you'd think the Ducks are shallow at the wings. It's just my opinion that it's easier for a center to play a wing spot, than vice versa.
If Selanne is to come back for another season, Burke has to move Schneider's salary. Steve Montador is signed and I'm guessing he's ready to fill Mathieu's skates on the blue line. Brian will find a taker... there are 29 other teams in the NHL and there are surely a few that would love to have Schneider (and his salary).
Bobby Ryan is 'unproven' because he only played in 23 games for Anaheim this past season. He still posted 5G and 5A, for a grand total of 10 points. Not bad for a rookie that was shuttled between the minors and the big club. I think he's ready for a chance to prove himself at the NHL level. Give him 60-65 games and about 15 minutes of ice time per game on the 2nd line. His numbers should look a lot better. If he can produce at even strength, throw him couple of shifts on the power play. He's a big kid with good hands. I'd like to see Carlyle give him the opportunity to show what he's got to offer.
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
