The Ohio Battery

[kinsmen7]

Ducks priorities heading into 2021/22 season

With the rebuild in full swing, we look at the top 5 priorities for Anaheim going into this year.

1)Make a decision on Hampus Lindholm: After topping our trade chip list, moving Lindholm isn't necessarily a necessity. The soon to be 27 year old could still fit the teams timeline with a potential extension, and the cap-floor Ducks have the room to get a deal done. If Lindholm isn't willing to continue through a rebuild, they should hit the trade market early, to avoid any potential injuries to their star defenceman.

2)Adjust their defensive zone coverage: Former head coach Dallas Eakins may have earned himself the position in Anaheim, but his strategy never caught hold with the Ducks. Now, with a new head coach, the Ducks need to prioritize their play in their own end, or risk wasting the career of John Gibson.

3)Continue to add to the farm system: Our top 10 prospects list dropped earlier this week, and the Ducks have certainly crept up the overall farm system rankings, but they need to continue to add high end talent to their prospect pool.

4)Put Drysdale and Zegras in a position for success: Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale appear to be players that could quickly emerge as stars in this league. For Zegras, the team needs to focus on allowing his offensive game to flourish. Putting him on a line with skilled forwards wasn't something that Eakins was willing to do, but new look Ducks need to do everything in their power to give him a supporting cast. Drysdale is an absolutely dynamic presence on the back end, but wasn't really put into a position to suceed in 2021, as struggled with the defensive aspects of the game. Looking back to the first point on this list, extending Hampus Lindholm would give Drysdale a potential long term D partner to build his career with.

5)Don't let a few wins change your plans: Heading into this season with a healthy lineup, the Ducks have the potential to surprise a lot of teams in what looks like a fledgling Pacific division. At this point, a wild card position isn't worth deviating from the rebuild. They absolutely cannot afford to see Manson, Lindholm and Rakell walk away for nothing.

[kinsmen7]

Quote: Originally Posted by johnstone1987

This looks good good luck with the Jackets

Thanks! It's going to be messy, and I'll try to keep up with it, but with a pregnant wife, my gaming time comes in spurts.

I find that I typically get a little too "trade-happy", and once everything loses the (video game version of) realism, I end up losing interest. I plan to *try* to keep everything within the realm of possibility, knowing that with EA's trade engine, that's basically impossible.

Happy to have you along for the ride!

[kinsmen7]

Way too early offseason predictions for next year

With the Ducks season about to start, here are five way too early predictions for next year:

1)One step forward, two steps back: A new head coach and management team bring stability to the organization, but a late season collapse leaves the Ducks picking outside of the top ten, and they miss out on the elite top end talent at the draft.

2)With a ton of cap space, the Ducks are in on big name free agents, but miss out: While adding an elite offensive winger such as Johnny Gaudreau would be exciting, the Ducks likely end up missing out, and adding a couple of bounce back candidates.

3)The Captain's swan song: Ryan Getzlaf *should* end the season as the Ducks all-time points leader, and *should* surpass the 1,000 point plateau. We predict that he'll sign a 1 year deal and finish his career in SoCal.

4)Draft day moves: With his first season as a GM under his belt, Kevin Weekes decides to go for quantity over quality on draft day, making multiple moves to trade down and acquire future assets.

5)Zegras takes next step: A potential Calder finalist, Trevor Zegras cements his position as the 1st line center, and becomes the new face of the franchise, taking the reigns as team captain from Getzlaf late next year.

[kinsmen7]

Central Scouting releases preseason draft rankings

1-Shane Wright (C) OHL
2-Matthew Savoie (C) WHL
3-Logan Cooley (C) USNTDP
4-Simon Nemec (D) SVK
5-Joakim Kemell (RW) Liiga
6-Danila Yurov (RW) KHL
7-Juraj Slafkovski (RW) Liiga
8-Brad Lambert (C/RW) Liiga
9-Connor Geekie (C) WHL
10-David Jiricek (D) CZE

[kinsmen7]

Who are the best draft eligible fits for the Ducks?

With the Ducks projected to sit in the basement of the league this year, here are five draft eligible prospects that we see as fits for the future of the franchise:

1) Matthew Savoie (2OA): We're going to skip right over projected #1 pick Shane Wright. The Ducks could be bad this season, but we don't see them being *that* bad. While Savoie could be a stretch, adding another high end forward to the likes of Zegras and McTavish would go a long way towards building the Ducks for long term success. Savoie is coming off a solid season in the USHL, and ranges from 2nd to 5th on a number of top prospect lists.

2) Simon Nemec (4OA): Nemec is a dynamic Slovakian defencemen who plays on the right side. Adding a solid second option to a position that already includes Jamie Drysdale could solidify the Ducks young D core for the next decade.

3) Brad Lambert (8OA): Lambert has slipped a bit on a lot of lists, but the soon to be 18 year old has debuted in the Finnish professional league during the 2019-20 season. While he has a lot of growth to do before reaching the NHL, Lambert represents a high-ceiling, low floor option for the Ducks.

4) David Jiricek (10OA): Jiricek's early season injury may cause him to drop down many lists this year, but don't be fooled-He absolutely has the tools to be a top 10 talent in this years draft. The #2 ranked defenceman has a boatload of talent. A year or two adjusting the North American game is a given, but he's a guy that many will regret missing out on.

5) Seamus Casey (18OA): Let's say the Ducks surprise this year, and end up outside of the top 10. Casey is absolutely a guy worth targetting. The slightly undersize RD is commited to attending the University of Michigan next fall, which could be the perfect stepping stone for the speedy defenceman. After spending the past two years as part of the USNTDP, Casey has some work to do before being NHL ready, but would be an excellent mid-round target if the Ducks play themselves out of the top 10.

[kinsmen7]

Healthy Ducks look ready to prove critics wrong

With opening night on the horizon, the Ducks could be the surprise of the season

After finishing dead last in goals for, and 23rd out of 31 in goals against last season, things can only go up from here, right?

While the debuts of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale in 2021 may have been unconventional (Drysdale would have likely played in Erie of the OHL), they served as a valuable learning tool for the two Calder contenders.

While Zegras may not have set the world on fire, a demotion in early April to San Diego in early April set the stage for a late season return, seeing the team go 3-2-2 with Zegras playing down the middle.

Many project the Ducks to be bottom feeders yet again, but a healthy Ducks lineup is far more talented than most will give them credit for. A (once) elite goaltender, young and exciting firepower, and a potentially improved defence with the emergence of Drysdale could set this team on a path to success that few would have predicted.

While preseason records mean very little, the Ducks 4-2-1 showing gives fans something to dream on. The powerplay had killer instinct, the penalty kill looked feisty, and the new defensive scheme helped limit quality scoring opportunities for their opponents.

Prospect News: While Mason McTavish did impress during the preseason, picking up two goals and an assits, the Ducks announced that he would be rejoining Peterborough of the OHL for the upcoming season. McTavish, this years 3rd overall pick, will headline the list of World Junior Championship eligible players for team Canada this Christmas.

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Weekes: "Evaluation period not a necessity"

The new GM has had his eye on the Ducks for a while, and trusts the talent evaluators in the organization

It appears as though rookie general manager Kevin Weekes isn't going to be gun shy. At the final preseason media availability, Weekes made it clear that he was not worried about an evaluation period.

"These guys have been here for a while now. They bring a level of experience and skill that I find to be extremely valuable. We're not going to make a trade just to make a trade, but if the right deal comes along, that helps to continue cementing our foundation, we'll make it".

Weekes made clear that his priorities weren't necessarily completely focused on long term goals. "At this moment, we don't see ourselves as big-time sellers. There comes a time when teams need to take the next step, and I see us as nearing that point". "We're not in a position to add high-priced rentals, but if the right deal presents itself, I could see us adding some talent that has future control".

When asked about his three big trade chips, Weekes was non-commital. "We value Hampus, Rickard and Josh extremely highly. While other teams might balk at the potential asking price of any of those three, we see a lot of value in keeping them through the season. You trade a guy like Josh and you're potentially just throwing Drysdale to the wolves. We need to put our young players in a position to succeed, and trading out veterans isn't necessarily the answer".

[kinsmen7]

Final Preseason Ramblings

With Weekes non-commital to trading away pending UFA's, here's five potential trade targets that the team could continue building around:

1)Vitali Kravtsov (RW) New York Rangers: The young winger hasn't gotten off to the best start in New York with head coach Gerard Gallant. Being a potential opening night roster snub on a team starved for help on the wing, Kravtsov is the type of young, high upside, NHL ready piece that comes with multiple years of control that Weekes has talked about. Questions about his attitude have raised a lot of eyebrows, but there's no denying that Kravtsov is talented.

Pondering a trade: NYR: Kravtsov ANA:Rakell+Guhle

While Guhle certainly doesn't raise the floor of the Rangers defence, he is an improvement over Libor Hajek. Guhle has passed through waivers in the past, so he could also add a level of depth the Rangers organization. Rakell is a pending UFA, but with the Rangers looking to contend this season, would fit in nicely on the right side.

2)Evander Kane (LW) Free Agent: Yes, it's not a trade, but adding the beleaguered Kane on a 1 year deal to help him potentially rebuild value isn't necessarily the worst option out there. Kane, who saw his contract with the Sharks terminated, could represent a huge win for the Ducks *IF* he can manage to stay on the straight and narrow.

Pondering a deal: While Kane is seemingly interested in joining a contender, a 1 year $3 million deal might be too much to pass up on.

3)Jakob Chychrun (D) Arizona Coyotes: Once considered untouchable, Chychrun finds himself on the block as a potential trade chip for the Coyotes. The 23 year old defenceman is on a sweetheart of a deal, and if the Ducks can't get Lindholm locked up, would be a great addition to their young core.

Pondering a trade: ARI: Chychrun ANA: 2022 1st round pick, 2023 2nd round pick, Mason McTavish, Jakob Silfverberg

This one would hurt. Without massive returns on guys like Rakell, Manson, and Lindholm, I can't see the Ducks being interested.

4)Dylan Strome (LW/C) Chicago Blackhawks: The former 3rd overall pick has seen more lows than highs, but has shown that he can be productive in the right situation, putting up 51 points in 58 games for the Hawks in 2019. The production has fallen off since then, but a change of scenery might help the young forward unlock some more potential.

Pondering a trade: CHI: Strome ANA:Mahura, 2023 3rd round pick

A change of scenary might do both Mahura and Strome some good. With similar players on the roster like Brendan Guhle and Jacob Larsson, the Ducks can afford to roll the dice with Mahura.

5)Vladimir Tarasenko (LW) St Louis Blues: Tarasenko hasn't waivered from his trade request last offseason, and although he was passed over by the Kraken in the expansion draft due to injury concerns, he still brings a wealth of talent to the team. He's certainly up for grabs if a team is willing to meet the Blues sky-high asking price, but with 2 years of control, he could be worth the price of admission.

Pondering a trade: STL: Tarasenko ANA: 2023 1st round pick, Jacob Perreault, Axel Andersson

Tarasenko's injuries have certainly knocked the value down, but he still represents a bonified top line scoring threat. Seattle passing on him was a mistake, and was likely driven by financial concerns.

Bonus target:
6) Patrik Laine (LW/RW) Columbus Blue Jackets: Yes, we said five trade targets, but we couldn't resist adding Laine to the list. The 23 year old could represent the long-term goal scoring threat that would make Ducks fans drool. The former 40 goal scorer that saw the Jets soured on ended up being moved to Columbus in a blockbuster early last season. While his time with John Tortorella didn't go as planned, the Blue Jackets would absolutely set a sky-high asking price on the sniper. He may not be available at this moment, stalled extension talks could see him on the block soon, as Columbus, a team in the midst of their own rebuild, can't afford to watch Laine walk away for nothing as a UFA in 2023. While the Ducks would be compltely unwilling to include Zegras, McTavish or Drysdale in trade talks for him, they still have a number of young assets that could potentially catch the Blue Jackets attention.

Pondering a trade: CBJ: Laine ANA:2023 1st round pick, 2022 2nd round pick, Jackson LaCombe, Brayden Tracey

While emptying the cupboard for a single player is questionable, Laine could raise the ceiling for the Ducks offence, without taking away any short term assets. If Weekes is serious about jumping into contention, a Laine trade (And subsequent long term extension) could be the best path available.

Trading a 1st round pick isn't necessarily the best plan at this point, but if you can add some picks by trading away one or more of the pending UFA's, this could certainly be stepping stone in the right direction.

Other potential targets: Travis Dermott (TOR), Justin Holl (TOR), Justin Faulk (STL), PK Subban (NJ-With extension), Jake DeBrusk (BOS)