Ducks NHL Trade Deadline outlook
Anaheim's a buyer after post-Christmas surge
With the 2016 NHL Trade Deadline approaching at 3 p.m. ET on Monday, Feb. 29, NHL.com is taking a close look at what moves teams might be looking to make and whether they'll be buyers or sellers. Today, the Anaheim Ducks:
Skinny: Anaheim has been trending toward buyer over the past six weeks. The lowest-scoring team in the NHL before the Christmas break, the Ducks have scored 51 goals in 17 games since Dec. 27, tied for sixth-most in the League over that span, and are in solid position to earn a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. That wasn't the case on Dec. 22, when, after a 3-2 overtime loss at the New York Rangers, they were 12-15-6. Gone are speedy forwards Jiri Sekac and Carl Hagelin, replaced in trades by grittier, more physical forwards Ryan Garbutt and David Perron. Coach Bruce Boudreau gave Anaheim more scoring depth when he did the unthinkable and split up Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, a move that seems more long-term than many would've believed. Despite general manager Bob Murray's resistance to them, short-term rentals seem like the best fit for a playoff push. Andersen is likely to command a high price and wants to be a No. 1 goalie. If the right scoring, forechecking forward became available, Anaheim has myriad good, young goalies and defensemen available to make a move, but the bottom line is it's unlikely Murray will mortgage the future before the deadline. Trading Khudobin, 29, to a team in need of a backup goalie is a possibility.
(NHL.com)
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