I haven't written in this blog since school started... student teaching has kept me relatively busy. However, in lieu of all of the trades that have been happening around the league, I'll be taking a look at some of the teams that have made moves.
Anaheim:
The Ducks have been one of the busier teams this season in terms of trades. First they acquired Maxim Lapierre for Brett Festerling and a 5th-round pick. I liked this move for Anaheim, as it added some depth to their third and fourth lines and Lapierre has proven to be a useful depth player. Likewise, the Ducks would later acquire Jarkko Ruutu from the Ottawa Senators for a 6th-round pick. While I'm not as big on Ruutu as he can often be a dirty player, this is another solid depth move for the Ducks and shows that the team is thinking playoffs as that is when having quality players such as Lapierre and Ruutu on your third or fourth lines begin to matter more.
The big trade that the Ducks made was trading Joffrey Lupul and prospect Jake Gardiner for Francois Beauchemin. This move was made to help bolster Anaheim's weak defensive corps and while I thought that Anaheim slightly overpaid to bring in Beauchemin, the move should help the team down the stretch as they (and every other team in the West) try to make the playoffs. This trade made defenseman Paul Mara expendable as he was dealt to Montreal for a 5th-round pick.
It also shouldn't be forgotten that Anaheim signed Ray Emery to a two-year contract. It remains to be seen if Emery will be able to play in the NHL this year (he made 27 saves on 31 shots in his first start in the AHL last night), it is an attempt to add some depth at goaltending behind Jonas Hiller.
Apart from possibly moving Sheldon Brookbank who is also an extra defender, I'd be surprised to see the Ducks make another move. I think this is a team that will battle for a playoff spot right up until the last game and if the make the dance, could have a good chance at an upset.
