Thursday, June 7, 2007
The Road Ahead
Before I sign off for the summer (there might be another post or two), I want to talk about what I see the Ducks doing this summer.
First, I genuinely believe they will revise their budget based on the number of sellouts this year, the playoff revenue, the Championship buzz, and the massive increase in season ticket subscribers. I believe they will use that money to keep this team together, including Giguere, and Selanne if he wants to return (I don't think he will).
The Ducks still have Tampa's first round pick, and a proven playoff goalie that they don't need in Ilya Bryzgalov. That, and the attendant $6M of cap space that Selanne's retirement would probably create would likely translate into a top six forward. Assuming Burke doesn't want Bryz getting revenge 4 or 8 times per year, the eastern teams that would be upgraded by Bryz: Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Tampa, Atlanta, and Washington. The most intriguing possibility is there if you think about it, but that's a long shot.
Let's also not forget that Bobby Ryan will have a good chance to make the team next year.
In other words, despite the incorrect press reports, this team has the financial strength and cap room to put an even superior team on the ice next year, without dipping into the UFA market.
This will probably create a rush to sign UFAs and make other trades to compete with the Champs, a rush that the Ducks will probably not participate in, other than a possible draft day deal (which is definitely contingent on Selanne retiring).
The team that has to be kicking themselves, though maybe not as much as Ottawa, is the San Jose Sharks. They were not rewarded for their do-it-right efforts and much greater consistency than the Ducks over the years, and now, no matter what, they will always be the second (or third?) team to win the Cup for California. They made two huge deadline deals that didn't make a difference, and, frankly, should have at least made it to the conference finals.
If they decide that adding size will help them beat the Ducks, they are mistaken. There will be no single way to defeat the Ducks until this team is broken up by the cap, probably after 08-09 season. A team would be much better off continuing to build its own identity and winning that way, instead of reacting. That goes double for the Sharks whose own window isn't that long, either.
In the east, the picture is very different. All the pundits claiming the West was better this year were right. They will work even harder to improve next year. There's too much information for me to process there to think about it yet. We'll see.
Final playoff prediction record: 12-3, which would have been one better, but I had committed myself to NJ in the second round earlier. I got the Conn Smythe winner wrong, but I'm glad I did. The only things I really got wrong was Detroit--totally underestimated them.
First, I genuinely believe they will revise their budget based on the number of sellouts this year, the playoff revenue, the Championship buzz, and the massive increase in season ticket subscribers. I believe they will use that money to keep this team together, including Giguere, and Selanne if he wants to return (I don't think he will).
The Ducks still have Tampa's first round pick, and a proven playoff goalie that they don't need in Ilya Bryzgalov. That, and the attendant $6M of cap space that Selanne's retirement would probably create would likely translate into a top six forward. Assuming Burke doesn't want Bryz getting revenge 4 or 8 times per year, the eastern teams that would be upgraded by Bryz: Toronto, Ottawa, Boston, Tampa, Atlanta, and Washington. The most intriguing possibility is there if you think about it, but that's a long shot.
Let's also not forget that Bobby Ryan will have a good chance to make the team next year.
In other words, despite the incorrect press reports, this team has the financial strength and cap room to put an even superior team on the ice next year, without dipping into the UFA market.
This will probably create a rush to sign UFAs and make other trades to compete with the Champs, a rush that the Ducks will probably not participate in, other than a possible draft day deal (which is definitely contingent on Selanne retiring).
The team that has to be kicking themselves, though maybe not as much as Ottawa, is the San Jose Sharks. They were not rewarded for their do-it-right efforts and much greater consistency than the Ducks over the years, and now, no matter what, they will always be the second (or third?) team to win the Cup for California. They made two huge deadline deals that didn't make a difference, and, frankly, should have at least made it to the conference finals.
If they decide that adding size will help them beat the Ducks, they are mistaken. There will be no single way to defeat the Ducks until this team is broken up by the cap, probably after 08-09 season. A team would be much better off continuing to build its own identity and winning that way, instead of reacting. That goes double for the Sharks whose own window isn't that long, either.
In the east, the picture is very different. All the pundits claiming the West was better this year were right. They will work even harder to improve next year. There's too much information for me to process there to think about it yet. We'll see.
Final playoff prediction record: 12-3, which would have been one better, but I had committed myself to NJ in the second round earlier. I got the Conn Smythe winner wrong, but I'm glad I did. The only things I really got wrong was Detroit--totally underestimated them.
// posted by Rick @ 10:31 AM 
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