Sport Chit Chat

The Anaheim Ducks signed Brendan Morrison to a deal worth less then 3 million. However, the Anaheim Ducks were already over the cap and they can’t simply sit still anymore. They HAVE to move a contract in order to play a game. They have until October to do so but who do they trade and to who?

This is more of a logical look to “rumors” and from my perspective it ends up working quite well. The Ducks are 3.25M over the cap.

Who can they trade (reasonably)?
Chris Kunitz Salary: 3.725 M
Tood Marchant Salary: 2.52 M
Mathieu Schneider Salary: 5.625 M

Todd Marchant in my own opinion is the most reasonable way of getting under the cap as he is a role player who still earns more then what he should be after being signed by Columbus. The only ‘problem’ is that a Marchant trade would have to be coupled with another trade. Another question would be: would anyone take Marchant at that salary? It may be worth trying to waive him and buying him out. Around 1.6 would be taken off the cap.

Burke would have to get creative with this one but if he can get rid of Marchant and say Sean O’donnell (1.25 M) that would say a ton about his ability.

The next logical choice is Mathieu Schneider who is paid a ton. He had 39 points last season and gets paid a large amount. He is also 39 years of age and isn’t getting any younger. There are only a few teams who can take on the contract but at what price?

Here are the likely candidates that I’ve come up with:
Montreal Canadiens
Ottawa Senators
Columbus Blue Jackets
Phoenix Coyotes

All these teams have sufficient cap space and have a need for an older defensemen. Teams like Atlanta and Los Angeles need to spend money to get over the 40 million dollar floor but let’s be honest, it would be dumb to give up assets when you are not in it to win and you can always throw around a ton of money in free agency (see Ron Hainsey).

Best Candidate:
Ottawa Senators. The Sens need to replace #1 defensemen Wade Redden. While I’ve been one of his detractors the past few seasons, the Sens need a guy like Schneider who adds the ability to quarterback a powerplay as well. The Sens have a little bit under 7.9 million under the cap and while the Jason Smith addition was nice, the Sens definitely want and need more. The only hitch I would say is the Sens have to wait on Antoine Vermette who will likely receive around 3 million in arbitration. There are some trade rumors about Neil on the move or Vermette with a Dman coming back in return. Cam Barker’s name has been thrown around but he’s not going to give then Sens what they need right now. Brian Murray will impress me if he can do something.

2nd best:
Phoenix Coyotes:
They have a ton of cap space and have stayed away from making a splash at signing any free agents. This is despite making a clear message that they want to win now by acquiring Olli Jokinen, a guy like Schneider would be a great acquisition to replace the holes left by Ballard and Boynton. I expect the Phoenix team to do something on the trade front as they have more then 15 million in cap space. It’s clear the free agent market was both dried up and overpaying so I thought it was a great that they decided to wait it out as there are guys to be had that can get for nothing.

Montreal is only a player when Sundin makes up his mind. Columbus can be a player if they choose to be but I think its slim but making Mike Commodore their highest paid defensemen at 3.75M is puzzling at best. The possibility seems small but it’s worth mentioning.

I can’t really see too many teams flocking to acquire Schneider, 5.6M is much to large for most teams to acquire (albeit for one season). He didn’t play all that well either and probably could be had for a draft pick or mid-level prospect.

Numbers from HockeyBuzz.com

The Anaheim Ducks have signed center Brendan Morrison to a 1 year, $2.75 million deal. TSN reported that: “Last week, Morrison turned down a one-year, $1.9 million offer from the Vancouver Canucks, the team he has spent the past eight seasons with.” Apparently as many as 10 teams were trying to sign him. Morrison has been plagued with 4 injuries over the past 2 seasons. He scored 9 goals and 16 assists in 39 games last season. Morrison was never really a great scorer, however he does have a great passing touch.

I believe it’s a good deal for the Ducks. Morrison provides veteran leadership and he’s also a great passer. If he can stay healthy, expect him to rack up at least 50 points next season. Morrison has potential to make beautiful things happen with Ryan Getzlaf if he gets the chance to play with him. He should help some of Anaheim’s young players reach their scoring potential. I’m loving these 1 year deals for veterans who can make an immediate impact.

It looks like Morrison will be taking charge of the team’s second line, as they desperately need a second line center to get the team going. It’s somewhat of a risk because of the big question mark as to whether or not Morrison can stay healthy. He also doesn’t have too much to work with, but maybe we’ll see Morrison create a star in Anaheim. Another big problem with the Ducks is their limited cap room, this means they probably won’t be able to make another big sign unless a trade is made first. If Teemu Selanne played one more season with the Ducks, him and Morrison would make a great pair for their second line. Despite the risks involved Morrison should help Anaheim with their scoring. However, if Selanne doesn’t come back (he most likely won’t), they will desperately need another scorer.