Anaheim's All-Time Team: the 5th and 6th Defensemen

Well, I was happy enough with the variety of responses I got from my search for a #1 center for the all-time Anaheim Sometimes-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim that I think I'll continue this "ask the audience" theme before publishing my own roster (note: feel free to continue voting on centermen). Today's theme: third-pairing defensemen.

I won't spend much time justifying my picks for the top-four blueliners just yet (that will come with the unveiling), but just know that Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, Fredrik Olausson, and Oleg Tverdovsky have all been pre-qualified, leaving just two slots to fill. I've narrowed the field down to eleven candidates, whom I'll list chronologically, but if you feel I've slighted anyone feel free to write in your own answer (c'mon, Trnka and Huskins fans). Which two players deserve a spot on Anaheim All-Time Team's blueline? Here we go!

Bobby Dollas (1993-94 to 1997-98)
305 gp, 28-61-89, +31

I'll have to admit; I was a fledgling fan back in Bobby Dollas' heyday, and my memory is sort of shoddy to the point where I only remember a blend of Dollas and Karpa. But hey, actual remembering isn't a requirement for the All-Time team, and Dollas was an original mainstay. I was shocked at his +31 career plus-minus for Anaheim, which is best on this list, as the old-school Mighty Duck teams weren't much to brag about.

Dave Karpa (1994-95 to 1997-98)
245 gp, 7-43-50, +5

See above. I believe Karpa played hockey in much more a tripod-fashion than did Dollas, but I can't even say that with 100% certainty. Still, you should give some credit to the old-school guard; they didn't have nearly the quality of linemates as recent Ducks players have enjoyed. If anyone wants to do justice to the memories of Dollas and Karpa, feel free.

Dmitri Mironov (1996-97 to 1997-98)
128 gp, 18-64-82, +13

Mironov was a short-term Duck, but he was productive (his .641 points-per-game is tops on this list). Not only a quality regular-season performer, but Dmitri also posted a point-per-game in Anaheim's first playoffs in 1997 (1-10-11 in 11 games). Strangely, I was never that enamored with Mironov's game -- he never seemed that dominant and I definitely don't recall being upset when he left the team. Again, though, this was the early days of Sleek the hockey fan.

Ruslan Salei (1996-97 to 2005-06)
594 gp, 26-79-105, -3

Ah, now we're getting more into my memory's wheelhouse. "Salei of Game" or "Cirque du Salei" was a mainstay for a decade on the Anaheim blueline, and his 594 regular season games is tops of all Anaheim defensemen. He was tough, dirty, and at times had above-average hockey sense, though there was always the sense he had the tools to be even better. Still, when the Ducks were down 3 games to 2 to Calgary in the 1st round of the 2006 playoffs, I thought that Salei more than anyone really elevated his play to help the team advance. Plus he's from Belarus.

Niclas Havelid (1999-00 to 2003-04)
310 gp, 24-61-85, -42

Ah, Havelid, the Swedish component of the 2003 miracle blueline. Havelid has pretty strong counting numbers (85 ANA points is third-best on this list), but man that minus-42 rating really stands out, doesn't it? At least the guy got an even rating in the 2003 playoff run. I'm not sure that Havelid ultimately belongs on this list, but in case there are any Swedish die-hards he's in the running.

Vitaly Vishnevski (1999-00 to 2005-06)
416 gp, 11-37-48, -11

Vish-dog in da house! I'm way too enamored with Vishnevski to give an unbiased description here, but despite his inability to score (by far the worst scoring rate on the list), Vish-dog is still second-all-time in games played by an Anaheim defenseman. His real skill isn't so much about scoring anyway, but more about creating opportunities to murder people on the ice. Sure his out-of-position wandering backfires, and sure he departed under suspect circumstances (traded right after arbitration), but he is by definition a third-pairing kind of guy, and unlike anyone else on this list, I do own a Vishnevski jersey.

Keith Carney (2001-02 to 2005-06)
271 gp, 13-48-61, +30

Damn, "Carney Asada" was an awesome defenseman for the Ducks -- a steady Eddie who was as vital to the 2003 cup run as anybody not named Giguere. He came to the team as a veteran, and seemingly was always one bad turn away from never standing up again, but he was a tough battler and a smart blueliner. Carney's offensive talents were average at best, but I'll never forget the pass he made to Rucchin to cement the 2003 Wings sweep -- the only time ever I've seen Carney behind an opponent's net.

Sandis Ozolinsh (2002-03 to 2005-06)
84 gp, 13-27-40, -1

Ozos is another short-timer, but probably represents Anaheim's best ever mid-season pickup on the blueline. While Sandis is well-known for his offensive skills and defensive shortcomings, I actually found him to be respectable on both ends of the rink, at least during his 2003 season. Consider: he was a team-best plus-8 in the 2003 playoffs, and was on the ice for all four of Anaheim's game-winning goals in the 2003 series against Dallas (all of which came after the 58-minute mark of the game). That's pretty damn clutch, and Ozos was pretty special to watch. Counting against Ozos? Everything after the 2003 cup finals.

Francois Beauchemin (2005-06 to current)
214 gp, 17-66-83, +6

I'm not sure how well to rate Beauchemin in this exercise, as Frenchie has yet to show much in the category of "playing without Scott Niedermayer". Still, the guy was a gem in 2006 and has been a steady enough player the last two seasons, and his early playoff heroics (punching out Iginla in Calgary and shouldering Brunette in G1 of the COL series) are legendary. I don't know where Ducks fans sit on Frenchie -- I've met fans who absolutely love him and fans who can't stand him (honestly, I don't really understand either side). Still, his 66 Anaheim assists ranks second on this list.

Sean O'Donnell (2005-06 to current)
182 gp, 5-24-29, +21

Another sheer wall of steadiness who also has spent some time piggybacking on a former Norris trophy winner, O'Donnell has been a great shut-down minute-eater for the Ducks, especially once paired with Pronger in 2006. O'Donnell is second-worst to Vishnevski in terms of offense, but that's not his game. In fact, I've never seen a defenseman throw so many pucks intentionally wide of the net to avoid opposing shot-blockers. But that's O'Donnell: safe and solid, and that is a huge contribution when facing the opponents' best. I'm not considering salary on this all-time team, but I was super-impressed when UFA O'Donnell, right after winning the Stanley Cup, re-signed with the Ducks for a discount. That's a team player, right there.

Mathieu Schneider (2007-08)
65 gp, 12-27-39, +22

Look, just because we're in the process of kicking Schneider's salary off the team, that doesn't mean the guy isn't eligible for all-time consideration. I mean, he did have a quality season playing easy minutes, and even picked up a few Norris votes. In terms of skillset, Schneider might be the best on this list, especially if we're talking about shooting. However, he most likely won't have been on the Ducks for very long, and he did have a rather invisible playoff series against Dallas (his only point of the series was a meaningless goal in the last 8 seconds of G4), but will that cost him a spot on the all-time squad?

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So there's my eleven candidates with only two slots to fill.

Who gets your votes? Are you in favor of short-term production (Mironov, Ozolinsh, Schneider), steady stay-at-homes (Carney, O'Donnell), long-serving serviceable d-men (Salei, Vishnevski), old-school types (Dollas, Karpa), unheralded gems (Havelid, Beauchemin), or a mix of the above? There's no wrong answers; I'm just looking for preference, really.

I don't think I've done this list as much justice as I did with the centermen, but this is just Anaheim All-Time Decision #2 (I've still got two more coming). As before, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments: which two defensemen deserve the all-time third pairing? If you want, you can also share who was a close runner-up. You don't even have to be a Ducks fan to chime in -- all are welcome.

Go Ducks.

Moments in Archaeology: Sleek digs up a Relic

In the process of moving, I’ve had a chance to go through some of my old piles of junk, and as is usually the case in such undertakings, I have uncovered some real gems from the kid who would grow up to become Earl Sleek. Back before I had an internet alias or a blog to write on, I was still an emerging hockey nerd with a creative streak. Exhibit #1:

Medium: Ball-point pen on paper
Featuring top to bottom: Guy Hebert, Travis Green, Teemu Selanne, Marty McInnis, Stu Grimson, Paul Kariya, Fredrik Olausson, Steve Rucchin, Ruslan Salei, and Matt Cullen

Drawn: It wasn’t dated, but based on the players included I’d have to say 1998-99.

It's actually an impressive piece of work, something I'm not sure I'd have the patience to sit down and attempt these days. Also noteworthy: this had to be pretty soon after I became a hockey fan at all. Anyway, I got a real nostalgic kick out of finding this relic from my fan-girl past, and I figured long-time Ducks fans might enjoy it as well. I've got a few more deep-closet relics to share next week as well, but I think this one is the oldest and most impressive.

Just to keep this post interactive: Which non-Finnish player featured in this picture would fit best on the current Ducks roster? For this exercise, I am talking about the 1999 version of the player, not whatever washed-up version we'd see today.

Go Mighty Ducks.

Ducks Gameday—Old Friends Reunion Tour

Today: Anaheim Ducks (23-3-6, 1st in west) at Florida Panthers (10-16-6, 14th in east)
Tomorrow: Anaheim Ducks (24-3-6, 1st in west) at Atlanta Thrashers (18-8-5, 2nd in east)

Another set of back-to-backs on the Ducks’ Sherman march through the Southeast, but this time it gets a little more nostalgic. These particular games feature Ruslan Salei and Vitaly Vishnevski, some nasty defensemen who got replaced this past offseason by a monster named Pronger. These two ugly mugs combined to play over 1,000 games for the Anaheim franchise, not to mention contributed minutes in our two lengthy playoff runs, and I miss the hell out of them.

Rusty Salei, the Ducks’ first round pick in 1996 (9th overall), signed a 4-year deal last July with the Florida Panthers, where I hear he is playing admirably on a not-very-strong team. His 20 points would put him 3rd on the Ducks’ blueline, only 7 points behind Scott Niedermayer. Still, the Panthers have only won 2 of their last 10 games, which includes a stretch of being shut out in three consecutive games. Salei is tough as nails and can be a decent puck-mover when he wants to be. He definitely struggled at first with the new enforcement rules, but improved significantly towards the end of the season. He is an adorable Belarusian beast, a thorn in scorers’ sides.

Vitaly Vishnevski, Anaheim’s first round pick in 1998 (5th overall), is still a work-in-progress, I would say, after he was traded to Atlanta following his arbitration award. Vishnevski, the name proudly sewn on the back of my only Anaheim jersey, is a momentum-hit artist, with an innate sense of when to intercept and clobber an unprepared rushing forward. He’s never shown great interest in scoring, but still left Anaheim as a very popular player. It’s good to see Vitaly playing well on a division-leading Thrashers team, along with other former Mighty Ducks Steve Rucchin, Niclas Havelid, Jason Krog, and Mark Popovic. I’m being a bit selfish here, but if I could undo only one of Brian Burke’s GM moves, Vitaly would still be an Anaheim blueliner (and this jersey would still be half-relevant).

Prediction: Ducks 9, former Ducks 5. Salei pesters Selanne and Vishnevski buries Perry.

(For more on Salei and Vishnevski, see my offseason going away post or take the “Are you a Vishnevski or a Visnovsky?” quiz.)

A Farewell to the Never-Unmighty

Sorry, stupid title. Any way, here's a little advanced scouting for four lucky teams, who happened to acquire parts of our previous roster during the offseason.

This also will serve as a fond farewell to those who played in the Mighty Ducks’ last days.

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Jeff Friesen, Calgary Flames
Nicknames: Game Seven, Traitor

“That’s OK, Friesen. Save it for Game Seven.”

I must have said that mocking phrase a hundred times this spring, whenever Friesen would shoot wide of the net, or refuse to hit, or generally float around and be useless. You really have to take this sort of cynical approach when it comes to Friesen, because the guy will drive you batty as a fan. He does have speed and can flash a move from time to time, but really, it never seems to come together for him. (He’s one of the few who was already playing Flames hockey before Calgary even signed him.)

The only thing is: the guy is money in game sevens, and that alone should be worth a season of frustration (or at least that’s what you should keep telling yourself). Say it with me, Flames fans, “That’s all right, Jeff. Save it for Game Seven.”

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Joffrey Lupul, Edmonton Oilers
Nickname: Loops

Lupul, on the other hand, is an intriguing story made all the more intriguing by the fact that he’s re-teaming with former Mighty Duck Petr Sykora in Edmonton. What’s interesting about that is I was going to use Sykora as a reference point for Lupul: a right-winger with a wicked shot who can backcheck to some degree but is prone to some dumbish penalties. The differences really are footspeed, which enables Sykora also to man the point on the PP, and Petr is a better dresser.

But on to Joffrey, he did score 28 regular-season and 9 playoff goals, really solid numbers for a ‘sophomore’. However, 6 of those 9 playoff goals came in the first 3 games of the Colorado sweep; he only scored in 2 of the other 13 playoff games. Also a little suspect is how he led the team in playoff penalty minutes, averaging one minor per game.

But don’t fret, Oilfans! Lupul’s growing, and I think he’ll come out a winner. He’s got good puck control and offensive awareness, and will shoot a ton of shots. Kinda like Sykora, except he’s a boring interview. One of those two guys is gonna pot 35 goals, I guarantee that. I just can’t tell you which one just yet.

(Oh, and don’t ask me about Smid. I’m still mispronouncing that name, I’m sure.)

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Ruslan Salei, Florida Panthers
Nicknames: Rusty, Belarooos, Salei of Game, Cirque d’Salei, One horse open Salei

Hoo boy, Panther fans, are you guys in for a 3-year roller coaster! Meet the pride of Belarus, Ruslan Salei. Rusty was the longest-tenured Mighty Duck, having played in Anaheim since 1996.

Rusty is old-school, baby. He’s never even heard of new rules! But he’s perfect to play some tough minutes on your blueline, he likes to ride that edge of nastiness and can be very effective at it also. It will land him in the penalty box with some regularity, but he is certainly improved from the start of last season. Though he lacks creativity, he’s adequate in the offensive zone, and is a really good puck-clearer in the defensive zone.

When Bryzgalov threw his back-to-back-to-back shutouts this past postseason, the one guy who I thought was really playing an elevated game was Rusty. He had some good hits, sharp passes, and even scored two goals. He won’t always have that mojo goin’ like that, but I think you Panther fans are going to love that Belarusian demon (especially if you sit by the penalty box).

Belaroooooooos!!!
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Vitaly Vishnevski, Atlanta Thrashers
Nickname: Vishdog

And of course, the guy who was the next-longest-tenured Mighty Duck, Vishdog has played in Anaheim since 1999 (and only this year did I get a jersey!). Vishnevski, pure and simple, was the victim of a numbers game on our blueline, to the Thrashers’ benefit.

He’s awfully weird-looking, sure, and his English is no treat either. But what separates him from most is his focus, mostly on throwing his shoulder into an oncoming player. And he’s really good at it, too, with vicious timing and accuracy. Sure, he’ll get caught from time to time, but his hits are both effective and crowd-pleasing.

Vishnevski is 26 and in defenseman years, that is still maturing. Even though he’s shown limited scoring, he is a good puckhandler and skater, and I think his numbers will improve.

As for experience, Vishnevski has played more than 400 regular season games, and been part of two serious Cup runs (and on some decently successful Russian national teams, also). I think Thrasher fans are really going to enjoy the Vish show, and hell, there’s another team to watch on the ol’ Center Ice.

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The Ducks have lost a lot of their first-round picks this offseason: Vishnevski (5th overall 1998), Lupul (7th overall 2002), Salei (9th overall 1996), Smid (9th overall 2004), plus one or two more upcoming ones in the Pronger deal.

Before the Pronger deal, I would have told you that only Salei would have been on this list.

Yulp! You better pay off, Prongerboy. You made me write a really long eulogy.