Anaheim's All-Time Team: Who centers the top line?

Well, before I get started on this All-Time Team challenge, I should first point out that the Chief at A2Y has written up his Rival Rating for the Ducks ("the Fowl"), and brings up a lot of the same reasons that I listed in my pre-sponse post, plus some new ones (the summer snatchings of Fedorov, Schneider, and Bertuzzi). There's actually some glowing references to our cumulative effort here at BoC, so here's to classily hatin' ya, Red Wings.

No real reason for the Bertuzzi picture, I suppose, other than it's an image I hadn't used yet and now seemingly my window for paparatuzzi is suddenly over. Still, this mc79 post is gold; see ya in hell, Bert.

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A sidenote about this BoC challenge (see Rudy's All-Time Kings and Chen's All-Time Sharks): We're not huge planners or schemers here at BoC, and it's very rare that a themed-set-of-posts idea moves from the "we should all do this" phase to reality, so this is pretty cool. Even so, in the summer Sleek tradition, I'm going to not quite follow instructions.

That is to say, instead of me just telling you my all-time team, I'm going to open one slot up for debate. Because really, that's what this Anaheim exercise boils down to. Top line wingers isn't much of a debate (see chart to the right), and in terms of top defensemen and a #1 goalie, the Ducks are at their peak right now -- they've never previously had the talents of a Niedermayer, Pronger, or Giguere.

But who is the #1 center for the Anaheim Sometimes-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (what else would you call this mythical all-time team?)? That and a few more items I think are worth separate posts before I fully endorse a Sleek roster, so here goes. Before I list out the candidates, though, I guess I should lay out some ground rules, or at least what I think are some considerations for "All-Timey-ness":

1. Think about the player at their Anaheim peak -- things not to consider: Adam Oates as a Boston Bruin, Andy McDonald's career without Teemu Selanne, or Ryan Getzlaf's future potential. This all should be based on games already played in an Anaheim uniform.

2. That said, longevity and consistency are pretty useful -- players should provide some identity as an Anaheim fan favorite.

3. Just to confuse things a bit more, also consider how well the top-line center would fit with wingers Kariya and Selanne; as we don't want our team outscored by the Sharks' imaginary squad.

So here's five candidate centers, in somewhat chronological order. Be warned, I suspect I only have room for four of these guys on my final roster, so in addition to telling me who should center the top line, I'm also looking for who should be cut from the team entirely. If you're feeling generous, you can even rank all five.

Steve Rucchin
Seasons: 10 (1994-95 to 2003-04)
Reg: 79 gp, 19-48-67, +26 (1996-97)
Post: 21 gp, 7-3-10, -2 (2003)

Roochie is the guy who represents steadiness and longevity on this list. Counting against him, though, he may be the least talented individual of the bunch. Still, I could be happy with Rucchin on the top line; for years Ducks fans heard about how some new person was finally going to take the top-line center position from Rucchin (who was a bit slow to keep up with Kariya and Selanne), but every time Rucchin held his spot. Rucchin did lead the 2003 Ducks in playoff goals.

Adam Oates
Seasons: 1 (2002-03)
Reg: 67 gp, 9-36-45, -1
Post: 21 gp, 4-9-13, +2

Old man Oates only came to Anaheim for one season towards the end of his career, and was a top-line mainstay between Kariya and Sykora during the 2003 cup run, where he co-led the team in scoring. Oates was a wizard with the puck, floating aerial passes that make goal-scorers salivate. He was stunningly quick at times, also, to the point where "Old Man Oates" became a tongue-in-cheek nickname. Oates never played with Selanne, so we can only conjecture there, but I suspect his puck-dishing would blend in well with the Finn's finish. As a bonus, Oates probably beats out this group in the category of "player I most enjoyed watching play".

Sergei Fedorov
Seasons: 2 (2003-04 and five games of 2005)
Reg: 80 gp, 31-34-65, -5 (2003-04)

Fedorov isn't a guy who Ducks fans are particularly enamored with, but there's little question to his talent. Also, I'd argue that Sergei represents Anaheim's first ever summer blockbuster signing -- a superstar in their prime choosing to come to SoCal. Sergei never played with Kariya and only got five post-lockout games with Selanne, but he did become the first player not named Kariya or Selanne to lead the Ducks in scoring since the inaugural season. Fedorov's quick, puck-smart, and a vicious backchecker; despite never seeing an Anaheim postseason, could he be the best fit on the top line?

Andy McDonald
Seasons: 7 (2000-01 to 2007-08)
Reg: 82 gp, 34-51-85, +24 (2005-06)
Post: 21 gp, 10-4-14, +6 (2007)

Andy Mac played seven seasons for Anaheim, but really only two are worth talking about: the two post-lockout seasons he spent with Selanne on his wing. Aside from those two years, McDonald's career has been fairly pedestrian. Still, as this is an exercise about peaks and playing with superstar wingers, Andy Mac could be a front-runner. His 85-point season is the top performance for any of the Anaheim centers, and he did lead the 2007 squad in playoff goals. Andy Mac's downfall has been consistency, or at least the ability to produce without superstar wingers, but should that affect his place on Anaheim's All-Time Team?

Ryan Getzlaf
Seasons: 3 (2005-06 to 2007-08)
Reg: 77 gp, 24-58-82, +32 (2007-08)
Post: 21 gp, 7-10-17, +1 (2007)

Getzlaf almost by default should take this position in the next couple of years, but is he all-time-top-line-ready now? Getzlaf earned the 1st line center role in his third year this past season, and was stellar, leading the team in scoring while facing opponents' top defenders. Other than the power play, Getzlaf hasn't shared that much ice time with Selanne in his Anaheim tenure, though, as he's fulfilling an on-ice marriage with Corey Perry. Perry, by the way, is not making my all-time squad, if that matters in the Getzlaf ranking.


Who shall center the #1 line?

So there you have it. Five centers who have spent at least one season in Anaheim and are competing for a coveted Kariya-Selanne center position for these Anaheim Sometimes-Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. Who gets the #1 spot? Who gets cut from the team completely? I'll take your rankings and justifications in the comments.

Go Ducks.

Memories: Hey, who's this new kid Oates?

I have been issued a challenge—at first generically by Legends of Hockey, then more directly by the Forechecker—to write a memory-post about a retired NHL player. Forechecker wrote about fond memories of Vladinator's reign of terror; I'll remember a guy who I only got to see towards the end of his career.

The Mighty Ducks signed Adam Oates in the summer of 2002, and I had some mixed feelings. I liked that the team was working on filling its top line (along with Paul Kariya the acquisition of Petr Sykora), and a passing center made sense, but I also was worried—could a 40-year old seriously keep up with the two speedsters?

It turns out I needn't have worried—there was a few things I wasn't considering:

a) Oates was smart. Very smart.

Of course I mean hockey-smart. You know, the anticipation that avoids hits, secures position, and comes away with the puck. As far as I'm concerned, Oates was off-the-charts. He wasn't the strongest guy, and certainly not the quickest, but he was pretty much all the time the cagiest. It was really something to watch—"Old Man Oates" (as I frequently called him) knew where to get the puck and where to send it; his linemates were quick enough that footspeed didn't really become a factor.

b) Oates wasn't playing the same game the rest of the league was.

Take a look at the blade of his stick. It doesn't get wider near the toe; it instead sort of comes to a point. We'd often joke about how poor Oates was—his blade had been worn to the nub and he couldn't afford a new one. But really, it was essential to Oates' game—he wasn't interested in gaining any advantage on his shot. Most of his goals were essentially passed into the net. His edge was in puck control and passing; the backhand saucer passes that make scorers drool.

c) Oates was fast.

At least when he needed to be, he was surprisingly quick. I'd catch a guy racing out of the corner of my eye and say, "Hey, who's that new kid?" And damn. It'd be Old Man Oates, hustling like a training camp rookie. My favorite example was in R1 G4 of the 2003 playoffs. The Mighty Ducks had nearly done the impossible—winning the first three games against the defending champ Red Wings—but there was plenty of nervousness still. Detroit had the kind of roster (and I'm probably stealing somebody's clever quote) that not only could have won four straight games, but was capable of winning the next 16 straight.

Anyway, late in the first period of that game, desperation Detroit pulls ahead 1-0, but then opportunity! Petr Sykora gets clipped with a high stick and falls in true Sykorian fashion, so the ref raises his arm and puts the whistle in his mouth as Mathieu Dandenault lazily skates to touch up the puck. All of a sudden, in charges Old Man Oates. In one quick move, he manages to lift Dandenault's stick to steal the puck as he charges into the offensive zone. Only two other players continue playing (the rest anticipate the whistle)--Curtis Joseph, alone in his net, and Paul Kariya, streaking down the near wing. Oates draws the goalie and throws a pass to Kariya, who buries it, tying the game. Anaheim would end up winning the game 3-2 in overtime, completing a sweep consisting of four one-goal victories. I bet Dandenault still wonders how he got overtaken by a 40-year-old speedster.

There are two real tragedies in the Adam Oates story—one, that the Mighty Ducks lost in the SCF and Oates never got to win a Cup. But also, there seems to be a phase out in today's NHL of Oates' legacy—the pure set-up guy. Sure there are fantastic passers in the league, but everybody's still trying to be a shooter. Oates showed that there was a role and a career for a pure passer, one that didn't have to be a shot threat, and I miss that a bit. In any case, I'm glad I got the chance to watch a one-of-a-kind player like Adam Oates. Even towards the end of his career, he was well worth watching.

Rudy, Cheechew, you guys are tagged. Any memories about former NHLers you want to share?

Memorial Day post, remembering the Mighty Ducks

Last season (lockout included) proved to be a tremendously transitional one for the Ducks, with new ownership, a new GM and coaching staff, and a huge turnover on the ice. Gone at various times were Steve Rucchin, Mike Leclerc, Martin Gerber, Niclas Havelid, Vinny Prospal, Martin Skoula, Sergei Fedorov, Petr Sykora, Keith Carney, and Sandis Ozolinsh.

This postseason promises to be a different era of change. The team will have a new name (Anaheim Ducks) with new logos and uniforms, and even the Arrowhead Pond is being bid on for new naming rights. (Side note: I was surprised after being eliminated in G5 how many people were in the MD store. That seemed to be an odd time to purchase game gear.)

So, as this is sort of a team on the brink of a new 'chapter', let us look back on MD history and tell a little about Earl Sleek's top 10 Mighty Ducks. Note that these are just personal favorites, and the order isn't that important. Not surprisingly, most come from the past 3 years, based on the fact that our playoff history is very back-loaded.

10. Steve "Stumpy" Thomas--Stumpy is was the shortest-tenured Duck on this list, but he was a tremendous trade deadline pickup for then-GM Bryan Murray (I should note that Burke has yet to dethrone Murray as best Ducks' GM, though he's started well). He generally was thought of as 'washed-up', but carried a Chistov-Pahlsson line well into the playoffs. In 33 games he played as a Mighty Duck, he had 14 goals, 6 of which were game-winners. 2 game-winners came in the Stanley Cup Finals.

9. Fredrik "Freddie O" Olausson--Only one of two blueliners to make the list. Freddie O was a Mighty Duck for two stretches, but it is particularly his '98-'99 season that is noteworthy, as it was the one stretch in MD history where we had a dominant power play. The unit of Freddy O and Kariya on the blueline, with McInnis-Rucchin-Selanne up front, helped lead the league with a 22% success rate. Freddie O and his backdoor play led all blueliners in PP scoring that year, and his passing was first-rate also.

8. Guy "Care Bear" Hebert--For long stretches, Guy was the other recognizable MD not named Paul or Teemu. He was a very popular Duck, even during times when the team was not very good. He has had the coolest goalie name in MD history, which is tough considering the random selection of J.S. Giguere, Ilya Bryzgalov, Mikhael Shtalenkov, Steve Shields, and prospect Michael Wall.

7. Petr "Please score" Sykora--You have to understand; before the Sykora trade in 2002, I was a huge A-Line fan (Arnott, Elias, Sykora on the NJ Devils). I thought that it was the best line in the league. Sykora had the mindset of the ultimate shooter, he wasn't a guy to mess around for another pass. There was a stretch when I noted that Stumpy Thomas had 8 goals in his first 10 games as a Mighty Duck. The surprising stat was that over that same stretch, Sykora had 9. His postseason numbers were underwhelming, although he did end a 5-OT G1 in Dallas and a 2-OT scoreless G1 in Minnesota.

6. Keith "Carney Asada" Carney--He is a guy who it was tough to watch play this year, as he had lost another step in the lockout. I say "another step" because he was always seemingly playing from behind, but was just so smart about poking the puck. He was better than Scott Niedermayer in that regard, although his skating was mediocre. He was an anchor on the blueline for that '03 squad, and gets bonus points for assisting on the series-winning goal against Detroit. I swear that is the only time I have EVER seen him behind an opponent's net.

5. Jean-Sebastien "Jiggy" Giguere--I think this post says it all.

4. Adam "Old Man" Oates--This guy was an amazing player to watch, as he was such a contrast from other scoring leaders. He was the smartest player I think I have ever seen, and if you've ever seen his stick-blade, you probably realize it's because he's playing a different type of game than anyone else. Perhaps the best pure passer in the game, although I know there's plenty of debate in that statement. It was truly a shame that Oates and Thomas could not win their Cup.

3. Steve "Roochie" Rucchin--How many seasons were the Ducks promised a better top line center to properly complement Kariya and Selanne and how many seasons did we end up going back to Steve Rucchin? On paper it always seemed like we could do better but on the ice we never could. He was underappreciated probably his whole career, until the '03 playoffs when he proved to be an invaluable stopper. His heart and smarts more than made up for a lack of footspeed.

2. Paul "the Captain" Kariya--Kariya is somewhat unpopular with Anaheim fans still, but this should not taint what Kariya did when he was here, which was not only lead this team on the ice, but really prove to the franchise that it could sustain a superstar player. Kariya was the one to really ask the question "Why not us? Why not Anaheim?" He was clearly a talented kid thrown into a Disney experiment, but while he was here he embraced that role rather than running from it, and played some damn good hockey as a little guy also.

1. Teemu "the Finnish Flash" Selanne--Selanne gets #1 on this list for his triumphant return (along, of course, with his glory days). Sure he is soft and European, so his leadership doesn't come through body work or backchecking, but for what he brings you, Teemu is the man. He is consistently keyed on by opponents' defensemen, which helps linemates like Kariya or Andy Mac to find more ice, and yet manages to shoot the puck with such skill and confidence that he puts up great numbers. He has been and will be the best seller of the game in Anaheim, and should be the first number hung from the rafters. Maybe even 2 numbers, if the league will allow it.

Notable omissions: Sandis Ozolinsh, Tomas Sandstrom, Ruslan Salei, Scott Niedermayer, Sergei Fedorov, and personal faves Vishnevski and Pahlsson.