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.

Maybe the Fans Won't Even Notice

The Devils waived Vitaly Vishnevski today. The big Russian was terrible last season, accumulating the worst +/- on the Devils despite only playing 15 minutes a game. Still, he has a reasonable cap hit (2 years left at $1.8 million) and he's a left-handed shot. He's basically a better Denis Gauthier and could help out on the penalty kill. The Kings would still need a defenseman to play on the power play, though.

Ducks' fans, any thoughts on Vitaly?

Earl Sleek, a mythical hockey player

Hm, more “getting to know ya”, eh? Jes Gőlbez started up another blogger tag game, and Mike Chen then passed it on to me. I’m not sure I understand this game entirely, but as I have zero actual hockey skill, I guess I’m just going to play make-believe and invent some on-ice abilities.

Earl Sleek, if indeed he were an NHL-caliber hockey player

Team: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (before they sold out to the “man”)
Uniform Number: 8 or 13, whichever one Teemu isn’t currently using
Position: checking line winger
Nickname: Pahlsson-lover, Girl Sleek
Dream Linemates: Sammy Pahlsson and (out of retirement) Stumpy Thomas.
Rounding out the PP: Vitaly Vishnevski and Lubomir Visnovsky, it’s always been a dream of mine to see these two paired up.
Job: I’m the set-up guy; I get the puck to Stumpy while Sammy plays as our defensive conscience.
Signature Move: Square-square-triangle. A real doozy.
Strengths: Offensive zone awareness and a regular willingness to wear a microphone.
Weaknesses: I make Stumpy do the fighting for our line, as well.
Injury Problems: Lower-body.
Equipment: An Adam Oates-style stickblade and for sure a visor.
Nemesis: Later it would be revealed that the only reason I devoted my life to making the NHL was to get close enough to murder Chris Chelios.
Scandal Involvement: Even later it would be revealed that my name was never Earl Sleek at all.
Who I’d face in the Stanley Cup Finals: The Devils. We owe ‘em a little G7 heartbreak.
What I’d do with the Stanley Cup after our victory: Oh, it would be one wild party, I can assure you. I suspect I'd get married and divorced within the night.
Would the media love me or hate me? They’d like me all right, until I kill Chelios. Then the good ones would love me.

OK, let’s tag some ladies from the ol’ HLOG (on their own blogs): Sherry, HockeyGirl, and Finny.

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.

Why it makes GM sense to trade Vishnevski

Well, it looks as if I’m in the market for a jersey again. The Ducks (as promised) traded away defenseman Vitaly Vishnevski to the Atlanta Thrashers today in exchange for a cheap guy named Stewart and a pick or two. I’m going to do a proper farewell for Vishnevski and a few other departed Ducks this weekend, but before I get into that, here’s some cold trade analysis:
The Ducks have the following major contracts (around Vish’s $1.55M or more) locked in for this year and beyond*:

Player	Age	Position	2006-07	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10
Chris Pronger	31	D	$6.25	$6.25	$6.25	$6.25
Scott Niedermayer	32	D	$6.75	$6.75	$6.75
Andy McDonald	28	C	$3.33	$3.33	$3.33
Todd Marchant	32	C	$2.47	$2.47	$2.66
Rob Niedermayer	31	C/W	$2.00	$2.00	$2.00
Francois Beauchemin	26	D	$0.50	$1.65	$1.65
J.S. Giguere	29	G	$3.99
Teemu Selanne	35	W	$3.75
Sean O’Donnell	34	D	$1.52
Total			$30.56	$22.45	$22.64	$6.25

It should also be noted that Dustin Penner will be a restricted free agent in 2007-08, and Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry will be restricted free agents in 2008-09, putting each of them somewhere up on this 'core' list.

Brian Burke has designed a rather excellent-looking foundation to build around the next couple of years, no doubt. The top three blue-liners and three core forwards, along with Penner, Getzlaf, Perry, and at some point Bobby Ryan, form a great 3-year nucleus for this squad. We don’t have an NHL goaltender signed past this year**, but judging by the offseason market, apparently there are more NHL-caliber goaltenders than there are NHL teams.

So why does it make 'GM sense' move Vishdog?
1. Rosterwise, he was not going to play a significant role behind the big three. Between him and O’Donnell, Vish has the better trade value.
2. It allows Burke to get nasty at arbitration, and to make an example in front of the kids.
3. It also makes the team more Burkish, and by that I mean that Stanislav Chistov is the only Russian we have under contract any more**.
4. The extra money saved on our 5th d-man is much better spent towards our forward lines or goaltending situation.
5. It increases jersey sales by three (two more than O’Donnell).

Bottom line: Burke has done too much good GMing for me to get pissy about moving Vishnevski (I'm saving that for this weekend), and I am thrilled that he seems to operate so well in a competitive salary-cap market. It makes other things (oh, like renaming and recoloring everything) much more tolerable, knowing that on paper, we’re building a great-looking stable team under some solid leadership.

Good job, Burkie, even though today sucks. I’ll miss the Vishman very much.

Sad side note: Atlanta now has as many members of our 2003 Stanley Cup Final team as we do:
Atlanta—Steve Rucchin, Jason Krog, Niclas Havelid, Vitaly Vishnevski
Anaheim—J.S. Giguere, Rob Niedermayer, Sammy Pahlsson, Stanislav Chistov

* Numbers are in millions, and reflect actual dollar-spending, not salary cap calculation. As the Ducks are not cap spenders, these numbers are probably more relevant. These figures are without bonuses, and pulled from CanteloupeHalves' site. I added in Beauchemin’s extension myself.
** Bryzgalov is still in negotiations, but rumors have it he is going to sign in Russia. They should chain him to his bed so he doesn’t think about defecting, though.

Burkie's Bargains

Come one, come all down to Burkie’s Bargains, where the deals never stop comin’!

This week we offer a lean cut of Vitaly Vishnevski, a rock-em, sock-em defenseman. Forget what might have been said during arbitration; he’s only 26 years old, makes a lean $1.55 M, and already has put in a good 453 NHL games, if you count the playoffs.

To add to this, we are also running a special this week on playoff goaltenders, take your pick. Would you rather have the best statistical goaltender from the 2003 playoffs or the best statistical goaltender from the 2006 playoffs? J.S. Giguere comes with a Conn Smythe trophy and a one-year, $3.99 M price tag, while Ilya Bryzgalov has yet to sign but might look to command something in the $2 - $3 M range.

Not sure it’s worth it? Why not ask a few of our previous clients:

Dave Nonis—"Burkie is a bastard. He leaves me with a salary-heavy underproducing top line in Vancouver, steals our Manitoba coach Carlyle just before we fire Crawford, takes a serviceable defenseman along with him in Joe Dipenta, then loans us a slow, broken version of Keith Carney, who manages to help tank us out of the playoffs. Do not make a deal with this man ever."

Doug McLean—"Burkie is a son-of-a-bitch. He steals our prospect Beauchemin and turns him into a star, then sinks us with Fedorov’s contract but neglects to send the superstar version. A few days later he even throws Todd Marchant into the deal. Do not make a deal with this man ever."

Glen Sather—"Burkie is an asshole. Rucchin came in and played OK, and then we got Sykora and that was workable, but then he unloads Ozolinsh and his boxful of issues on me also? Now all I got are receipts! Do not make a deal with this man ever."

Kevin Lowe—"Burkie is a dickhead, but not nearly as bad as that prick Chris Pronger. Do not deal with either of these men ever."

George McPhee—"Burkie’s pretty cool. Thanks for taking Friesen off our hands."

Bad news for me and the other 2 guys with Vishnevski jerseys

After the arbiter awarded Vitaly Vishnevski a 1-year, $1.55 M deal (actually better than I'd feared), TSN reports that the Ducks are considering two options:

"Sources tell TSN that the Ducks are actively trying to trade him. If there are no takers, Anaheim may walk away from the award."

This is Anaheim's only arbitration case, so 'walking away' needs to happen within the next 48 hours or so.

As a Vish fan, the infuriating thing about this news is that it really does make 'GM sense', considering the salary and on-ice structure the Ducks have projected.

You see, the reason why Scott Niedermayer or Chris Pronger can afford to make a combined $13M is not so much in their own ability to play defense, but the fact that they can be paired with a minimum-wage rookie, a la Francois Beauchemin, still locked into a $500k contract. Paying a top pair $7.25M isn't bad, or a top four cost of $14M is workable also (considering the cheapness of young forwards). You don't want to pay a player more than minimum because essentially, you don't need to pay a player more. You've got baby-sitters.

As a GM, it makes sense. As a Vish fan, it kills me.

And that's the downside to 'winning' the Pronger deal. A guy I've disliked most of his career comes in to supplant the guy I've rooted for all his career.

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On a separate note, it looks like the Ducks are going to clean up on their jersey sales, that is if you had a jersey for Selanne, Penner, Perry, Getzlaf, Chistov (all changed numbers), Lupul, Salei, or Vishnevski; they are no longer current.

Last year (lockout included) the list includes jerseys for Rucchin, Leclerc, Fedorov, Sykora, Ozolinsh, Carney, Prospal, Havelid, and Sauer.

Pretty much everyone in Anaheim needs a new jersey, and by the way, we got new colors, too.

Just in case you were a Giguere fan.

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On a last, stupid note. I hate calling it our 'new jersey', even though that's exactly what it is.

That's like Edmonton fans getting a 'carolina' or Calgary fans getting a 'tampa bay'.

Can't we find a name for this thing that isn't so G7 painful?

A note to Vishnevski’s arbiter(s)

Dear Sir(s) and/or Madam(s)

I realize the public eye has been heavy on your decisions lately. Many have vocalized complaints about high-dollar rulings on Mike York, Daniel Briere, and Scott Gomez.

Well, just when you needed some relief, you got it in tomorrow's itinerary.

May I present Vitaly Vishnevski.

(It’s all right, we can talk about him, as his English remains somewhat broken.)

Vish-dog, as some like to call him, scored a measly eight points this year over 82 games, this in the offense-friendly NHL. His one and only goal came when a distracted St. Louis Blue flung the puck all the way back into his own vacant net.

Now Vish’s lawyers may argue that his value isn’t scoring, and that he finished 8th in the league in recorded hits. But really, should that count as much as, say, scoring a goal past an actual netminder?

I think you could find it in your money-crazy hearts to give this guy the kind of small dollar contract that keeps him in Anaheim for a long time.

You know, and take the heat off a bit from all the talk of big-buck awards. Ya with me?

Signed,

A concerned fan
(who happens to own a Vishnevski jersey)

(Burke: you trade Pahlsson or Vishnevski, and part of me will kill part of you. Just sayin'.)

Are you a Vishnevski or a Visnovsky?

Take our quiz and find out!

1. You have recently discovered that a co-worker is spreading false rumors about you. Do you:
a. Stick-handle wide and center the puck to a forward?
b. Wait until he has his head down and slam him into the ice?
c. Try to resolve it like adults?

2. Two people both claim ownership of the same twenty-dollar bill. Do you:
a. Push the puck to a cocked-up Rob Blake?
b. Abandon your position to send a message to the opposing team?
c. Make change in order to make peace?

3. A friend comes to you with an "unbelievable" insider stock tip. Do you:
a. Use your speed and puck skills to augment your 5'10" frame?
b. Serve the two-minute penalty, even though you don't understand why you were called?
c. Thank him for the tip, but ultimately refuse to mix business and friendship?

4. You keep finding your day job mundane, and wonder if you should find new employment. Do you:
a. Watch as your Slovakian teammates get repeatedly let go?
b. Cheer as the St. Louis Blues score your only goal of the year into an empty net?
c. Write a blog to make the days go faster?

You can check your answers against the scale (posted in the comments section).

Note that this survey promises to get more complex in the future, with other blueline prospects like James Wisniewski (Chicago), Andy Wozniewski (Toronto), and Ivan Vishnevskiy (Dallas) on their way.

[Edit: I had some writer's block coming up with these questions. Feel free to offer better ones.]

Duckling (P)review

Black Dog Hates Skunks said...

who do you like amongst the kids and why?

Quick answer: In terms of what the Ducks needed, I think Beauchemin was the best kid in '05-'06. Long term, I'm guessing Getzlaf is the guy, although there should be some good competition.

I should say that I am very happy with how the kids were managed this year. They all avoided full seasons, which kept them absent from any rookie-of-the-year comparisons, which would be unfair any way. Their roles were never critical, yet they were given enough ice time to contribute.

At any rate, the Ducks have a very promising pipeline of talent (rated #1 at hockeysfutures as of April 5, 2006). This should give Burke a lot of flexibility in the coming offseason, even if some of this youth gets used as trade currency. Here are Sleek's quick takes on Ducks born in the 1980s (a somewhat incomplete list):

Vitaly Vishnevski (3/18/80)—Vish-dog really doesn’t belong on the list, but he does qualify age-wise. He has played 416 regular season games for the Ducks, and has shown more dependability each year. I think he is top-4 next year.

Francois Beauchemin (6/4/80)—Burke got a real steal all right, in fact I think at first Frenchie was a steadying influence for Scotty, although later in the season that balance was shifted. He’s got everything except footspeed, but his shot is wicked. He’s hardly been seen without Scotty by his side, so some judgment has to be reserved.

Ilya Bryzgalov (6/22/80)—This guy is probably our netminder sooner rather than later. He showed that he is reliable and rather unflappable in these playoffs. His two advantages over Jiggy are size and reflexes, his downside might be streakiness. He should definitely be an upgrade in shootouts, probably Giguere’s weakest event.

Travis Moen (4/6/82)—Moen wasn’t as bad as I thought originally. He’s not afraid to show what a mediocre fighter he is, and he’s certainly no offensive threat, but he is reliable at moving the puck and his wheels aren’t bad. I wasn’t afraid when Moen was on the ice, can’t say that for all these kids. Not a bad 'spare part'.

Dustin Penner (9/28/82)—This is a kid I still don’t know much about, other than the story of how he had a very late growth spurt, supposedly why this big body doesn’t quite know yet how to best use his large frame but has above-average hands. Based on what I have seen, I am very excited to see Penner develop as a Duck. He could be very good or somewhat good, but he won't be useless.

Stanislav Chistov (4/17/83)—I am not sure what the Ducks’ position is on Chistov, who spent last year playing in Russia. He is still Ducks’ property, and Burke indicated earlier in the year that he planned on bringing Chistov back. Cheesy is a small, shifty Russian winger, stylistically akin to Datsyuk. He did play in the NHL 2 seasons pre-lockout, including the SCF run.

Joffrey Lupul (9/23/83)—I am not entirely sure what to think of Lupul. For sure his shot is outstanding, but he is a bit prone to hooking calls and I’m not sure if he’s better as a threat on a checking line or on a scoring line. He should score more goals next year, but I’m not sure if it’s a few more or a lot more.

Ryan Getzlaf (5/10/85)—I think Getzlaf might be the prize player in all this, although there are many contenders. He has a great combination of size, speed, and vision that promises a lot of future production. With him and Perry, I am very happy how Carlyle managed their season; they were able to go down to the minors and play their way back together. I think he is a better pointman than Beauchemin, though it is close.

Corey Perry (5/16/85)—Perry’s still got some filling out to do before we know how good he is, but he is practically European in his stickhandling. He could score a lot, I think, given the right minutes. He’s a pest also, which I think can work for him. His problem is he instigates a bit more than he can back up, but that’s the liberty you get playing with Fedoruk, another good move by Carlyle.

Ladislav Smid (2/1/86)—Our 9th overall pick in the 2004 draft, this sizeable Czech defenseman appears to be adequate at a lot of things without being spectacular at any. We love those guys. Apparently he’s the reason Salei might leave as a UFA.

Bobby Ryan (3/17/87)—The guy picked 2nd behind Crosby in the 2005 draft. Not sure if he comes up next year or not, but this ‘power forward’ could become an option.
The Anaheim Ducks are eagerly awaiting his development.

Meet your Mighty Ducks, part 2

Vitaly Vishnevski, a.k.a. "Vish-dog", "Vitaly"

I'm pretty much going through these Ducks in order of personal favorites, and as you may note while Scott and Teemu are generally the fan faves, I like a little more sandpaper than silk.

And while Sammy is the best, actually the only Ducks jersey I own is the one shown above.

These days, Vish-dog sits at about our 5th d-man (behind Scott, Beauchemin, O'Donnell, and Salei), but he is a great physical presence, despite being (a) Russian, (b) a bit lanky, and (c) quite Russian. The thing about Vish-dog is that if you plan on carrying the puck through the neutral zone, keep your head up. Vish-dog can sense a moment of puck concentration and will plow you into next week.

He was fourth overall among defensemen in the regular season with 196 hits, and is third among defensemen in these playoffs (he trails only R. Blake and Z. Chara, each of whom have played around 100 more minutes).

But aside from stats, I can just tell an anecdote. I saw this kid play for the first time in a Ducks uniform in a preseason game against the Avalanche in 1999. From what I had heard from the Ducks' media, he knew hardly any English at that point. The only thing I really remember from that game was when Joe Sakic carried the puck over the blue line at one point and WHAM! somebody had leveled him. Harder than I had seen Sakic ever hit before, that slippery ghost of a man.

Now this was preseason; everyone was kind of shocked. Joe kind of looked up, a little stunned, and even the Ducks weren't quite sure what had happened. Didn't this kid know that this was Joe Sakic? Didn't he know that it was a preseason game? And collectively, it became apparent, he didn't.

Postgame interviews (albeit broken ones) confirmed that he didn't know Joe Sakic from teammate Joe Sacco, and from that point on, I loved this kid. He'll hardly ever score (his one goal this year happened when the St. Louis Blues passed the puck into their own net during a delayed penalty call), but he does have the power to turn on or off the crowd with one well-placed shoulder.

Give 'em hell, Vish-dog.

(Author's note: It is also somewhat silly that the Kings have Lubomir Visnovsky, who although being Slovakian, has a very similar-sounding name. This can be quite comical during L.A.-Anaheim telecasts, and even this postseason without the Kings, I think Neil Smith has called Vishnevski "Visnovsky" every chance he had.)