How good is our system?

I have been watching some AHL/Jr's tapes of the Baby Ducks and the Calgary Hitmen lately and our system is now thin...we have five really good prospects(Getzlaf,Popovic,Perry,Bryzlagov,Smirnov) and after that we don't have alot sure Martensson is having a good year and Perrault and Perreanteau may be good some day but is our system really as good as we think?

We have had the two guys go up who made our system one of the best(Chistov,Lupul) and now i notice a drop off...am i the only one?the fact that Chistov and Lupul HAVE gone to the NHL shows that the Ducks have drafted well and shows there are some blue chippers in our system.

but right now how good is it?

EDIT-I have not seen Perry play this year I put him in under the assumption he was doing well due to his stats and various reports.

5 really good prospects is pretty good...I don't expect an entire system to be littered with high end prospects...or even guys who can perform regularly at the NHL level someday...I see the system as a funnel for the big club and with guys like Lupul/Chistov/Smirnov/Sauer etc...making contributions at a young age and with a guy like Getzlaf just missing the cut in his first go round makes me feel good about the future of the Ducks....some talented youth on the blueline would be nice and I'm sure that will be addressed in the next draft

It's better than its ever been. How good that is...well, who knows. We seem to have a lot of mid to low level prospects, guys who can be used as trade bait or fodder. It can't be bad, I'm sure its much more motivational for our prospects to have other good players around them, competing with them for ice time at all levels.

....some talented youth on the blueline would be nice and I'm sure that will be addressed in the next draft
Thats kinda what I was getting at...aside from Popovic we really don't have an NHL caliber defensemen in our system...next years top priority in the draft should be a potential top 4 d-men.

The thing about farm systems is you don't need 10 blue chip prospects all at once, instead you need a steady pipeline of fresh talent. One, two, or maybe 3 guys that will challenge for a roster spot and I think the Ducks have that.

Last year Chistov and Sauer. This year Lupul. Next year Smirnov, Holmqvist, and Popovic. The following year maybe Getzlaf, Brent, Perry, Kunitz, or some else.

Obviously another stud defenseman would be nice but the forward and goal depth is good enough to compensate for that lacking via trade, IMO. And there is always the 2004 draft.

This is exactly what keeps Detroit going year after year, although it assumes the team is already solid and that free agents are aquired to fill holes. Do the Ducks fit those assumptions? Well, they went to the SCF which is a pretty good arguement for the first. And there's no question that Murray will sign a UFA if the need is there.

Our system is really good actually. rated top 10 in the league by most people including The Hockey News and Hockey Futures...

2004 1st round pick on a top pairing defensmen and we will be even better in regards to prospects.

Thats kinda what I was getting at...aside from Popovic we really don't have an NHL caliber defensemen in our system...next years top priority in the draft should be a potential top 4 d-men.

O'brien, Saunders and Brookbank are all physical defensmen who will play on our team as second or third pairing defensmen. Unfortunately the rest of our defensive prospects are too similiar to them other than Popovic. Our 2004 1st rounder should be used for more of an offensive defensmen...then we will be all set!

O'brien, Saunders and Brookbank are all physical defensmen who will play on our team as second or third pairing defensmen. Unfortunately the rest of our defensive prospects are too similiar to them other than Popovic. Our 2004 1st rounder should be used for more of an offensive defensmen...then we will be all set!
I like Saunders,I hope he gets a shot but realistically our blueline depth isn't great, Carney should be good for another 3-5 years because he's so smart,hopefully Sauer continues to learn from Carney(when Sauer plays with Carney he plays 100% better) and hopefully Vishnevski can play as well as he has in his last 5 games.

the thing I do agree with is that as long as BM is around he will do EVERYTHING he can to keep this team competitive and I love the direction he's going in terms of drafting.

I remember around draft time many of the experts expected the Ducks to draft the Kid Stuart from Colorado(state?) would anyone here have taken him over Getzlaf?

I like Saunders,I hope he gets a shot but realistically our blueline depth isn't great, Carney should be good for another 3-5 years because he's so smart,hopefully Sauer continues to learn from Carney(when Sauer plays with Carney he plays 100% better) and hopefully Vishnevski can play as well as he has in his last 5 games.

the thing I do agree with is that as long as BM is around he will do EVERYTHING he can to keep this team competitive and I love the direction he's going in terms of drafting.

I remember around draft time many of the experts expected the Ducks to draft the Kid Stuart from Colorado(state?) would anyone here have taken him over Getzlaf?

No....unless one of the big 3 D-men were around, Coburn, Suter or Phaneuf, then Getzlaf was the pick

Agreed, Getzlaf fell to the Ducks position and after seeing what he can do in camp and into this WHL season, it looks like we didn't do too bad taking him either.

The way I see it, after Popovic (top 2 potential) there is a significant drop off to players like Korsunov (if he ever comes over), Lee, Caron, Saunders and O'Brien who will all figure to be #5 or #6 defenseman and who all are stay-at-home, physical blueliners.

Agreed, Getzlaf fell to the Ducks position and after seeing what he can do in camp and into this WHL season, it looks like we didn't do too bad taking him either.

The way I see it, after Popovic (top 2 potential) there is a significant drop off to players like Korsunov (if he ever comes over), Lee, Caron, Saunders and O'Brien who will all figure to be #5 or #6 defenseman and who all are stay-at-home, physical blueliners.

Will be interesting to see what Alen is able to do some day. And there's one darkhorse in the system in Mantymaa. Perhapes a steal like Parenteau?

The way I see it, after Popovic (top 2 potential) there is a significant drop off to players like Korsunov (if he ever comes over), Lee, Caron, Saunders and O'Brien who will all figure to be #5 or #6 defenseman and who all are stay-at-home, physical blueliners.

Hey Forbesy which 2002 Drafted Defensmen do you think we should sign by the June 1st deadline?

Brian Lee,Luke Fritshaw,Francois Caron, Chris Petrow.

Lee probably hasn't progressed as well as the team would have thought for a third rounder, but I see him being signed as he already got a look at the AHL level last year. Caron has been playing well for Moncton from what I've heard. Fritshaw is too similiar to the other defensemen in the organization(stay at home,physical). Petrow just isn't that good.

Sign Lee,Caron.
Pass on Fritshaw and Petrow.

They better sign Tim Brent soon as well!!! (Joonas Vihko is also an unsigned 2002 pick but doesnt have the June deadline as he is a Euro draftee.)

Hey Forbesy which 2002 Drafted Defensmen do you think we should sign by the June 1st deadline?

Brian Lee,Luke Fritshaw,Francois Caron, Chris Petrow.



Pass on all four. The Ducks have enough defensive projects with Alen, Brookbank, and O'Brien.

Pass on all four. The Ducks have enough defensive projects with Alen, Brookbank, and O'Brien.

Nah. Might as well take a chance on Lee and/or Caron. To better the Cincy blueline. But I agree, Petrow and Fritshaw don't look like they'll help any time soon.

And yeah, I think Murray will be going for the d-man this year. He knew Gauthier got one Dman, the Left wing and the Goalie, so he got the Right wing and the Center(all starting). Now it's on to one more defenseman. Maybe just a good shut down defenseman, like Carney, or more of an offensive type, like Havelid. Although Popovic is a good future offensive dman.

I hope they get Lee and Caron for sure
Fritshaw has some interesting potential, but I'm don't think he'll stay
according to this article (http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/sports/columns/story/1456627p-1714079c.html) Petrow is a free agent, but I don't think that's true. However that article also points out injury problems that I think will make it unlikely he'll be given a contract by the team

Alen has top 4 potential and I hope he can reach it, still a few years away though.
I have heard very little about Mantymaa, and so it is hard to judge where he lies in the organization

I hope in the next draft we grab at least 2 defenseman (both of them either offensive or two-way) as well as a goalie.

according to this article (http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/sports/columns/story/1456627p-1714079c.html) Petrow is a free agent, but I don't think that's true.

The Ducks probably didn't make the required "Bona fide offer" in the first year after the draft. That would cut Petrow loose early.

Nah. Might as well take a chance on Lee and/or Caron. To better the Cincy blueline.

Murray has an entire world of hockey players to choose from. I think he can do better than Lee and Caron.

I hope they get Lee and Caron for sure
Fritshaw has some interesting potential, but I'm don't think he'll stay
according to this article (http://www.durhamregion.com/dr/sports/columns/story/1456627p-1714079c.html) Petrow is a free agent, but I don't think that's true. However that article also points out injury problems that I think will make it unlikely he'll be given a contract by the team

Alen has top 4 potential and I hope he can reach it, still a few years away though.
I have heard very little about Mantymaa, and so it is hard to judge where he lies in the organization

I hope in the next draft we grab at least 2 defenseman (both of them either offensive or two-way) as well as a goalie.
I didn't know Alen was that good,he's already 22 or 23 and im not sure if he has top 4 potential...interesting you say Popovic is a top two, he's struggling so far this year in Cincy do you know why?

Murray has an entire world of hockey players to choose from. I think he can do better than Lee and Caron.

Well if Petrow is out of the picture...Murray is going to sign atleast 1 of the remaining 3 guys.

I just e-mailed the oshawa generals
hopefully they can tell me