I hate the Ducks but I got to admire how they have built that team. They will be a force. losing Smid I think will be harder to swallow in the long run then Lupul as he has stud written all over him.
Edmonton gets younger and faster with money left over to sign a Witt calibre player. After having their hand forced Lowe looks like he made out well.
Good move for both teams. I can't wait til we can start getting excited again.
When is the last time in the NHL a team had 2 dmen the caliber of Pronger and Niedermayer? Looks like a great trade for both teams but the Ducks will be awesome on D.
When is the last time in the NHL a team had 2 dmen the caliber of Pronger and Niedermayer? Looks like a great trade for both teams but the Ducks will be awesome on D.
I would say the Avs with Bourque and Blake, the Blues when they had Pronger and MacInnis and the Devils with Stevens and Niedermayer.
And that was all before the cap-era. Unbelievable how the Ducks are able to afford two of the best defensemen in the league. I guess what makes that possible is the emergence of their youth.
As a wise man named Zappa once said "Great Googily Moogily"!
After the initial shock, I was left thinking "what would it have taken for us to match this"? O'Sullivan / Camalleri / 1st?
Lupul has proven to be a 20+ goal scorer who can crack 30. Smid is a top defense prospect which the Kings don't have in their pipeline. Plus two 1st round picks (although the '08 first rounder is conditional on the Ducks making the Finals) and a 2nd rounder in '08.
Lowe found the assets he was acquiring from Anaheim to be the best package. Supposedly a trade with Florida was discussed but the Oilers were asking for Bouwmeester plus another one of Florida's top youngsters.
With the performance of Perry and Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan coming soon, the Ducks had the luxury to make this deal and are on their way to becoming a force for the next few years.
They have two defensemen who can log 30+ mins of ice time... WOW.
They could probably get Miller if they just asked nicely....
PSP realistically what kind of value are we looking at? A 3rd? 4th? I know if the wanted Vish it would have to be a great deal but Miller is a different story.
Wow - the Ducks will be brutally tough now. They really gave up very little all things considered, just a bit of the future. Lupal won't ever be better than a decent 2nd liner. They kept all the other kids contributing right now and Ryan. Imagine if they get another decent forward for Giguere
PSP realistically what kind of value are we looking at? A 3rd? 4th? I know if the wanted Vish it would have to be a great deal but Miller is a different story.
Honestly, I don't know.
Many here feel that he is expendable, especially with his contract and his history of being injured. With the new regime, I'm not altogether clear what DL has in mind for ANY of the players. For example, was the trade of Demitra a move to get younger, or was he one of the problems in the locker room?
No one wants Aaron Miller... not FOR anything, anyway. The guy is brittle and has been so far overrated since coming to the Kings it's a joke. The guy was a #6 on Colorado and he comes to LA and becomes a #2 because he HAD TO BE. But, he is really not that good.
P.S. Did we NEED another Pronger/Anaheim thread? The one I started 2 hours ago is already in its second page. Or was it necessary to use the word "Quacks" one more time?
Many here feel that he is expendable, especially with his contract and his history of being injured. With the new regime, I'm not altogether clear what DL has in mind for ANY of the players. For example, was the trade of Demitra a move to get younger, or was he one of the problems in the locker room?
We'll know better in a few months...
I can see that point well. When it comes to DL I have to agree. Noone expected him to trade Demitra or qualify Avery. Would be nice to have a fly in the wall in his office.
It's good for hockey in So Cal. I'm not mad about it.
KOC and Ziggy - agreed. The emergence of the Ducks' youth made this possible - along with a few bold strokes by Burke.
Not that it made financial sense, but the "loss" of Chara really smacks hard now. To see those towers against each other 8 times a year would've been EPIC!
Ducks claim the prize denfenceman in the offseason two years and running. Ugh, tough...to. type..... this... "Good news for SoCal hockey profile" and I'll be driving the 5 freeway south a couple of times next year.
I never thought I would say this but it must be nice to be a Duck fan? Wow, I just can't believe those words got typed off of my keyboard.
Sure is! Not to mention, guess who is coming back most likely this season and who will probably be better then Lupul in the new NHL in the longrun? Thats right, Stanizlav Chistov! That guy can outskate Lupul any day and has mad puck-handling skills. I see him scoring 30 goals this year if he comes back.
