Alright, so I wanted to save this until we found out what's going on with Mathieu Schneider, but the good folks in Anaheim don't want to tell me, so I guess we'll just ignore him.
Granted, we could speculate what they get in return, but seeing as I had to sort through 25 different forwards, and J.S. Giguere won't be going anywhere unless he gets "giggy" with a coach's wife, I'm pretty sure the Ducks don't need a forward or another goalie.
Hello, fifth-round draft pick.
Anyhow, let's get to the rest of the defense. While Schneider isn't showing up to camp (at least this past weekend he didn't), Scott Niedermayer decided to this season. Last year the Ducks were forced to suspend Niedermayer for missing out on camp while he was dealing with his retirement talks, but he's postponed those until this upcoming season is finished—and with it, his contract.
Niedermayer still brings all of the tools every defenseman should have to the game, and is still one of the best, but this could be one of his better years. Why? Well, last year was shrouded in doubt and decision. This year, Niedermayer may have a renewed fire to go out on top, meaning he could have one of his best seasons ever.
Or he could sit at the 50-to-55-point range, which is most guys' best year. What a choice, eh?
Pairing up with Scotty will be the "dirtiest player in the game"—sorry, Rick Flair—Chris Pronger. I'm not going to get into a shouting match over Pronger because really, I could care less about the stompings, the boardings, and all the rest.
The fact is, is that he's everything you'd want as a number-one defenseman. He's big, he's physical, and he shoots. And he's the last guy you'd want to meet outside a bar after you hit on his wife. Especially if you're in Edmonton. He doesn't like it there.
The late-blooming Francois Beauchemin has also made a name for himself in Anaheim, proving to finally be a key cog in an NHL defense. I would expect production more along the lines of the 2005-06 Beachemin (36 points) as the Ducks suffered through injury troubles last season, coupled with the fact that the 28-year-old will be coming into his own over the next few seasons.
Ottawa natives Kent Huskins and Sean O'Donnell will also be seen patrolling the blue line for the Ducks this season. O'Donnell has turned into a trusty defensive defenseman over the years, as the last minus season he posted was a minus-13 for the Kings in 1996.
Huskins, meanwhile, had an astounding season last year, with a plus-23 and 19 points. If he flies under the radar once again, Huskins could put together two of the most underrated and surprising back-to-back seasons in a while.
Steve Montador may also be a reliable, late-pairing pickup, but it'll depend how the rest of the young defensemen in Anaheim that are on the cusp of the NHL do in training camp.
If Brian Salcido is NHL-ready, then the Ducks will be working in a shiny, new, offensive defenseman coming off of a 50-point AHL season, who can also play steadily in his own end.
John de Gray could one day become a solid stay-at-home defender in the NHL, while Stu Bickel would provide some serious grit coming out of the WCHA. Brett Festerling could also be a good, late-pairing puck-mover.
Ken's take: The Ducks still can claim one of the best defensive corps in the NHL, even if you take into account the eventual loss of Schneider. Neidermayer will return to true form after a half-season hiatus last season. A young defenseman will likely earn a spot out of camp, but the Ducks are no slouch on the blue line.
Gettin' Giggy on a Hill(er) top....weird...
There's really no doubt who's between the pipes for the Ducks.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere has a Stanley Cup ring, a Conn Smythe trophy, and four 30-win season in the past five. Last year saw Giggy post his lowest GAA (2.12) ever, coupled with a very strong .922 save percentage.
While it's possible that Giggy slips a bit back to earth (.913-to-.917 save percentage, a 2.30 GAA), he's still going to be back there supplying a consistent effort night-in, night-out.
If Giggy needs a break though, then Jonas Hiller is a solid backup.
Hiller went 10-7 last season, but his athleticism and quickness could definitely help him improve on his win/loss ratio.
Ken's take: One of the best goalie tandems in the NHL, Hiller is more than capable of starting in net in place of Giggy for even half the season. J.S. Giguere will likely have a better year with Scott Niedermayer back in front of him for a full 82 games.
So what's it all mean?
The Ducks have weapons—but the question is, do they have enough?
They have a defense that has a few different guys that have the ability to put the puck in the net, and J.S. Giguere will stop his fair share of shots, but it's up to the forwards to show that, while there are a lot of two-way threats up and down the lineup, there are also names who can score and score often for the Ducks.
If the Ducks can score, then they'll be neck-and-neck with San Jose, waiting for the Dallas Stars to slip up.
If it's the Ducks that slip up, then they better watch out for the Coyotes.
Third in Pacific
Bryan Thiel is a Senior Writer and NHL Community Leader for Bleacher Report. If you want to get in contact with him, you can do so through his profile. You can also read all of his previous work in his archives.
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