Can the Anaheim Ducks Make a Repeat Of 2007 in 2009?

As the last few seconds ticked down on the clock for game six of the Stanley Cup finals, I didn’t focus so much on the Anaheim Ducks reign as champions coming to an end, but instead on how good it felt last year to win. As any fan of a championship team would, I hoped for a repeat, only to have my hopes dashed by an early exit in the first round.

While injuries, a possibility that as far as I know was never confirmed or denied, might have been a cause for the first round departure, in my opinion I really think it was the indecisiveness of Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne during the regular season that lead to the Ducks not being able to pull off a back to back.

We all know that it is no easy feat to win two years in a row, especially since it has been ten years since the last back to back championship (97-98’s Detroit Red Wings), but had the former Captain and long time fan favorite chosen to come back earlier, the Ducks might have shot out of the gate faster and not had to make up for lost ground in the end, pushing themselves harder than they really had to when they made their successful run for the Stanley Cup in 2006-2007. Let me explain….

It was no secret that as Scott Niedermayer, a truly great and talented player, mulled retirement, the air in the locker room was tense and uncertain. The local papers stated in articles, it seemed like every other week, that the players knew if Niedermayer returned, one of them would have to go for Salary Cap purposes. Given that, no matter how much you try to focus on your game, I am sure that the stress of having to move a family and find a new place to live and most importantly, get to know new teammates, weighs greatly on one’s mind. They may be athletes and we all know that an athlete must roll with the punches, but they are still human and you can’t ask them to not be…well…yeah…err…No, you just can’t.

Keeping all that in mind, it really is hard to say what would have happened if both Niedermayer and Selanne had returned for a full season. The team’s game picked up, partly in my opinion, because the weight of the world was lifted off their shoulders once a trade was in place, but also because Niedermayer adds to the team by extending the experience on the blue line. Sure Captain Chris Pronger is a great defenseman, but while the younger "D" are still being tutored, it helps to have two veterans out there on the ice in different shifts.

Whether or not they will be back this year remains to be seen, though Niedermayer and Selanne have both stated that they will have an answer by July regarding whether or not they will return. I am hoping that since they are taking their time to consider their options, they will both be back for one more year. It’s a long shot, but still possible, so that said, these fingers, toes and eyes will be crossed.

While I struggle to see withmy crossed eyes, in my head I clearly envision Corey Perry signing a contract next month. Brian Burke has alluded to the fact that he doesn’t want to let him go and he made that statement last year, when he decided against matching the exorbitant offer made to large Winger Dustin Penner by the Oilers GM Kevin Lowe. While I don’t remember the quote word for word, I do know that part of Burke’s reasoning against bringing back Penner, was that two naturally gifted players were both coming up as RFA’s and he needed to work out a way to keep them. Now, for all the Penner fans and yes, there are still some in Anaheim, don’t jump down my throat. I loved Penner, I even own a game worn jersey from the guy, but in my opinion the future of the team is going to rest squarely on the shoulders of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, already veterans of three playoff appearances, who seem to get better every year.

As we enter Friday the 13^thand an official week since the Wings won the cup, I am happy to announce that backup Jonas Hiller’s contract was extended for two years. I am a Giguere fan, but hey, Hiller is no flash in the pan, the guy adds to his team on and off the ice and while he and JS may be friends, they push each other to be better and that will make for a successful tandem.

All in all, I think if the Anaheim Ducks want to win another Stanley Cup in the near future, ie next season, their best bet is to have everyone signed and ready to go by training camp and most importantly remind themselves of the confidence they had going into the 2006-2007 season. They made a statement and they stuck to it. If Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer do not return, it is NOT the end of the world. As I hinted at earlier, and this is only my opinion, the uncertainty of whether or not either player would return, quite possibly affected the way the team started the season. Chris Pronger is a good leader and fantastic defenseman and "Getzy" and "Pers" are terrific wingers, they can easily fill the void of the two potential retirees. Perhaps bring in one more veteran defenseman if that happens and ladies and gentleman, you may just have another Stanley Cup contender for the 2008-2009 season.

That’s my opinion and I am sticking to it and one more thing, I just want to throw out a congratulations to Coach Mike Babcock, who after four working seasons, finally got the cup that he came thisclose to getting with a team formerly known as The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.