Bet On NHL Hockey Anaheim Ducks Season Preview
The Anaheim Ducks enter the 2011-2012 season hoping to build off a terrific second half of the 2010-2011 season. Anaheim will go with largely the same roster as the one that finished second in the Pacific last season including league MVP Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne who committed to one more season in Anaheim.
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Odds To Win Pacific Division: +600
Odds to Win Stanley Cup: 25/1
Last season: 47-30-5, 99 points (2nd place Pacific, 4th place Western)
Acquisitions: Andrew Cogliano, C; Jean-Francois Jacques, LW; Kurtis Foster, D; Matt Smaby, D; Jeff Deslauriers, G
Departures: Todd Marchant, C; Andreas Lilja, D; Ray Emery, G; Jarkko Ruutu, LW
Youngsters to Keep an Eye On: Nick Bonino, C; Peter Holland, C; Kyle Palmieri, C; Emerson Etem, RW
Selanne had 80 points in 73 games last season and is a welcome returnee to a Ducks team that on paper seems to lack depth at the forward position. With huge improvements from their main competitors in the division, the Ducks are going to have to be special in order to match and even beat their performance of last season.
Anaheim’s will ice one of the best forward lines in the NHL once again this season. Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Corey Perry return to wreak havoc on the rest of the NHL while Saku Koivu, Jason Blake and Teemu Selanne make up a very competitive albeit old second line. Newly acquired Andrew Cogliano will center a third line with his line mates yet to be determined. The Top Six forwards are strong but the third and fourth lines are not all that awe-inspiring. Depth is paramount particularly in the stacked Pacific division and the Ducks don’t quite have it!
Anaheim’s defensive corp. will be solid but lacks the big names of the other contenders in the Pacific division. Lubomir Visnovsky, Francois Beauchemin, second year man Cam Fowler and Tony Lydman will likely be the Top Four – not bad but as mentioned, not quite up to the level of both the Sharks and the Kings. Names like Luca Sbisa and Kurtis Foster will likely occupy the other two spots on defense unless there are some surprises in the preseason. [ad-4437448]
Between the pipes, the Ducks will depend on Jonas Hiller and hope that the vertigo issues from last season are a thing of the past. His health is paramount for the Ducks this season – the defensive corp. is OK but not necessarily deep and the Ducks’ run and gun style means that they will give up plenty of shots again. Dan Ellis will serve as the backup and has proven in the past that he is OK but is not quite talented enough to carry a team.
Betting Prediction: The Anaheim Duck have a very competitive Top Two units but the lack of depth is certainly to be mindful of. Add in the questionable health of their Number One goaltender and the Ducks could struggle to keep up with the Sharks and the Kings in the Pacific division. The Ducks should still make the playoffs but their inability to improve dramatically along with the Sharks and the Kings will have the team fighting for second place in their own division,
Fearless Forecast: Anaheim fights hard this season but their efforts will result in a third place finish in the Pacific Division and lead to an early exit in the Staley Cup playoffs.
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