This is Anaheim Calling to the Hockey World. Recent discussions on the boards about acquisitions was a bit of a frustrating endeavor. The Ducks have $41.06M committed to the cap next year, and $38.572M committed in salary.

The Ducks are pretty much set on D. Lubomir Visnovsky, Toni Lydman, Cam Fowler, Luca Sbisa, and Francois Beauchemin are all signed through next year. Nate Guenin is locked up as a 6th defenseman. As for Forwards, there's Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Bobby Ryan, as well as Andrew Cogliano, Devante Smith-Pelly and Matt Beleskey. That's about it, for guys who were consistently on the team last season. Nick Bonino and Patrick Marron are RFAs, and I'm confident the Ducks will re-sign both of them. Peter Holland, Kyle Palmieri, and Brandon McMillan are also signed for next season. Dan Sexton's contract goes from a two-way to a one-way next season, although it seems the Ducks have given up on him (which is probably a mistake).

Using only RFAs and guys on the roster, next year's lineup probably looks a little like this:

Maroon-Getzlaf-Perry

Ryan-Bonino-Cogs

Devo-Holland-Emerson Etem

Beleseky-McMillan-Palmieri/Sexton

It's actually not horrible if the kids step up, although it is also mildly discouraging in that it doesn't address key needs for the Ducks.

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With the end of the Wisconsin Badgers season, Anaheim Ducks fans began salivating over the soon to be arrival of their prized defensive prospect, Justin Schultz. Schultz has been the top defenseman in NCAA hockey for the past two seasons. He skates well, has a good first pass, and if he puts some more muscle on that 6'2" frame could probably be terrifying.

So, where is thaaat enthusiasm now? It's churning in the stomachs of the Anaheim faithful, wondering if Schultz is going to walk away for nothing. The most recent news on his decision comes from Bucky's 5th Quarter, a Wisconsin Badgers blog. They are under the impression that Schultz is going to take his time deciding on what he wants to do with his career. If you need a break down of what Schultz's options are, the linked story does a good job of breaking it down.

The author of the linked story observed that if Schultz was going to sigh with the Ducks, he probably would have done it by now. That's bad news for Ducks fans, but it should be worse news for Bob Murray. IF, notice the if, IF Murray lets Schultz get away, I believe it should be the last mistake he makes as general manager of the Ducks. This goes beyond the gray areas of what may or may not be considered the mismanaging of assets. If Schultz walks, Murray will have given away the Ducks' top defensive prospect for nothing. That is an unacceptable mismanagement of assets.

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By now, I'm sure everyone has at least taken the time to generate an opinion on what Bobby Ryan said to Eric Stephens in an interview. I am, of course, no different. However, as I read the comment section on the original thread, I couldn't help but feel that everyone was missing the point. Yes, I have issues with the message that Bobby delivered to the press. More importantly, I have an issue with Bobby going to the press. If Bobby Ryan has concerns about his role on the team, he needs to discuss them with Bruce Boudreau and Bob Murray, not Eric Stephens. That's not a knock against Stephens; he's a journalist doing his job. Bobby should know better than to make a play like this. Let's be honest with ourselves. If this happened with another big name star in a more serious hockey market, it would be huge news. However, there seem to be Ducks fans lining up to defend Bobby for what is an egregious error.

I've heard Robby opine that Bobby is good at dealing with the press. Situations like this make me wonder if the press is actually better at dealing with Bobby. In other words, maybe the press talks to Bobby because they know he'll let something slip. As I mentioned earlier, I don't have too many major issues with what Bobby said. I believe it was mentioned several times in the comments that this isn't anything we haven't discussed here. My main concern is that Bobby took it to the press. This isn't the first time he's done this. Having a player in the room who is willing to take his concerns, complaint, etc. to the press is always a dangerous situation. I have three problems with the developing situation surrounding Bobby Ryan and his comments and I'll order them from least to most important.

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Bobby Ryan is walking a dangerous line in the press right now. Eric Stephens recently published some mildly disturbing comments from the young winger. At the bottom of a series of topics, Bobby discusses what he sees for himself as the next stage in his career. I'll quote the entire response so as to not be accused of taking him out of context. Then, I'll offer my analysis after the jump.

"My next step ultimately would be to break away from Getz and Pears. I think we’ve had chemistry. But at some point, you’re going to have to prepare for life after Teemu [Selanne]. I’d like to fill into that role and have that second line be built. I think I can step into Teemu’s role. I think I can put up 35 to 40 goals year in and year out.

"Personally on the ice, I’d like to be able to break games open a little more. Sometimes when I play with Getz and Pears, I get the feeling like I’ve got to be a secondary guy. The opportunities for me to break away from it and try to give us a secondary scoring option on another line, it’s working right now. When those guys [Selanne and Saku Koivu] leave, we have to build a second line. I’d like to do it around myself and be able to make adjustments to my game"

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The Ducks dropped a tough 3-2 decision to the Kings Saturday night. This isn't the final nail in their coffin, but they're going to need some Beatrix Kiddo style effort to get into the Western Conference's top 8. At one point during the broadcast, the Ducks chance of making the postseason was listed at 2.2 %. A number I am sure has gone down after this regulation loss. Another thing mentioned during the broadcast was that Boudreau thought the Ducks could lose two more games from here on out if they were going to make a serious run. Well, they can lose one now.

I'm not going to go into my usual tirades about Bob Murray, but I will say this was an exhausted team that got no help coming out of the deadline. They'd put together a historic run and were rewarded with...with...nothing. The market played a huge factor in this, I mean if the Ducks weren't selling than who was. Still, I can't help but think that something should have been done. Especially when I watch Jason Blake play. Good/Bad/Ugly after the jump.

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So, here we are, 12th. It makes me feel like I'm actually on the 5 Freeway. You spend all this time in your car and realize you've only gone a quarter of a mile. Still, progress at least makes the end of the season interesting. The Ducks shook off a very short skid by dispatching the Flames with some late heroics from Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, who also hooked up for the go-ahead goal in the second. The regulation win was key in order to pick up ground in this wild playoff race. Next up is the Kings, who are only four points ahead but have a game in hand on Anaheim.

The Ducks are still a daunting 7 points out with only 17 games to play. They still have a chance, but losses are no longer an option. There are 4 teams between the Ducks and a playoff spot. However, San Jose's recent stumbles might have doubled the number of available playoff spots for the bottom 5 clubs. There's nothing left now but the games and the hope. The Ducks will see a Kings team that didn't play last night and is equally hungry for a playoff birth.

Tonight will be a good, bloody, hockey game. I'm looking forward to it. In honor of the hated Kings, I'll put the over/under on fights at 4. Enjoy the anarchy folks.

Personally, I think he's biting the collective style of Anaheim Calling residents. Nevertheless, Jeff Miller seems to be testing the hockey gods with this recent piece. I'm not coming down on one side or the other, but I will say that I respect magumbo. After all, I ate the same thing during games we won during the Cup run, it's a long story. I also finished my food at nearly the same time. I'm just saying, magumbo is a powerful thing and I'm at least a little happy that someone in the media is finally learning to respect it...a little.

DANIEL:

Over the summer, I made the argument that the Ducks should have done more to provide Selanne with a winner. My point was simple: the Ducks should make a move in order to give Selanne a better chance to do more than simply compete for a playoff spot. In the comments of the thread, the issue was raised that no single player was worth the future of the franchise. A recent article by Puck Daddy chief Greg Wyshynski claims the Ducks chances of making the playoffs are somewhere in the neighborhood of 3.8%. The Ducks have managed to come full circle, in a weird way. However, instead of us wondering if the future health of the organization is worth a single player, we are now wondering if the future health of the organization is worth a playoff run.

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The Ducks are ten points out of a playoff spot with thirty games to go. That's certainly a surmountable deficit if they get ridiculously hot, like a pair of suns hot. Which makes a game against the worst team in the Eastern conference a welcome contest. Of course, Carolina has one more point than the Ducks, at 49, but those are just technicalities.

The Ducks are going to have to win this one on special teams, since our Power Play and Penalty Killing operate at better rates than those of the Canes. I have an acquaintance who lives in Carolina, thus it is important that we win.

Personal issues aside, I think we should all keep our eyes on Cam Fowler. It's no secret the kid has had some confidence issues, but Boudreau seems to have faith in his young blue liner. He told the OC Register, "We've put him right against the top line. We think he's done an exemplary job." That's a ringing endorsement from the coach. Fowler exploded on the scene last year with a huge offensive output. The Ducks haven't stopped leaning on him, and maybe it's a little too much pressure for a 20 year-old kid. I'm looking for Cam to have a good game tonight. The Ducks are going to need him to get a little offensive confidence in order to make this push for the playoffs.

Finally, I'm digging BB's love affair with Beauchemin. It's always nice to see a guy get his full credit. As Beauchemin has settled into the role of our top defenseman, so too had Fowler improved. Yes, Cam is still making mistakes, but I think Beauchemin has really decreased those mistakes for the kid. He's been an even player since we went on that wild winning streak. I'm hoping that he can maybe turn a corner and get some confidence going before the Ducks go on this extended road trip. Gotta keep that magumbo positive on the gameday thread.

FOWL!

Everyone should watch this. After the Ducks skills competition on Saturday, the players were interviewed by the NHL network, or the Fox Sports people or even by the Ducks organization just for the sake of making this brilliant video. I laughed, and Teemu's panty dropper t-shirt is hilarious, albeit mildly sexist. The original link is from Puck Daddy, but the brilliance is free for everybody. Enjoy.

I did a post like this last year, except it had a very different feel. Last year, we were definite buyers in the playoff hunt. This year, we need a miracle to make the playoffs. Yes, it's possible, but it's highly unlikely. This deadline we will be sellers, and we should be. This is a team with a good core that needs an almost complete retooling of complimentary players. Also, the Ducks need to assume that Teemu Selanne will not be here next year. I love Teemu, but Bob Murray has made it clear that he doesn't want to go the extra mile to make his time worth while; he wants the team to over-perform for Teemu. That's unfair to the Finnish Flash. This team won't have a good deadline unless it understands that it needs a complete remodel. In order to do that, we have to give up on the idea that this is a Cup team. As it is now, this is barely a playoff team.

I've broken this one up a little differently. First, I'll list guys we should sell, then I'll follow up with guys who might be good acquisitions to help us move forward. Finally, it makes me sad that Murray can't see the value of a draft pick. If Robby is right, and I take the man at his word, then Murray isn't looking for draft picks at the deadline. Getting NHL ready players is always nice, but a pick can be flipped into an NHL player as well. Hey Bob, remember when you traded a second round pick for Andrew Cogliano...I'm just saying. Draft picks are some of the best currency. They are like cash. Everyone can find a use for them. That's not to say that Murray shouldn't be focused on getting young NHL talent, just that Murray should be open to all assets. This team won't make too many serious moves at the deadline, we'll make them before or near the draft. As such, a few extra early round picks could go a long way. Ok, rant over.

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[Ed. Note: Throughout the All-Star Break, the Anaheim Calling team will be giving their mid-season reports. First up was our intrepid Crunch reporter Alex and her analysis of our Ducklings. Next, the man I'm pretty sure was sober when he wrote this - Daniel.]

I like introductions, probably because I teach public speaking, so you'll have to forgive me for not beginning in earnest, as they say. The All Star Break is a good time for quiet reflection on everything that has happened, and for me to write things that will make people wonder if the world will really end in 2012.

First Half Most Valuable Player: Bob Murray, General Manager.

I don't know who's jaw just dropped, but I heard it and it made me laugh.

Ok, so Murray technically isn't a player. However, There are really only two choices for MVP anyway: Teemu Selanne and Corey Perry. Selanne because you know, he's Selanne, and Perry is the only one of the Big 3 who has managed to turn in consistent efforts. Therefore, I felt I had to think outside the box. Let me clear something up, this doesn't mean I don't think Murray should keep his job. He should definitely be fired. I've said for a long time that if Murray didn't want to get Carlyle the players Carlyle wanted/needed, then he needed to get rid of Carlyle. Well, things got bad...really bad, and he finally got rid of Carlyle. Hiring Boudreau gave the fanbase something to care about again, and that's pretty invaluable.

Speculation was rampant. People wanted to know how the team would change, if Bobby Ryab would improve, if there would be personnel changes to fit Boudreau's need. It gave the fans a reason to talk about their Ducks moving forward rather than how badly they wanted the season to end. I still don't have a lot of confidence in the man as a GM. But, if we are talking about the person who made the largest impact on the team in the first half, it was Murray.

First Half Least Valuable Player: Jason Blake, Left Wing

Apparently, the Ducks want to convince the fan base that Jason Blake is actually a leprechaun. Ducks lose him after starting the season 4-1, and forgot how to play hockey. Blake comes back and the Ducks rattle off wins like an auctioneer calling bids. I'm not a subscriber to the theory that we are a better team with Blake in the lineup. Personally, I can't wait to see Devante Smth-Pelly in his spot on the third line after we trade him. However, it's hard to have less of an impact than not playing. If the Ducks were seriously affected by him not being in the lineup, then clearly he was the least valuable player as he was no help at all. Moreover, everyone not named Perry, Selanne or Francois Beauchemin can probably fit into this category, so I don't really see the point in going after them. Blake didn't play so he was the least valuable. It's nothing personal.

Bold Prediction for the Second Half:

I have two because I am a dirty, dirty cheater. First, Corey Perry is going to put the fear of god into goalies everywhere and join Pavel Bure and Alex Ovechkin as the only back-to-back winners of the Richard Trophy. Second, I twisted Alex's words in her post, and believed that she was predicting a trade of Kyle Palmieri. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Palmieri is the type of asset that should be sold high, IF he is going to be sold. Maybe, he can be packaged in a deal for that top defenseman we covet. It's not as crazy as it sounds, which is saying something because it sounds pretty crazy. Still, I can't shake the feeling that Murray will finally make a trade that will surprise everyone, because I'm beginning to think he secretly reads the blog and fancies my opinion. Palmieri is the type of player who gets moved in those situations.

DANIEL:

Honestly, I'm as surprised as any of you. I don't know if I wasn't alive back in November, but I missed this. Apparently, Bobby Ryan is a huge Twilight fan, and he reviewed the latest movie in the series for Greg Wyshynski. In fairness to Bobby, he's not just a Twilight fan, he loves all things vampire. Ok, I'm not going to make fun of Bobby yet, and just say read this. It's funny.

Now all of you are probably wondering, "what does Bobby's love of Twilight have to do with Daniel?" I'm glad you asked. Bobby had this to say of Taylor Lautner's, performance in the recent film.

He’s been the guy who takes his shirt off and 12 year old girls scream. You can’t expect a lot from him to begin with. But he was so cheesy, man.

This is how I've always felt about Bobby. I never knew he'd be able to express my feelings so perfectly. When you all wonder why Bobby and I don't get along, it's because I think of him as the hockey equivalent of that dude in the film who's just there to take his shirt off. Alright, fun over. But seriously, read it. It's hilarious.

Things seem to be going well in Anaheim these days. A 7-0-1 run has fans murmuring about second half surges of the past and wondering if a miracle can happen to propel the Ducks into the playoffs. Along with the hope of a postseason birth will come the annual second half celebration of the job Bob Murray is doing. We'll get to that later. First, it's important to understand the hole the Ducks dug for themselves and what the future might actually hold for them.

The Ducks have had this great 7-0-1 streak, and as a result they've moved up one place in the standings. 13th never looked so good. However, there's a silver lining. The Ducks have games in hand on every team in front of them except the Dallas Stars. The bad news is that if they do win all those games in hand they won't pick up a single spot in the standings. That's how far out of the pack they are. The Ducks are 13 points out of 8th place in the Conference, or 7.5 games in baseball terms. Unfortunately, Conference standings work a little differently in the NHL. There are 5 teams between the Ducks and the playoffs and all of them will be playing each other.

It took 97 points to make the Western Conference Playoffs last season. The Ducks have 41 points with 36 games left, so they need 56. That's 28 wins of the last 36. More importantly, it probably has to be 28 wins, because if the Ducks try to pick up points with overtime losses, they'll most likely be giving points to teams that are ahead of them in the standings, which is the real problem. As I said earlier, there are five teams between the Ducks and the playoffs. Ever since the implementation of the shootout one team wins every night. Essentially, when teams 10 and 11 in the standing play each other, one of them puts distance between themselves and the Ducks. Considering that three of those teams are from the same division, Calgary, Colorado and Minnesota, chances are the teams ahead of the Ducks will be playing each other rather frequently. That means the Ducks will be hard-pressed to make up ground.

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Lyle Richardson writes the rumor roundups for The Hockey News. In his latest installment, he reveals that Jeff Schultz is an unhappy camper on the Washington Capitals' scratch list. He's been scratched 12 of the past 14 games. Schultz is exactly the D we need. He's 6'6" and somewhere between 220-230 pounds, depending if you look at his player page at nhl.com or yahoo sports. Schultz has been a minus player twice in his professional career, both times with the Calgary hitmen. He was a remarkable +50 in 73 games, when he was playing for Bruce Boudreau. I haven't been watching every game the Caps have played so I don't know why the guy isn't playing, but he sounds like someone we should be interested in. He's also 2 years into a 4 year 11 million dollar contract. He's cheaper than Lydman, gives the puck away once every other game and blocks a fair amount of shots, although he isn't much of a hitter. Anyway, it's an option. Discuss.

[Ed. Note: All weekend, the AC staff will be trading the same five core players for another team(s) core player(s) of equal value. Thanks for forcing us to write this, Bob Murray.]

Bob Murray's ill timed decision to put the entire team up for auction will certainly have the desired effect around the blogosphere: trade speculation for everyone! We at Anaheim Calling are no different, and in that spirit I'm embracing this assignment as best I can. Mostly, because I get to trade Bobby Ryan and that makes me happy.

Bobby Ryan for Brooks Laich

Before everyone jumps up and down shouting, "you'd trade a top line player for a borderline second line player?". Laich brings back all my nostalgia from the Cup team. I love everything about his game. He puts in effort, he's defensively responsible and he has a decent scoring touch. With the right linemates, I firmly believe he can be a 60-70 point guy. The guy can can anchor a line from the wing or the middle. To this team, he's a younger, upgrade to Koivu. He's exactly the player we'd need to help bring up guys like Emerson Etem, Devante Smith-Pelly, and Kyle Palmieri. Other Thoughts: P.K. Subban, and Joffrey Lupul

Corey Perry for Patrick Sharp

The fact that the Blackhawks pay that guy less than 5 million should be considered cap circumvention. He has a great shot, plays center and the wing, and is just an all around great player. He's the only type of player I'd want to replace Perry. Ok, that one hurt a little. Other Thoughts: Rick Nash and Jarome Iginla

Ryan Getzlaf for Mikko Koivu

The younger Koivu is also a great playmaker like his brother, and might benefit from playing for a team with some better wingers. Not that Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi are light weights, but I think Mikko and Perry could be a solid combination. Other Thoughts: Anze Kopitar

Cam Fowler for David Krejci

The Bruins want an offensive defenseman, and we have one. Krejci makes good sense considering we need another good center. Krejci would look great shoring up a line behind Getzlaf. Losing Fowler hurts...tons, but we have Justin Schultz in the pipeline and we need to retool the D anyway. Krejci for Fowler is a good move for all parties. Other Thoughts: P.K. Subban and Milan Lucic

Jonas Hiller for Erik Karlsson

This is a tough one. Of all the players on this list, I might consider Hiller to be the one the Ducks absolutely shouldn't move. There really isn't another goalie in the system, so it makes it hard to consider moving him for anything other than another goalie. That would mean the only legitimate option is a Hiller for Ryan Miller deal that I don't necessarily love. Karlsson is another offensive defenseman and that would give the Ducks 3 young ones and make Sami Vatanen all but superfluous. This guy is putting up points that put a lot of forwards to shame. His career -34 in 3 seasons of work is a little terrifying, but it's something that can hopefully be improved upon. Other Thoughts: Ryan Miller

This is Anaheim Calling to the Hockey World...

Things have been spiraling out of control for the Ducks since a four game winning streak after losing the first game of the season. In all sincerity, the team has been awful from almost the word go. As such the inevitable has arrived: the Ducks are going to start selling assets. Jen recently linked to this Puck Daddy article that revealed Murray's plans to make everyone, except Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu, available for trade. Increasing the angst for Anaheim fans, Jeff Miller and Eric Stephens discussed the merits of making a major deal, and then wondered out loud if Murray was even the GM to do it. Miller went so far as to offer this tidbit arguing that the "G" in RPG needs to be the one shown the door.

Most know where I fall on a majority of these discussions, but every now and then, I suppose it's good to check in with a more thorough explanation. Therefore, this is my take on three key issues: Trading one of RPG, whether the team should rebuild, and whether or not Murray is the GM to do it. In the immortal words of Shakespeare, "I will bite my thumb, let them take it as they list."

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DANIEL:

I'm watching the gold medal game tonight so I can see Friberg and Rakell tonight. Hopefully, I'll be impressed with Nail as well. Nothing too special to report. Just opening up a thread for any musings folks might have about our prospects.

Eric Stephens and Jeff Miller don't exactly give Murray a vote of confidence in this Q&A they did. They raise important questions. Miller even took it a step further and said the Ducks should trade Getzlaf in a column. The only thing I'll say before we get into comments is that it is important not to overreact. There's a lot facing Anaheim fans right now. It's going to be tough for the rest of this year.

DANIEL:

Let me start by saying that I prefer the vs. abbreviation to the v. abbreviation. I don't know why; I think it has to do with all the Street Fighter II I played when I was in junior high. Speaking of Junior, the tournament is underway. It's hard to get very excited for this tournament unless you're a hardcore puckhead. I only recently became interested when I learned I needed to know more about prospects. Still, there's something hopeful about the World Juniors. It's a bunch of young players competing for their country, draft position, and hopefully good memories. Of course, that's also what makes it sad. Watching Canada or the USA cream some poor kids from Latvia or Denmark isn't always a great way to watch the game of hockey. However, it's important to see these kids put their skills on display and hope one of them will soon make our respective team better.

Now, team USA put beat down on the poor Danish kids. The player Ducks fans are most interested in, Emerson Etem, managed to get a pair of secondary assists and be +3 in the game, while being tied for the team lead with 6 shots on goal. Campbell gave up 3 goals on 23 shots, but all the goals were scored on Danish power plays. That probably means John Gibson won't be getting the start tonight against Finland. Finland features one of the best junior players in the world in Minnesota Wild prospect, Mikael Granlund. They also feature a good defender in Olli Maata, who was one of Puck Daddy's potential 2012 picks to keep an eye on. They'll also feature the Kings second round pick from 2011, Chris Gibson between the pipes. Despite being worked over by Canada, the Finns should be taken seriously. Here's to hoping for a good game.

I don't know how many people will be watching the USA v. Denmark game, but there is plenty of time before the Ducks game tonight. If you are watching, feel free to keep up with my comments here. I didn't put this on the frontpage, because I didn't want to interfere with the Ducks thread for tonight. If I get a chance to do a few more of these for the American games, I will. However, I don't know what my schedule will be like this week. So, if you want to put up a fanpost yourself feel free.

The Ducks have been struggling and if things don't turn around they'll be picking in the top 5. It's even possible they'll be making the first overall selection. The World Juniors tournament is a great chance to see some of the top draft eligible talent or to get a better look at guys who have already been drafted and are developing. In case you need an idea of who to keep an eye on for the up coming draft, Puck Daddy put together this handy list. Yakupov is probably the top guy, but anything can happen at this tournament. So, if you have the NHL network, try to watch as many games as you can and start fantasizing about who we can get if we're picking in the top 10. If this list is any indication of what's out there, we'll be getting a very good player if we're picking anywhere in the top 10.

[Ed Note: NHL Network will be airing Team Canada and Team USA's games tonight.]

[Ed. Note: Every day this week, the AC Staff and a few Duck Buddies will be giving each other Ducks related Secret Santa gifts. Now up, the second half of AC's dysfunctional duo, "Get off my lawn" Daniel gifts Bobby Robby Ryan.]

If my hate of Bobby Murray is easily and readily knowable, then so to is Robby's love of Bobby Ryan. Far be it for me to judge the feelings that Robby has for Bobby; I'm sure I at one time held a similar sentiment for Teemu during his first go round with the Ducks. However, we all know how that turned out. I'm looking at you Gauthier. Still, with all the rumors swirling around Bobby Ryan just s a few weeks ago, and the Ducks ever spiraling decent into the depths of the NHL standings, I wanted to prepare Robby, should the worst happen. That's why I got him this get out of jail free card so that he can return to his family after he kills Bob Murray.

via www.adena.com

I originally wanted to transform this into some kind of fancy card that would allow Robby a one-time void of any Bobby Ryan deal, but I'm as computer literate as my students are real literate. I also thought that it would be really impractical since, as fans, we'd never be allowed to voice our opinions on what we think this organization should do. Still, I think I've got Robby's back on this one. Murray will inevitably get hosed in a Bobby Ryan trade, and Robby will inevitably, and maybe rightfully, kill him for doing so. Therefore, I got Robby this fancy get out of jail free card. I chose this one because the jail kind of looks like a mental institution, which is the other possible destination for Robby after such a trade. Merry Christmas Robby, here's to hoping Bobby Ryan can stay a Duck for at least one more season!

P.S.: Dear Mr. Murray, these posts are meant to be humorous. I'm sure Robby would never due anything like try to kill you. However, should you trade Bobby Ryan, I am not libel for any season ticket canceling, picketing, or any other bodily harm that the fans might do to you...just saying.

[Ed. Note: On Saturday, Teemu Selanne will be making his triumphant return to Winnipeg since being traded during the 1995-1996 season. As a tribute to Teemu, Anaheim Calling will be spending the days leading up to his homecoming in the 'Peg taking a look back at what got him to this point in his career. Already covered: Teemu and the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, his years with the Jets, and the trade that brought him to Anaheim. Now the lore of the original Wonder Twins.]

If Arthur still wrote here, he'd probably be the person who would write this post. With his style of writing, he could convince a Tea Party convention that he was standing next to John Hancock when the Constitution was signed. I mention that, because I think that's what it was like to watch Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne play together. There was something uncanny about it. They were called the dynamic duo, but It's not really a fitting name. There wasn't a Batman/Robin relationship. It was more equal than that. I suppose you could say they were the Twins before the Twins were. They played a beautiful game. It was more like poetry really.

Kariya and Selanne were two of the best Ducks to ever play together, despite their relatively limited team success. The Ducks were notorious for being a one-line-team from mid 1996-mid 2000. You know why? Simply because they were. Not only were they a one-line-team, that one line lacked a true number one center. Kariya and Selanne were Jarome Iginla, before Jarome Iginla.

The Ducks paraded around a couple of has-beens in their attempt to solidify that line. Oddly enough, they never tried to get a has-been center, just has-been wingers, most notably Tomas Sandstrom and Jari Kurri. Both players were in the twilight of their respective careers and sometimes had trouble keeping up with the faster, younger, Kariya and Selanne. That's what it was like for the Kariya and Selanne show. They were great, but the team wasn't. It was the best show on ice for half a decade, but only resulted in 2 playoff appearances, and one playoff series victory.

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So, I remember us having a conversation about not getting your jerseys from nhl.com. However, I can't remember some of the alternatives that were introduced. I'm getting a third jersey for christmas and need to hear ideas. Thank you Ducks Community.

Let me preface this by saying that this post will not be about whether or not Bobby Ryan is a good player. On the contrary, this post assumes that Bobby is a very good player and is going to get paid. I know I'm the resident Bobby hater, but I did my best to take an unbiased approach to this; however, I believe there's no such thing as a purely unbiased approach. I focused all of my arguments on things that have almost nothing to do with him.

Unless you were living under a rock a last week, you remember when there was huge buzz that the Ducks might move Bobby Ryan. Instead, they fired Randy Carlyle in an attempt to get the season going in the right direction. I've said before that I think the Ducks made the right decision, primarily because Murray didn't seem interested in getting the players Randy needed. The argument has been made that Murray has been hampered by an internal cap, and therefore has been unable to build a truly consistent and competitive team. I think this is exactly the reason the Ducks need to consider the possibility that they can't hold on to Bobby Ryan.

The reason I'm writing this post is because I think a lot of the discourse about whether or not to move Bobby has focused more on his merits as a player. I'm beginning to think that's only part of the problem. I have three main points that I will go through in order of importance: Affording the player, Bobby's value, and helping the team this year.

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Well...so much for positivity. I won't bore you with long analysis, that's what good/bad/ugly is for. I will say I think this is the best game the Ducks have played in a long time.  I was very pleased that they didn't role over and die when things got tough. They kept coming; the top line kept hitting.  The third and fourth line both got shifts in the final 5 minutes of the game.

Maybe it was just me, but I think the only thing I didn't like about the way we played tonight was that we lost. I suppose when you're losing every mistake ends up in the back of the net, and that's exactly what happened tonight. The Ducks didn't play a perfect game, but they played a good one. Unfortunately, it wasn't good enough to win. Alright, lets try this good/bad/ugly thing, please forgive my unconventional observations.

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This is Anaheim Calling to the Hockey World...have you seen the Ducks? No seriously, we can't find them.  We've looked everywhere.  In the cushions of Bob Murray's couch, the ashtray in Randy Carlyle's car, and even Los Angeles, because they can't exactly show their faces in Orange County anymore.  Oh the sky is most certainly falling.  Arthur suggested, in a recent guest column, that the Ducks should save Teemu Selanne from this hurtful, hurtful situation and trade him to Winnipeg. I think we should trade Bobby Ryan. Ok, that's not really new. But it's gotten to the point where the fans and the press are tired of digging up the little positives.

The numbers are staggering.  The Ducks have dropped six in a row, and have only one win in their past 13 games.  They are one point away from being the bottom team in the Western Conference, and ten points out of the last playoff spot.  The deficit seems almost insurmountable.  The hopeful will say we've overcome bad stretches before, and will overcome this one. They cynics will say this was an inevitability on a roster that was lacking in depth and desperately needed some heart.  Under normal circumstances, I'm sure I would fall into the latter category.

However, today will be a day for new approaches. I haven't done a gameday all year, and I don't want to talk about what the Ducks should or shouldn't do. The purpose of this thread is to cleanse ourselves of all the bad magumbo. As such, all I want to say is that I love hockey.  I love watching the sport, and especially love watching the Ducks.  I like coming to gamedays and annoying the hell out of all of you :)  A bad season of hockey is still better than no hockey, and I get to watch the games on TV, which means I'm not wasting money. 

I have plenty of opinions about what's wrong with the team, the organization and Bobby Ryan. But, today I watch hockey, and I hope the Ducks PLAY hockey. I would like that, and I think, or at least hope, all of you will as well.  So, forget the analysis. Don't worry, about the bone head plays, and hope something amazing happens.  Yeah, that's all I want: to sit on the edge of my seat in anticipation, waiting for something amazing to happen.  Here's to hockey, and one more to the Ducks.

DANIEL:

So, I was chilling, being me, reading stories on yahoo sports about hockey.  When I saw this interesting nugget about Dustin Penner.  All I'm saying is that if the Kings are unhappy with him, and he's really not producing, I don't see why we shouldn't make a trade. Jason Blake for Penner, straight up, after Blake is healthy of course. The Kings lose a guy who they see as a potential problem in the effort column for a guy who always tries hard. The Ducks get an old flame back  who might be able to light a fire under his old linemates. It's a radical thought, but just a thought really.