Anaheim Ducks Had to Give Corey Perry More than Ryan Getzlaf

Not only are the Anaheim Ducks making a splash with their play on the ice, they've also made a rather large splash off the ice by spending a quarter of their cap space on two players. Those players are captain Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, both players likely to be Ducks for the rest of their careers inking 8 year deals.

Captain Ryan Getzlaf was the first to sign his 8 year extension with the Ducks after making it clear he didn't want to go anywhere else. Getzlaf's deal was worth a whopping $66 million working out to around $8 million a year- a tough contract for the captain who's never scored 30 goals to live up too. After news broke of Getzlaf'signing, it was immediately assumed that his teammate and good freidn Corey Perry would not be coming back due to cap space.

There was lots of speculation that Corey Perry was anxious to test the free agent market at the end of the year and that the Ducks would try to shop him at the trade deadline. Up until the wingers suspension it didn't look like a deal was to be reached- but with a little extra time to think and some advice from Bob McCown advising him "Not to chase after money if you're happy already," Perry changed his mind and resigned an 8 year deal with $69 million.

Two of the biggest things weighing on Perry were being closer to his family and getting the money he felt he deserved. After the Ducks agreed to terms with Getzlaf it looked like they wouldn't be able to keep Corey Perry at a price that was some what fair to his skill level and what he brings to the team, if they planned on keeping Bobby Ryan.

After a horrible year last season and then bursting out of the gate winning their first 20 of 26 games it became obvious there's a bright future in Anaheim under Bruce Boudreau. But that bright future needed the skill of Corey Perry in order to continue being bright.

While the name Corey Perry may not have the same bang that Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane or Evgeni Malkin have- he's one of the young elite in the NHL. Turning 28 fairly soon he's just entering the prime of career which scary- scary good for Ducks fans.

In his 7 years with the Ducks he's scored 30+ goals 4 times and has never had a season under 50 points (aside from his rookie year), he won the Hart Trophy as the MVP in 2011, Rocket Richard Trophy, already has a Stanley Cup to his name and an Olympic Gold Medal. Not bad for a kid who isn't even 28 yet!

When you look at the offensive side of things Corey Perry brings more to the table than Ryan Getzlaf. In Getzlaf's 7 seasons with the Ducks he's never scored more than 25 goals. While he may not score as much as his teammate he's a huge reason Perry enjoys the success he does- Getzlaf has hit the 50 point mark every year but his rookie year, a large part of that is assists.

Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf are not only teammates but also good friends and it's that chemistry and friendship that helps them have success on the ice. That chemistry is also a major reason why Perry chose to resign with the Ducks. 

" It definitely helps having Getz and I signed here for a while" ~ Corey Perry

The two young stars who are about turn 28 (birthdays are just days apart) have formed a remarkable chemistry, meshing well and forming arguably one of the best tandems in the NHL. Having both young superstars resign for the long-term is great news for the future of the Anaheim Ducks. Not only does the team have a chance to challenge for the Stanley Cup this season they will be competitive for several more years.

Perhaps what makes Corey Perry so lethal is the fact he's already had a slump. Last year was an off-season for Perry, despite scoring 37 goals he only recorded 60 points the first time he's had a slump in production. Every young player goes through slumps, Patrick Kane is coming out one, Claude Giroux is going through one, Alex Semin had one with the Capitals and even Crosby went through a bit of a slump due to injury. Slumps in production happen to the best of them and the good thing for Perry and the Ducks is he's already had a slump.

With 24 points in 25 games this year Perry seems to be back to his old form and with Bruce Boudreau now coaching the Ducks things look good for Perry's production in the future. When push came to shove there was no real reason for Corey Perry to leave Anaheim. He got more money for staying (8 years instead of 7), Boudreau will let him focus on offence, he stays with Getzlaf and is on a team that has potential to win another Stanley Cup.

Back to the original question- why does Corey Perry deserve more money than Ryan Getzlaf- because of his resume. While both players have Stanley Cups and an Olympic gold medals, only one is a consistent 30+ goal scorer and has won individual NHL awards. When you look at the stats Perry deserved a little more money than Getzlaf, he's done more to contribute to the teams success, the Ducks couldn't afford to lose the skill of Perry he is arguably one of the best young players in the game.

 

Anaheim Ducks Quietly Making a Splash

While everyone was focusing on the Chicago Blackhawks remarkable 21-0-3 start the Anaheim Ducks were quietly winning hockey games and making their way up the NHL standings. The Ducks lead their division and are 2nd in the NHL just four points behind the aforementioned Blackhawks. If not for the Blackhawks breaking records and eating up all the attention the Ducks would be the hottest team in the NHL.

The Ducks are 19-3-3 and while those may not be Blackhawks numbers, it's still quite impressive and it may be time for fans to start jumping on the Ducks bandwagon as the Blackhawks are reeling and the Ducks are flying. The Ducks are currently riding a 4 game wining streak and have the leagues best power play capitalizing on 26.7%, proving they are a force to be reckoned with in the West.

When looking at the Ducks success one thing you can't overlook is the affect of Bruce Brodreau. Here's a coach who was almost carried out of Washington by fans, media and even the players for not being able to get Alex Ovechkin and Alex Semin to play up to their potential. He was made to be the joke of the NHL and after Brodreau fell from grace in Washington he found a new home in LA with the Ducks.

It wasn't exactly smooth swimming at first as the Ducks finished last in the division and 25th in the entire NHL. But to start off 2013 Brodreau seems to have them all on the same page, starting the year off 3-1-1 and turning that into a 19-3-3 run to 2nd in the NHL. Amazing what a coach can accomplish when he finds a bunch of players that are willing to listen, play hockey and aren't entirely self focused- heck there's even some talk of Brodreau being a frontrunner for the Jack Adams award. So how are the Capitals doing with Dale Hunter, oh right they had to make another coaching change since he didn't have any luck either. Having fun Adam Oates?

Bruce Brodreau deserves a ton of credit for turning the Ducks back into contenders. But the coach can't take all the credit as the product that takes the ice is what determines the out come and captain Ryan Getzlaf has been one of the Ducks best players right from the start. Getzlaf who isn't normally a "quick starter" started off the year on fire putting up two goals and three assists through the teams first five games.

"This year, he’s done a great job of leading by example on the ice. That’s probably the best way to be a captain: Lead on the ice, not just talk." ~ Bruce Brodreau on Ryan Getzlaf

The captain has not slowed down leading the team in scoring with 10 goals and 21 assists, he's put up 31 points which is good enough for 5th in the NHL. His strong play to start off the year earned him an 8 year $66 million bonus, a contract that will be tough for the captain to live up too but another Stanley Cup can only help.

Getzlaf's partner in crime Corey Perry has also stepped up to the plate and is 2nd on the team in scoring with 9 goals and 15 assists for 24 points through the first 24 games. This is a big year for Perry who is looking to test the free agent markets, putting up big points and helping his team win can only help his value- so the Ducks are benefiting from that. Bobby Ryan got off to a bit of a slow start this season with only one goal up to Feb. 1, which was a little troublesome as he's been their guaranteed 30 goal scorer over the last four seasons. Ryan has picked it up as of last with eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points.

Any team that plans on winning in the NHL, whether it be a streak like that Blackhawks, the Ducks or even a 5 game win streak, needs 2 things- Goaltending and secondary scoring. The Ducks have been getting solid secondary scoring from Saku Koivu (21 points), Teemu Selanne (17 points), Daniel Winnik ( 13 points) and Andrew Cogliano ( 16 points) which have helped make up for Ryan being cold early on.

[caption id="attachment_2609" align="alignright" width="195"] Anaheim Ducks forward Daniel Winnik[/caption]

Daniel Winnik got off to the best start of any of the Ducks forwards, putting up five goals in the first five games and is already half-way to his career high 11 goals. Not bad for a guy who was expected to be a healthy scratch.

“Probably the biggest thing about scoring goals is believing you can, and he’s got the confidence that he can score. I don’t think he believes he’s pigeon-holed into a checking forward." ~ Bruce Brodreau on Daniel Winnik.

The Ducks have benefited from an un-sung hero between the pipes- Viktor Fasth. Fasth has been able to provide the Ducks with solid and consistent goaltending while Jonas Hiller has either been injured or inconsistent. Fasth has played in 13 games for the Ducks and is 10-1-1 with a 1.92 Goals Against Average and .929 Save Percentage.

The 30 year-old rookie earned himself a 2-year contract extension with the Ducks. He's been a major reason why the Ducks have been able to climb up the NHL standings and quietly become one of the best teams in the NHL right now. When both Fasth and Hiller are healthy and on their game they have potential to be the best goaltending tandem in the league.

Add productive forwards and solid goaltending to Francois Beauchemin, the Ducks best defenceman, who is having a fantastic year leading all Ducks defencemen with 16 points and eating up 23 minutes a night. But perhaps the best thing about Beauchemin is the fact he's not a liability on defence with a +/- 17, when he's on the ice the opposition isn't scoring often.

When everyone from the coach down to the goaltender is doing their job it makes a recipe for success and the Ducks are enjoying that success. The Anaheim Ducks are arguably the best team in the NHL right now and a real threat in the Western Conference. But perhaps what makes the Ducks more of a threat in the post-season than the Blackhawks is the fact that despite their strong play they've lost a few games. They're more accustomed to losing and now how to react next game to insure it doesn't happen again. The way the Ducks are coming together a run to another Stanley Cup isn't out of the question.