The Ducks receive a conditional 2009 draft pick in return — the condition being, if the Kings trade O’Donnell during the season, the Ducks will get their third-round pick. So essentially, the Ducks give up the 36-year-old defenseman and his $1.25 million cap hit for nothing.

As for the salary cap, this puts the Ducks back under — barely. By one estimate (my own), they’re $25,000 under the $56.7 million cap ceiling. The team will want more breathing room once the regular season starts, as one AHL call-up could put them over the cap by virtue of the CBA’s rules on such things.

More significantly, it leaves the Ducks without one of their steadiest blueliners since he was acquired from Phoenix midway through the 2005-06 season. Perhaps this means the Ducks are leaning toward Ken Klee, whom they acquired in the Mathieu Schneider deal last Friday.

… don’t worry, they’ll do it again next Tuesday:

Beginning Tuesday, Sept. 30, the Ducks will be featured each week on XM Satellite radio’s “Hockey This Morning” with Scott Laughlin. A Ducks player or executive will join Scott every Tuesday morning throughout the season at 7:45 a.m. Pacific Time.
The show will also be carried on Sirius Satellite radio beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 7. Sirius customers can order XM’s Home Ice channel by adding the “Best of XM of Sirius” package.
J.S. Giguere will be the first guest on the debut segment this Tuesday.

On the day he signed a two-year contract to stay in Anaheim, Selanne has two goals through regulation of a 4-4 tie game against Vancouver. More to come after it’s over.

The Ducks signed Teemu Selanne to a 2-year contract worth $3.25 million the first year and $2 million the second. That translates to a $2.625 million cap hat, which once again puts the Ducks over the salary cap. No matter; they have 10 days to get back under and Teemu is a Duck through 2010. (I bold this because there’s a no-trade clause.)
Continue reading “Teemu, times two.” »

All those workouts with the Junior Kings worked! The trade is official.

It’s official: Mathieu Schneider has been traded.
Continue reading “Schneider traded to Atlanta.” »

The calls to the manager’s office began after last night’s game and were made official today.
Continue reading “Ducks make some cuts.” »

Randy Carlyle got the night off from his postgame media obligations and the players, who were in the process of heading to the gym, weren’t feeling especially loquacious. It’s worth noting that Bobby Ryan wasn’t laughing off his two-goal performance: He seemed legitimately relieved to have a small monkey off his back.
Continue reading “Ducks 6, Sharks 4: Final thoughts.” »

Looks like the Ducks have this one locked up after trailing 4-2 to start the period. Corey Perry has scored twice in the third period, Bobby Ryan once (his second goal of the game) and Matt Stefanishion just got one past Thomas Greiss.

This game has become notable for something I didn’t see at all last year: A Kent Huskins fight. He went toe-to-toe with Ryan Clowe (sounds like the beginning of a good poem) and gave Clowe a bloody right eye and an undetermined right (fighting) hand injury. Huskins’ face and hand appeared undamaged.