Ducks’ list of free agents (restricted and unrestricted)

Free agency begins July 1, and Ducks general manager Bob Murray figures to be busy. Here’s a list of the Ducks’ unrestricted free agents (those eligible to sign with other teams without the Ducks having the right to match their offers), via the indispensable website generalfanager.com:

Forwards Shawn Horcoff, Jamie McGinn, David Perron, Mike Santorelli, Chris Stewart, defenseman Korbinian Holzer and goaltender Anton Khudobin.

Here are the Ducks’ restricted free agents (those whose rights the Ducks continue to hold):

Forwards Brandon Pirri and Rickard Rakell, defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen and goalie Frederik Andersen.

 

Ducks exit interviews: Andrew Cogliano

Ducks left wing Andrew Cogliano on Saturday addressed the notion that the team’s core players, himself included, were more to blame for another Game 7 defeat than coach Bruce Boudreau. He spoke at length about that subject. Here’s some of what he said during his season-ending interview with reporters:

“Questions about the core are fair. We haven’t gotten the job done. We’ve made some good strides during the year. We showed character in coming back. There’s positives. But we haven’t done the job at the right time and rhythm when it really counts. I think…I’m not sure what the factors are. Bob (Murray, the Ducks’ GM) is right. This isn’t on Bruce. I think a lot of guys need to know where they’re at and figure out where we went wrong. A lot of them have been here for a while. I’m not just talking the captains.. Myself, Cam (Fowler), guys like Hampus (Lindholm) and Sami (Vatanen) aren’t young anymore..Not singling them out, but we’ve been here for a while now. We don’t have a lot of young guys in the lineup. Like i said, guys have to figure out where we’re gone wrong. Today’s a much different feeling leaving the rink. In those years there’s been a sense of hope. Today there’s zero feeling like that.”

Cogliano also spoke about not doing enough individually this season, but especially during the playoffs. Here’s more:

“My meeting with ‘Murph’ (Murray) won’t go the same as it has. I wasn’t good enough, simple as that. Everyone can say the same thing. I had good moments but ultimately I  didn’t do enough. Everyone wants to talk about that we have ‘Getz’ (Ryan Getzlaf) and ‘Pears’ (Corey Perry), but we have guys who have been here and need to play better. Guys could have stepped up more. They’re not the captains of the team. I’ve played over 700 games, Cam’s been in the league since 18. Hampus, Sami, ‘Raks’ (Rickard Rakell) … we’ve learned the hard way but it’s not acceptable, simple as that, and we let a real good opportunity get away from us. I don’t know why. Maybe we came into the playoffs thinking we were better than we thought. That wasn’t the case.”

Ducks coaching search: Who is GM Bob Murray likely to hire to replace Bruce Boudreau?

Ducks general manager Bob Murray figures to take a good look at several candidates to replace Bruce Boudreau as the club’s next coach. Among them:

Paul MacLean and Trent Yawney, the Ducks’ assistant coaches who orchestrated the team’s NHL-leading power-play and penalty-killing units during the regular season.

Dallas Eakins, coach of the Ducks’ American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego whose stint with the Edmonton Oilers did not go well at all.

Travis Green, a former Ducks player who has been coaching the Utica Comets of the AHL and his said to be ready to take the next step.

Guy Boucher, a former Tampa Bay Lightning coach who was coaching in Switzerland until he was fired last fall.

Marc Crawford, a former Kings, Avalanche and Canucks coach who also was coaching in Switzerland until he was let go last month.

Ducks fire Bruce Boudreau as coach, search for replacement begins immediately

Boudreau

The Ducks fired coach Bruce Boudreau on Friday morning, two days after the team was eliminated in a Game 7 at the Honda Center for the fourth consecutive season. Boudreau was 208-104-40 during his tenure with the Ducks, guiding the team to four straight Pacific Division championships. They reached the Western Conference final last season, but were eliminated in seven games by the eventual champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The Ducks were knocked out in the first round of the 2016 playoffs Wednesday by the Nashville Predators.

“I would like to thank Bruce for his hard work and dedication to the franchise,” general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. “This is a very difficult decision to make. Bruce is a good coach and a character person, and we wish him the best of luck in the future.”

The Ducks will hold a news conference at 11:45 a.m.

 

Ducks general manager Bob Murray’s quote of the day

Here’s what Ducks general manager Bob Murray said of the team’s early-season struggles and avoiding the temptation to fire Bruce Boudreau as coach back in October or November: “I came close to doing lots of things. Sometimes the right thing to do is very little and that’s what was done.”

Ducks general manager Bob Murray issues statement on Shawn Horcoff’s suspension

Ducks general manager Bob Murray had this to say Tuesday about Shawn Horcoff’s 20-game suspension for violating the NHL’s PED program: “This morning, we were made aware of the situation regarding Shawn Horcoff. The Anaheim Ducks organization fully supports the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program. We will will continue to support Shawn as a player and a person throughout this process. We will have no further comment at this time.”

Horcoff, 37, scored six goals and 10 points, averaging 13:37 of ice time in 45 games. The Ducks are his third team during a 12-year NHL career.

Ducks center Ryan Kesler says he believes in his teammates and the coaching staff

Here’s the reaction of Ducks center Ryan Kesler when asked Friday about GM Bob Murray’s statement that he’s going to be patient with coach Bruce Boudreau in the wake of a 1-7-2 start to the season:

“It’s nice to hear from your GM that he believes in this group, because we believe in this group. Everybody loves playing for Bruce and Trent (Yawney, an assistant coach). We have a good group in here. Like I said, the first six games, it’s a write off. The last three games, I thought we played really well. We outskated some of the fastest skating teams in the league. I like the way we’re trending. Once we win a game, the dam’s going to open and we’re going to see a lot of faces around here that are smiling, a lot of guys having a good time with it.”

Ducks general manager Bob Murray addresses the status of coach Bruce Boudreau

Boudreau

Ducks general manager Bob Murray didn’t meet face-to-face with reporters Friday, after the team returned from a 0-4-1 trip that dropped its overall record to a league-worst 1-7-2. He did issue a statement addressing the status of coach Bruce Boudreau, who has been the subject of an endless swirl of speculation.

Said Murray: “I really don’t like commenting on rumors, but I will say this: We were one game away from the Final just five months ago. So while this has been a terrible start, I’m not inclined to make rash changes. I’m going to be patient. That said, we are severely underperforming as a group. I can’t recall a time where the vast majority of our players have underachieved simultaneously, and I fully expect a turnaround.”

 

 

Final: Wild 3, Ducks 0

Ducks turned in another clunker of a loss, falling 3-0 to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, with general manager Bob Murray in attendance, according to reports. Ducks are 1-5-1 and have been shut out four times this season, leading to speculation that Bruce Boudreau’s tenure as coach could be nearing its end.

Here’s a link to the scoring summary: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/GS020106.HTM//

Here’s a link to the expanded statistics: http://www.nhl.com/scores/htmlreports/20152016/ES020106.HTMhttp://