Carter traded to Carolina for two minor-leaguers.

The Ducks have traded Ryan Carter to the Carolina Hurricanes for minor-league forwards Matt Kennedy and Stefan Chaput. Kennedy and Chaput were both playing for the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, and can expect to report to the Syracuse Crunch.

Carter, who cleared waivers for the second time this year Tuesday morning, had one goal, two assists and 22 penalty minutes in 18 games for the Ducks. Carter was one of six Ducks (Selanne, Getzlaf, Perry, Marchant, Parros) remaining from the 2007 Stanley Cup championship team.

Kennedy, a fifth-round draft pick by Carolina in 2009, had one assist and six penalty minutes in eight games for the Checkers. A fifth-round pick by Carolina in 2006, Chaput had three assists and nine penalty minutes in 20 games for the Checkers.

Kennedy, 21, has already played for the Syracuse Crunch. Following his stellar 19-year-old junior season of 2008-09, Kennedy had a four-game tryout at the end of the season with the Crunch, during which he scored one goal.

But Kennedy returned to the Ontario Hockey League for an overage season and could not replicate the success of his 33-goal, 73-point campaign for the Guelph Storm. Guelph traded Kennedy to the Barrie Colts at midseason and he finished with 34 points (18 goals and 16 assists) in 43 games. The season was marred by a concussion, the fifth of Kennedy’s young career.

Still, after a strong playoffs for Barrie (nine goals, 15 points in 17 games), the Hurricanes signed Kennedy to a three-year, entry-level contract in May.

Chaput, 22, has also been hit with injuries during his three professional seasons. He played just 15 games for the AHL’s Albany River Rats in 2008-09, his first professional season, before suffering a season-ending hip injury in December 2008. In an interview with hockeysfuture.com, Chaput said the root of the problem was degeneration in the hip bone which led to a torn labrum.

He came back to play the full 2009-10 season, posting 10 goals and 38 points in 75 games for Albany.

Carter, Green clear waivers; Green to Syracuse.

Josh Green and Ryan Carter are still Ducks property after the two forwards cleared waivers this morning. Green has since been assigned to the Syracuse Crunch, the Ducks’ American Hockey League Affiliate.

Carter’s next step is unclear. He’s passed through waivers twice this year and is in the final year of a one-way NHL contract. Stay tuned.

The Ducks have the day off practice.

Three sent to Syracuse; Carter placed on waivers.

The Ducks assigned forwards Brandon McMillan, Dan Sexton and Nick Bonino to their American Hockey League affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, on Monday. The Ducks aren’t practicing today or tomorrow, and the move allows the three youngsters to practice in Syracuse while saving the parent club a little money by getting three NHL salaries off the books.

The Ducks have a home game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see any or all three players back on the ice then.

Ryan Carter and Josh Green are another matter. Both forwards were on waivers Monday and eligible to be claimed by any of the other 29 NHL teams before 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Green was actually placed on non-roster waivers Sunday, which allowed the Ducks to activate defenseman Andy Sutton from injured reserve and play him against the Edmonton Oilers. That also allowed Green, who has played 11 scoreless games for Anaheim, to remain on waivers an extra day.

The Ducks have now placed Carter on waivers twice this year. The 27-year-old utlilityman has one goal, two assists and 22 penalty minutes in 18 games this season. Carter also had a minus-4 rating while averaging 10:44 a game in mostly a fourth-line and penalty-killing role. His 50.3 faceoff percentage ranked third on the team.

Forwards Kyle Chipchura (concussion) and Joffrey Lupul (back) are nearing closer to their return from injuries. Placing Green and Carter on waivers could be a prelude to making room on the NHL roster.

Ducks 5, Nashville 4.

After a back-and-forth game that saw the Ducks squander four 1-goal leads, Bobby Ryan hit Paul Mara streaking backdoor with 1.7 seconds left in the third period to secure a wild victory before 13,520 at Honda Center.

It was a fitting ending to a game that saw almost everyone get involved in the scoring, on a night when the Ducks needed all the help they could get. Mara was a most surprising source for the game-winner. He had not scored a goal since a playoff game on April 22, 2009 (a 59-game drought) and had not scored in the regular season since Feb. 11, 2009 (a 78-game drought).

“It used to be my game, but not any more,” Mara said. “I just go out there, try to play strong defense, make the correct plays, and every once in a while try to chip in with offense.”

“Give credit to my trainer there, Sluggo. He put a new pair of gloves in my stall and made me use them.”

Saku Koivu scored two goals, giving him 700 points in his career, and Teemu Selanne and Lubomir Visnovsky scored once.

More in tomorrow’s editions. Here are a few notes that didn’t make the paper:
Continue reading “Ducks 5, Nashville 4.” »

Detroit 5, Ducks 4.

Try as they might – and they tried mightily on Saturday – the Ducks simply can’t win a game at Joe Louis Arena.

Leading 4-3 after two periods, Anaheim let one get away when Pavel Datsyuk scored the game-winning goal with 11.4 seconds left in the game. Bobby Ryan, Ryan Carter, Danny Syvret, Teemu Selanne scored goals and Curtis McElhinney made 36 saves in a losing effort.
Continue reading “Detroit 5, Ducks 4.” »

Ducks 3, Phoenix 2. Update.

Corey Perry’s breakaway goal with 5:37 left in the game lifted the Ducks to their second win in three games to finish their season-opening homestand.

Cam Fowler scored his first NHL goal but left the game minutes later with a bloodied nose and did not return. Toni Lydman also scored for the Ducks, who got 36 saves from Jonas Hiller.

Scottie Upshall and Eric Belanger brought Phoenix back from down 2-0 with their goals in the third period.

8:56 p.m. update: Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle said that keeping Fowler out of the game was “more precautionary than anything at this point.” He did not know whether or not Fowler had broken his nose.

Carlyle (just like anyone who hadn’t seen a video replay of Doan’s hit on Fowler) didn’t offer an opinion on the hit. Fowler was not available after the game.

Here was Doan’s take: “I hit (Fowler) and he fell,” Doan said. “Then he was so low, he hit my hip I think. I’m not sure. Something like that. I knew he went into the boards awkward because he’d hit my hip low. He was kind of going down, trying to drive around, I think. … You never want to see anyone get hurt.”

A few more notes from the game:
Continue reading “Ducks 3, Phoenix 2. Update.” »

Beleskey gets two-year contract extension. Update.

Matt Beleskey, who scored 11 goals last season after becoming an NHL regular for the first time in his career, has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension.

Update: Beleskey will earn $666,667 this season, the final year of his entry-level contract, then $1.475 million over the next two seasons: $625,000 in 2011-12 and $850,000 in 2012-13.

The former fourth-round Ducks draft pick (2006) also had seven assists and 18 penalty minutes in 60 games last season. A high-energy player with a dangerous shot, Beleskey became a fixture in the Ducks’ lineup at midseason and finished tied for 10th among NHL rookies in goals scored. He also tied for third among league rookies in game-winning goals (3), seventh in hits (94) and 10th in shots (123). Beleskey finished sixth among team leaders in goal scoring and tied for fourth in game-winners. Some of those numbers were helped by skating at left wing alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry – a role Beleskey might be asked to reprise this season if the Ducks shift Bobby Ryan to a second-line center role, which has been discussed.

In 15 American Hockey League (AHL) games with San Antonio and Toronto last season, Beleskey earned 2-5=7 points with a plus-5 rating and 21 PIM.

The 22-year-old forward can rest a bit easier about his future in Anaheim, as he becomes one of just eight players signed through 2013 (Getzlaf, Perry, Ryan, Lupul, Visnovsky, Lydman and Hiller are the others). He also becomes a front-runner to win a third- or fourth-line left wing spot from a pack that includes Ryan Carter, Aaron Voros and Stephane Veilleux, who was invited to training camp on a pro tryout contract.

Carter placed on waivers. Update.

The Ducks have placed forward Ryan Carter on waivers, a team spokesperson has confirmed. The other 29 NHL teams have the opportunity to claim him, based on the reverse order of finish, and Carter could have a new home announced at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

The move also raises some questions for the Ducks.
Continue reading “Carter placed on waivers. Update.” »

Ducks give Chipchura another year.

The Ducks have signed center Kyle Chipchura to a 1-year, $650,000 contract. Chipchura, who was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1, became the everday fourth-line center soon after he was acquired in a midseason trade from Montreal.

The 24-year-old set career highs in 2009-10 for games (55), goals (six) and points (12) after three disappointing seasons with the Canadiens, who made him the 18th overall draft pick in 2004. Chipchura also won 47.9 percent of his faceoffs, the fifth-best percentage on the team.

Along with Todd Marchant and Ryan Carter, Chipchura gives the Ducks three experienced candidates for the third- and fourth-line center positions in 2010-11.

Team USA avoids relegation with win, Canada loses. Update.

Team USA won its final game at the IIHF World Championships Tuesday, 3-2 in overtime against Italy. It wasn’t the finish that was expected for the reigning Olympic silver medalist country, but the victory allows the U.S. to compete in next year’s tournament.

Ducks forward Ryan Carter was held scoreless in just under 10 minutes of ice time, and finished the sixth-game tournament with a goal and an assist.

Meanwhile, Team Canada and Corey Perry finished round-robin play with a second straight loss, 3-2 to the Czech Republic. The loss means Canada will either face Russia or Finland in its  quarterfinal game Thursday. Ray Whitney and Matt Duchene scored for Canada, while Perry was held scoreless.

Update, 2:15 p.m.
: Russia has handed Finland its first loss of the tournament, a 5-0 shutout, and will play Canada in the quarterfinals.