And even more news...

Being a Duck fan has felt a little like a rollercoaster lately. You've probably heard all of the recent Duck news, but I'll recap here just in case you haven't!

- We traded Chris Pronger on Draft Day to the Philly Flyers in exchange for Joffrey Lupul, Luca Sbisa, and two draft picks. As much as I hate to see Prongs go, I think Murray did a good job getting something for him. And in today's Cap environment, keeping Scotty Niedermayer and Chris Pronger isn't feasible. Thumbs up to Murray for this one.

- We signed Erik Christensen to a one-year contract. Mixed feelings on this one. What is for certain, the boy has a lot of proving to do. And for that, I'm glad we did the one-year contract. Thumbs sideways to Murray.

- We signed Brian Salcido to a one-year contract. I was a fan of Salcido from the start and wanted to see more of him last season. I'm happy he might be getting a chance to play more in the NHL with this contract. Thumbs up to Murray.

- We lost Frankie Beauchemin to Duck poacher Brian Burke and the Toronto Leafs. It majorly peeved me to read that Frankie wanted the Ducks to come to him with an offer but he nor his agent heard anything. Even if we didn't have the dollars to sign him, Murray should have at least contacted him. Thumbs way down to Murray on this one.

- We re-signed Todd Marchant to two years. Yes! Oh yes. The Warrior's veteran presence on the ice and in the locker room is well-worth the price. Not to mention, he took a generous hometown discount. His whole family is huge in the Duck community what with his wife being active in local charities and his son doing his awesome reporting for "The Element." I'm glad we're keeping him a bit longer. Personally, I think Marchant deserves to retire a Duck. Thumbs way up to Murray for finding a way to keep him.

- Word has it James Wisniewski is heading towards arbitration with the Ducks. I'm not exactly sure what this means, but my understanding is that he believes he's worth more than he's being offered so he's going to court. I guess he's getting some really good offers from other teams and the Ducks don't want to match those offers because he hasn't proven he's worth that much yet? Either way, it sounds ugly. I still really want Wiz in a Ducks jersey next season, but I kinda understand Murray digging in his heels if he starts asking for an unreasonable price. Thumbs pending on this one.

- We signed Montreal Canadiens Captain Saku Koivu to a one-year contract. This is HUGE! I entertained the rumors that we were talking to Koivu, but in all honesty, I thought he'd join younger brother Mikku with the Minnesota Wild. In either case, what excites me most is the idea of seeing him and Teemu Selanne skating side by side on the same line. How incredible would that be!! Koivu in a Ducks jersey, that's also something I want to see. Welcome to Anaheim, Saku... we hope you enjoy us as much as we're looking forward to enjoying you! Thumbs way WAY up to Murray.

- This morning, we signed Florida Panthers veteran defenseman Nick Boynton to a one-year contract. I don't know much about Boynton, but I'm glad Murray did something to address our shallow blue line coverage. After losing both Prongs and Frankie, I want someone back there who can defend and move the puck. Thumbs up to Murray for getting a promising dman.

All in all, I believe we're gonna be in good shape for next season. I think the changes are mostly positive, but it'll come down to what kind of chemistry these new guys will have on the ice with our core players. I want to see an earnest cup run right from the beginning of the season. Let's not do what we did last year, boys. No dicking around for the first two-thirds of the season, which left you having to face the first seed AND the second seed in the first two playoff rounds.

On a techie note, I think I will finally jump on the Twitter bandwagon. In terms of Duck news, it might be the way to go. So, I gotta figure out how the thing works, but look for me as "Ducks54" and let me know how to find you!