In praise of Bobby Ryan

In praise of Bobby Ryan
"The biggest thing is just his poise and his hands are unbelievable. I played with [Evgeni] Malkin and [Sidney] Crosby, and those guys are probably the two best in the league. Bobby's hands are right with those guys... He's a superstar in the making, it seems."
---Ryan Whitney, former Ducks defenseman

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Headlines

It's been a while since the last entry in this blog. But I do hope you all enjoyed the exclusive interview with Bobby Ryan. Since then, a few notables:

- The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. Kudos to the Hawks and Philadelphia Flyers for giving us a gripping series which ended with a Game 6 complete with overtime. As much as it would have satisfied yours truly to see ex-Duck Chris Pronger hoist Stanley again, it's also nice to have the Cup in the Western Conference. It was also nice to see personal favorite ex-Duck Nick Boynton get some time holding Stanley over his head.

- Sheldon Brookbank signed a two-year extension with the Ducks. This is a good thing. Brookbank showed improvement and promise in his past season with the Ducks and, seeing as Captain Scott Neidermayer may not be coming back next season, our Ducks will need all the help they can get on that blue line.

- Kyle Chipchura inked a one-year contract extension with the Ducks. Picked up from the Montreal Habs last season, Chipchura's grit and willingness to drop the gloves quickly made him a fan favorite. We'll be happy to see him back next season.

- Still pending, contract negotiations for Bobby Ryan. Bobby will be a restricted free agent come July 1st. The fact that we haven't re-signed him yet has yours truly, along with plenty of other Duck faithful, nervous. C'mon Murray, if you know what's good for you and your team, you'll sign this boy pronto.

- Also still pending, news from our Finnish duo. Rumor has it that both Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu will return for another season with the Ducks. I'm hoping these rumors prove to be true. Our Fins, along with linemate Jason Blake, finally found their groove towards the later half of last season. Given Selanne keeps his jaw and hands away from flying pucks, these three look poised and ready for a kickass final season together.

- The official 2010-11 NHL schedule will be announced on Tuesday, June 22. Grab your calendars and get those vacation plans penciled in. The Phoenix Coyotes have already announced their preseason schedule. Their first game, scheduled for September 21, is against the Ducks here in Anaheim.

- Los Angeles will host the 2010 NHL Draft next weekend. Yours truly will be there with Baby Rebel, hoping to bring you the scoop. Anaheim will pick 12th and 29th. They better make those picks good, I want another Stanley Cup in Anaheim's not-too-distant future!

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