Sutter: Old Foe Becomes A Present Ally

Photo: US Presswire

By Richard Gonzalez and Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks announced yesterday that they have signed Darryl Sutter as an advisor to the Ducks coaching staff.

He was present at the Ducks development camp and talked to Murray and Dallas Eakins, who both agreed that Sutter’s presence would prove to be helpful for the Ducks. In a statement released by the Ducks Murray said: “Darryl will provide invaluable expertise to our coaching staff and players. Both Dallas and I agree his proven track record and vast knowledge of the game will be very beneficial for us.”

Sutter won two Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings prior to his dismissal on April 10, 2017. He brings in some valuable coaching experience that can help with the Ducks coaching staff. He has had success with getting the best out of his team and has proven he can win. This is not a bad move as long as he is not micromanaging the coaching staff. He already announced his retirement from coaching so this is not like he is here to take anyone’s job.

According to an article by the Athletic, Sutter stated he does not intend to become a head coach again. He was requested by Dallas Eakins as he felt it was critical to bring in someone with experience. Sutter will be taking over Rich Preston‘s role as an assistant coach with the team. Sutter won’t be with the team all the time, but he will act as a coach when he is with the team. According to Eakins, Sutter’s role is still a work in progress. Rich will serve in a scouting role with the team moving forward.

In addition to bringing in Sutter, the Ducks have brought Francois Beauchemin back to the organization. He will be part of the Player Development Department assisting Director Todd Marchant. Francios appeared in 592 games with the Anaheim organization in three stints. He recorded a total of 196 points with the Ducks(56 G + 140 A). Among franchise defensive leaders, he ranks second in plus/minus(+59), third in goals, points, and assists. He ranks fourth in game-winning(10). And of course, we can’t forget he was part of the 2007 Stanley Cup Anaheim Ducks team.

Ducks Sign Andrew Poturalski, Blake Pietila, Anthony Stolarz, and Jani Hakanpää

Over the past 48 hours, the Ducks announced they signed four players.

Blake Pietila

Blake is a 5’11”, 200 lb, left wing that was drafted in the fifth round of the 2011 NHL draft by New Jersey. He has played in the past four seasons with the Devils in 38 NHL games. He recorded four total points(1 G + 3 A) and had an on-ice rating of -12. Last season he spent a majority of his time with the AHL Binghamton Devils where he led the team in scoring. He recorded 46 total points(20 G + 26 A) in 50 games.

He is an excellent forechecker and can create turnovers which lead to scoring chances. He is a solid penalty killer and can play wing or center. He has potential upside offensively but hasn’t been able to carry it from the AHL to the NHL yet. He sounds like he could have a similar role to Andrew Cogliano. He will likely start in San Diego next season and then try to work his way into a bottom-six forward role in Anaheim.

Anthony Stolarz

Goaltender Anthony Stolarz was signed to a two-year, $1.5 million contract ($750,000 AAV), per Cap Friendly. Stolarz played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Edmonton Oilers. He has played in 25 career games with a .908 save percentage and a 3.04 GAA.

This move is interesting because there is already enough goaltenders in the Ducks system. This is a decent move to have an extra goalie with some NHL experience just in case an injury happens but I feel like this will just limit from the Ducks prospect goalies from getting the playing time they need to develop. Perhaps there is a nagging injury to one of the Ducks goalies that has yet to be announced or the Ducks are gearing up for a potential trade. Only time will tell.

For information on Poturalski and Hakanpää, visit the links below:

Ducks Sign Poturalski

Ducks Sign Hakanpää

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July 3rd, 2019