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The poster boy for southern California hockey will now be riding the subway instead of the waves.
The Anaheim Ducks made two big moves on the second day of the NHL Draft, both of which improve the team now and the payroll later. The biggest move being the trade of Long Beach native Emerson Etem.
The Ducks sent Etem and the 41st overall pick to the New York Rangers for left wing Carl Hagelin. Prior to the move, the dealt defenseman James Wisniewski to the Carolina Hurricanes for goaltender Anton Khudobin, clearing $5.5 million off the books in each of the next two seasons.
"The Hagelin deal sort of popped up and solved one problem we were trying to look at fixing," general manager Bob Murray said on a conference call. "We may have gotten a little bit lucky on that one. As for moving Kyle (Palmieri) and Emerson, we got ahead of the curve with all the young players. All of a sudden all of these contracts are going to come up, and you're going to be in trouble. We addressed that. It's no fault of their own, but we're trying to stay ahead of certain situations when it comes to contracts and tagging."
Etem was Anaheim's first-round pick in the 2010 draft. The 23-year-old Etem scored 15 goals and tallied 16 assists in his career with the Ducks. Speedy, flashy and gritty, Etem had to change his style of play to fit in with the Ducks' system. Often times, the two sides clashed and he wound up back in the minors. It was never quite the right fit, and with his entry-level deal about to expire, Murray felt it was best for both parties to move on.
"He was coming along. He had some really good games, but in other games he stalled," Murray said. "A change will be really good for Emerson. He came a long way under us, but I think a change will be really good for him right now. I think he felt pressure at times. Now he can get away, go relax and play hockey."
"If there was a team I could pick to get traded to, it would be the Anaheim Ducks." - @CarlHagelin: http://t.co/CquB6QF3OZ
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) June 27, 2015
Hagelin, 26, is a proven scorer who scored 17 goals in each of the last two seasons. He can kill penalties and is an exceptional skater.
A projected replacement for Matt Beleskey, Hagelin gives the Ducks a boost in speed, an area Murray has been vocal about trying to improve. The GM of the Year finalist did so last season with the addition of Jiri Sekac at the trade deadline, and the addition of Hagelin will allow the Ducks to better match lines against speed teams.
"We could use that speed and tenacity, and the way he plays," Murray said. "I think he's capable of playing everywhere, and he has. He can play both sides. He's a really good hockey player."
Following the trade for Khudobin, speculation that the Ducks would trade goaltender John Gibson went rampant. Murray was not happy, emphatically telling reporters that Gibson is off the market.
#Ducks draft Swedish defenseman #JacobLarsson, via @AbbeyMastracco http://t.co/CAgToHQN8U pic.twitter.com/KIJvjQBKKs
— FOX Sports West (@FoxSportsWest) June 27, 2015
"John Gibson is not getting traded," he said. "Put that (expletive) out there."
The Ducks now have three NHL goalies, which Murray prefers for insurance purposes. Both Andersen and Gibson sat out significant time with injuries last season, and at one point, Jason LaBarbera, their insurance goalie in the AHL, was hurt at the same time as Gibson. It forced a signing and an unhappy breakup with Ilya Bryzgalov.
Most importantly, the moves free up the money necessary to re-sign defenseman Francois Beauchemin, sign center Ryan Kesler to an extension and finalize deals with RFAs Jakob Silfverberg and Chris Wagner.
"It helps me to sign the guys I have to sign," Murray said. "The first step, and I've said this from day one, the priority is getting some of our guys signed. That's what we're going to go after right now."
