Fan Reactions To Ducks Deadline Day

By Michael Walters

The dust has now settled from yesterday’s NHL Trade Deadline, which saw the Anaheim Ducks as the most active team as they made six trades.

General Manager Bob Murray started the day by trading Derek Grant to Philadelphia for Kyle Criscuolo and a 2020 fourth-round pick.

The Ducks also made several other moves throughout the day. Nick Ritchie headed to Boston for Danton Heinen. Devin Shore was sent to Columbus for Sonny Milano. Korbinian Holzer was shipped off to Nashville for Matt Irwin and a 2020 6th round draft pick. Daniel Sprong was traded for Christian Djoos.

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Lastly, Anaheim had one more late minor trade with Edmonton. The Ducks sent minor league goalie Angus Redmond to the Oilers for defensemen Joel Persson. The Oilers will also get a 2022 7th round draft pick if Persson plays in 25 NHL games next season for Anaheim. The Ducks also claimed Andrew Agozzino off waivers from Pittsburgh.

Below is a summary of fan reactions once the trades were announced. It may not be exactly what you feel, but it’s a collection of reactions by fellow Ducks fans. The minor league trade of Redmond and the waiver claim of Agozzino were not included since they were small moves and didn’t generate much attention.

Grant – Criscuolo & 4th Round Draft Pick Trade

If you liked the trade:

Some saw the writing on the wall that it was evitable that someone would want Grant as part of their playoff push. Since he is an unrestricted free agent(UFA), some felt it was time to trade him to get a draft pick to help the rebuild. Others were also okay with this if Grant could be brought back in the summer, a similar situation to Michael Del Zotto last year. It was also an added bonus to get a player in addition to the pick for Grant.

If you disliked the trade:

Some felt the draft pick being a fourth-rounder was too low and that a third-round draft pick straight up for Grant would have been better. Criscuolo has also been mainly a minor league player and will just be added depth to San Diego. Others also felt the Ducks should have tried to give Grant an extension now, instead of trying to risk getting him back in the summer.

Ritchie – Heinen Trade

If you liked the trade:

Patience ran thin with people in regard to Ritchie’s inconsistent offense. The fact that he was taking so many penalties didn’t help his cause either(82 penalty minutes last year and already 78 this season). Heinen appears to have a more offensive upside and speed then Ritchie. Heinen also only averages about 10 penalty minutes a season. Those in favor of this trade felt this was an upgrade for Anaheim.

If you disliked the trade:

Ritchie had an explosive night against Vegas recently and some felt he should have been given more time before being traded. He was inconsistent offensively, but some felt he just needed the right linemates to get his game in a groove. Some wouldn’t have minded trading Ritchie in general but felt that Heinen wasn’t much more than a lateral move because he has been inconsistent offensively as well.

Shore – Milano Trade

If you liked the trade:

Shore never worked out for the Ducks after being dealt for Andrew Cogliano(a sore subject for many still). Shore didn’t bring much offense to the lineup and ended up being scratched several nights. Milano is a speed and skilled player with more offensive upside than Shore. Since the Ducks parted ways with Sprong, some liked this trade as Milano being brought in as a replacement.

If you disliked the trade:

For some, it wasn’t so much that Shore was traded, but it was the fact it was Milano brought in that didn’t sit well. Milano fell out of favor with John Tortorella in Columbus for similar reasons as Sprong in Anaheim. Milano has offensive potential, but some knock him because he tries to do too much on his own and isn’t responsible defensively. As a result, some are leery that Anaheim acquired a Sprong 2.0 who also might not be given a chance to play.

Holzer – Irwin & 6th Round Draft Pick Trade

If you liked the trade:

Holzer was another player that ran the patience thin of fans because of the turnovers he created and/or the plays that resulted in goals for the opposition recently. The fact that Murray was able to trade him for another player and get a draft pick as well was an added bonus(and surprise) to those that liked this trade. Some room was created on defense to try some of the newly acquired players.

If you disliked the trade:

This trade doesn’t do very much for the Ducks. Irwin is also a third-pairing defenseman, who saw limited time in Nashville. The fact Anaheim got another draft pick is nice, but it’s a late 6th round pick. This appears like a lateral move with players involved that are really not going to help each other’s team, so some felt like why bother with this trade at all.

Sprong – Djoos Trade

If you liked the trade:

Sprong was in the dog house in Anaheim and it was obvious he wasn’t going to get out of it. Many were frustrated that Sprong wasn’t given more of chance, but liked this trade because the Ducks got a player for him instead of letting him waste away. Some liked bringing in Djoos because he could possibly play on the power play and help out while Cam Fowler and Erik Gudbranson are out.

If you disliked the trade:

This was probably the most polarizing trade of the day. Many were not happy that Sprong wasn’t given a fair deal in Anaheim and feel trading him will come back to haunt the team, especially because Murray said he wanted more fast and skilled players(umm that’s what Sprong is). Sprong wasn’t the best defensively, but some felt his offensive game outweighed that and as a result, he shouldn’t have been traded. Also, some think Djoos is just a temporary deal with the injuries on the Ducks blue line.

Fan Polls:

We posted up two fan polls, one on Twitter and one on Facebook.

The Facebook poll showed that 71% of those that voted thought this was a good job by Murray, while 29% thought it wasn’t.

The Twitter poll was a trade deadline grade poll. The majority(49%) felt the Ducks earned a B. Next about 30% felt a C was appropriate. Just 12% gave the Ducks a D or F and 9% gave it an A.

Note: Twitter allows you to have more than two voting options, Facebook only allows two choices.

Regardless of whether you liked or disliked the Ducks trade deadline moves in part or as a whole, the bottom line is Murray did do plenty to try to get this team back on track. The question is will these moves work? Only time will tell.

Related Articles:

Kase Traded To Boston

Fan Reactions To Kase Trade

Grant Traded To Philadelphia

2020 Trade Deadline Recap

For more on the trade deadline listen to our hockey podcast by clicking below or visit us at Podomatic, Spreaker, or YouTube.

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February 22nd, 2020