NHL Trade Deadline: Anaheim Ducks

Filed under: Ducks, Western, Trade Deadline

Everything appeared to be going swell for the Anaheim Ducks until the all-star break.

They were quietly hovering in the upper reaches of the Western Conference and, even with injuries, looking like a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. Then Jonas Hiller, their world-class goaltender, took a shot on the mask in the annual no-check game. Now, the Ducks rest below the playoff bar and are in a battle to qualify.

Although he has played at times, Hiller has been sidelined for extended stretches with what has been described as dizziness, fatigue and vertigo, but not necessarily in that order. The team and the goaltender have insisted that he does not have a concussion, but he did see a Vancouver chiropractor who specializes in treating head injuries.

Hiller has resumed light on-ice workouts, but is not considered close to returning from his latest hiatus. The problem is serious enough that general manager Bob Murray acquired two veteran goaltenders -- the enigmatic Ray Emery, who was signed as a free agent, and the puzzling Dan Ellis, picked up in a trade from Tampa. Emery is pegged as the replacement starter while Ellis is penciled in as the backup.

But Emery, 28, has not played in the NHL this season after undergoing off-season hip surgery to repair a degenerative condition. He played only 29 games with Philadelphia in 2009-10. He was exiled to Russia in 2008-09 and part of 2009-10 after Ottawa let him go for disciplinary reasons and no other team wanted to sign him. He has not participated in the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2006-07, when the Senators fell to Anaheim in the finals.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Mike Bell John van den Berk Marnicq Bervoets Fritz Betzlbacher Dave Bickers