5 Questions with The Sporting Tribune’s Derek Lee ahead of Kings-Ducks matchup
Question No. 2: How do Ducks fans feel about Connor Bedard? Do they like him? Or do they see Trevor Zegras as the center of the future in Anaheim?
Lee’s response: “Bedard is one of the reasons—maybe even the sole reason—why fans have been willing to stomach all of the losses this season. If the ping pong balls fall the right way and you get him, it’s great. At this point, I don’t think anyone is too concerned on who plays center because the possibility of drafting Bedard is still up on the air. Once that becomes clearer, then maybe you start thinking about that.”
The Blackhawks, Ducks, and Blue Jackets are in a battle for last place, particularly this season unlike any other because the availability of Connor Bedard changes the potential of a franchise overnight. As Derek said, potentially the only reason why Ducks’ fans have been able to handle all of the losses this season is due to the possibility of landing Bedard.
If the ping pong ball does fall in Anaheim’s way, then the Ducks could very well have a Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl situation on their hands much like Edmonton does right now.
Question No. 4: John Klingberg signed a 1-year deal to play in Anaheim last offseason in what I assume to be not what he had hoped for, but the market for him seemed to crash. Was he always someone they were going to deal at the deadline, or was his play on the ice trending him that way?
A: “The minute Klingberg signed that deal, the plan was always going to be to deal him at the deadline. The only way I think there would have been a possibility of keeping him around is if the Ducks somehow made a Kraken-esque run to the playoffs and Klingberg was at the forefront of it. The initial deal that sent him to Minnesota felt slightly underwhelming, but I think the play of Nikita Nesterenko has eased concerns for the time being.”
Prior to signing a one-year deal with the Ducks, defenseman John Klingberg was, reportedly, offered an eight-year contract extension with the Dallas Stars that was worth an average annual value of $7 million dollars a year. The only reason he didn’t accept that offer was that he was firm on not taking anything less than $8 million dollars AAV.
Once he turned that down, the market for his services was not what he anticipated as he ended up settling for a one-year contract with Anaheim for $7 million dollars. According to Derek Lee, the intent of the Ducks’ front office was never to keep him on the roster all season.
After half a year of John Klingberg, the Ducks sent him to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman Andrej Sustr, a 2025 fourth-round pick, and the rights to prospect Nikita Nesterenko. To help make the deal work financially, Anaheim retained 50 percent of Klingberg’s $7 million salary in the deal.
Seems like John Klingberg bet on himself, and it didn’t pay off financially but worked out well for Anaheim. The best-case scenario for him is that he re-signs in Minnesota on a multi-year deal.
Question No. 5: John Gibson is a good goalie. Does he like playing for a rebuilding team? Or do you think he will move on from Anaheim sometime soon?
A: “I can’t speak personally for Gibson, but he does enjoy playing in Anaheim. He does a lot in the community and has his family here. I do think he would prefer to play for a team that’s winning a lot more though. The ball is in his court on whether he wants to keep playing here or move on and I think Pat Verbeek will be more than willing to accommodate him if it came down to that scenario.”
John Gibson is a 29 year old netminder for the Ducks and at his age, you would think he would want to play on a contending team. But, from the sounds of it, it’d be hard to give up having your family in the same city and playing the game you love.
If the Ducks can expedite their rebuilding process with, potentially, even Connor Bedard this offseason, then staying in Anaheim may not be such a bad long-term plan. Wishing nothing but the best to Mr. Gibson.
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