On the Fly, theScore's NHL roundtable series, continues. This week, we're freewheeling, diving into the Anaheim Ducks' Stanley Cup chances and an unrestricted free agent who gets no press - Brian Campbell.
Anaheim's Time
Ian McLaren: Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray deserves much credit for waiting out a seemingly disastrous start to the season and allowing head coach Bruce Boudreau to right the ship. After going 1-8-1 while scoring only 10 goals in 10 October games, the Ducks are now within striking distance of the Pacific Division lead and appear poised for a deep and successful playoff run.
Two numbers stick out as primary evidence to back that up. On one hand, the Ducks have a Corsi For rating of 53.2 at five-on-five, behind only Los Angeles and Dallas. Meanwhile, they sit dead last in shooting percentage at 5.88.
Add it up, and the Ducks are a high-end possession team at even strength that hasn't enjoyed the puck luck to make good on regularly out-attempting the opposition.
If that shooting percentage begins to creep up to league average, Anaheim could be the force to be reckoned with in the postseason.
The free agent no one talks about
Justin Cuthbert: What does a soon-to-be 37-year-old defenseman with an enduring game and more than $50 million in career earnings do in unrestricted free agency?
Anything he so chooses.
Barring an unexpected in-season contract agreement, Brian Campbell - who's not the most talked-about member of the Florida Panthers' ascendant blue line, but who's been earning his $7-million salary - will reach free agency with options aplenty.
Campbell would most certainly be welcomed back by the budget Panthers, though likely at a reduced rate. He could spring elsewhere for the largest long-term contract tabled to his management team. Or, he could satiate a market in need, say in Edmonton or Colorado.
But at his age, and having cashed in prior to the NHL salary squeeze, the most attractive option may be leaving millions on the table to chase a second Stanley Cup.
The most obvious and perhaps most likely championship destination is Chicago, the city where he met his wife and an organization that was forced to move his current contract after its first of three Cups this century.
Steven Stamkos will dominate headlines the summer, should his stalemate get that far. But based on what he chooses, Campbell could be the most impactful free-agent add in the short term.
