The Anaheim Ducks team has recruited Pat Verbeek from the Detroit Red Wings as its new general manager. Verbeek spent the past three years in the position of assistant general manager for the Detroit Red Wings. Anaheim Ducks owners Susan and Henry Samueli put out a statement announcing the new recruitment.
The 57-year-old Verbeek has a great track record as not just a player but also as a scout and an executive. Verbeek was part of the teams that won all three versions of the Stanley Cup. Verbeek has been shifting through front office departments along with Stephen Yzerman for more than the past decade. Now, the appointment sees Verbeek replace former Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray, and it will offer Verbeek an opportunity to run his own organization.
A fascinating challenge lies ahead of Verbeek with the young and exciting Ducks’ group. Core players such as Josh Manson, Rickard Rakell, and Hampus Lindholm are nearing the completion of their agreements with the Anaheim Ducks this season. After their contracts, they are all set to be free agents without any restrictions. However, youngsters such as Jamie Drysdale, Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry have aided the Anaheim Ducks in staying a competitive team in the NHL’s Pacific Division. While NHL playoff contenders do not often sell off rentals, it would be tough to see a player such as Lindholm leave with nothing in return as well.
With over six weeks to go for the deadline, much time is available to arrive at those decisions. Meanwhile, Verbeek arrives at the beginning of the NHL All-Star game break, which means that he will get some days to be acquainted with the new organization and staff.
The Anaheim Ducks is an organization with a successful track record, even though it has not been around for a long time. Since getting into the National Hockey League in 1993, the team has made two Stanley Cup finals, won the tournament once, and participated in three other NHL Conference Finals. In its most recent long playoff, Randolph Carlyle led the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL third-round in six matches against the Nashville Predators.
The Ducks is now in the seventh position in the NHL Western Conference, but it has played six matches more than some other teams and could lose a playoff spot for the Pacific Division. Points percentage-wise sorting would drop the Ducks to ninth, which would make the job of Verbeek trickier in the following weeks.
Unlike some other new NHL managers, Verbeek is not addressing an NHL cap table full of long-term contracts. The Ducks have signed only Jakob Silfverberg, Cam Fowler, Adam Henrique, and John Gibson until the 2023-24 NHL season. Such flexibility will let Verbeek show his impact on the team quickly, even if the present case requires no tear-down.
