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This week’s edition of Anaheim Ducks News & Rumors contains information about Jack Eichel, David Backes and a pair of Ducks prospects in Artyom Galimov and Thimo Nickl. Eichel has been a hot topic of discussion ever since I started making Ducks News & Rumors a weekly event, and his name is unlikely to be more in the rumor until a deal – with which team. remains to be seen – be done.
Buffalo Sabers Relaunching Eichel’s trade negotiations
With its new representation at the forefront, the Sabers have once again resumed trade negotiations with teams in place of the acquisition of the Sabers’ star center. With training camp just around the corner, chances of a trade appear slim as Eichel is likely to want to join his new squad before the start of the 2021-22 season.
The discussion around which commercial package would be deemed appropriate enough to acquire Eichel is rather murky. Given the current state of the Ducks, acquiring a star talent like Eichel would certainly accelerate the so-called “rebuilding” that the Ducks seem more keen to look into lately.
Backes officially retires
Earlier this week, the former Saint-Louis Blue, Boston Bruin, and Duck officially announced his retirement. He signed a one-day contract with the Blues so he can retire with the team he started and spent most of his NHL career with. After being an unrestricted free agent this offseason, it was likely that Backes would call it a career.
He joined the Ducks, along with Axel Andersson, during the 2019-20 season via a trade in exchange for Ondrej Kase. This agreement also involved a first-round pick going back to the Ducks ‘lane, a bit of a “thank you” from the Bruins for taking the rest of Backes’ big paycheck.
Although his style of play is reminiscent of another NHL era, Backes was an important leader in the Ducks’ locker room and highly respected among all of his teammates. It was clear he wasn’t quite the same player towards the end of his career, but he did his best to stay professional and not take a day in the league for granted. He wrote a heartfelt letter to Blues fans after his retirement announcement, which you can to discover by clicking here.
Galimov & Nickl on the scoresheet
Two of the Ducks’ unsigned 2020 NHL Draft prospects were on the scoresheet this week. Galimov, who plays for Ak Bars Kazan in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), only saved help in three games last week, but has won the majority of his faceoffs and averages about 17 minutes of ice time. Galimov is the first Russian drafted by the Ducks since selecting goaltender Igor Bobkov in the third round of the 2009 NHL Draft.
Elsewhere in Europe, Thimo Nickl light the lamp for AIK in HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden. The defenseman initially planned to play in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this season after playing for the Drummondville Voltigeurs in the 2019-2020 season, but the COVID-19 pandemic continues to restrict international travel. Nickl will remain in Sweden instead after spending last season with Rogle BK and Mora IK.
The year has been a bit difficult for Nickl as he was unable to compete at the World Juniors last winter due to a positive COVID test. He’s also struggled to cross the blue line of the teams he’s been in. This is one of the reasons he is on loan to AIK instead of playing for Rogle BK, his parent club.
I’ve mentioned this in previous editions of ‘News & Rumors’, but the Ducks will be holding an open practice for their rookie camp on Thursday, September 16 at Great Park Ice in Irvine at 10:30 am. On top of that, the Ducks will also be holding “Fly together on weekends” on Saturday September 25. It will also be at Great Park Ice and feature a free intra-squad scrum for the public, but a minimum donation of $ 5 is highly recommended.
The Fly Together weekend concludes on Sunday, September 26 with the Ducks’ first preseason home game against the San Jose Sharks. This game will be free to all Ducks Season Pass subscribers.
Derek has been a hockey fan for almost a decade and has been a general sports fan for over two decades.
He graduated from UCCS in Colorado Springs, CO in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in sports communication. He spent the last few years as a staff member for the student newspaper on the UCCS campus (both as a reporter and editor) and now creates duck-related content from his home in Southern California. .
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