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Ducks boost D slightly by trading for Kyle Cumiskey

Kyle Cumiskey, David Moss

Calgary Flames right winger David Moss, left, slows down Colorado Avalanche defenseman Kyle Cumiskey as he picks up a loose puck in the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver on Friday, April 2, 2010. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AP

Defense is expected to be a mighty issue for the Anaheim Ducks this season, so don’t blame GM Bob Murray for throwing out a few blind pinata swings. A late night move to acquire Kyle Cumiskey ranks as one of those swings.

The Colorado Avalanche recently placed Cumiskey on waivers, so the Ducks probably figured that he could be had at a cheap price. They were right; all it took was undrafted 22-year-old defenseman Jake Newton and a 2013 seventh rounder to get the deal done.

Cumiskey won’t set the world on fire, but he fits into some of the Ducks’ few strengths on defense. Like Lubomir Visnovsky and Cam Fowler, Cumiskey can skate very well. His career-high is just 20 points, but he could be a poor man’s Fowler, which is strange since he’s almost exactly five years older.

Considering how little the Ducks gave up, this is a low-risk medium-reward move. He might not always be pretty in his own end, but that will help him fit in with his new teammates.