From Bob McKenzie to Pierre LeBrun to Elliotte Friedman, all the top NHL insiders seem to be talking about the Anaheim Ducks and the desire of their GM, Bob Murray, to improve his team before the March 2 trade deadline.
Per Friedman, Murray’s “GM brethren will be surprised if he doesn’t add” a defenseman.
And if we were to guess, it would be a veteran d-man, as the Ducks have a relatively young blue line, with Cam Fowler, 23, Sami Vatanen, 23, and Hampus Lindholm, 21, all playing prominent roles. Francois Beauchemin certainly has experience, but a team like the Ducks, with Stanley Cup aspirations, will want as much back-end depth as possible heading into the playoffs.
Friedman has also heard the name Cody Franson linked to Anaheim. If true, that would be more than a simple move to bolster depth. Franson, 27, is enjoying his best season as a pro in Toronto, with 29 points in 46 games.
Related: Need a d-man? Here are five potential trade targets