Free agency is looming for the NHL and like any other year, no one has any idea what to expect.  Sure, there aren't that many great unrestricted free agents available, but there are still players out there. Will there be a feeding frenzy when the clock strikes midnight?  Will there be offer sheets to restricted free agents?  Will the whole day be a dud?  OK, the last thought is highly unlikely.

The Anaheim Ducks have several looming issues that need to be addressed, some of them sooner than free agency.

1)  Bobby Ryan is a restricted free agent starting July 1.  GM Bob Murray has made him a qualifying offer to retain negotiating rights, but the two have been unable to come to terms thus far.  Is it term of contract?  Dollar amount?  An agent who wants more and is making things difficult?  Whatever the reason, both sides seem to be saying they are close.  Murray has also mentioned he will match any offer sheet presented to Ryan.

Really?  ANY offer sheet?  That seems highly unlikely if a team wants to pay more money than Ryan is currently being offered by Anaheim.  Or if the deal is longer.  Or has the right incentives.

With a lack of high quality UFA's, the RFA pool might look a bit more tempting to teams this year.  Murray could be taking a very risky stance by waiting until after July 1 to deal with the Ryan situation.  If it does not come out successfully, it could be Murray's downfall.

2)  Defense.  Scott Niedermayer retired and Chris Pronger was traded last year.  Lubomir Visnovsky came in at the trade deadline and fit in well with the team and the system in place.  After that it drops off precipitously.  Steve Eminger is signed.  Sheldon Brookbank got a new contract.  Brett Festerling is on board.  Brendan Mikkelson is RFA and received a qualifying offer.  Luca Sbisa is in the wings and now eligible to play in the AHL.  James Wisniewski is the other RFA and his situation is not as good as Ryan's, which leads to...

3) Wisniewski.  He appears to want more than the Ducks are willing to give and is eligible for arbitration.  The Ducks could be headed there and it usually doesn't end well for either party.  Wisniewski will try to prove his value to the team and the team will try to argue why he is worth much less than that.  Not pretty at all.  The Ducks could use Wisniewski on their blue line, with his toughness and skill and their lack of depth in that department.  Which is why we go back to #2 and the need for the Ducks to bolster their defense through free agency.

4)  Forwards.  Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry.  Check.  Second line?  Not so clear.  Joffrey Lupul is still rehabbing from back surgery in December.  He should be ready to go by training camp, but there is a huge question mark next to his name.  Jason Blake is signed and taking up a lot of cap room for someone his age.

Bobby Ryan is definitely needed as a top six guy.  Teemu Selanne, who is unrestricted, would still have a lot to give if re-signed for another year.  Selanne, as well as Saku Koivu, both seem to be in a wait and see mode.

Selanne's possibility of one more year has produced interesting rumors about Paul Kariya, also unrestricted on July 1.  Would the Ducks bring him back to play alongside Selanne?

Todd Marchant will remain solid on the third line.  Kyle Chipchura, George Parros, Ryan Carter, Matt Beleskey and Troy Bodie will round out the bottom six.

That top six could be a little thin without some key personnel, however.  So that brings us to....

July 1.  Tomorrow.   As usual, no one knows what will happen, but whatever happens, it certainly won't be a dull and boring day.

The first round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft is done and as usual, there were a few surprises.  The Ducks had the #12 and #29 pick in the first round, #29 courtesy of Philadelphia from the Chris Pronger trade.  Using both picks, Anaheim was able to get two quality players who had dropped a bit from their pre-draft rankings.

At #12, the Ducks chose defenseman Cam Fowler.  Fowler was ranked in the top 5, but teams ahead of Anaheim seemed to prefer forwards to defensemen and Fowler was still available when the Ducks were ready to select.   Fowler, who scored 8 goals and 55 points for the Windsor Spitfires, won a gold medal with Team USA in the World Junior Championships and 2009 Under-18 World Championships, where he was named the tournament's top defenseman.

After being chosen by the Ducks,  Fowler stated that the Ducks were "going to get 100% out of me."  It was especially meaningful for Fowler to be handed his jersey by newly retired defenseman, Scott Niedermayer.  Niedermayer has remained with the Ducks as a consultant.  An interesting note is that the jersey handed to Fowler did not have his name on the back, indicating that the Ducks did not believe he was going to be available by the time they picked.

With their 29th pick, that could have been as high as #10 if Philadelphia had not gone all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Ducks chose right wing Emerson Etem.  Etem did have his name on the back of his jersey, and there has been some early speculation that he might have been chosen at 12th were it not for the availability of Fowler.

Etem grew up locally in Long Beach, California, and was one of the fastest skaters available in the draft.  It was clearly meaningful for the former roller blader to be picked by the Ducks while at the Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Kings, the team he grew up idolizing.  He'll just have to learn to see them as the "enemy" now.

Rounds 2 through 7 will be held tomorrow with less pomp and circumstance than round one.  The Ducks pick at #42 in the second round and then have some time to kill before round 5 and pick #132.  They pick twice in round 6 at 161 and 177 and finish off with a final pick at #192.

Based on who they have selected in round one, so far, so good!

Three days until the NHL Draft.  Nine days until free agency begins on July 1.   More than two months have passed since the Ducks played their final game of the regular season and headed to the off-season.  Plenty of time to get restricted free agent, Bobby Ryan, signed to a new contract, right?  Wrong!

The Ducks did re-sign center Kyle Chipchura to a one year contract extension worth $625,000 last week.  Chipchura was acquired from Montreal on December 2, 2009, and fit in well with the Ducks.  Chipchura is not afraid of physical play and he settled in nicely between the third and fourth line for the remainder of the season.  He chipped in a career high of six goals and six assists and was solid in the face off circle.

While it is nice to know the Ducks are not dormant, it is alarming that there is no news on the Ryan front.  Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register has reported there is no news to even discuss.  No talks with Ryan's agent.  Stephens describes Ryan as being "concerned," as well he should be.

Ryan continues to affirm his desire to remain in Anaheim.  Other reports are that he is not asking for money equal to or greater than that which Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are receiving.  If that is the case, what is the matter?

There are more than a few Ducks fans who would take pitchforks and burning oil to the Honda Center and aim it at GM Bob Murray if he 1) doesn't re-sign Ryan, 2) allows Ryan to be snapped up by a nice offer sheet on July 1, and/or 3) trades Ryan away for nothing less than a spectacular player or players in return.

With Scott Niedermayer's retirement announcement coming later today, perhaps now Murray knows he has the money to sign Ryan to a contract.  One can only hope that is the case and not that Murray is dragging his feet.  Patience is not known amongst Ducks fans and right now, they are losing patience.

The Ducks AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, continues to add personnel with a view towards next season.  Mike Stapleton was named the assistant coach and will join Mark Holick, who was named head coach on May 21.

The Ducks have been without a minor league affiliate since ending their partnership with the Iowa Chops in 2008.  Having to spread minor league players throughout the AHL proved difficult and the Ducks were relieved when they entered an agreement with Syracuse on March 21 this year.

Holick has 16 years of coaching experience, most recently with Kootenay of the WHL.  Stapleton brings four years of assistant coaching experience in the OHL.

Ducks players will benefit from having one consistent system next season, which will make the transition from the minors to the Anaheim club much easier on all involved.

Hockey is officially over.  The Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup on Wednesday by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers in overtime.  It only took 49 years since the last win!

The Finals certainly offered something for everyone.  Great action.  Plenty of goals.  Hitting.  Hatred between the two teams.  Chris Pronger being made fun of in the Chicago Tribune.  Marian Hossa finally being on the winning side of things after losing out with two other teams the previous two years.  Players making stupid comments about Chris Pronger.  Jeremy Roenick getting teary eyed and choked up because he never won the Cup.

But now it's over.  Hockey is done and training camp won't start for three more months.  In between is the draft on June 25 and 26 and free agency begins on July 1.  Until then, what is a hockey fan to do?

Watch the NBA Finals?  I don't think so.  There just isn't the edge of your seat excitement in the final minutes as the clock ticks down in the game.  In the NBA, the final two minutes takes about 30.  After all the stops and starts and free throws and delay tactics, any build up of tension or suspense is long since gone.

So who would have guessed that FIFA World Cup Soccer could be a nice transition into the off-season?

Having seen the Mexico vs. South Africa match and the US vs. England match, both have been enjoyable to watch and filled with plenty of end to end action, good goaltending, the occasional save off the goal post and periodic diving to embellish minor infractions.  So far so good.  OK, I have never heard a constant buzzing in a hockey arena that sounds like horde of angry mosquitoes of Biblical plague proportion, but eventually you tune that out, sort of like small annoying children you have to live with.

Both games have proved exciting, and while not high-scoring, it makes it even more interesting when the ball does go in the net.  Or even when it comes close.

It's not hockey, but it sure is a lot of fun and it will help to pass the time away during the great hockey drought known as the off-season.

Ducks fans want to know what is going on with restricted free agent, Bobby Ryan.  They also want to know if free agents, Scott Niedermayer and Teemu Selanne will return for another year with the team.

Fans will still have to wait for news on that front, but at least there is one more veteran defenseman signed for next year.

Sheldon Brookbank signed a two-year contract extension worth $1.5 million today.  The 29 year old defenseman appeared in 66 games for the Ducks in 2009-10, scoring 0-9=9 points with a +10 rating and 114 penalty minutes (PIM). Brookbank, who appeared in his 100th career NHL game on Nov. 16 at Pittsburgh, set career highs in points, assists, plus/minus, PIM and blocked shots (59). The 6-1, 200-pound blueliner also finished second on the Ducks in plus/minus and PIM.

Acquired from New Jersey in exchange for David McIntyre on Feb. 3, 2009, Brookbank has collected 1-12=13 points with a +13 rating and 165 PIM in 95 career games with the Ducks. The Lanigan, Saskatchewan native has also appeared in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games for Anaheim, going scoreless with 18 PIM. Originally signed as a free agent by Anaheim on July 21, 2003, Brookbank appeared in 134 American Hockey League (AHL) contests with the Ducks’ Cincinnati affiliate from 2003-05, registering 3-20=23 points with 397 PIM. In 361 career AHL contests, Brookbank earned 29-96=125 points with 970 PIM. In 2006-07, he won the Eddie Shore Trophy as the AHL’s top defenseman, leading all blueliners in points (15-38=53) and assists.

Nothing against Brookbank, but this was not the signing Ducks fans were waiting for.  However, this, and a couple of other recent signings, indicate that the Ducks are finally in negotiating mode.  July 1 is coming quickly and you know that general managers would be more than happy to submit an offer sheet to Ryan if he is not signed prior to that.

Come on, Bob Murray, now that you have gotten in some practice with Brookbank, how about Bobby, too?

As June approaches, the Ducks are no longer dormant.  They have begun making some minor transactions in advance of the entry draft next month and free agency beginning on July 1.

First, the Ducks signed Brandon McMillan to a three year entry level contract.  The 20 year old left wing most recently played for Team Canada at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring 4 goals and 8 points and in six contests.  Team Canada won the silver medal.

The Ducks also traded the rights to goaltender Matias Modig to the Pittsburgh Penguins.  In exchange, Anaheim acquired a sixth-round selection in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  The sixth-round pick originally belonged to the Montreal Canadiens.

Apparently the Ducks were not close to signing the 23 year old Swede and if they did not sign him, he would have gone back into the entry draft.  The Penguins have already reportedly come to terms with Modig.

When your favorite team is no longer playing, it is hard to get inspired to write, hence the two-week delay.  However, watching the playoffs, even though a bitter reminder that your team has been golfing this past month, is proving to be more inspiring than expected.

How can you not like the spunky Montreal Canadiens?  No one gave the Canadiens a chance in round one but they came in as the #8 seed and killed off Alexander Ovechkin and the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals.  Many so-called "experts" did not give them a chance in round two either. After all, round two was against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins headed by Sidney Crosby.   Perhaps those so-called experts need to rethink things a bit.

Jaroslav Halak has been very strong since putting on an amazing performance in the Olympics.  He's been pretty consistent in rounds one and two and does not show any signs of slowing down.    Halak has not been perfect and does not have a single shut out thus far in the post season.  His teammates haven't needed him to be perfect, as they are all pulling their weight and playing as a cohesive unit from top to bottom.

As the Canadiens wait for the outcome of the Boston/Philadelphia series to finish on Friday, they can no longer be considered "surprising" and instead be considered contenders.  The last time they made it to the conference finals (1993) they went on to win the Stanley Cup.  Canadiens fans have to be absolutely besides themselves at this point.

Another surprise is the Boston/Philadelphia series.  Boston was up 3-0.  Philadelphia continues to be hit with injuries, including an MCL injury to goaltender Brian Boucher that will keep him out of action for the remainder of the playoffs.  Philly is like the Monty Python running joke - "I'm not dead yet!"  They are taking the Bruins to a game 7, hoping to become just the third team in history to overcome a 3-0 deficit in a series.  Odds are not good, but at this point, they really aren't dead yet.  Boston needs to figure things out quickly or else they will risk being mightily embarrassed in front of the home crowd, not to mention the wrong end of answer in a hockey trivia question.

In the West, both the Sharks and the Blackhawks are resting up, waiting for the conference finals to begin.  Would anyone have thought that San Jose would not have choked by now?  After all, it seems to be their traditional playoff modus operandi.  Granted, there is still time, but taking down the venerable Detroit Red Wings, in just five games?  Not the sign of a team in need of the Heimlich maneuver.

They will get to host the Chicago Blackhawks, who had a sense of deja vu in defeating the Vancouver Canucks for the second year in a row in the second round of the playoffs.  Certainly they will be a lot happier meeting up with the Sharks than a repeat against Detroit.  Or so you would think.  Depending on the outcome of the series, Chicago might wish it was the Red Wings and their annoying octopi.

Vancouver will have to wait until next year to exorcise their Blackhawk demons.  Each additional series between the two teams can only ramp things up a notch in the hostility department, both between the teams and their fans.  The Canucks can hopefully take heart that someday they can vanquish their foe.  After all, the Red Wings were the playoff thorn in Anaheim's side for several years until the Ducks swept that curse away in 2003.  Third time's the charm?

The most refreshing aspect of the playoffs is seeing teams who have not been to the Cup Finals in years, if at all.  The Sharks have only made it to the conference finals once before in 2004 and never made it to the Cup Finals.  The Blackhawks lost to the Red Wings last year in the conference finals, but had not been there since 1995 and last won the Cup in 1961, six months before Chris Chelios was born!

As mentioned before, Montreal last made it to the conference finals in 1993, the same year they last won the Cup by defeating the Los Angeles Kings.   Boston last made it to a conference final in 1992 and has not made it to the Cup Finals since winning the Cup in 1972.   The Flyers won the Cup in 1974 and 1975, but the last time they made it to the Finals was an unsuccessful attempt in 1997.   They are probably the most recently experienced at conference finals, having made it there last year, 2004 and 2000.

One thing is certain, the next round won't be dull, and it will likely continue to provide more surprises as play unfolds.  Sure, it's more fun to be watching your team play, but this year, the playoffs have provided enough excitement and interest to keep at least one viewer tuned to the TV.

The Stanley Cup truly is the most difficult trophy to win in all of sports and in the playoffs, anything can happen.

Round one of this year's postseason is over and eight more teams have packed up their lockers and gone home.  Some of those teams are not surprising.  Others are downright shocking.

In the East, you cannot deny that the Montreal Canadiens defeating the President Trophy winning Washington Capitals in seven games was a huge upset and something no one could have foreseen.  Beyond being a #8 seed knocking off a #1, something that has only happened 32 times since 1994, the plucky little Canadiens came back from a 3-1 deficit in the series.

Was it Washington doing a choke job of astronomical proportions?  If you answer yes, then you greatly underestimate the abilities of the Canadiens.  Jaroslav Halak proved that with great goaltending, you can do a lot.  Halak was immovable and impenetrable in the final three games of the series.  131 saves on 134 shots?  Against a team that averaged nearly four goals a game in the regular season?  That is effective goaltending.

And in front of every effective goaltender is a solid defense that helps him out.  The Capitals were lacking in both departments.  Their offense was good enough to get them the President's Trophy, but it isn't just about the goals scored.  The Canadiens made the most of their chances and eliminated the Capitals scoring threat.  Game and series over.

Now the little engine that could Canadiens take on the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins in another seeming mismatch.  Two guesses that this team will not be taken as lightly as they were in the first round and if Halak continues on a roll (Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003 comes to mind), the Canadiens have a pretty decent chance of moving on to the Eastern Conference finals.

The other match up in the East is between the #6 Boston Bruins and the #7 Philadelphia Flyers.  The Flyers only needed five games to finish off the New Jersey Devils in round one, but came out of the series with injuries to Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter.  They have had the most time to heal while waiting for round two to begin.  The Bruins knocked off the Buffalo Sabres and goaltending from Tuuka Rask has been exceptional so far.  Neither of these teams were likely to advance, and both are more than capable of making a good run to the Finals.  The Flyers will get more playing time, because this one will not be over in five games.

Interestingly, there is still one of every seed left between both the East and the West.  In the East the top three seeds were knocked off, leaving the #4, #6, #7 and #8 seeds.  In the West, the #1, #2, #3 and #5 seeds remain.

The #5 Red Wings get to take on the remaining #1 seed and perennial playoff poor performer, the San Jose Sharks.  No rest for the Wings, who had to use all seven games to defeat the Phoenix Coyotes just two days ago.   Will the Sharks, so good in the regular season, finally overcome their post-season vanishing act by getting to the Western Conference finals this year?   Getting by the Colorado Avalanche in round one wasn't easy.  The Wings will be that much more difficult.  If the Sharks can maintain home advantage, that will go a long way to seeing them move on.  Otherwise the Wings will happily continue their post-season successes.

The #2 Chicago Blackhawks and #3 Vancouver Canucks will see a rematch from last year in the second round.  Both teams will be better honed thanks to worthy opponents in round one.  This series could easily go all the way to seven games.

At the end of this one, there will only be four teams left who have a chance at Lord Stanley's Cup.  Don't go to Vegas just yet to place your bets, because chances are, there will be a lot more twists and turns before this one is over and someone is crowned the winner.  That is what makes hockey so exciting, even when it isn't your favorite team.

While difficult to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs (because the Ducks are not in it), it has been an entertaining and closely fought first round.  I cannot remember a time when every single series was tied after the first two games.   Not one single team will be swept in the first round.

As play has continued to develop, some interesting trends continue to emerge.  In the regular season, the Western Conference was the most competitive and tightly fought.   The post-season is looking to be the same way.  Three of the four series in the West are knotted at 2-2.

Chicago and Nashville have only played three games, but it is likely they'll end up at 2-2 as well after the fourth one is played.  How Nashville continues to perform year after year regardless of personnel, or changes in net, is beyond comprehension.  Then you look behind the bench and Barry Trotz has done an amazing job with what he has been given.  Nashville, currently ahead, for the first time ever in a post-season, has a chance to win their first playoff series ever.  If so, that would be a huge upset of the #2 seeded Chicago.

Who would have expected that San Jose and Colorado would be tied at this point?  Colorado limped towards the post-season, taking longer than it should have to seal their playoff hopes.  The Avs clearly were the last team anyone expected in the post-season when the year began, and yet despite their March slump, they have pulled it back together in the playoffs.  This evening one of these teams will have a 3-2 advantage in the series.  Three out of four games have gone to overtime, so no reason to expect game five to be done in regulation.

If San Jose goes down 3-2 before heading to Colorado for a game six, the Sharks players may not want to return home any time soon.  If the Avs win the series, it would be quite an upset, despite the Sharks notoriety for needing the Heimlich maneuver in the post-season.

Vancouver and Los Angeles might be won by specialty teams.  The Kings power play is smoking hot and the Canucks penalty kill is not.  You know Vancouver is getting desperate when they start putting the Sedin twins on the penalty kill.  Unless the Canucks can find a way to stop taking penalties or improve their penalty kill, this series will be a catfight to a game seven.   Either team could win this one.

Detroit and Phoenix has been another back and forth affair.  Detroit is not the powerhouse it once was, but is still a formidable adversary.  Phoenix is enjoying the post-season for the first time in eight years.  At the number 4 and 5 seeds, these two are pretty well matched and it has been an entertaining series.  If Phoenix can maintain home ice advantage, they'll see the next round.  If not, they'll just have to build on this for next year.

The Eastern Conference has developed some interesting patterns of their own.   Three of the four lower seeds won the first game, but upsets do not come easily in the playoffs.

Washington has not yielded again to Montreal after dropping the first game of their series.  The Capitals can finish off the pesky Canadiens on Friday at home, assuming they stick to what works.  That includes have Simeon Varlamov in goal instead of Jose Theodore.  Washington quickly learned that while defense and great goaltending might not have been necessary in the regular season, it sure is needed in the post-season.  The Capitals had so much offense to make up for it in the regular season, it didn't matter.  Montreal, who has gotten strong goaltending from Jaroslav Halak, made the Capitals rethink that game plan.  If the Caps go on to the Cup Final, they should go back and thank Montreal for waking them up in time.

Pittsburgh also yielded game one to Ottawa, but has come back to lead 3-1 in that series.  Ottawa is not going down without a fight, but they might not be strong enough in net to deal with the Penguins firepower.   If Pittsburgh closes the series tonight at home, the Senators will continue to be also-rans.

#7 Philadelphia is the only lower seed with the opportunity to close out a series tonight.  The #2 Devils have not been exceptional and the Flyers have been gritty and determined.  However, Philadelphia has lost both Simon Gagne and Jeff Carter to surgeries and that might hurt them as they continue in the playoffs.  It seems highly unlikely that the Flyers will lose the next three consecutive games to New Jersey.  You never know, but the odds are against them doing so.

Buffalo and Boston is also looking to be a potential upset, with the Bruins leading 3-1.   Last night's double overtime game continued to show why Ryan Miller is probably the best goaltender in the game right now.   It still wasn't enough to stop Boston, who had Tuuka Rask matching Miller's performance.  Will Boston finish off the Sabres in Buffalo on Friday?  Doubtful.  But it will be a good battle the rest of the way.

One can only hope that round two will be as fun and exciting as round one!