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Well, I really focused primarily on the defensemen today, so that's the analysis I'm going to give.

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Biggest Surprise -

Eminger - This kid impressed me today. He was moving the puck well, making good decisions, and showed good mobility on the ice. Murray clearly liked what he saw in him, and now I see why. He was making sound decisions at both ends of the ice, jumping into the play at the right times and playing sound defensively. I think he could be a valuable addition to the blue line. He looks very much like a defenseman we can expect to see on the blue line when the season starts.


The Six -

Niedermayer - There isn't much to say about him. He was Niedermayer, but with lots of smiles. He really seemed to be enjoying himself out there. Far and away the best player on the ice, which is nothing less than what we'd expect (particularly with no Getzlaf).

Whitney - Based on what people were saying, it sounded like he played better yesterday, but he still looked very solid out there. There was one shift where he looked a little awkward when he was being pressured in his own end and fumbled the puck for a second, but he still kept his composure and stuck with it. Other than that, he was very solid. I wouldn't say great, but solid (for him). He brings a lot of the same attributes that Pronger did. He's a steady influence on the blue line, with a good active stick and a really nice breakout pass.

Wisniewski - The more I see him the more I think Beauchemin was expendable. He was skating well today and making good decisions with the puck. I think his mobiity is a little underrated, because he can really move around on the ice and that really helps him get separation in pressure situations. On top of all of that, he was using his body well today.

Sbisa - As advertised and more. This kid is as cool as a cucumber. Whether he was being pressured or not, you never got the impression he felt rushed. He calmly made the play, and it was almost always the right one. He might be the 2nd best puck mover on the team already, and if he's not it's a close thing. He can skate it up, and he can make the quick short pass for a clean breakout. His skating is very smooth and efficient, and he's one of those players who is moving faster than he looks.

Boynton - I don't like comparing one defenseman's style to another, but with Boynton he reminds me quite a bit of O'Donnell, in terms of his impact on the ice. Most nights, I don't think a lot of people will notice him, and that's probably when he's playing a solid game. Offensively, he didn't stand out. He was going more for the safe play than the play that would create a scoring opportunity, and there is nothing wrong with that. Defensively, while he didn't stand out, he was very clearly a positive influence on the ice. Again, he was making the safe plays. He looks like the kind of defenseman who will go out there and play a safe and solid game at ES. The kind of defenseman every team needs, because he's low risk and you know you can depend on him to make the smart play, whether it's in the first 2 minutes of a game or in the last 2 minutes.

Eminger - I'd be surprised if he isn't the team's #6 defenseman. I think he would complement Boynton well on the 3rd pairing, and I think it would be a very solid pairing.


The Three -

Mikkelson - His game has matured. Skating is his biggest asset, and he was using it a lot more than I've seen in the past. I'm not saying he was skating the puck up and trying to do something you'd expect from Niedermayer, but within his own game he was using his skating to great benefit. Defensively and offensively, his mobility helped him be in the right place, create space, and hold the blue line in the offensive zone. On top of that, he didn't look rattled at all in his own end. He was pressured constantly by opposing team's forwards, and I don't think I saw him panic once with the puck. Every time he handled the pressure and made the play, and it was usually the right play. This is a significant improvement from years past, when forechecking pressure seemed to rattle him and force him to make bad decisions.

Salcido - He's definitely trying to work to show he deserves a shot. His defensive game looks better. He's moving his feet more in his own end, and using his body more, which is a marked improvement from last year. I would like to see more hustle from him in his own end. Offensively, you can tell he still wants to create something, but he's not exposing himself defensively to do it. When the only play he can make is the safe one, he's willing to make it and get back on D.

Festerling - I'm kind of torn on the way he played. On one hand, he plays a solid defensively game and, like Boynton, is someone you can expect to make the safe play in the offensive zone. He tries to play within his game, and he wasn't trying to do too much. The part of his game that concerns me is his mobility. Unlike Mikkelson and Salcido, he really seems to struggle handling the speed of NHL (and NHL prospect) forwards. More than once he was exposed when they forced him to move laterally, and chances were created. He plays a good and sound game, but that mobility issue could really hurt him.


The Rest -

Cullimore - I liked what I saw from him. You can tell he's been around the block by the way he plays. He makes the kind of plays you would expect from a player who has been in the NHL for many years. I'm just not sure it's going to be enough to crack the line-up. I really can't say I'd rather have him over any of the top six, and he'd need to sign a contract for the right value to make me think he should be the 7th defenseman.

Brookbank - I thought he was out-performed by Salcido and Mikkelson. That doesn't mean he won't be the 7th defenseman (his contract alone makes him a consideration for it), but even if there is an injury he might remain the 7th defenseman and not get to play. He's in a tough position, and I don't envy him. He'll go out there and work hard, but when it comes down to it his skill is very much lacking and he doesn't play a smart enough defensive game for me to think he belongs on the ice over a number of other D.

Mitera - I was pleased with his game. He needs some seasoning in the AHL, but he was making good decisions with the puck and played a sound defensive game. He's calm under pressure, and looks like the kind of player who will have a steadying influence on the blue line. The one negative aspect that stood out is the obvious; he's still not 100% from his ACL injury. He looked hesitant to play the body, which is very uncharacteristic of him, and it was obvious he hasn't gotten that jump back in his step to help him get to where he needs to be on the ice. That makes it harder for him to be in the right spot at the right time and go into the corner with another player. Other than that, I think he showed that he can anchor a top four line in the future. He plays a good stay-at-home game, and has a good breakout pass. More than that, he's willing to make the safe play and just chip it out and allow the team to reset when the need arises. Some time in the AHL, and complete recovery from his injury, and he should be a very solid defenseman for Anaheim.

McCarthy and Warg didn't really show me a whole lot to make note of, except that Warg looked pretty comfortable with Niedermayer as his defensive partner. I suppose that's not too surprising. To Warg's credit, though, I do have to say he handled the responsibility of playing with Niedermayer pretty well. I just didn't look at either of them and think "Yup. That's a player I could see playing for the Ducks and really contributing something." Matt Clark, well, he didn't stand out, but I see some real potential in him. Not "Wow" potential, but as a good stay-at-home defenseman. He's a similar mold to Mitera, in that respect. I like his game, but he definitely needs more development.