The reigning Stanley Cup champion Anaheim Ducks have been without two of their best players so far this season, and it shows in the standings: Anaheim is third in the Pacific Division and would be tied for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference if the season ended today.
But the Ducks are about to get one big reinforcement, with another possibly on the way.
Scott Niedermayer, the Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs and one of the top defensemen in the NHL, announced he is ending his "sabbatical" and returning to the team.
"We view it as a very important day for us," Ducks GM Brian Burke said. "We respect the battle that Scotty has fought over this decision as far as whether to retire or whether to come back and play.
"Niedermayer, 34, has been skating in pickup games with some former NHL players over the last few weeks in order to prepare himself for a possible return and will work out on his own as the team leaves for a three-game road trip.
He has 21 days to get in shape before he must become part of the roster and count against the cap, but Burke said the former Norris Trophy winner could be in the lineup for Wednesday's home game against Vancouver.
Niedermayer led all defensemen with 69 points in the 2006-07 regular seasons and scored two playoff game-winners, both in overtime, and saved the Ducks' postseason with a crucial tying goal late in Game 5 of the West finals in Detroit.
"I'm excited to be rejoining my teammates and getting back on the ice," Niedermayer said. "I would like to thank the (owners), Brian Burke and especially my teammates for their patience while I wrestled with this very difficult decision.
"Niedermayer had two years and $13.5 million remaining on his contract. According to league rules, the Ducks suspended him without pay when he did not report to training camp with the rest of the team. So far, he has lost about $2.3 million in salary, an amount that will keep increasing until he plays his next game.
Burke has been looking to shake up the struggling Ducks, and indicated the team might still make a move even with Niedermayer returning.
"We knew we'd have a hangover after the Stanley Cup," he said. "Everybody does. We gave the team 20 games to turn it around and that's when we began making roster changes."The other player the Ducks have been missing is Teemu Selanne. The team's leading scorer last season has told a Helsinki newspaper that he would decide between Jan. 1 and the Feb. 26 trade deadline whether to return.
Selanne, a 10-time All-Star who led the Ducks last season with 48 goals and 94 points, is technically a free agent but said he would only play for the Ducks.
Part of the reason he took the time off was because his wife was expecting - he became a father for the fourth time on Wednesday, when his wife Sirpa delivered the couple's first daughter.
Anaheim needs both players, as heading into Wednesday, they ranked 28th on the power play, 29th in average goals per game, 21st in 5-on-5 production and 26th on the penalty kill.
The Ducks are next in action Friday at Chicago - bet on the game at WagerWeb.com.
WAS HIT ORDERED? It's been a newsy week for Anaheim, as current Duck Todd Bertuzzi also made headlines.
Bertuzzi's infamous on-ice attack (when Bertuzzi was with Vancouver) on former Colorado player Steve Moore may have been ordered by former Canucks coach Marc Crawford, according to reports.
Bertuzzi attacked Moore from behind during the third period of a March 8, 2004 game, driving Moore's head into the ice.
Moore suffered three broken vertebrae in his neck, a concussion and facial cuts. He is still troubled by postconcussion symptoms and lawyer Tim Danson said recently that his client will never play in the NHL again.
A statement of claim filed in Ontario court by Moore's lawyer alleges that Crawford pointed to Moore's name and number on a board in the Canucks dressing room during the second intermission of that game and said ". . . (Moore) must pay the price.
"In an earlier game, Moore had hit Canucks star Markus Naslund, who suffered a relatively minor injury.
In an accompanying document, Moore's lawyer claims Crawford's statement was disclosed by Bertuzzi while under oath, and by Canucks GM Dave Nonis. The claim is part of a $15 million lawsuit filed by Moore and his parents against Bertuzzi, the Canucks and their parent company at the time, Orca Bay Hockey Ltd.
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