Olausson to Help Fill Void

The biggest question from the Mighty Ducks’ wheeling-and-dealing summer is on defense, where Oleg Tverdovsky’s offensive skills will be missed.

The Ducks’ traded Tverdovsky to New Jersey in a six-player deal that brought forward Petr Sykora, among others, to Anaheim. While it is true that Tverdovsky was as unhappy being with the Ducks as Duck officials were unhappy with him, his abilities gave the team an offensive threat at the blue line.

Filling that void may fall to many, mostly Fredrik Olausson, who signed as a free agent over the summer. He played 47 games with Detroit last season.

“We don’t have a Brian Leetch-type guy back there,” General Manager Bryan Murray said. “Freddy has to do a lot of that for us. We need guys to move the puck and we’re hoping to do that with a lot of guys.”

Niclas Havelid and Keith Carney top that list.

Coach Mike Babcock probably will use one forward at the blue line on the power play, with Sykora being the top choice. Olausson also will figure prominently on the top power-play unit.

But it is in five-on-five situations where the Ducks need defensemen who can move the puck and get the offensive rush started, the way Tverdovsky did.

“You can never replace a great player,” Babcock said. “We’re going to do things a little differently. The thing we have to do is make sure our power play isn’t last again. We have to get a fourth guy joining the rush.”

Tverdovsky was inconsistent last season, finishing with six goals and 32 points, but he had averaged 52 points the previous two seasons.

“We brought in Sykora and that gives us scoring potential from the blue line on the power play,” Murray said.

*

Each day, Duck officials are more impressed with forward Andy McDonald. That shows how much improvement he made during the off-season, as Murray was already enamored with him.

“He’s just been outstanding,” Murray said.

McDonald had three goals in two games last weekend. A center most of his career, McDonald has made a smooth transition to the left wing. Although after McDonald scored two goals at center against the Kings on Sunday, Babcock said, “I may have to rethink this.”

McDonald added 10 pounds, but he also picked up a load of confidence playing for Canada in the World Championships. He was named the top forward on the Canadian team.

“That gave me an opportunity to be out there with a lot of good players,” said McDonald, who had seven goals and 28 points in 53 games last season. “That made me realize even more that I can play here.”

McDonald’s play may cause the Ducks to send Stanislav Chistov to minor-league Cincinnati, at least to start the season. Chistov, the fifth player drafted in 2001, is more suited to play on the top two lines. However, those spots seemed to be filled by Sykora, Paul Kariya, Adam Oates, Mike Leclerc, Steve Rucchin and, now, McDonald.

*

The Ducks’ improved depth is not only visible in the players that made the cut Monday, but also by the ones who were shipped out.

Right wing Rob Valicevic and defenseman Todd Reirden, who have 352 NHL games between them, were assigned to Cincinnati.

“A year ago, we left camp and the top two call-ups we had were [forward] Jonas Ronnqvist and [defenseman] Drew Bannister,” Murray said. “That won’t be the case this season.”

*

Rookie defenseman Josh DeWolf missed a second day of practice because of a strained muscle in his rib cage.