OPINION

By Ray Slover

updated 6:56 p.m. ET Sept. 15, 2009

Ray Slover

Luca Sbisa is among new Ducks to keep an eye on

Big changes continued into the offseason for the Anaheim Ducks, with veteran defensemen departing and a fresh cast joining Scott Niedermayer on the blue line since last season's trade deadline. One of the players to watch when camp opens in September is Luca Sbisa.

Acquired in the Chris Pronger trade, Sbisa figures to be a piece of the puzzle for years to come. He's 19, a first-round pick in 2008 by the Philadelphia Flyers with 39 games on his resume. He projects as a top-four defenseman, but figures to have growing pains as he develops.

The Ducks also lost Francois Beauchemin, who left as a free agent to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That's a reason they signed free agents Nick Boynton and Steve McCarthy.

The tools are there for Sbisa, is appears to play older than his age. He has solid offensive potential and good hockey sense. But he must continue to mature, and getting stronger and growing into his 6-2, 190-pound frame will be crucial to his development.

He isn't a physical player and lacks Pronger's nasty edge. He will struggle to handle power forwards, which means the Ducks must give him protection for now and maybe for the next few years.

Expect to see him paired with Niedermayer, who would be an excellent mentor.

"I would like the Sbisa kid to have the opportunity to play with Scott Niedermayer to start," coach Randy Carlyle told the Orange County Register. "We want this kid to develop into an NHL defenseman. With his body makeup and whatnot, he has a lot of work to do."

Boynton will be expected to bring a physical presence. He is reliable in his own zone, skates well and is a good puck handler. He also has an accurate, hard shot. At 30, he appears to be a decent replacement for Beauchemin, even if his point production hasn't been up to expectations. He's not without questions, but should fit into what Carlyle wants from his top six.

McCarthy is an intriguing pickup. A first-round pick by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999, McCarthy left the NHL last season and played in Europe. His offensive game should benefit from that experience, because he had a chance to work on his strengths — strong passing skills, good ice vision and puck-rushing talent. The Ducks believe he can replace Bret Hedican, who faded last season while struggling with injuries and is headed for retirement.

Coaches also expect Brett Festerling to continue developing. At 23, Festerling got into 40 games last season. Improvement must come in his size and strength, but he figures to be a third-pair player as he works on his game.

Pencil in James Wisniewski in the top four. Although neither big nor physical, Wisniewski, 25, has offensive potential. The Ducks got him under contract for next season, giving him a one-year deal with a significant raise. He was a solid addition after being acquired from the Blackhawks last season.

The final anchor piece is Ryan Whitney. Acquired from the Penguins, Whitney is a top-pair guy. Like Wisniewski, he should see more ice time this season as Carlyle fills the big minutes played by Pronger.

For punch, Sheldon Brookbank remains in the plan as at least the seventh defenseman.

Sbisa will be put in position to play meaningful minutes, and it's clear the Ducks won't put pressure on him to play 20-plus minutes a night.

With a strong group of forwards, the last remaining offseason question is whether the Ducks will retain Jean-Sebastien Giguere or hand Jonas Hiller the mantle of No. 1 goalie.

GM Bob Murray's makeover of the roster, including the return of Joffrey Lupul and the signing of Saku Koivu, would appear to have the Ducks in position to be a force in the Western Conference and the Pacific Division.

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