The 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks roster that then-general manager Brian Burke assembled was perhaps the best roster in franchise history and one of the best league-wide in recent memory. Save for the occasional lack of discipline, the roster was flawless. The forward group, comprised of diverse talents like Teemu Selanne, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Andy McDonald, Chris Kunitz, and others, had speed, skill, power, relentlessness, and finishing ability. The defensive unit, led by Hall-of-Famers Scott Niedermayer, Chris Pronger, and their defense partners Francois Beauchemin and Sean O’Donnell, had tenacity, skating, hockey IQ, physicality, and elite defensive capabilities. To top it off, Jean-Sébastien Giguère was an elite goaltender, and backup Ilya Bryzgalov was great in his own right when given the opportunity.
Related: Ducks Free Agent Success: Scott Niedermayer
Another name in the forward group worth noting is Dustin Penner. He came to Anaheim as a free agent in the summer of 2004 and became an essential piece of the ‘Kid Line’, which also included Getzlaf and Perry, that helped bring the Ducks a championship. Penner’s first of two stints with the Ducks serves as the next focus of my offseason series covering some highs and lows in the franchise’s free agency history. His first tour of duty in Anaheim, of course, was a success.
Penner Dominates the American Hockey League Before His Call-Up
Upon signing with the team in 2004, Penner reported to the Ducks’ then-American Hockey League affiliate, the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (and later the Portland Pirates). Penner is a big human – 6-foot-4 and 245 pounds – and he used every bit of it to dominate during his time there, specifically the 2005-06 season when he scored 39 times and produced 84 points in just 57 games.
He was called up late in the season to join the Ducks for the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they made a surprising run to the Western Conference Final before falling to Pronger and the eight-seeded Edmonton Oilers.
Penner & Ducks Enter 2006-07 with Stanley Cup or Bust Expectations
The surprise run in 2006 meant the Ducks were ahead of schedule. Then, they went out and traded for Pronger. That shot expectations for Anaheim through the roof. They now had two number-one, first-ballot Hall-of-Fame defensemen. That rarely happens, and if you’re lucky enough to have them, you need to win. No ifs, ands, or buts.
Penner and the rest of the young guys were ready to take a step up. Selanne was ready for an encore season after an incredible comeback year in 2005-06 during which he scored 40 goals and 90 points. The stage was set for an epic season, and we all know how it turned out. Outside of a few lulls, they were the best team in the league from start to finish.
Chemistry & Similar Style of Play Defined Success of the Kid Line
Getzlaf, Perry, and Penner, despite their young age and inexperience at the time, were a pretty dependable source of offense because of their cohesive style of play and the chemistry they had on and off the ice.
They fed off each other. They were all big, strong, and mean, but were skilled and used their physicality to protect and cycle the puck effectively to create scoring chances in high-percentage areas. Each of them had successful seasons and postseasons during their 2006-07 run, including Penner, who produced 29 goals and 45 points in what was classified as his rookie campaign. He contributed three goals and eight points in 21 playoff games, including a big insurance goal in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final to put Anaheim ahead 3-1 in the series.
Penner Signing a Great One, But Tenure Was Cut Short
Before the Montreal Canadiens declined to match a Carolina Hurricanes offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi two summers ago, Anaheim’s failure to match the Oilers’ offer sheet for Penner in the summer of 2007 was the last time such a situation occurred. You didn’t, and still don’t, see offer sheets thrown around much, and teams declining to match them when they are made are even less frequent.
But, it happened between the Ducks and Oilers and it was a shame to see it unfold this way. The Ducks were coming off a championship, and Penner, despite being a free agent, figured to be a key cog of the team’s future. However, the Ducks signed Todd Bertuzzi and found themselves short enough on salary cap space to conclude they were unable to match the five-year, $21.25 million contract offered by the Oilers. The move was labeled by many as bad faith, deliberately done to put the Ducks in a bind regarding an important player. Burke understandably wasn’t thrilled, going as far as to say he didn’t wish to speak to Kevin Lowe, general manager of the Oilers at the time (from ‘Burke, Oilers’ Lowe swap barbs on deal,’ Los Angeles Times, Oct. 5, 2007).
Penner had a few decent seasons with the Oilers and won another championship with the Los Angeles Kings before returning to the Ducks for one season in 2013. The Bertuzzi signing did not work out, so it’s easy to think about what could’ve been had the Ducks retained Penner and ran it back after an impressive championship season.