Ducks begin integration of newest players, expect it to work 'pretty smoothly'

Published Mar. 3, 2015 4:16 p.m. ET

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Nameplates on dressing room stalls are now essential. 

The Anaheim Ducks acquired six new players in less than a week, getting four Monday at the trade deadline. Winger Tomas Fleischmann, who the Ducks traded for on Saturday morning, and defenseman Simon Despres were able to join the team in Arizona by Tuesday morning.

Michael Sgarbossa is expected to report to the Ducks' AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, while defensemen James Wisniewski and Korbinian Holzer are expected in Anaheim on Wednesday.

It's a lot of players to add into the fold at once, but because of the caliber of the players, coach Bruce Boudreau doesn't see it as a challenge. With so many defensemen coming in (three), it might be a little more so, but by the playoffs, Boudreau expects everyone to be fully acclimated. 

"We think it's going to work pretty smoothly," Boudreau said. "I think it's an awful lot easier sometimes to integrate a forward. You go up and down, play your position in your own zone. As a defenseman, there's more responsibility, I think. But we've showed them the system stuff and we know it takes time. We know it doesn't happen overnight."

Fleischmann played for Boudreau in Washington and the two were both very happy to reunite. Fleischmann hasn't changed his style of play since leaving Boudreau or the Caps, so p.layer and coach expect Fleischmann to fit in easily on the ice.

"He's a skilled guy, he can see the ice, he can make plays," Boudreau said. "It's not that he's necessarily a great goal scorer, but he was a big part of the power play that was No. 1 in the league when I was in Washington. He played the goal line, which we haven't had a real good goal line presence to make plays, so he's good there. I think he'll fit in well with our group. He's a smart player, defensively he knows what he's supposed to do all of the time. I think he was a good acquisition but time will tell."

Cam Fowler, who lost his defense partner in Ben Lovejoy, will skate with Despres. The 22-year-old is versatile, able to play both the right or left sides, which will work well with Fowler's similar abilities.

Despres boasts significant size and physicality. He plays with a definite edge and makes it a point to go after top players, as is evidenced by his 184 hits and 64 penalty minutes this season. 

"I'm a two-way defenseman, I can do a lot of things on the ice," Despres said. "I could defend against forwards, I can be very physical, I can move the puck well and I can skate. I try to target the top guys on the other team and make it hard to play against. Make sure they have a tough night ahead of him."

Case in point: The stitches that Despres is currently sporting at the bridge of his nose. He went after Corey Tropp and delivered a blow to the Columbus right-winger early in his final game as Penguin. On his last shift, Tropp smashed him into the glass, cutting his nose. Despres got right back up off the glass. 

His new coach took notice. 

"I watched the Columbus game the other day and saw that he took a hit and he went right off of the glass," Boudreau said. "And that's good, we need that kind of player because the ilk of our goals are scored right in front of our net. The more we can knock guys out in front of the net, the better."

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