from Allan Muir of Sports Illustrated,

Despite his efforts, Murray hasn’t necessarily plugged all the holes. The most obvious question that remains to be answered is who will fill the No.1 role on the blueline? Hampus Lindholm’s play during the postseason hinted that he’ll be that cornerstone one day, but it’s probably too much to expect the 21-year-old to handle that role this season.

And do they have a winger who can step in alongside Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry and contribute at a first-line level not just during the regular season, but during the playoffs? Maybe that guy is Stewart, the talented but frustrating forward who wore out his welcome in Buffalo and did nothing after being acquired by Minnesota at the deadline. Maybe it’s Hagelin, although he might be a more natural fit on the second line alongside Ryan Kesler. Or maybe a better option pops up later in the season. If it does, the Ducks will be ready. One of Murray’s real successes has been his mastery of the salary cap. According to General Fanager, he has more than $7 million to play with under the cap. Of course, Anaheim’s internal cap may be lower than the league’s $71.4 million, but clearly he’s left himself some wiggle room to make adjustments on the fly.

In the meantime, Murray has done an admirable job of freshening the roster with solid role players like Santorelli, who inked a one-year deal at a chance-for-the-Cup discount price of $875,000.

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