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ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Centre Saku Koivu and goalie Jonas Hiller are done with the Anaheim Ducks. Koivu, Hiller and forward Daniel Winnik wont be offered contracts by the Ducks for next season, general manager Bob Murray confirmed Thursday. The Pacific Division champion Ducks are cutting ties with several dependable veterans after the best regular season in franchise history and a second-round playoff exit. Along with Teemu Selannes retirement, the departures of Koivu and Hiller will allow the Ducks young talent to assume bigger roles next season. Anaheim also is in the trade market for an elite centre. "Weve got younger players coming along that we had to move into the lineup," Murray said. "I thought it was best for this organization that we move forward a little bit. It was just time." The 39-year-old Koivu became a fan favourite during five seasons with the Ducks, even while his scoring production dwindled. The four-time Finnish Olympian was the longtime captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Murray said the Ducks decision on Koivu was "the hardest of the three. He had a great career." Murray isnt certain what Koivu will do next, but wouldnt be surprised if he decides to play in Finland. Koivu said last month he was contemplating retirement. The Ducks decision to part ways with Hiller means theyll head into next season with a new starting goalie for the first time since 2009. Hiller made an All-Star team, won a playoff series and consistently backstopped the Ducks through several seasons of frequently terrible defensive play in front of him, going 162-110-32 over seven years. But the Swiss netminder lost his starting job late in the regular season to Danish backup Frederik Andersen, and he played infrequently in the post-season while the Ducks went with Andersen and 20-year-old John Gibson, widely considered the top goaltending prospect in hockey. "Jonas did so much for us," Murray said. "But weve got pretty good kids there, so the writing was kind of on the wall." The 32-year-old Hiller had hoped to stay in Anaheim, but he joins Ryan Miller as the top goalies available in free agency. Anaheim signed the undrafted Hiller out of Switzerlands top league in May 2007. He beat out Ilya Bryzgalov for a roster spot and swiftly seized the starting job from Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the Stanley Cup-winning starter and franchises winningest goalie. "Its funny how it comes full circle," Murray said. Hiller won 14 consecutive decisions during his final season with the Ducks, and he shut out the Los Angeles Kings at Dodger Stadium in January. Andersen and Gibson both struggled at times in the playoffs, but confirmed he wasnt in the Ducks plans when he got just two post-season starts even after Andersen struggled and eventually got injured. Gibson was mediocre in the Ducks final two losses to the Kings, but Anaheim stuck with its youth over Hillers experience. Winnik spent the past two years with the Ducks, scoring 30 points in 76 games last season. Murray emerged from his post-season meetings eager to retool the Ducks, who finished atop the Western Conference and won their second straight division title at 54-20-8. Anaheim beat Dallas in the first round of the post-season, but blew a 3-2 lead in the second round against the rival Kings, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in seven games. The Ducks also are in the market for a veteran centre after failing to land Vancouvers Ryan Kesler at last springs trade deadline. Anaheim has been linked in discussions for Kesler, Ottawas Jason Spezza and San Joses Joe Thornton. Anaheim has a wealth of assets for a deal, including four draft picks in the first two rounds and an impressive collection of prospects in one of the NHLs best farm systems. "I think were in good shape if the right deal is there," Murray said. 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Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings (3) - Early goal against was on the power play.The Toronto Blue Jays have just passed the quarter mark in the season, at the .500 mark at 21-21. Thats not overwhelming, but its still four games better than they were a year ago when they were sitting at 17-25 through May 17. More importantly, now, they are tied with the Boston Red Sox for third in the American League East, just a game-and-a half back of the first-place Baltimore Orioles. Not only that, they have the top-ranked hitting team in the American League with a .255 average , 56 homers and a league-leading 207 runs scored and the top OPS of .762. Theyve improved by leaps and bounds in the fielding department, as well. Theyve committed only 20 errors in 42 games, second fewest to only Baltimores 19 in the American League. There are still a few red flags, though. The Blue Jays team ERA is 4.56, ranked 11th in the American League and worst in their own division. With the problems at the back end of the rotation - Brandon Morrow (DL now), J.A Happ ( struggling until Thursday night) and Dustin McGowan (moved to the bullpen on Thursday) - the Jays have still managed 19 quality starts in 42 games. Thats tied with the Yankees for second in their division behind Bostons 27. Tampa Bay has 14 quality starts, largely because three of their starting pitchers have been injured, and Baltimore is somehow leading the division with only 13 quality starts. Another thing that should be of concern is who the Jays have been beating. They are a combined 10-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Cleveland Indians and Houston Astros, teams that have a combined record of 50-70. The Jays are 11-18 against all the rest. Remember, too, over their final 120 games, exactly half are against their own division. Then you have seven against the AL West-leading Oakland Athletics, six against the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers and 13 Interleague games including four with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers, three with the St. Louis Cardinals, three with the Cincinnati Reds and a bit of a respite in September with three at home against the Cubs. The two biggest question marks are how they sort out those four and five slots in their rotation and whether they can start playing better against the teams in their own division with regularity the rest of the way. Right now they are only 7-9 against the East and 16-19 against the entire American League with the season nearly seven weeks old. - You may have missed it since it was a west coast game, but the Miami Marlins called up 24-year-old right hander Anthony DeSclafani the other night after the injury to their ace Jose Fernandez and gave him his first Major League start against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. He was almost considered a throw-in in the massive deal with the Blue Jays two years ago, that brought Mark Buehrle, Jose Reyes and others to the Jays. DeSclafani didnt disappoint in his debut. He pitched six solid innings, striking out seven in a 13-3 blowout of the Dodgers. He not only got his first Major League win, but he stroked a two-run single for his first Majjor League hit.dddddddddddd. The funny thing about the hit is, its one more than the entire Marlins pitching staff had through that night. The Marlins pitchers were a collective 0 for 64. The one mild surprise may be that DeSclafani made it to the Majors before his minor=league teammate lefty Justin Nicolino, who also came over in that trade with the Blue Jays. - Joel Sherman of the New York Post mentioned the other day that the Mets should deal from strength and package a couple of their young arms for a much needed bat and suggested they go after the Blue Jays Jose Bautista or Chicago White Sox shortstop Alexei Ramirez. The Mets called up two of those dynamite young arms this week in Rafael Montero and Jake deGrom, who went a combined 13 innings and gave up only four runs total. Still, the Mets lost both games at Citi Field, 3-0 Wednesday and 1-0 Thursday. The Mets, though they are 19-21, are still just two games out of a wild card spot in the National League. The pressure is on them to finally make it back to the post-season. They should be an interesting team to watch as the trade season approaches in late June and then on into July. - Bad break for former Blue Jays catching prospect Travis DArnaud, who went over to the Mets as part of the R.A. Dickey deal. He was accidently struck on the head by the follow-through swing by the bat of Alfonso Soriano of the Yankees on Tuesday night. He experienced headaches afterwards and then was put on the seven-day concussion disabled list. - Jose Abreu, the White Sox Cuban slugge,r is off to an incredible start in the Majors. He has 15 homers in his first 42 games. Hes only the fourth player in Major League history to accomplish that feat joining Wally Berger, Kevin Maas and Wally Joyner. Of the latter three, Joyner had the best career, but was always overshadowed by the steroid-sluggers of the day including Jose Canseco. - I was wondering the other day if it would be possible for the Yankees Masahiro Tanaka to win the Cy Young Award, the Rookie of the Year and the MVP Award all in the same season. He and Abreu are the top two first-year players so far. Hes already a front runner for the Cy Young and, if he leads the Yankees to a playoff berth, he would have to be considered for the Most Valuable Player as well. - If you think the Blue Jays starting pitching is a question mark, how about the Texas Rangers? Over the past 16 games, the Rangers have had one start of more than six innings by a pitcher other than Yu Darvish. Darvish, of course, is the man the Blue Jays will be facing Friday night to kick off a three-game set at Arlington against Prince Fielder and the Rangers. - The Dodgers are off to much of the same kind of start they were a year ago before the arrival of Yasiel Puig. They are 22-20 and trail the first-place San Francisco Giants by five full games in NL West. Fielding has been a major problem. Theyve made 36 errors in 42 games and have given up 24 unearned runs, tied with Cleveland for the second most in the Majors. ' ' '