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Ducks sign GM Bob Murray to two-year extension

2014 NHL Awards - Inside

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 24: Bob Murray of the Anaheim Ducks speaks after being named NHL General Manager of the Year during the 2014 NHL Awards at the Encore Theater at Wynn Las Vegas on June 24, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

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The Anaheim Ducks have committed to general manager Bob Murray for a few more seasons.

The team announced on Saturday that it has signed Murray to a two-year contract extension that will now run through the end of the 2021-22 season.

“Bob has created a winning organization with his commitment and expertise,” said Ducks’ CEO Michael Schulman in a statement released by the team. “We are very pleased to be in a position where expectations are high virtually every season, thanks in large part to Bob and his staff. We passionately share a common goal - bringing another Stanley Cup to Orange County.”

Murray has been the Ducks’ general manager since early in the 2008 season and during his time has guided them to eight playoff appearances and two trips to the Western Conference Final.

He was an assistant general manager when the team won its first Stanley Cup during the 2006-07 season.

Currently, the Ducks sit in second-place in the Pacific Division three points behind the Calgary Flames.
[Related: Ducks’ winning streak: luck, skill, Gibson?]

They are also a team that seems to be at a bit of a crossroads and where they go next is a bit of a mystery. Are they still a team that has a chance to seriously compete for a championship in the coming years? Or are they an aging team nearing a time where they have to start looking toward the future? The on-ice results in terms of the standings have been fine this season, but they’ve also been bailed out pretty consistently by their two goalies, John Gibson and Ryan Miller, and that may not be a long-term recipe for success given the way the rest of the team has played. They are one of the worst possession teams in the league and have also been outscored by 14 goals on the season, the fifth-worst goal differential in the league and by far the worst of any team currently in a playoff position. Not many teams make the playoffs with a goal differential that bad, so something is going to have to give there. Injuries have certainly played a role in some of those struggles, but the team has definitely been dependent goaltending and some good luck going their way this season.

Overall the roster on paper -- when healthy -- looks pretty good and has some talent, but they also have a lot of aging stars on big contracts, specifically Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf, and Ryan Kesler, all of whom are signed for at least the next three seasons at a combined salary cap hit of just under $24 million per season.

Whatever direction they decide to go in over the coming seasons, the Ducks have committed to Murray being the person in charge of it.

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.