One team in the Pacific Division that could fight for a post-season spot is the Anaheim Ducks.
They’ve missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, but they have a young core with solid veterans. Moreover, the Ducks have been steadily improving over the past three seasons and could be in the wild card race in 2025-26.
Let’s take a look at how the Ducks’ 2024-25 season went, as well as what they’ve done this off-season!
How the season went
The Ducks finished with a sub-.500 record, as their 35-37-10 record was good for 80 points, third-last in the Pacific Division. That said, they’ve been gradually improving, going from 23 wins in 2022-23 (the fewest wins in an 82-game season in franchise history) to 27 wins in 2023-24.
In the end, the Ducks finished 16 points out of a playoff spot, not good, but an improvement from the season before, as they finished 39 points out of a playoff spot.
On top of that, their young core had solid seasons.
Mason McTavish scored 22 goals and 52 points in 76 games, Leo Carlsson scored 20 goals and 45 points in 76 games, Cutter Gauthier scored 20 goals and 44 points in 82 games, and defenceman Jackson LaCombe scored 14 goals and 44 points in 75 games.
That doesn’t even mention Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov, two high-potential defencemen. In net, Lukáš Dostál had a .903 save percentage and 3.10 goals against average in 54 games.
The Ducks also had a strong veteran presence of Troy Terry, Alexander Killorn, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Radko Gudas, and Jacob Trouba.
Drafted players
Even though the Ducks finished with 80 points, they finished with a top 10 pick. With the 10th overall pick,
they drafted right-shot centre Roger McQueen. The Saskatoon-native scored 10 goals and 20 points in 17 games last season with the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings.
They had a whole lot of picks after the first round. With the 45th overall pick,
the Ducks selected Eric Nilson. They picked again just 15 picks later, selecting Lasse Boelius, a defenceman from Finland. In the third round, they drafted London Knights centre Noah Read.
The Ducks had two fourth-round picks, selecting Drew Schock (a defenceman) 101st overall and Elijah Neuenschwander, a netminder from Switzerland. In the fifth round, the Ducks chose Alexis Mathieu 136th overall and Emile Guite 159th overall.
Their final two picks were defenceman Anthony Allain-Samake and Bray Turko, the latter was teammates with McQueen.
Trades
The Ducks have had a busy off-season so far, both in the trade and free agent signing departments. On Jun. 12, they traded Carey Terrance and a 2025 third-rounder to the New York Rangers for Chris Kreider and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Nine days later, the Ducks sent Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers for centre Ryan Poehling, as well as a 2025 second-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick. On the second day of the draft, the Ducks sent long-time netminder John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings for Petr Mrázek and two picks: a second in 2027 and a fourth in 2026.
Free agent signings
On the free agent front, the Ducks signed one of the better centres available in free agency, agreeing to a three-year, $21 million contract with Mikael Granlund.
They were also able to extend Lukáš Dostál and Drew Helleson, while McTavish still hasn’t signed yet (he’s a restricted free agent). On the coaching front, the Ducks signed three-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville.
Departures
The Ducks’ two biggest departures were Zegras and Gibson, but they didn’t extend a qualifying offer to Isac Lundeström. Zegras’ trade wasn’t too surprising, as he hadn’t reached the 60-point mark as he had in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Gibson’s trade wasn’t all that surprising either, as the veteran goaltender has struggled for the past six seasons. After playing well in his 29 games, they got a solid return for the 32-year-old. It also allows Dostál to take over the crease full-time in 2025-26.
What the team looks like heading into 2025-26
So what does the Ducks’ roster look like heading into the 2025-26 season? They have a strong centre core of Carlsson, McTavish, Granlund, and Poehling. On the wings, Chris Kreider, Terry, Gauthier, and Vatrano make up a solid wing core for the top six. In the bottom six, two veterans in Killorn and Strome make up what could be a strong third line.
On the back-end, LaCombe, Mintyukov, and Zellweger will play on the left side, while Gudas, Trouba, and Helleson make up the right side of the Ducks’ defence. In net, Dostál will start most games, with Mrázek serving as a backup.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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