When Joel Quenneville was hired by the Anaheim Ducks and brought in his new coaching staff, much of the discussion centered on how beneficial he, Jay Woodcroft, and Ryan McGill would be to the current and future rosters.
The brand new systems, specifically defensive zone coverage, where the Ducks had struggled mightily over the past three seasons, finishing in the basement in every traditional and advanced statistical category, could have the most impact on the upcoming season.
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Switching from a man-to-man scheme to a pressure-zone was an imperative adjustment, as the roster construction was more suited for it. In Theory, those poised to benefit most from a system that relies more on off-puck reads, instincts, and knowledge of where support is coming from are centers like Ryan Strome and Mason McTavish, as well as defensemen like Drew Helleson and Pavel Mintyukov.
Perhaps overlooked in the “who will benefit most” conversation is the newly dubbed and paid franchise goaltender, Lukas Dostal.
Dostal (25) has emerged as one of the best young goaltenders in the NHL and has posted impressive numbers despite the Ducks’ poor defensive metrics over the past two seasons. The Ducks awarded him with a five-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $6.5 million.
In his first two full seasons in the NHL (2023-24 and 2024-25), Dostal notched a 34-46-10 record, a roughly league-average .902 SV%, and 7.83 goals saved above expected. Those numbers are made all the more impressive considering, in that time, he led NHL goaltenders (min. 50 games played) with 32.73 shots against per 60 minutes and was third in high-danger shots against per 60 with 8.72 (John Gibson led the NHL with 8.86).
Dostal’s game is built on sound positional fundamentals, remaining calm in the midst of flurries in front, and the ability to track pucks throughout the offensive zone and through traffic.
The new zone defensive system should (mostly) guarantee that against a sustained cycle, the net front will be covered at all times. It’s also designed to limit the number of times defenders are outnumbered near the crease, effectively keeping most shot opportunities to the perimeter of the zone.
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“I personally like it because, for the goalies, I believe it’s more predictable,” Dostal said following his half-game preseason debut against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. “You kind of know all sides of the team and what you’re giving up. Nothing is 100%, but I think it’s more predictable.
“I personally like the system because it’s something we always played in Czech, we played it on the Czech national team when I was growing up, even in Finland. It’s something I’m used to.”
That familiarity and predictability have allowed Dostal to focus efforts on developing other parts of his game during the offseason, particularly his rebound control. In his first action of the preseason (it’s just preseason, so a grain of salt is required), he elevated his game management skills to another level and was easily deflecting shots, especially perimeter shots, to the safety of the corners. Dostal saved 17 of 18 total shots he faced in that game.
“Sometimes you have games where the puck sticks to your chest better than other games, but that’s been something that I’ve worked on this summer,” Dostal added after the game when asked about his rebound control. “The last two seasons in the NHL showed me the guys are crashing the net quite a lot, so it’s something that I worked on this offseason to eliminate the rebounds and something I really focused on.”
Dostal’s numbers wavered slightly toward the end of last season, especially when Gibson was healthy and it was unclear game-to-game who would get the start each night. This season, that aspect will be nullified, as Dostal is the clear #1 option in Anaheim, and the schedule and roles will be more defined and predictable.
Dostal is primed for a big season, and if the Ducks achieve or come close to their goal of making the 2026 playoffs, it can be assumed that Dostal stayed healthy had a large hand in that outcome. He could perhaps even receive end-of-season award recognition.
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