The Anaheim Ducks head into the 2025 offseason with a new face behind the bench in the form of recently hired Joel Quenneville, and a new mandate from ownership and the front office to make the playoffs as soon as possible.
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They are coming off a year that saw them take a 21-point leap in the NHL standings, but numbers suggest their goaltending carried them, as they remained at or near the bottom of most statistical categories.
At 5v5 in 2024-25, the Ducks allowed the most shot attempts against (4445), shots on goal against (2063), and expected goals against in the entire NHL (195.91). Offensively, they ranked 23rd in shot attempts (3773), shots on goal (1772), and expected goals (161).
Special teams were just as pitiful, as they iced the league’s worst power play (11.8%) and fourth-worst penalty kill (70.7%).
When asked where the team needed to improve this summer at his post-season press conference, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek stated his focus would be on goal scoring.
“I think when you look at the roster on a whole, I think that I would (say) we need to score more goals,” Verbeek said. “Ultimately, we didn’t score enough goals, and certainly that became a contributing factor.
“What was interesting (was that) when we scored three or more goals, we virtually won all the games. We were almost undefeated when scoring three or more goals. That is going to be a goal that we’re looking to hit by being more offensive.”
While the offensive numbers weren’t spectacular, and improved offense begets improved defense as the more time a team spends attacking, the less they’re defending in their zone, the inverse is also true. Improved defense leads to improved offense as the quicker possession shifts, the quicker and more precise pucks exit the defensive zone.
To boil it down, the Ducks need to improve in every facet outside of the crease, and they’ll enter the offseason with a projected $38.6 million in cap space to do so.
The Ducks currently have 16 players under contract on their roster for the 2025-26 season, with high-profile restricted free agents (RFAs) Mason McTavish and Lukas Dostal in need of new deals, as well as NHL regulars Isac Lundestrom, Brett Leason, and Drew Helleson. Bubble players who spent time in the NHL last season, like Nikita Nesterenko, Sam Colangelo, and Tim Washe, are also RFAs heading into the summer.
If no subtractions are made from the depth chart, the Ducks only have one top-nine forward spot to fill, and the addition of an impact defenseman would cause another logjam on the blueline that could potentially deter the development of one or several young players, as was the case for the majority of 2024-25.
With those factors in mind, Verbeek and the front office are faced with the question of what areas and positions the depth chart needs most and how to improve those aspects, whether it’s via trade or free agency.
Top of the Lineup Producer
The Ducks have a talented forward group consisting of impactful young players like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, and Trevor Zegras, with Troy Terry bridging the gap between them and a group of veteran complementary players like Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, and Alex Killorn.
The potential to become one of the most potent offensive teams exists within this group, but the addition of a bona fide and proven offensive talent would alleviate some of that pressure from the young core and slot every player within the depth chart more efficiently.
Mitch Marner is the ultimate prize in this regard for the Ducks and any team looking to drastically improve their makeup for the foreseeable future. He’s the only true franchise-changing player potentially available on the market this summer in the NHL.
Odds would suggest Marner won’t be coming to Anaheim this summer, but it would benefit the Ducks to have an impact offensive producer at the top of their shopping list.
Two-way Center
The Ducks have five forwards on their roster with NHL experience who have played consistently at center for extended durations in their careers: Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Ryan Strome, Isac Lundestrom, and Trevor Zegras.
It’s become increasingly more apparent that Trevor Zegras isn’t seen as a center by the organization. Quenneville’s presence could alter that, as he’s known to consistently tinker with lines, but smart money would be on Zegras remaining on the wing in Anaheim.
Working under the assumption that Zegras is destined for the wing, that leaves the top nine center group as Carlsson, McTavish, and Strome. None of those three players are proven enough defensively to assume traditional, shutdown capabilities should they be tasked with matching up against an elite opposing top line. Lundestrom is a terrific defensive center, but his lack of offensive upside renders him most suited for a role on a fourth line.
While it can be noted that the best defense is a good offense, there will be times when the Connor McDavids and Nathan MacKinnons of the world will need to be relatively neutralized.
If the Ducks are to push for the playoffs, they’ll need a center who can go toe-to-toe with the NHL’s elite offensive players. They could benefit from adding their William Karlsson, Anthony Cirelli, or Anton Lundell-esque player who can absorb heavy defensive minutes and kill penalties while providing offense and dictating possession.
Dallas Stars forward Mikael Granlund is the free agent market’s most suitable fit. The potential drawback, however, of adding both a top-of-the-lineup producer and a middle-six two-way center is that, barring a subtraction, it would place a top-nine forward onto the fourth line and lower in the lineup than they’d have been playing in recent years.
Mobile Defensive Defenseman
On paper, the Ducks have a full blueline. They have six NHL regular defensemen remaining from 2024-25: Jackson LaCombe, Radko Gudas, Olen Zellweger, Jacob Trouba, Pavel Mintyukov, and Drew Helleson. Helleson is an RFA and the only member of that group in need of a new contract.
Tristan Luneau had an impressive rookie season in the AHL, leading all rookie defensemen in scoring with 52 points (9-43=52) in 59 games. Luneau (six games) and Ian Moore (three games) each saw NHL time with the Ducks last season and could fill a role as a sixth or seventh defenseman in 2025-26.
Like the forward core, the blueline is brimming with potential and complementary veterans. However, if the Ducks intend to make the jump from an 80-point non-playoff team to a 95-point wild-card team, they’ll need an impactful upgrade on the back end.
Gudas and Trouba represent a foregone archetype of what a defensive defenseman is. They could still be impact players in the proper circumstances, such as a potential defensive zone coverage scheme shift.
Still, the blueline could use the addition of a more modern variation of the position: a fluid and mobile defender who can mirror attackers, eliminate time and space, and apply pressure to puck carriers over the entire 200-foot ice surface. They need their version of a Mattias Ekholm, Gustav Forsling, or Jaccob Slavin.
Unlike with the potential forward needs, the free agent market doesn’t hold an ideal fit for the Ducks. The most high-profile defenseman on the market is Florida Panthers blueliner Aaron Ekblad. Ekblad has familiarity with Quenneville from their time together in Florida, but he’s seen his fair share of injuries in the past five years of his career, perhaps rendering his four-way mobility more limited than it once was.
If the Ducks intend to add to their blueline this offseason, the trade market could prove the way forward.
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