Although there was some hope that the Anaheim Ducks would take a step forward last season — especially with the additions of Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas in free agency — the team struggled mightily once again in 2023-24. It was the sixth straight postseason-less campaign for the Ducks, who continue to rebuild but do so at a snail's pace.
Heading into a new NHL season, the hope in California is that the talented young core can take another step forward. That includes the likes of Cutter Gauthier, who was brought over in a shock trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, along with Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Olen Zellweger, among others. After finishing either seventh or eighth in the Pacific Division in each of the last four seasons, it's time for this roster to make some meaningful progress.
But ahead of training camp, the future of Trevor Zegras continues to loom large. After a brutal showing last year that involved the 23-year-old playing just 31 games, the once-hyped star forward is the biggest question mark on this roster ahead of 2024-25. Add a declining veteran goaltender and a weak D-core, and it's easy to once again peg this club into the lower-echelon of the league next season.
What will Ducks do with Trevor Zegras?
Although Zegras' name has been swirling in trade rumors more than probably any other player over the last year, the Bedford, NY native remains part of the equation — for now. Zegras burst onto the scene after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, scoring 61 points in 75 games in 2021-22 and following it up with 23 goals and 65 points in 81 tilts the next year.
But the wheels fell off for one of the most highly touted prospects in Anaheim's history last season. Zegras was injured for most of the year, only playing roughly a third of his team's games and chipping in just six goals and 15 points in the process. That's not at all what the Ducks had hoped for after two excellent seasons. The third was an absolute disaster, and Zegras has widely been considered a top trade candidate since.
But the former Boston University Terrier is still on the roster, and with every day that goes by this summer, there seems to be less of a chance he'll be moved. Although the Montreal Canadiens reportedly made a significant offer, along with a few other teams, it looks more likely than not that Zegras will still be a Duck come training camp.
How head coach Greg Cronin decides his forward lines will be directly correlated to Zegras' availability come September. Daily Faceoff currently projects him at second line center, along with Gauthier and Frank Vatrano, with Carlsson, Killorn and Troy Terry occupying first-line positions. But if he's traded before the season, it significantly weakens the center depth. As it is, Zegras is barely playing like a 2C, and he'll need to return to form if this top-six is going to be ready to take the next step in 2024-25.
Can John Gibson return to his old self?
Another huge concern for the Ducks is the play of netminder John Gibson. It's a bit surprising that he also remains on the roster despite the team's futility over the last half-decade. Still, this was one of the top goaltenders in the league for quite a while, although age has caught up to the 31-year-old in the worst way.
The 2023-24 campaign was one of Gibson's worst; he made 46 appearances and won just 13 of them, sporting a 3.54 goals-against average and .888 save percentage in that span. Things were even worse the year before, when he triumphed in just 14 of 53 games while adding a 3.99 GAA and .899 SV%. Not exactly encouraging numbers for a team that is going to need competent goaltending in order to get back to the postseason.
The good news is that Lukas Dostal has proven to be a more-than-capable backup, and that might not be the case for much longer after he appeared in 44 games in 2023-24. His 3.33 GAA and .902 SV% were encouraging considering he's only 24, and he should continue to challenge for starts between the pipes. Still, Gibson is on the books for another three seasons and making $6.4 million in each of them. He needs to be better, or else he could be playing second fiddle to Dostal in 2024-25.
Ducks' D-core doesn't inspire much confidence
Both Gibson and Dostal do deserve some slack; Anaheim's defensive unit hasn't exactly made things easy over the last few seasons. And it remains a roster concern heading into 2024-25.
That being said, there are a few young guys on the unit who look ready to play big minutes. That includes Zellweger, who played 26 games last year and chipped in a very respectable nine points in that span. He looks poised to join veteran Cam Fowler on the top pairing, who still has some game after potting 39 points while quarterbacking the top powerplay unit.
Gudas struggled last season, and at age 34, he shouldn't be playing top-four minutes. Neither should new addition Brian Dumoulin (32), although both veterans will be relied upon to help mentor the youth revolution in Anaheim. That includes Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, who both showed flashes of encouraging play last year.
This blue line still projects to be one of the weaker units in the league, and if Dostal takes over the starting job from Gibson, he'll have his hands full. There are still a ton of concerns throughout this roster, and it'll be interesting to see if a talented forward core can help to mitigate some of those problems next season. Most likely, it'll be another long campaign in Anaheim, but it shouldn't be too much longer before this squad is competing for a playoff spot again.
Follow Us
Subscribe