The Anaheim Ducks have been a rollercoaster ride in 2023-24. After losing four of their first five, this team went on a six-game heater, and looked like a playoff contender at 9-6 on Nov. 14. But the wheels have fallen off since.

Anaheim beat Nashville 3-2 that night to earn their best record of the season. Since then, the club has ridiculously won just four games — one of them in a shootout — in 22 tries. The Ducks suffered through an eight-game losing streak, then a five-game losing skid, and as of Thursday, are in the midst of another three-loss slide.

That has them at an abysmal 13-23-1 through 35 games, and it already seems like the postseason is out of reach. The Ducks are ahead of just the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks for the No. 32 spot in National Hockey League standings, and it wouldn't be too surprising if they remain in the bottom-three for the rest of the season.

The Ducks haven't made the playoffs since 2018, and it's clear that the rebuild will continue as expected for this roster for at least one more season. Unlike the Philadelphia Flyers, who were supposed to be bad but have defied all expectations, the Ducks' hot stretch in late October and early November was nothing short of a mirage.

Ducks don't need to trade for anyone

All of that to say, the Ducks will be selling hard, rather than buying, ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline in early March. They have a few unrestricted free agents who could entice a Stanley Cup contender between now and Mar. 8.

That includes 33-year-old Adam Henrique, who is playing out the final season of a five-year, $29.1 million contract he signed with the team in July of 2018. He's recorded a respectable 10 goals and 19 points in 36 games. Anaheim should be targeting draft picks for the veteran, and likely could get a decent return for a proven playoff performer.

Another name that could and should be dealt is Jakob Silfverberg, who himself is a UFA next summer and is likely playing out his last couple of weeks/months in a Ducks jersey. The return for him won't be much, as the 33-year-old Swede is struggling mightily in 2023-24. He's scored just one goal and seven points in 36 games, which is trending toward his worst NHL season.

On the back end, Ilya Lyubushkin, who signed a two-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres and was traded to California after one of them, is also likely to be on the move. He's contributed four assists from the blue line, and could play a role in a contending team's bottom pairing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

All of Henrique, Silfverberg and Lyubushkin figure to be calling a new city home come March, and the only targets Kris Verbeek should be looking for is draft capital and prospects. But the big decision the Ducks have to make revolves around their longtime starting goaltender.

John Gibson a huge question mark

John Gibson, Ducks

By the time the NHL Trade Deadline comes around, the Ducks will already be out of the running. That's just the reality. Is it time for star American John Gibson to get an opportunity to play in the postseason, something he hasn't done in six years?

The answer is probably. The 30-year-old is an experienced starter who has suffered over the past two seasons because of the incompetency of the roster in front of him. He's bounced back this year with a 2.96 goals-against average and .904 save percentage, and will be a worthwhile target for various teams ahead of the deadline.

Although Gibson will be tough to trade — he carries a $6.4 million cap hit for the next three seasons after this one — The Athletic's Chris Johnston included the American at No. 30 on his most recent trade board.

“With the Ducks heading toward a sixth straight playoff-less season, there will be renewed interest in Gibson, whose name has been part of trade discussions during recent offseasons and is surfacing again now with so many rival teams looking for an upgrade in goal,” wrote the insider.

“The Anaheim mainstay is having a good season individually, ranking ninth in the league through Tuesday in goals saved above expected (11.66), and he has shown himself to be a workhorse throughout an 11-year pro career. The biggest obstacle is the $6.4 million cap hit Gibson carries through the 2026-27 season. In a capped-out NHL world, that significantly complicates any potential transaction. But at 30 years old, Gibson may be more than worth the trouble.”

It will certainly be intriguing to see if Gibson remains an Anaheim Duck at the end of the season, as he is easily their best trade chip. This team should be continuing to build draft capital, and there's an excellent opportunity to get a haul back for the veteran. That's especially true with the way Lukas Dostal has played in his rookie season. The question is, after years of speculation, will this front office finally pull the trigger on a John Gibson deal?