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The Anaheim Ducks must power out of their rebuild soon. The Ducks drafted Beckett Sennecke third overall to help them do that in 2024. With just weeks to go before training camp, they were given brutal injury news on the forward. Sennecke will be out for six to eight weeks with a foot fracture, according to NHL.com.
The Ducks surprised many by taking Sennecke so high in the draft. They were wooed by his 68 points in 61 games with the Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League. He fits the mold of the Ducs forward unit very well, as they have plenty of centers to run the offense but need finishing wingers. That's why they reached for Sennecke at number three.
The young core is led by Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Cutter Gauthier, all of whom played center in their amateur careers. While Zegras has played some wing in the pros, the Ducks were wise to take a score-first winger in the draft. Sennecke is unlikely to make the team in 2024, but he will be important in the future.
The Ducks should make a run at a playoff spot this season. With their young core gaining experience and John Gibson still in goal, they could do well in the Western Conference. What should fans expect from their top players in the 2024-25 season?
Expectations for the Ducks for 2024-25
The Ducks have not made the playoffs since 2018 and have finished in the bottom two of the Pacific Division in four straight seasons. They have taken advantage of their high picks by taking skilled forwards and putting them in positions to succeed. They then traded defenseman Jamie Drysdale for Gauthier to grab another scorer.
The Western Conference is not full of many playoff contenders outside of the elite teams. The Golden Knights, Avalanche, Oilers, and Stars are Cup contenders but the playoff squads beyond them are not fantastic. The Ducks could take their offensive core and fly through the teams above them in the standings.
While the road is there, it won't be an easy one. FanDuel has their playoff odds at +870, among the longest in the entire league. They won only 27 games last year and did not add any name-brand players in free agency this summer. There are usually teams who come out of nowhere to make the playoffs. Last year, no one expected the Devils to miss the playoffs or the Canucks to win the Pacific, but they did and give the Ducks hope to shock the world.
Beckett Sennecke will rehab his foot fracture and be back on the ice by November. While this does inhibit his ability to make the Ducks, it will help his development in the long term to play below the NHL level. Whether he plays with the American Hockey League's San Diego Gulls or somewhere else, expect him to shine in his first professional season.
Expectations from the Ducks are more centered around individual accomplishments. 20-goal seasons from Zegras, McTavish, and Gauthier would help the Ducks finally get out of this rebuild.
