Subscribe
Follow Us
The Anaheim Ducks are well on their way to missing out on the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh consecutive time. Although they aren't in one of the bottom two spots in the Pacific Division — which is where they've finished in each of the last four seasons — Greg Cronin's team is a full nine points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference as of March 20.
Despite an excellent stretch from mid-January to mid-February that saw the team win seven of eight games and get above .500, things have gone off the rails as of late. After losing nine of 13 games since that torrid stretch, the Ducks have fallen to 29-31-8, and with only 14 games left in their regular-season, they look destined for another postseason miss.
That being said, there are certainly some reasons for fans of the California franchise to be hopeful — and most of them surround the skilled young core the front office has put together. Here are three reasons why there are better times ahead in Anaheim.
Ducks have their goaltender of the future in Lukas Dostal
Although John Gibson has been the Ducks' starting goaltender for what feels like forever, his age is starting to catch up with him. That, coupled with the fact that he's battled injuries throughout the last few seasons, has allowed youngster Lukas Dostal to take over the net.
On a rebuilding Anaheim team, the 24-year-old managed over a .900 save percentage in each of his first two full campaigns with the club. And this year, he's been even better, winning 20 of his 44 starts while managing a very decent 2.96 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.
Those numbers aren't bad at all considering the blue line in front of him, and the Czech native figures to only get better once the team becomes more competitive. A former third-round selection, 85th overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft, Dostal should be the goaltender of the future in Anaheim. If and when this team returns to the postseason, he'll almost certainly be the one between the pipes.
Anaheim has a great young core that is really starting to produce
Along with Dostal's consistently solid play, general manager Pat Verbeek and the Ducks' front office have put together a strong young core that is starting to come into its own. Maybe the most exciting young player is Mason McTavish, who has broken out to the tune of 41 points in 62 games this season.
Along with Troy Terry, who is leading the squad with 50 points in 63 games, the Ducks have two key pieces of the future. As well, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier have had solid seasons, while Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo have made the jump from the AHL to the NHL full time. All four of those forwards should get even better as they get more experience in the National. Colangelo is especially interesting; after ripping up the American Hockey League with the San Diego Gulls, he's managed six goals over 20 games in 2024-25.
Article Continues Below
On the blue line, Anaheim has two former top-end prospects who have now graduated to full-time play. Jackson LaCombe has been excellent on both ends of the puck, managing a plus-four rating on a non-playoff team while breaking out offensively to the tune of 35 points in 61 games. Olen Zellweger hasn't been quite an impactful, but he's made a difference with 14 points in 50 games and will be relied upon in Anaheim for years to come. The same goes for Pavel Mintyukov, who was selected 10th overall in 2022.
The young core isn't quite there yet, and you'll know that just by watching this team play. But there is a ton of skill on the roster, and it's only a matter of time before they put all of the puzzle pieces together and begin contending for a playoff spot. For a little while in 2024-25, it looked like this might be the year the club did just that.
The Ducks aren't there yet, but that time is coming, especially with future difference-makers at all three positions in Dostal between the pipes, LaCombe on the blue line and, ideally, McTavish, Terry, Carlsson and Gauthier up front.
Ducks have a solid prospect pool, which will come to fruition in a few years
Along with an up-and-coming if unpolished young core, the Ducks will have reinforcements on the way over the next couple of seasons. The top prospect in the pipeline is 2024 third overall pick Beckett Sennecke, who has amassed 85 points in 54 OHL games with the Oshawa Generals. He's a legitimate game-breaker who could enter the NHL as soon as next season.
Along with Sennecke, a couple other forwards should be making their debuts sooner rather than later. That includes Sasha Pastujov; the former third-round pick is leading the AHL's Gulls with 42 points in 38 games. Alexandre Blais has managed 71 points in 58 QMJHL games, while the Ducks have an interesting talent in Artyom Galimov, who has been fantastic in the KHL to the tune of 59 points in 67 games. Whether or not he makes the transition to North America is yet unknown, but his talent is undeniable.
Anaheim also boasts another top-tier prospect on the blue line in Tristan Luneau. The Ducks' second-round pick in 2022, Luneau has managed a terrific 42 points in 46 games with the Gulls, and will almost certainly be getting the call to the big leagues in 2025-26. With a couple of veterans in Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba locked up for the next few seasons, the team's blue line could be even better next year.
Although the Ducks aren't quite there yet, they have their goalie of the future, a couple of high-ceiling forwards, and a few defenseman capable of playing big minutes long into the future. While another missed postseason is going to be disappointing for fans of this franchise, brighter times are undoubtedly ahead for the 2007 Stanley Cup champions.
