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After years at the bottom of the Pacific Division, the Anaheim Ducks have made a concerted effort to get better in 2025, using their 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft to land center Roger McQueen while adding Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund in free agency.
Discussing how it feels to go from a team that has focused on a youth movement to a squad with more serious playoff aspirations, Ducks forward Ryan Strome told NHL.com that he's optimistic to see his squad take a step forward.
“I just think that the last three years have been pretty tough,” Strome told NHL.com. “The year before I came to Anaheim, I was with the (New York) Rangers, and we went to the Conference Final. I kind of knew Anaheim was at a different stage, but losing kind of wears on you. So now to see some light at the end of the tunnel and to see us trying to turn that corner and make the right moves to take that next step is exciting to see it through.
“It's been a lot of hard work the last couple years, but to see the optimism about the young players and a new coach, it's exciting. When you have that feeling going into camp that the sky's the limit, it's a good feeling. It's a great place to play and place to live, and if we can add winning to that equation, it will be even more awesome.”
Will this be the year the Ducks return to the playoffs, showing fans that all the losing was justified while setting the stage for another extended run of prosperous Anaheim hockey? While only time will tell, in Strome's opinion, it's on the players to show how good they can be, as they have the tools needed to be successful.
“It's time for us players now to take a step and put some responsibility on our plates to bring it into the season,” Strome said. “We have all the help in the world now with these veteran guys and a coach like (Quenneville) to help us reach this next level.”
