The Anaheim Ducks have had a remarkable season, rising all the way to the top of the Pacific Division. However, just a couple of weeks ago in mid-March, the Ducks had a fairly notable lead over the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights in the division.
That is no longer the case. With seven games to go in the regular season for all three teams, the Ducks (41-29-5, 87 points) lead the Oilers (38-28-9, 85 points) by two points and the Golden Knights (33-26-16, 82 points) by five.
The Ducks have lost their last three games — all in regulation — while the Oilers have gotten hot with a four-game winning streak. The VGK fired head coach Bruce Cassidy earlier in the week and replaced him with hard-nosed John Tortorella and that move could wake up that somnambulant team.
As a result, the Ducks' position at the top of the Pacific is no longer secure. They could be replaced by the Oilers and they could fall to the second or third spot in the division. That would be problematic for a team that features some of the best young talent in the Western Conference and perhaps the league.
Head coach Joel Quenneville would like to see his team hold on to the top spot because it would include a first-round playoff matchup against the No. 1 Wild Card team. That is likely to be the Utah Mammoth, another team that has been something of a surprise this season.
However, if they lose the top spot in the Pacific, a more difficult first-round matchup awaits and a very nasty route in the playoffs is likely to follow.
Ducks have a dangerous lineup that could respond in the postseason
The Ducks have a dangerous offensive team that includes Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke at the top of their scoring chart. In addition to those young players who will form the core of their team for years, they have a couple of veteran playoff performers in left wing Chris Kreider and defenseman Jacob Trouba who can come through in the toughest moments of the most important games.
Gauthier (lower-body injury) is the team's leading scorer and has become very dangerous with his pinpoint shot. He has scored a team-leading 38 goals and 65 points, that includes 10 power play markers. Carlsson is a brilliant center who skates well and has scored 26 goals and 63 points. Sennecke is a dynamic rookie and he would have a great chance to win the NHL's Calder Trophy (top rookie award) if it wasn't for New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaeffer. He has lit the lamp 22 time and handed out 35 assists for 57 points.
Kreider was a dangerous weapon for the New York Rangers for years and the decision to trade him to the Ducks in 2025 may be the reason why that team has been such a disappointment this season. He has 22 goals and 25 assists this season and is one of the most dangerous scorers around the net. Trouba is a tough, physical presence who will cross the line on occasion, but he also gives opponents something to fear every time he steps on the ice.
First-round matchup could be brutal if Ducks lose Pacific crown
This is a solid group that could be a dangerous playoff team, but if they get passed by the Oilers and have to play the Golden Knights in the first round, they could be in significant trouble.
There's little doubt that the VGK have been one of the most disappointing teams or they would not have fired Cassidy. It doesn't seem likely that an association with Tortorella will be a successful long-term solution, but the old-school boss could provide a temporary lift.
A team with Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone and Pavel Dorofeyev is capable of winning in the playoffs, especially in the opening round. The Ducks could be in significant trouble against a team that won the 2023 Stanley Cup, although they would be better off in second place and having home ice in that round.
If the Golden Knights surge to the top of the division ahead of the Ducks and the Oilers, Anaheim would face Connor McDavid and the Oilers in the first round. If a first-round matchup with the VGK would be difficult, a series with the Oilers would be next to impossible.
McDavid and the Oilers have lost in the Stanley Cup Finals each of the last two years, and once the playoffs get underway, they will smell their opportunity to get there once again and potentially come out with the victory. Leon Draisaitl (lower body) is likely to be back by the start of the playoffs, and that will make playing the Oilers even more difficult for the young Ducks.
The nightmare scenario for the Ducks is losing the Pacific crown and having to face either Vegas or Edmonton in the first round of the playoffs.
