After a mediocre first half of the 2024-25 National Hockey League season, the Anaheim Ducks are starting to show signs of life in a big way. A couple of weeks ago, it looked like Greg Cronin's team was dead in the water in the quest for a postseason berth. But since January 23, the Ducks have won six of seven games, in the process returning to relevance in the Western Conference.

Although the odds are still stacked against this roster when it comes to making the playoffs — Anaheim remains nine points back of the final wildcard berth — it's been a hugely positive stretch for the organization nonetheless. Now back to .500 at 24-24-6, the 13-day 4 Nations Face-Off break probably didn't come at a great time for the surging squad.

Regardless, will the recent string of success convince general manager Pat Verbeek and the front office that selling might not be the best strategy between now and the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline?

Should Anaheim buy or sell?

The short answer is probably not. Yes, the Ducks haven't made the playoffs since 2017-18 — and they were swept by the San Jose Sharks in Round 1 that year. But as currently constructed, this still doesn't project as a Stanley Cup contender just yet. The most likely scenario is that it will be another long offseason in California. It would take a herculean post-4-Nations effort to sneak into the dance come mid-April.

Anaheim's brass can't really take a chance that the team will continue to have success over the last 28 games of the season. Before their current heater, the Ducks had lost four games in a row and seven of eight, dropping to seventh place in the Pacific Division. While the surge has helped them leapfrog the Seattle Kraken in the division, there's still a long way to go.

It doesn't help that the two teams occupying the wildcard slots in the Western Conference are surging. The Vancouver Canucks have put their early season drama in the rearview and have won six of eight, while the Colorado Avalanche have come out on top in five of seven, and don't look to be missing Mikko Rantanen too much — in the short-term, at least.

Ducks have already made some moves this year

The recent surge will be unlikely to sway Verbeek from selling ahead of March 7. The franchise has already been busy on the trade market, acquiring Jacob Trouba from the New York Rangers in a mid-season blockbuster before bringing Justin Bailey to town from the San Jose Sharks' organization.

But they aren't expected to bring too many more players to Anaheim, especially as the roster looks a couple years away from Stanley Cup contention. The more likely scenario is that one of goaltender John Gibson or forward Trevor Zegras get moved. Gibson has been the team's main trade chip for years, but his $6.4 million cap hit has made it impossible up until now to find a suitor for him.

Zegras' value is probably as low as it's ever been after he managed just 15 points in 31 games last year and is at just 15 in 32 in 2024-25. The Bedford, New York native has struggled mightily over the last few seasons and just doesn't look like the same player he was when he broke into the league. The former first-round pick should still be attractive as a top-six scorer, and a change of scenery could be just what he needs.

What the Ducks should really be looking for is another tough forward up front — something the roster is lacking. Whether or not the club makes a late run for a postseason spot, Anaheim's fatal flaw is a lack of sandpaper.

Ducks' fatal flaw is a lack of toughness up front — and 1 player could fix that

Boston Bruins center Trent Frederic (11) tries to gain control of the puck during the first period against the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Although the Ducks have two bruising defensemen in Trouba and Radko Gudas, there aren't really any forwards who play a tough, playoff-style game besides Alex Killorn, who is past his prime at 35-years-old. There is a plethora of talent up front, but guys like Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano and Cutter Gauthier don't exactly play a hard game.

With Lukas Dostal on the come up in Anaheim, the goaltending looks to be set for years to come. And the same can be said for a young defensive unit that features a couple of former/current top prospects in Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, Jackson LaCombe and Drew Helleson.

It seems like only a matter of time before a very talented roster figures it out, and we could be seeing that in real-time. Still, one of Gibson or Zegras could be on the move, and if that happens, Verbeek should be trying to get a roster player back in return. And a perfect fit could be Boston Bruins forward Trent Frederic.

Of course, teams that sell at the deadline are not usually looking to bring roster players back to town, unless they fit the long-term vision of the organization. Frederic, who would bring a rough and tumble attitude that is badly needed in Anaheim's forward group, could do just that.

A former 29th overall pick by the Bruins in the 2016 NHL Draft, Frederic has spent his entire career in Massachusetts. His best showing came last season, when he managed career-highs across the board with 18 goals and 40 points over a full 82-game slate. The 26-year-old has fallen out of favor in Boston this year, and as the Bruins continue to struggle, his name has been mentioned in trade discussions throughout the campaign.

Although Frederic has only managed 14 points in 48 games this season, mainly in a bottom-six role, he would be a solid player to add to Anaheim's forward group. Pro Hockey Rumors' Gabriel Foley also sees Frederic as a potential fit in California:

“His heft down the lineup has proved helpful for a Bruins team in need of a star-protector. Frederic has four fighting majors this season, and was voted as the clear winner in all of them by fans on HockeyFights.com,” wrote Foley last week. “He could be a low-cost acquisition as the Ducks look for a physical spark in their bottom-six.”

The Ducks have nothing but cap space to work with, and could easily get the pending unrestricted free agent locked up. He also fits into Anaheim's rebuild at 26, and could be a complementary piece of the forward core for years to come.

As it stands, the front office can afford to be patient. Despite the hot streak, they're still unlikely to be a playoff team for a couple of years. With the season not yet lost but hanging by a thread, Anaheim could finally ship out a player like Gibson or Zegras and look toward the future. Bringing someone of Frederic's profile could help fix the Ducks' fatal flaw, and position them well to finish the 2024-25 season strong.