2022–23 NHL team preview: Anaheim Ducks

LAST SEASON

In the first half of 2022-23, the Ducks seemed to be ascending in a wide-open Pacific Division. By mid-November, they were riding an eight-game winning streak and held a 10-4-3 record, buoyed by an incredible goal-scoring binge from right winger Troy Terry, who buried 24 goals in his first 41 games.

The momentum didn’t last, however. They had a losing record over their next 30-game stretch, and that coincided with major changes in management. In November, longtime GM Bob Murray resigned after he had been placed on administrative leave for inappropriate workplace conduct, and he entered an alcohol abuse program. Pat Verbeek was named GM in February, just as the Ducks’ playoff hopes were dimming, and he decided to go scorched-earth. He traded roster pillars Josh Manson, Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell in March as the trade deadline approached.

Stripped down to the wood, the Ducks ended up losing 11 straight games at one point down the stretch. They also said goodbye to their captain and franchise leader in most offensive categories, Ryan Getzlaf, who retired at the end of the season. The 2021-22 campaign’s final months weren’t entirely gloomy, however. Center Trevor Zegras had a memorable rookie season, thrilling fans with his highlight-reel ‘Michigan’ goals and finishing second in the Calder Trophy vote, while defenseman Jamie Drysdale showed significant promise as a 19-year-old.

KEY ADDITIONS & DEPARTURES

Additions
John Klingberg, D
Ryan Strome, C
Frank Vatrano, RW
Olli Juolevi, D
Glenn Gawdin, C

Departures
Sam Steel, C (UFA)
Sonny Milano, LW (UFA)
Greg Pateryn, D (retired)
Jacob Larsson, D (Ott)
Buddy Robinson, RW (Chi)
Vinni Lettieri, C (Bos)
Brogan Rafferty, D (Sea)
Andrej Sustr, D (KHL)
Gerry Mayhew, RW (Fla)

OFFENSE

The Ducks remained relatively anemic on offense last season, sitting 24^th in the NHL in goals per game, but they were far more dangerous and interesting than they have been in years. The dynamic, confident Zegras, 21, changes the team’s look entirely. He had 29 points in 33 games after the All-Star break, flashing potential to become a legitimate star No. 1 NHL center who can eventually compete for scoring titles. He’s that good, and he helped unlock Terry, 24, who had long been considered one of Anaheim’s best prospects but hadn’t realized his potential at the NHL level before his 37-goal explosion in 2021-22.

Drysdale took his lumps defensively as a teenager but showed excellent puck-moving ability and, like Zegras, changes the team’s long-term identity on defense. Those two represent the team’s future, but they have help arriving in the present, too. Verbeek switched philosophies and behaved more aggressively this offseason, adding a No. 2 center in Ryan Strome, an efficient goal-scoring winger in Frank Vatrano and, relatively late in the free-agent game, defenseman John Klingberg on a one-year pact. There seems to be a skill-set redundancy between the offensive-minded Klingberg, Drysdale and Kevin Shattenkirk, all right-handed D-men who are used to being power-play quarterbacks, but the Ducks undeniably look improved offensively on paper. After having the NHL’s worst power play in 2020-21, they jumped all the way to 14^th last season. That’s the Zegras effect.

DEFENSE

The Ducks were below average defensively in 2021-22 and depleted what was not so long ago a formidable D-corps when they traded Manson and Lindholm. Anaheim ranked in the bottom half of the league at preventing 5-on-5 shots, scoring chances and high-danger chances and had the 10^th-highest expected goals against per 60 in 5-on-5 play. They had the league’s 20^th-ranked penalty kill.

It’s possible things get worse before they get better on defense. Klingberg was a noteworthy addition to the blueline but has never been known for thwarting enemy attacks. He specializes in high-event hockey, creating a lot of offense for his team – and for his opponents. Between him, Cam Fowler, Drysdale, Shattenkirk and Urho Vaakanainen, the Ducks have tons of mobility but very little snarl, especially when the rugged Simon Benoit isn’t guaranteed to be a nightly lineup fixture as the team’s No. 6/7 defenseman. Same goes for their forward group, in which the Maxes, Comtois and Jones, are the only major physical threats. This Anaheim team should be fast and fun but will get pushed around and allow plenty of chances, too.

GOALTENDING

Rumors swirled this offseason that starting netminder John Gibson, who has five years left on his contract at a $6.4 million cap hit, wanted off the rebuild ship in Anaheim. But Gibson publicly pushed back against the chatter and insisted he still wants to be part of the long-term plan in Orange County. He has struggled badly of late and posted a .904 save percentage in 2021-22. Among 84 goalies with at least 1,000 minutes played at 5-on-5 in the past three years, he sits 61^st in goals saved above average per 60. Yet the Ducks over that span were 29^th in the NHL in expected goals against per 60. In other words, Gibson has had no help in front of him. In a previous three-year stretch from 2015-16 through 2017-18, with even a middling defense in front of him, he was 15^th of 74 in GSAA/60.

So that implies, Gibson, 29, can still regain his elite form if he gets better defensive play in front of him. That may not happen this year, however. He also has to look over his shoulder after backup Anthony Stolarz badly outplayed him in 2021-22, posting a .917 SV% and three shutouts.

COACHING

Dallas Eakins has not enjoyed any success at the NHL level. He holds a 113-163-46 record in parts of five seasons between Anaheim and the Edmonton Oilers and has never coached a playoff game. That said, he’s mostly been tasked with shepherding young, rebuilding teams, and Verbeek kept removing pieces from the roster last season, so there wasn’t a lot Eakins could do to stop the losing. The Ducks appreciate the continuity he’s brought to the young players after coaching several of them with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, before they promoted him to the AHL for 2019-20. The franchise gave him a vote of confidence by picking up his contract option for 2022-23, though it remains to be seen how long his leash will prove to be should Anaheim struggle early on this season.

ROOKIES

The Ducks launched a new era with full seasons of Zegras and Drysdale and should graduate their other mega-prospect to the NHL this season: Mason McTavish, who got a nine-game sample last season before being returned to major junior so he wouldn’t burn Year 1 of his entry-level contract. He is currently torching the World Junior Championship as Canada’s captain and should eventually emerge as a key long-term leader for Anaheim given his responsible two-way game and tireless work ethic.

McTavish is Anaheim’s No. 2 center of the future, but the Strome signing slows down the clock. It means McTavish can get some run on the wing if Eakins wants him in a top-six role but with less responsibility, or it means McTavish can enjoy some sheltered matchups centering a bottom-six line. He’s a name to remember in the Calder Trophy race. Another Ducks rookie to watch if he cracks the lineup at some point this season is goal-scoring winger Jacob Perreault, whom Anaheim picked 27^th overall in 2020. He played in one NHL game last season. Also keep an eye on defenseman Olen Zellweger, a 2021 second-rounder, if he wows in training camp.

BURNING QUESTIONS

1. Buyers or sellers? The Ducks blew it up at the 2022 trade deadline, then completely reversed course this offseason with their additions. So who are they, exactly? Maybe they don’t know yet. The one-year term for Klingberg is a crucial safety valve. If the Ducks stink in 2022-23, they can get a nice return at the deadline for him.

2. Should we believe John Gibson? He vehemently denied the trade talk, but did the rumors really just materialize out of thin air? Perhaps Gibson’s denial was damage control knowing the odds of a trade were low. After all, how many teams would be willing to take on five more years at his price tag? And how do we know the Ducks would be willing to eat part of his AAV for so many seasons in a retained-salary transaction? A happy Gibson still has potential to play like an All-Star, but if his head isn’t in the game, will he cede more starts to Stolarz?

3. Are Max Comtois’ days numbered in Anaheim? Comtois has pinballed between looking like a future captain for stretches and being a healthy scratch. He hasn’t been able to establish a long-term identity with the team. His name surfaced in the rumor mill this offseason as a player who could benefit from a change of environment. Still just 23, capable of 15-plus goals and bringing a heavy-hitting game to the table, he could return something useful if Verbeek doesn’t believe there’s a long-term fit with the Ducks.

PREDICTION

The Ducks have their best foundation of young players since the early days of Getzlaf and Perry. It’s possible fans will consider Drysdale and McTavish household names a year from now the way they already do Zegras today. But that doesn’t mean this team is on the fast track just yet. Defensive play looks like a liability on paper. The franchise is travelling in the right direction, but it’s just a matter of how long the rebuild will take after Verbeek set the timeline back with his sell-off trades last season.

The Ducks seem further along than the San Jose Sharks and Seattle Kraken in the Pacific Division but might have a hard time rising higher than sixth this season.

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