After an offseason of changes, the Anaheim Ducks are hoping a younger roster, along with better health from John Gibson, leads them back to the postseason.
The Anaheim Ducks went through quite a few changes this summer. They let go of head coach Randy Carlyle after it became clear he wasn’t the right coach for them moving forward. Replacing him will be successful AHL head coach Dallas Eakins.
Gone is Corey Perry, who might well be the second-best wing in Ducks history, trailing only Teemu Selanne. His buyout was painful, but necessary, as it should open up a roster spot for a younger player to make the team. Also, the Ducks had eight players over the age of 30 play at least 20 games for them last season. This season could see that number cut down to three.
All of this plus Eakins’ hiring suggests the Ducks are beginning a retooling or rebuilding process. He has been a great coach in the AHL, helping a number of the Ducks’ younger players develop into regular NHL players. The big question is, how well will Eakins work with older players like Ryan Getzlaf?
For most of the salary cap era, the Ducks have been in the postseason conversation. Their chances might not seem good on paper, but they certainly exist. Crazier things have happened. The Ducks are hoping a younger roster and a necessary change behind the bench will have them playing competitive hockey again.
Offseason Review
Added: Nicolas Deslauriers, Andreas Martinsen, Jani Hakanpää, Michael Del Zotto, Justin Kloos, Chris Wideman, Anthony Stolarz, Blake Pietila, Andrew Poturalski
Re-signed: Ryan Miller, Korbinian Holzer, Derek Grant, Sam Carrick
Lost: Corey Perry, Andrej Sustr, Jake Dotchin, Jaycob Megna, Ben Street, Andy Welinski
The Ducks were fairly quiet after the start of free agency, which isn’t new for them. Despite his age, Miller’s still a very reliable backup. And if age finally catches up to him, Stolarz could be a quality backup option.