Three reasons the Ducks will be taking a big step forward this season

1. The Addition Of John Klingberg and Ryan Strome

The Ducks made some big moves early on free agency day when they signed Ryan Strome to a five-year 25 million dollar deal. Strome will take up five million against the salary cap for the next five seasons, and the Ducks will have a good top-six center they can rely on to help lead the team.

This past season Strome had 54 points in 74 games for the New York Rangers. He played over 18 minutes a night and added nine points during the playoffs. Strome has the potential to take on a big role with this team from the minute the season starts.

This is what general manager Pat Verbeek had to say about the addition of Strome in July via NHL.com:

"From a leadership standpoint, it’s going to be very, very important. Obviously, he’s a really good playmaker and had a good year scoring goals this year as well. So, I think having someone that’s very productive offensively and someone that is going to provide really good culture and really good leadership in the locker room was very important for our club and we addressed that.”"

Another big addition is Frank Vatrano also from the Rangers. Vatrano registered 32 points last season in games with the Rangers and Panthers. The 28-year-old has played 401 games in the NHL for the Rangers, Panthers and Bruins. Adding Vatrano gives this team another option to use in their middle six.

The last big addition came on the defense in John Klingberg. Klingberg is a defenseman who can lead the blue line for the Ducks. He can play the big minutes, be the quarterback of the power play, and potentially put up a lot of points this upcoming season.

More importantly, Klingberg can be a voice in the locker room that can help Jamie Drysdale develop into a top pair defenseman. Drysdale is still only 20 years old and while his future is bright, he can definitely benefit from learning firsthand from a top pair defensemen like Klingberg.