Three reasons the Ducks will be taking a big step forward this season
The Anaheim Ducks had a busy offseason bringing in some key players to help fill out their roster. Now they are trending in the right direction because of their moves. The Ducks did not make the playoffs in 2021-22, but that could potentially change for next season if things keep trending in the right direction.
The Anaheim Ducks ended the 2021-22 season outside of the playoffs looking in.
They were seventh in the Pacific Division with a record of 31-37-14, and they were out of the playoff race pretty early after a rather good start to the season. This upcoming season could see the Ducks push for the playoffs into late March or early April as this team is a lot better on paper thanks to some of the additions they made.
Last year the Ducks were led by Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. Terry had 37 goals and 30 assists in 75 games while Zegras registered 61 points in 75 games, not bad for a young 20-year-old. After their top two stars, the point totals dropped for the Ducks with Adam Henrique next up with 42 points in 58 games.
After that Cam Fowler led the blue line with 42 points as well. Followed by Ryan Getzlaf with 37 points in 56 games.
The Ducks are losing their long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf heading into this season as he announced his retirement towards the end of the 2021-22 season. Losing Getzlaf is not going to be easy for this Ducks team.
While it might take some time to establish who the new voice and leader in the locker room is, the on-ice product should be able to transition quickly thanks to some of the big names the team added this offseason.
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.
2. The young players will all be back.
The Ducks are bringing back a very similar crew from last season, including the young players on this roster. Guys like Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, Sonny Milano, Jamie Drysdale, Isac Lundestrom and Sam Steel will all be back this upcoming season.
The young players on this roster are going to be a big reason for the step forward this team could take next season, and that is due to them all expanding on their game and growing in confidence thanks to the experience they gained last season.
The Ducks were among the most interesting teams to watch last season due to their skill and speed. Watching Zegras score highlight reel goals was a breath of fresh air in the league, and I think the team all learned a lot facing some of the adversity they faced.
If Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras can pick up where they left off and the rest of the young players take a step forward, there is a good chance this team could potentially make the playoffs. I mean it has happened before.
3. The Ducks would not be the first team to turn things around quickly.
The last big reason the Ducks could turn things around quickly comes down to the division they are playing in. The Pacific Division is not the strongest in the NHL right now. The Sharks and Kraken are both rebuilding.
The Oilers, Flames and Golden Knights are all trying to stay competitive, and the Canucks and Kings are trying to build off some positive momentum last season. The Kings were last year’s surprising team from the Pacific to make the playoffs. Their young core finally took that next step to basically end their rebuild. That paired with some additions like Phillip Danault and Victor Arvidsson made this team a playoff team in 2021-22.
The Kings are a prime example of what the Ducks are trying to do. They already added some of the big-name guys through the draft. They have Zegras and Drysdale, now they need to take that next step and have their young players see what a round in the Stanley Cup playoffs could be like.
The Pacific is wide open entering the new season. There are reasons for and against the top five or six teams to be in the playoffs. While it could be easy to pick and choose which three to four teams will be competing for playoff spots in other divisions, I do not think the Pacific is that cut and dry right now.
Last season was fun for Ducks fans. Watching Trevor Zegras break into the league and make this team competitive was fun. Now it is time for this roster to take that next step and compete all year long for a trip to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.