The Anaheim Ducks have not experienced this level of success early in the season in years. Sitting in first place in the Pacific Division, Anaheim is clicking on all cylinders. With the right moves over the past few seasons, the Ducks have solidified themselves as one of the league's up- and-coming teams. Do they have enough to win the division or is this just early-season success?
How do the Ducks fare in league stats?
Anaheim is not a team one would think of as having an impact in a tough division. However, after the first month of the 2025-26 season, they sit in first place. They are 11-3-1, ranking second in the entire league. As a team, they have outscored the opposition 62-46 and eeveryone on the team is contributing. While they are not a deep team, players on the third and fourth lines are finding a way to contribute and keep this team rolling.
The Ducks are 5-1 at home and are 6-2-1 on the road. Anaheim is a staggering 9-1-1 in their last 11 games. They now play a simple game, relying on their skill set and instincts instead of trying to run and gun every game. Their patience is also noticeable, as they now wait for the opposition to make a mistake instead of getting out of position to make a play. Anaheim is playing a team game here everyone is responsible and their work ethic is playing off on the ice.
Stars leading Ducks to success
The star of the young season for the Ducks has been young gun Leo Carlsson, who has come into the season on a mission. He has 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points in 15 games, sitting in second place for league scoring. Carlsson is also ninth in assists (15) and third in short-handed goals (2).
Another young star at forward making noise is Cutter Gauthier, who is sixth in the league with 11 goals. Veterans have also been a big piece of the teams' success. Defenseman Jacob Trouba leads the league in plus/ minus with a +16, and goal scorer Chris Kreider is fifth in the league with five power-play goals.
Goaltender Lukas Dostal has been a difference maker between the pipes. This season, he is 8-3-1 with a 2.66 goals against average and a .908 save percentage. He has won his last six games and is second among goaltenders in wins, and is sixth in saves with 314. He has been solid since his NHL debut in January 2022 and if he can continue this hot play the Ducks may see the playoffs this season.
Anaheim as a team is coming together as a solid unit and everything is coming together at the right time. They are second in the league with 62 goals scored, are first in goals scored per game average (4.13), and are fourth in shots per game (30.1). As the fifth youngest team in the league (27.2 years), they are a fun team to watch and are a team on the rise. They have the foundation to be a team that could make a serious push once they are in the playoffs and have the leadership to have everyone on the same page.
For years Anaheim struggled to get things together on the ice but it looks like they have done so. Anaheim is flying this season by getting contributions from everyone and that could be huge down the stretch.