Ducks' young phenoms bring hope for the future
The Anaheim Ducks are in a transformation period where the team is not at its best, but the future looking bright. The young talent on this team is not only special, but it represents the core of an up-and-coming team. The future stars of this team are not yet 25 years old and are only getting better.
Ducks have solid young pieces at each position
At the forward position, they are blessed with talented players. Leo Carlsson is 20 years old and is on the right path for a lengthy, successful career. Cutter Gauthier, acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers, is 21 years old and is a solid all-around player. Mason McTavish , 22, has already proven he can play in the NHL and has star written all over him. Although he has struggled, Trevor Zegras, 23, still has plenty of upside.
On the defensive side, Jackson LaCombe, 24, has not looked out of place since his NHL debut. Pavel Mintyukov, 21, has top-pairing potential and has a good all-around game. Olen Zelleweger, 21, is still new to the NHL game but looks like a solid NHLer.
Between the pipes, Lukas Dostal, 24, is already a proven netminder. Playing the starter role because of an injury to John Gibson, Dostal has been nothing short of amazing this season. He is already showing star potential and has kept the Ducks in every game this season. If Anaheim does anything in the future, it likely lies in the hands of Dostal, the goaltender of the future.
Many teams in the NHL have young talent, but Anaheim already has potential all-stars at each position, and they have not turned 25. A young team that has played well this season, the city of Anaheim has to be excited abotu this teams future. With McTavish, Mintyukov, and Dostal leading the charge, the playoffs my soon be in their sights.
As the sixth youngest team in the NHL at 27.09 years of age, the Ducks have plenty of time to turn into contenders in the playoffs. They have a nice foundation of young talent and a nice veteran presence surrounding them. However, this team is about the young talent carrying them into the future. It is up to the kids to take this team to the promise land.