Coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and approaching the March 7 trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks seem to be taking the strides forward they anticipated when the season kicked off.
Just how much progress they've made is debatable. There is plenty of grousing about the development of individual players under head coach Greg Cronin and his staff -- particularly given the team's younger, highest-upside talent -- but there's no denying that some collective movement has taken place. While they continue to lag offensively as the NHL's lowest-scoring team, the Ducks could play consequential games in March for the first time in many years.
Six wins in seven games gave the Ducks a 24-24-6 record before the break. In Cronin's first season, the Ducks didn't get their 24th victory until March 21. Had they not suffered a 1-5-2 stretch, and instead mixed in a few more wins and points before their recent surge, the Ducks could be talking realistically about a playoff push.
That's still not realistic at this stage, since they are nine points out with four teams to leap over. Any similar dip over their final 28 games will end discussion. That's why selling should again be part of the Ducks' deadline plan. The difference this time is, there isn't a need to solely collect assets for years down the line. It's time for general manager Pat Verbeek to further push them toward the lasting success he vowed to create.
As of now, the Ducks are in excellent shape with the salary cap -- $17.3 million available now, and $39.5 million for 2025-26 -- but don't have many useful impending unrestricted free agents to peddle. They've got their first-round picks for 2025 and 2026 but are without a second-round choice this year after dealing that with Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia for Cutter Gauthier. But they have extra selections in the third and fifth rounds. There's also an extra 2027 second-round pick to play with. While their 12th-ranked prospect pool is down from prior years, it still has intriguing pieces.
It feels like a soft sell should be in order, but with an eye to buy for next season and beyond if something unexpected is worth seizing on. Can the Ducks do that now, or is the summer a better time for a larger move? Let's go through the current roster and see which players could be moving or staying.
Leo Carlsson
Carlsson's second season hasn't seen him take a leap offensively. Part of that is often having linemates who don't match his skill level -- at least until Trevor Zegras was paired with him. Another part of it is turning over the puck too often when trying to force the action with his powerful skating. None of it has changed the Ducks' view of the 20-year-old Carlsson as an impact No. 1 center for years.
Lukáš Dostál
Everything lines up for Dostál to become Anaheim's lead goalie for the coming seasons. He's 24 and is playing like a No. 1 with a good .911 save percentage while saving 20 more goals than expected, per MoneyPuck. Dostál won't be a bargain anymore with his next contract, but the Ducks' run of quality stable goaltending continues.
Cutter Gauthier
While he's not tearing it up, with nine goals, Gauthier is progressing in his rookie season and is seventh among first-year players with 22 points. His minutes have fluctuated, as Cronin wants him to play a harder game more consistently. But the 21-year-old has mostly played on the third line and has forged some chemistry with Mason McTavish. He's laying some solid groundwork for a bigger future.
Jackson LaCombe
Perhaps the Ducks' biggest success story in terms of the growth he's made season over season, LaCombe has tapped into his offensive instincts from the blue line while displaying major growth with his defending. It feels like he's just scratched the surface of what he can do at the NHL level, and the Ducks have him signed on the cheap for another season before he's due a large pay bump.
Isac Lundestrom
The defensive-minded Lundestrom often is trusted to handle matchup assignments, and while his 47.6 percent win rate in the faceoff circle isn't impressive, it's one of the better marks on a team that's terrible on the dot. Lundestrom, 25, doesn't bring much offense and his placement here is more about the Ducks viewing the oncoming RFA as a necessity for their future.
Mason McTavish
The good news for the Ducks is that, after a sluggish start to the season, McTavish is playing his best hockey right now. He's also making a difference offensively and could be poised to carry that momentum into a big final push. Why put him in this section? Only because teams likely would ask for him as part of the return in a seismic trade for a franchise-level forward. And the Ducks are in position to afford one.
Trevor Zegras
As much as his fans would love the trade speculation around Zegras to float away like mist, it probably won't until the Ducks emphatically state that he's off-limits and make a long-term commitment with his next contract. His absence showed how much the offense-challenged club needs his playmaking element -- they're 6-2-0 since his return from knee surgery.
Olen Zellweger
The Ducks have been dealing with a crowded blue line all season. It didn't change when Jacob Trouba essentially replaced the departed Cam Fowler, even though they're stylistically different players. And that has put Zellweger on the outside -- too often scratched for a still-developing 21-year-old. One thing that works against the smooth-skating puck-mover is that he doesn't have the size that Verbeek likes for his defense.
Brian Dumoulin
If you're talking about pending UFAs on the roster, there's no better trade asset than Dumoulin. The Ducks invested a 2026 fourth-round pick to get the 33-year-old defender from Seattle and they've gotten what they hoped from him. Long viewed as someone who can handle tough minutes, Dumoulin has been leaned on in that role and could be a solid flip, with a second-round choice (or better?) as a return.
Robby Fabbri
Fabbri has had two different seasons in one - before knee surgery and after. He's been a different player since missing a month of action, as he has six goals and 13 points in 27 games since returning in December. How much does a useful third-line forward bring in return as a deadline trade? The Ducks, who do like what he brings, ought to listen if there's interest in the pending UFA.
Radko Gudas
Gudas became the franchise's ninth captain before the season. It isn't unheard of for a team to deal its captain so soon after bestowing that honor on him -- for instance, Seattle traded Mark Giordano in its inaugural season. But Gudas, 34, has another year left on his contract and embodies the hard-to-play-against characteristic that Verbeek desires.
Drew Helleson
Early in the season, Cronin craved more balance in his defense pairs, and Verbeek subsequently went about putting more right-hand shots in the mix after sending Tristan Luneau to the AHL. Trouba was the big-name addition, but Helleson was promoted on Nov. 13 and has been a steady surprise. The 23-year-old got the message to put more edge into his defensive game.
Alex Killorn
The salary cap's sharp rise over the next three years could put more of the focus on Killorn, the player, and less on his contract, which is outsized compared to the modest production he's delivered and includes a full no-trade clause this season. But the player's work ethic and example-setting are highly valued. His skating and skill may not match some of his teammates, but his play-driving and defensive metrics are among the best on the team.
Pavel Mintyukov
If Dumoulin is traded, Mintyukov figures to stay in the lineup every night, since the left-side logjam that has made him an occasional healthy scratch will have cleared. Some of the 21-year-old's advanced defensive metrics have been propped up by the team's terrific goaltending, and his possession numbers are worse than in his rookie season. But the Ducks remain very invested in the 2022 first-round pick.
Troy Terry
The Ducks made a major commitment in 2023 when they signed Terry to a seven-year, $49-million contract. He's their leading scorer and should reach 20 goals for the fourth consecutive season. But at 27, Terry may be more of a well-rounded 60-point winger for their second line, rather than the first-line scorer the club currently doesn't have.
Ryan Strome
Strome is having his best season since signing with Anaheim in 2022. He has been part of the Ducks' most consistent line. Additionally, he's got a history with Cronin and can be a conduit between the coach and his teammates. Mostly, he's a modest point-producer who still has two years left on his deal at $5 million AAV.
Frank Vatrano
The Ducks re-upped the winger on a creative deferred money contract for three more seasons. It's long enough for him to be part of their push toward playoff contention, but not too long to where the club could be worried about his production falling sharply as he moves further into his 30s.
John Gibson
Will someone step up and trade for the 31-year-old who is crafting an under-the-radar rebound season? Those caught up in the narrative that Gibson is washed as an elite goalie haven't bothered to see he's saving pucks at a .915 clip, his best in six years. There is still the matter of his contract, and whether the Ducks would eat any of his $6.4 million cap number. For now, they're enjoying his renaissance.
Jacob Trouba
Trouba is an interesting case in that the Ducks willingly used some of their ample cap space to take in full the defenseman's $8 million cap number. He has given them another established defender who has helped support their two strong goalies. It feels like this was more of a legitimate add to their blue line as opposed to a trade flip -- at least until his contract expires next season.
Jansen Harkins
Harkins, 27, is going to be appealing to NHL teams because he's a competitive organizational forward who can play an offensive role in the minors and comfortably switch to an energy fourth-line player when called up. The Ducks signed him for two seasons (at a hair above the league minimum), so they see his value.
Ross Johnston
Johnston has another year left on the contract Anaheim inherited with his waiver claim for $1.1 million. The cost isn't an impediment to roster construction with the salary cap rising. It's about whether Verbeek and team brass deem the forechecking left wing, and his ability to deter opponents' on-ice liberties, as an essential element. To this point, they do.
Brett Leason
Leason, 25, has gained traction in the NHL with his move to Anaheim just before the 2022-23 season. He's working on a one-year contract and is a serviceable fourth-line wing who can do some penalty-killing and chip in a little offense. Moving him makes sense if you're looking to open a spot for a younger prospect with higher upside.
Brock McGinn
McGinn's season ended when he underwent ACL surgery in January. It's the second straight year in which injury stunted any progress he was making with his play. With his contract expiring, McGinn has played in only 65 games with Anaheim over three seasons since he was acquired from Pittsburgh for Dmitry Kulikov. The third-round pick they also received became Tarin Smith, an intriguing WHL defenseman prospect.