Summer Synopsis: Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks are stuck in the middle of the pond. Their playoff drought has now extended to six seasons, on the back of continuingly disappointing play from the team’s veterans. The Ducks now seems fully focused on building a new identity – one built around hard-hitting defensemen, shoot-first forwards, and new head coach Greg Cronin. Their moves this summer reflected that personality-building – though a quiet summer elsewhere will keep their expectations for low for the 2024-25 season.

Draft

1-3: F Beckett Sennecke, Oshawa (OHL)
1-23: D Stian Solberg, Vålerenga (Norway)
2-35: F Lucas Pettersson MoDo Hockey (Sweden)
3-66: F Maxim Massé, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
3-68: F Ethan Procyszyn, North Bay (OHL)
3-79: D Tarin Smith, Everett (WHL)
4-100: Alexandre Blais, Rimouski (QMJHL)
6-182: F Austin Burnevik, Madison (USHL)
7-214: D Darels Uljanskis, AIK (Sweden)

The Ducks took their turn in the spotlight in June, vindicating their rebuilding with yet another fantastic draft class. They started their haul with one of the draft’s biggest surprises, taking Sennecke – this year’s late-riser – at third-overall. While the pick shocked many – including Sennecke himself – general manager Pat Verbeek insisted it fit the personality-building Anaheim is striving for. He shared post-draft that, “[Sennecke] is going to be a guy who can play any type of game, a physical game, a skill game or a speed game.” That same sentiment can be applied to hard-hitting defenseman Stian Solberg, another late-riser after multiple strong performances as the top defender on Norway’s international teams. While both Sennecke and Solberg may have capped ceiling compared to the players drafted around them, they’re both easy to project into an NHL role.

Anaheim balanced out their gritty first-rounders with a pair of more skill-based forwards next. Both Pettersson and Massé shined as stout playmakers this season, capable of facilitating transition and creating space in the offensive end – though Pettersson much more of a pass-first centerman, while Massé is a power-forward with a heavy shot. Some public draft rankings had both Pettersson and Massé slated as first-round talents – giving the Ducks promising value through the middle rounds, even if both players will face an uphill battle adjusting to pro pace.

The strong value continued through Anaheim’s third round – with hard-nosed forechecker Procyszyn and high-upside defender Smith. Anaheim rounded out their class with a trio of stylized late-round picks – again finding a mix of skill and finesse, hard-nosed forechecking, and heavy hitting with the respective picks. While Anaheim hasn’t inspired much in the standings, their choices in this year’s draft reaffirms that they’re a team with a vision in mind.

Trade Acquisitions

Brian Dumoulin (Seattle)
Robby Fabbri (Detroit)

With a strong draft out of the way and not many contracts needing negotiated, Anaheim resigned to a fairly low-event summer – made evident by their general lack of involvement on the trade market. The Ducks’ only moves were the cheap acquisitions of veterans Dumoulin and Fabbri, which only cost the team the collective price of Gage Alexander – with the 2026 fourth-round pick traded for Dumoulin cancelled out by a 2025 fourth-rounder alongside Fabbri.

It doesn’t seem likely that either veteran will earn a high-impact role in Anaheim, even despite both boasting Stanley Cup wins. But Fabbri has dwindled to a third-line goal-scoring role, and 30-point consistency, while Dumoulin continues to serve as one of the league’s truest defensive-defensemen. They’ll both battle for roles among the Ducks’ bottom lines, with Dumoulin at an added disadvantage amid the pressure of so many top defensive prospects. He’ll likely face the more inconsistent role of the two as a result, while Fabbri joins the cycle of wingers in Anaheim’s bottom-six.

UFA Signings

F Jansen Harkins (two-year, $1.6MM)
F Carson Meyer (one-year, $775K)*
F Brett Leason (one-year, $1MM)
D Urho Vaakanainen (one-year, $1.1MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Anaheim’s quiet moves continued into the free agent market, where half of their action was re-signing restricted free agencies who became UFAs after not receiving qualifying offers. That duo – Leason and Vaakanainen – both managed six-figure contracts despite making it to the open market, and should rejoin the battles for ice time on Anaheim’s bottom lines that they each fought last year.

Leason will face added pressure from Anaheim’s other UFA signings – heavy-frame center Jansen Harkins and high-energy winger Carson Meyer. Harkins has played in 199 NHL games over the last five seasons, totaling a meager 31 points but offering a noticeable physical presence from the fourth line. He’ll stand as a fill-in when Anaheim is looking for harder hitting, while Meyer will likely start in the AHL. That’s where he’s spent the bulk of his career so far, and while he’s managed an impressive 110 points in 172 minor-league games, the production hasn’t translated to the top flight, where Meyer’s scored just six points in 41 games. None of the UFA additions seem poised to make a big splash next season, though each of the four will likely slot into at least a handful of NHL games next season.

RFA Re-Signings

F Isac Lundestrom (one-year, $1.5MM)
F Pavol Regenda (one-year, $775K)*
F Nikita Nesterenko (one-year, $874.1K)*
D Jackson LaCombe (two-years, $1.8MM)

* denotes a two-way contract

Isac Lundestrom leads the pack of restricted free-agents continuing on with Anaheim, though he wasn’t able to earn much of a commanding salary, after posting just 25 points in 107 games on his last contract. Lundestrom has yet to vindicate his 16-goal, 29-point performance in the 2021-22 season, and while Anaheim has opted to give him one more chance, he’ll need to take full advantage of his opportunities if he wants to stick in the NHL.

Much more optimism can be afforded to defender Jackson LaCombe, who managed 17 points in 71 games as a rookie this season. Never much of a scorer, LaCombe still managed his way to over 19 minutes of ice time on average, and a role on the team’s penalty kill, thanks to his stalwart defense. Anaheim has proven a fairly bleak testing grounds for young defenders, just two seasons removed from averaging the most shots-against in NHL history. But LaCombe weathered the storm and looks the part of, at least, a stout defensive-defenseman for years to come.

Backing Lundestrom and LaCombe is Regenda and Nesterenko, who are each coming off of strong seasons in the minor league. The two rotated around the San Diego Gulls’ middle-six, with Nesterenko totaling 37 points in 70 games and Regenda posting 34 points in 54 games. The pair will be more focused on gaining more minutes in San Diego than in Anaheim next season, though they could be go-to fill-ins for injuries or scratches.

Departures

F Jakob Silfverberg (retirement)
F Ben King (unsigned UFA)
F Connor Hvidston (unsigned UFA)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx (New York Rangers, one-year, $775K)*
F Brayden Tracey (unsigned UFA)
F Max Jones (Boston, one-year, $1MM)
F Andrew Agozzino (Utah, two-years, $775K)*
F Ben Meyers (Seattle, one-year, $775K)*
F Glenn Gawdin (Los Angeles, two-years, $775K)*
D Albin Sundsvik (unsigned UFA)
D Gustav Lindstrom (unsigned UFA)
D Colton White (New Jersey, two-years, $775K)*
D Robert Hagg (Vegas, one-year, $775K)
D William Lagesson (Detroit, one-year, $775K)
G Gage Alexander (trade with Detroit)

* denotes a two-way contract

Anaheim’s emphasis on adding depth this summer is made clear by their list of departures. They’re overturning a large chunk of their bottom-end depth this season, though nobody on the list had much of an NHL role. The most notable departure is winger Max Jones, who’s appeared in 258 games with the Ducks over the last six seasons. Formerly a first-round pick in 2016, Jones’ career to this point has been marked by hot-and-cold performances and low-scoring. He’s brought noted grit and physicality to his appearances in the bottom-six, helping him earn some additional playing time on special teams and in crunch time, though he’s only managed a single-season high of 19 points. That came in 69 games last season, and he followed it with an improved scoring pace of 15 points in 52 games this year. That modest scoring, combined with his hefty six-foot-three frame, was enough to earn Jones a one-way contract with the Bruins – where he could stand as the fill-in for Danton Heinen’s utility role.

Jones’ departure won’t keep Anaheim up at night – nor will the absences of Groulx, Lindstrom, Meyers, Lagesson, Hagg, or Gawdin. All six players appeared in a handful of NHL games this season – led by Groulx’ 45 appearances – though not a single one of them scored a goal, and Lindstrom was the only one to exceed five assists. It’s hefty but well-timed turnover for Anaheim’s depth – and should open the door for top prospects to show their worth. The same can be said of the minor league departures, including unsigned draft picks Sundsvik, King, and Hvidston. While roles will need filled, Anaheim should have the depth to alleviate worry – especially after signing Dillon Heatherington, Roland McKeown, and Ryan Carpenter to minor-league contracts.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Ducks are entering August with $21.72MM in projected cap space – the most in the NHL per PuckPedia. That’s a staggering number considering the team has no remaining RFAs and boasts the structure for a serviceable, albeit not very competitive, NHL roster. Anaheim will enjoy the luxury of a cheap payroll this season, knowing that they’ll have to pay a premium to Mason McTavish and Lukas Dostal next summer, and Trevor Zegras, Cutter Gauthier, and Leo Carlsson in 2026.

Key Questions

Can The Youth Fill In? This Ducks seasons will be defined by their star prospects. Each of Gauthier, Olen Zellweger and Tristan Luneau poised for at least a taste at NHL ice time. They’ll join a long list of young Ducks fighting for a role – headlined by the returns of a healthy Trevor Zegras and Leo Carlsson. An ideal world would have Anaheim’s top lines comprised nearly entirely of U24 players, and they might have the talent to pull that off. Zegras has shown point-per-game upside, while both McTavish and Carlsson could push for at least 50 points. If young defenders Zellweger and Luneau can bring their gifted offense to the top flight, Anaheim could be positioned for the offensive explosion they’ve needed for years.

Who Is The Starter? While Anaheim’s young skaters are looking to climb into starring roles this season, top goalie prospect Lukas Dostal has seemingly already won his battle. Dostal outplayed long-running starter John Gibson in the second-half of last season, posting serviceable performances while Gibson struggled to find any sort of consistency. Gibson still carries a $6.4MM through the next three seasons, likely affording him the first chance at the starting role. But Dostal will be entering the season red-hot after championing Team Czechia to a World Championship gold medal in June. That momentum could be enough to quickly overthrow Gibson, which could send Anaheim frantically looking for a trade for their former star goalie, who’s been on the trade block since before last season. It’s a high stakes position battle and will be among the most impactful storylines of Anaheim’s next season.

Should Zegras Stay Or Should He Go? Trevor Zegras has had plenty of media following his early years in the NHL, as hype around his flashy offense turned into rumors about his availability in trades. The skepticism began with Zegras’ contract holdout ahead of last season, which forced the star forward to miss the bulk of pre-season training before signing a three-year, $17.2MM bridge contract. Maybe because of the lack of warmup, Zegras was quickly and routinely injured this season, ultimately being held to just 31 games and 15 points on the year. He’s maybe the most promising player in Anaheim, with 139 points in 180 games prior to this year’s butchered campaign. But he’s been vocal about his feelings with the organization throughout his struggles, and seems misaligned from the bruiser style Anaheim has built through the draft. Those factors make him a sensible trade option, though any move for the productive 23-year-old and former top-10 pick would have to pay Anaheim handsomely. The potential for a jaw-dropping return will keep fans glued to Zegras trade rumors all season long, especially if he rediscovers his scoring groove.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.