2025-26 Fantasy Hockey Preview: Anaheim Ducks Projected Lineups
35-37-10,
80 points (6th Pacific, 25th overall)
2.65 GF/GP, 30th; 3.18 GA/GP, 23rd
11.8 PP%, 32nd; 74.2 PK%, 29th
Key losses: C Trevor Zegras, G John Gibson
Key additions: LW Chris Kreider, C/LW/RW, Mikael Granlund, G Petr Mrazek
Expected lineup:
Chris
Kreider – Mason McTavish – Mikael Granlund
Cutter Gauthier – Leo Carlsson – Alex Killorn
Frank Vatrano – Ryan Strome – Troy Terry
Jansen Harkins – Ryan Poehling – Sam Colangelo
Jackson
LaCombe – Radko Gudas
Olen Zellweger – Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintyukov – Drew Helleson
Lukas Dostal – Petr Mrazek
PP1:
Vatrano – Carlsson – Terry – McTavish – LaCombe
PP2: Kreider – Strome – Gauthier – Granlund – Zellweger
5-on-5:
There are no glaring holes in the Ducks lineup, but they definitely lack an elite offensive play driver up front. The closest they have are Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, but they are not without their warts as young, developing players; Carlsson’s ice time was limited to 16 minutes last season, shoots the puck infrequently and can’t win faceoffs, while McTavish’s contract standoff may force him to miss the start of the season.
For what it’s worth, THN’s Yearbook projections has Carlsson scoring 54 points and McTavish scoring 67, meaning the Ducks project to be a mediocre offensive team once again. (Troy Terry is the projected leader with 72 points).
The Ducks are deep on the wings after adding vets Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund, who can fill in at center but has played mostly on the wing at this stage of his career. Again, there’s no standout winger; if you’re expecting Cutter Gauthier to have a breakout season, there’s a glut of wingers fighting for ice time. The loss of Trevor Zegras saps creativity, but it’s potentially a net wash adding Kreider and Granlund.
In any given game, Granlund, Kreider, Vatrano, Terry or even Gauthier could lead Ducks wingers in ice time, which is just a nightmare situation for fantasy managers, especially considering the team’s already-low offensive upside. It’s just not really worth the headache unless you’re streaming a hot streak.
The defense is where fantasy managers want to focus on. Jackson LaCombe is a top-tier defenseman in the making, and he’ll command big minutes again after leading the team in average TOI last season. Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba represents a fearsome, physical right side, albeit with a penchant for lower-reward, high-risk aggressive plays that might cost them defensively. On nights where there are few games and fantasy mangers are looking for hits, Gudas-Trouba is a great double-whammy with double-digit hits totals.
With John Gibson gone, this is Lukas Dostal’s net. Petr Mrazek is an impending UFA and likely trade bait, joining his fifth team in six seasons. He’s a veteran who can spell Dostal for stretches when he tires, but Dostal should remain the workhorse with at least 55 starts.
Power Play:
What’s interesting about the Ducks’ power play is that they’re better off not getting any power plays at all – the Ducks ranked 21st in goals for at 5-on-5 despite ranking 30th overall in goals for per game.
Maybe Joel Quenneville can provide a spark but the glut of forwards of similar caliber and not having an elite offensive playmaker means the Ducks will most likely end up with two similarly mediocre units. That’s one reason why it’s hard convince anyone that Carlsson or McTavish will have big breakout seasons; they combined for just 19 power-play points last season.
The only constant will be LaCombe, and that’s why he’s really the only Ducks player worth targeting in the higher rounds.