The Ducks' 2025-26 season has been over for just over a month and with the 2026 NHL Entry Draft just around the corner, it feels like a good time to start recapping this past season for each player in the organization.

Today's edition of 'By the Numbers' will feature players who wore Nos. 91-98 this season.

If you missed the previous edition of 'By the Numbers', you can click here to read it.

Carlsson had a productive season in his third year in the league. He came one goal away from a 30-goal season and was second on the team with 67 points despite missing 12 games due to surgery to remove a Morel-Lavallée lesion on his thigh. If not for that, he likely would have reached 70 points and likely also reached the 80-point threshold.

His hot start to the season gave him early Hart Trophy consideration, as he put up 34 points in 25 games through the first two months of the season. December is when things started to take a downturn, around when the lesion became an issue for him. But once he returned following the Olympic break, he was firing on all cylinders again, putting up 15 points in 16 games in March.

Because he underwent surgery in mid-January, Carlsson was unable to compete for Sweden in the Winter Olympics. He had been named to the Olympic squad, but the recovery period (three to five weeks) put any chance of him competing to bed. Due to his pending RFA status, Carlsson also did not compete for Sweden in the IIHF World Championship this past May, after being part of last year's team.

Now firmly established as the Ducks' No. 1 center, Carlsson––like many others on the team––got his first taste of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this past season. He had a strong first round against the Edmonton Oilers with eight points in six games. Things were a little more difficult against a stouter Vegas Golden Knights team in the second round, where he had three points in six games.

With another year of NHL experience under his belt, it's starting to feel like Carlsson is breaking through the surface as a true star in the league. His skating, which was noted to be an issue coming out of the draft, has now become one of his strengths, allowing him to burst past opponents and use his vision to set up teammates or pick a corner. When rush opportunities are stifled, he does still have trouble creating in those instances. But at 21, he is also learning how to combat those adjustments.

The expectation is that general manager Pat Verbeek will try to lock Carlsson down to a long-term deal this summer. He's established himself as the centerpiece of the Ducks' core and will likely be the next captain.

McQueen was one of the many young players who made the transition from the CHL to the NCAA this past season. In his freshman season with Providence, he had 27 points (11 goals) in 36 games and was named the Hockey East Rookie of the Year. He also earned a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.

It was slow going at first for McQueen, but once he picked up his first collegiate point, the wheels started turning. He was the top line center for Nate Leaman's team, which focused on having a strong defensive structure and a good forecheck. Perhaps that system isn't the most optimal for McQueen's playstyle, but it helped him become a stronger 200-foot player.

After his collegiate season concluded, McQueen signed an amateur tryout (ATO) with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. He also signed his entry-level contract (ELC) with the Ducks, with the deal beginning in the 2026-27 season. He played in seven games for the Gulls and had three goals while serving as the team's second line center. He also got his first taste of the Calder Cup Playoffs, but failed to register a point in two games against a powerhouse Colorado Eagles team.

This fall, McQueen will compete for a spot on the NHL roster, much like Beckett Sennecke did last season. With how uncertain the future is for Mason McTavish and 34-year-old Mikael Granlund having just two years remaining on his deal, there may be an opportunity for McQueen to seize. Assistant general manager Martin Madden said that expectations for McQueen should be tempered going into next season, with this progression not quite at the point where Sennecke was going into last season. Nevertheless, McQueen is expected to have a large role next season, whether he is in the NHL or AHL.

Mintyukov played the most games of his professional career in 2025-26, appearing in 73 of 82. He missed a few games towards the end of the regular season due to a lower-body injury, but returned and played in all 12 playoff games.

He began the season as part of the bottom defensive pair alongside Drew Helleson, with Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger above him in the pecking order on the left side. Radko Gudas' early-season injury elevated Helleson to the top pair alongside LaCombe and inserted Ian Moore next to Mintyukov on the bottom pair.

The Mintyukov-Moore pairing showed promise, though the offensive upside that Mintyukov had displayed early into his career was not seen as frequently. Gudas' return rendered Mintyukov a healthy scratch for three consecutive games, which gave the Ducks' fanbase nightmares of last season's defensive carousel between Mintyukov and Zellweger.

Upon his return to the lineup, Mintyukov continued to be part of the bottom pair, whether it was with Helleson or Gudas. He received a pair of healthy scratches at separate points of the season, but otherwise was a regular in the lineup for the rest of the season.

When John Carlson was acquired from the Washington Capitals in early March, he started out as Zellweger's defensive partner. But Mintyukov and Carlson quickly became a pairing that head coach Joel Quenneville relied on down the stretch, and that carried into the playoffs. While Mintyukov was touted as more of an offensive-focused player coming out of the draft, the switch has now flipped into more of a steady, defensive-minded player who is also capable of breaking out the puck offensively.

With Carlson hitting the open market, Mintyukov will have a new defensive partner next season. He himself is also a pending RFA and will likely receive a bridge deal. With Olen Zellweger dealt to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday morning, the left side of the Ducks' defense looks to be set for the 2026-27 season. Mintyukov and Zellweger had frequently been compared and had been competing for a regular spot in the lineup over the past couple of seasons, with neither able to gain a foothold. Removing Zellweger from the picture now gives Mintyukov ample opportunity to do so.

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