With the help of Kevin, we're projecting the Anaheim Ducks' 2023-24 season. Looking at three keys and a worst-case scenario.

The Hockey News AI projection model, Kevin, predicted the upcoming season. It predicted the Anaheim Ducks to finish to finish seventh in the Pacific Division.

Here are the final projected finishes, as projected by Kevin, a predictive learning model created by Rachel Doerrie:

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ANAHEIM DUCKS

Last Year: 23-47-12, 8th in the Pacific Division.

Projected 7th in the Pacific Di

Keys to the Season:

1. Player Development: As with any rebuilding team, the number one key for next season is player development. Whether that's Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry taking the next step and becoming truly elite players, a strong sophomore season for Mason McTavish or Leo Carlsson quickly adjusting to the NHL, development is the main focus for next season. One thing to keep a very close eye on is how Zegras develops his 200-foot game. New head coach Greg Cronin made it clear very early on that he was going to push Zegras to round out his game and that starts now.

2. Greg Cronin Implementing his System & Culture: Speaking of Cronin, him instilling a new culture and system is going to be huge for the Ducks this season. Wins and losses won't define Cronin's first year with the team, but it will be interesting to see how the players take to a new voice in the room. The good news? It can't be too much worse than what we saw with Dallas Eakins, the bar is fairly low for Cronin. Cronin laying the foundations for what he wants the identity of this Ducks team to be will be huge this season.

3. Lukas Dostal's Play: Lukas Dostal proved last season that he's ready to play in the NHL. If he can continue that into this year and splits starts with John Gibson by the end of the season, that's huge. He's the future in net for Anaheim and if he can take some pressure off Gibson now, that's good for both of them. A tandem situation is ideal for Dostal's development and might create a situation where Gibson returns to form a bit. 

Most-Likely Scenario: The Ducks finish above the San Jose Sharks in the Pacific Division but still finish near the bottom of the league. With an improved team around him, Zegras is a point-per-game player and starts rounding out his game. Carlsson has a strong rookie season but doesn't sniff the Calder Trophy because of Connor Bedard.

Worst Case Scenario: Cronin turns out to be a lateral or backward move behind the bench, leading to stagnation, or even regression, amongst the young players. The only positive to this outcome is all but guaranteeing one of Macklin Celebrini or Cole Eiserman.