Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek has made it no secret that he plans to be aggressive this summer in free agency, especially when it comes to targeting someone who can score goals.
"When you look at the roster (as) a whole, I think that we need to score more goals, ultimately," Verbeek said during his season-ending conference call. "We didn't score enough goals and that became a contributing factor. What was interesting, when we scored three or more goals, we virtually won all the games. We're almost undefeated, scoring three or more goals (in a game). So, that is going to be a goal that we're looking to hit by being more offensive."
Anaheim has a handful of players on its roster capable of filling the net. Troy Terry and Frank Vatrano have racked up multiple 20+ goalscoring campaigns and Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish all eclipsed 20 goals for the first time this past season in their young careers. However, the team finished 30th overall in goals for (217), a sign that offense is an area that still needs improvement.
Jackson LaCombe did add 14 goals from the blue line, the most by a Ducks defenseman since Ľubomír Višňovský had 18 goals in 2010-11. A full season of health for Trevor Zegras would also help alleviate the offensive woes. Zegras had 32 points in 57 games this past season while missing time due to a torn meniscus.
Gauthier eventually could be the bona fide triggerman of this organization. He looked the part coming out of the 4 Nations Face-Off break, scoring 11 goals in the final 28 games of the season. He's kept up that momentum at Worlds for Team USA with four goals in four games. The power and accuracy of his release are something few players on the Ducks possess.
While Terry has a strong wrist shot that he often utilizes, he must incorporate an improved one-timer if he wants to become a true threat on the left flank of the power play. McTavish's booming one-timer became too predictable a power play strategy, giving opponents an easy read while killing penalties. The Ducks finished the season with the worst power play in the league. Assistant coach Rich Clune, who was in charge of the power play, was dismissed on May 10.
Ducks Part Ways with Thompson, Clune
After <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-name-joel-quenneville-head-coach">naming Joel Quenneville the 12th head coach in franchise history</a> on Thursday, the Ducks are making additional changes to their coaching staff.
Carlsson, Gauthier, Terry, McTavish and Zegras are all expected to be part of the Ducks' top-6 next season. Former head coach Greg Cronin regularly paired Terry with Vatrano and Ryan Strome, which became the Ducks' top line in terms of time on ice. Adding a top line caliber player to the fold would push down players like Vatrano, Strome and Alex Killorn––who was tied at the hip with Carlsson last season––into top-9 roles and potentially give them opportunities to play against "easier" matchups.
Mitch Marner and Nikolaj Ehlers are expected to be the top forwards on the unrestricted free agent market this summer. Both players are currently in the midst of a playoff series, with Marner's Toronto Maple Leafs forcing Game 7 against the Florida Panthers after a win on Friday. Ehlers' Winnipeg Jets are trying to do the same against the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Adding either of those players to the Ducks would fulfill the goal that Verbeek referred to. Marner is an elite playmaker who's no slouch when it comes to defending, either, while Ehlers has reached the 20-goal mark in eight of his 10 seasons as an NHLer. Both players would immediately boost the power play on their own and provide another offensive weapon for new head coach Joel Quenneville to use.
Three Ducks Players Who Could Benefit Most from Quenneville Hire
The <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks">Anaheim Ducks</a> announced the hiring of Joel Quenneville as the 12th head coach in franchise history on Thursday, May 8. With him he brings substantial baggage and potential negative attention, but also the second-most impressive coaching resume in NHL history.
"(Verbeek's) got a lot of enthusiasm with where the team can go as far as the depth we can enhance it with," Quenneville said in an NHL Network Radio interview with Steve Kouleas and Jason Strudwick. "That gets us excited as well."
Quenneville again mentioned enhancing the depth of the roster while on 100% Hockey with NHL insiders Daren Millard and John Shannon: "I think we feel our team is ready to take another step forward. I've been fortunate to be around a couple of nice teams that were on that path, where it looks like they're ready to take the next step. (Verbeek has) built a really nice team here with a lot of nice assets, as far as draft picks that are looking to progress and take another step. We feel we have good draft capital going forward. We have a lot of space in our cap space, so there's a lot of things we can do as far as that goes, and I think we're looking to enhance the depth of our players that could possibly be in our lineup."
Quenneville and Verbeek both want the team to be relentless and tenacious. Having four forward lines capable of doing that, in addition to using their skill, gets them in the right direction. Ensuring that the fourth line can do more than just provide defensive cover for several minutes a game will be key. Depth is important, especially as a playoff team––which is the stated goal from management and ownership heading into the 2025-26 season.
Free agency is but one option. There are several UFA alternatives (Brock Boeser, Sam Bennett and John Tavares, to name a few) that Verbeek could pursue if he is unable to court Marner or Ehlers, much like the inability to do so last summer with Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos. He could also explore the trade market, using his treasure chest of draft picks and young players to obtain an option that he feels helps the team immediately, rather than 4-5 years down the line.
There's no doubt about it, though. The Ducks do need to add offensive firepower. The only questions that remain are where will it come from and how will they do it?
Ducks Trio Speaks on Joel Quenneville Hiring