Editors and Reporters, Derek Lee and Patrick Present, asked readers to send in questions relating to the 2023-24 season and the Future of the Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks recently wrapped up their 2023-24 season and finished with a record of 27-50-5 (59 points), good enough for 30th place of 32 in the standings. 

The team held exit interviews with select players on Monday, April 22, and with both General Manager Pat Verbeek and Head Coach Greg Cronin on Tuesday, April 23. 

We asked readers to send in their Ducks-related questions on X (formerly Twitter).

We only were able to answer a handful of questions in the video portion of our mailbag, but here are our answers to the remaining:

From @dblhockeystix:

Who are we re-signing (RFAs) and realistically what is going to happen with Z and/or Gibby during the off-season?

Patrick: 

-Based on Pat Verbeek's track record with RFAs who reside lower in the lineup, smart money would bet on only Jackson LaCombe re-signing. 

-I would bet on both Zegras and Gibson to start the 2024-25 season on the Ducks opening night roster. I believe that their current trade value is around the lowest it's ever been or ever will be. They aren't detrimental in any way to the team achieving what they ultimately want to achieve, so unless Verbeek receives a "Godfather" offer (one he can't refuse), I'd say they're both Ducks next season.

Derek: Answered the first one a little bit in the mailbag video: I find it hard to believe that any of the RFAs aside from Jackson LaCombe will be retained. I think Brett Leason has an outside shot of coming back since he was one of the more productive options in the bottom-6, but it wouldn’t be surprising if Pat Verbeek clears house in that area.

It was a really tough season for Zegras, who got off to a slow start and then had his season muddied by multiple injuries. He did finish the season on a strong note and will look to carry that momentum with him to Czechia, where he is representing Team USA at the World Championships. For all of the trade rumors that cropped up this season, I would anticipate him being a Duck still come 2024-25.

As for Gibson, I would expect the same as well. It feel like there are just too many obstacles when it comes to facilitating a deal for him. Both contract length and salary are a hindrance for potential buyers in a currently flat-cap era and teams are beginning to shy away from committing to a big-ticket no. 1 option and instead opting for two above-average options at a lower cost. Gibson is still a capable goaltender and having a 1-2 punch of him and Lukáš Dostál next season behind what should be an improved team isn’t the worst thing.

From @Skooner6:

If we stay in our current draft position, who would your pick be?

Patrick: The Ducks currently have the third-best odds of winning the NHL Draft Lottery. My personal top 3 is...

1. Macklin Celebrini - F - Boston University - NCAA

2. Ivan Demidov - F - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg - MHL

3. Konsta Helenius - F - Jukurit - Liiga

So, if the Ducks were to draft any of those players, I would be thrilled.

Derek: This will depend a lot on who ends up with the second overall pick. Whoever gets the first overall pick is taking Macklin Celebrini, but everything gets murky after that. There are several options to choose from in the 2-5 range and the Ducks would be adding a high-level prospect with any of the options.

There’s Anton Silayev, Artyom Levshunov, Cayden Lindstrom, Ivan Demidov, Zeev Buium, Zayne Parekh. The list goes on and on. Buium or Parekh at third overall might be a little too high. Lindstrom too may see his stock drop as a result of not playing for Team Canada at the U-18 tournament, but he’s also battled injuries this season and could probably use the rest. That leaves Silayev, Levshunov and Demidov.

Adding another highly-skilled forward to the prospect pool in Demidov would really be something. He has one more year on his contract with St. Petersburg in the KHL before he can come over to North America, but you would expect him to slot right into a team with playoff aspirations by the time he crosses over.

Silayev and Levshunov are both intriguing defenseman, the former a lefty while the latter is right-handed. Levshunov appears to have the higher offensive ceiling while Silayev shows tremendous agility and speed for someone his size.

From @Z13Ducks:

-Do you think the assistant coaches will be back?

-Verbeek wants more scoring in the bottom 6 but Cronin plays Ross Johnston every game. Do you see this changing/who do you see returning of the RFAs in bottom-6?

-Who do you think might be a couple of draft targets? Lindstrom? Levshunov?

Patrick:

-My gut feeling is that I think Brent Thompson will return and both Newell Brown and Craig Johnson are each 50/50. Thompson, who runs the defense and penalty kill, has only been a member of the staff for one season, and while the penalty kill only yielded a 72.4% success rate and ranked 31st of 32, he showed a willingness to tinker and adjust when things weren't working.

-I don't see Johnston going anywhere. Perhaps he will play fewer games next season as the roster deepens. Of the bottom-six RFA forwards, I wouldn't bet on any of them returning. If I did, it would be Max Jones.

-After my top three draft-eligible players I mentioned previously, I like Anton Silayev, Zeev Buium, and Tij Iginla (I'm not a big Levshunov fan).

Derek:

-It’s difficult to imagine that Greg Cronin doesn’t bring in a few more of his own personnel after adding Brent Thompson to his coaching staff for his first year as an NHL head coach.

Newell Brown—in his third stint as a Ducks assistant coach and Craig Johnson remained behind the bench from the Dallas Eakins era and it seems likely that they be let go in favor of whoever Cronin decides to bring in.

It’s worth noting that former assistant Mike Stothers took on a development role after his time as an assistant coach ended with the Ducks. I could see the same for Johnson, who has worked closely with individual Ducks.

-When Johnston was claimed off waivers from the New York Islanders at the beginning of the season, it was clear why: Verbeek wanted to add more meanness and grit to the team. Johnston had his moments throughout the season, but he certainly isn’t a player that should be in the lineup on a nightly basis. Part of that was having a lack of options due to injuries and players in San Diego not being quite ready for NHL duty.

But we did see late-season additions like Sam Colangelo and Cutter Gauthier make the lineup stronge by being inserted into top-6 roles or allowing Cronin to shift players down in the lineup to accommodate them.

From @ApocSound:

-Given our needs, do you think we should bring in another veteran or find someone younger to help the vets and rookies to bridge the gap?

-Logo Redesign this year or next?

Patrick: 

-I've been thinking about this, and I wouldn't mind both. Pat Verbeek has mentioned wanting to add a top-six right-shot winger and a top-four right-shot defenseman. I wouldn't mind if one was a younger player acquired in a trade and the other, a vet signed in free agency.

-I wouldn't hope for any redesign in the immediate future, unfortunately. I think the team is circling the opening of the OCVIBE as a significant date in the franchise's future history, so I wouldn't expect any rebranding until then. I could be completely wrong, however.

Derek:

-Verbeek has said that he wants to add both a right-handed, top-6 winger and a right-handed defenseman to play in a top-4 role. It would be an impressive feat if he was able to bring in two players that fit those certifications and at least one of them wasn’t a veteran.

-It’s tough to believe that any redesign or rebrand for the team will come before the first foundations of OCVIBE are complete.

From @fiszix:

Why doesn’t Cronin attend the warmups before games and check out the other team?

Patrick: If there's one thing I know about Cronin, it's that he's a video junkie. He studies an extraordinary amount of game film, stats, and rosters of opponents. Warmups don't necessarily indicate much other than that night's lineup. 

Derek: There’s a lot that goes into being a coach behind the scenes and that includes lots and lots of meetings. Teams have lots of scouts and video for a reason and that helps prepare them for whoever they’re facing on any given night.

From @Appa_AG:

The best player to interview and the worst on the roster?

Patrick: I'm relatively new to reporting, so I've yet to have a bad experience. I will say, that I enjoy interviewing Ryan Strome. He's always happy to speak to us and generous with his time. Troy Terry loves hockey and loves to talk about hockey, so he always has wonderfully insightful answers.

Derek: There are plenty of wonderful options to choose from when it comes to best player on the team to interview.

Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras are always enjoyable to talk to. Ryan Strome and Troy Terry always have insightful answers to any question thrown their way and Lukáš Dostál’s soft-spoken nature sometimes makes you forget that he’s a professional hockey player.

As for worst, I don’t think there really is one, at least on the Ducks.

From @Ryduck91:

Who is most likely to be traded this offseason?

Patrick: I'm not sure any player currently under contract for the 2024-25 season is very likely to be moved. If anything, perhaps a prospect or two could be included in a package for an impact player like the top-six forward or top-four defenseman Verbeek is seeking this summer. 

Derek: No comment. Sorry, I know it’s a lame answer but I don’t really want to speculate.

From @biggame411:

We are loaded with picks (notably two seconds and three thirds this year) what are the chances we trade up from the Oilers' pick? Or use those picks to acquire a veteran?

Patrick: I would say this year's chances are better than in years past. The Ducks have made at least eight selections in each of the last four NHL Entry Drafts and the prospect pool is among the deepest and most potent in the NHL. If there's a player they like who falls, it wouldn't surprise me to see them move up from #24 to nab him. In 2022, the (then) Coyotes traded up to pick #11 so they could select Connor Geekie. It cost them picks 27, 34, and 45 if you were wondering what it might take to make a move like that. 

The same thought goes for using those picks to acquire a more established player via trade. The prospect pool is built and thriving while the team looks to turn the corner in their rebuild, so using a pick or two in a trade is certainly a possibility. 

Derek: It will be interesting to see what the Ducks choose to do with their second first-round pick. Verbeek opted to select a player the last time the Ducks had an extra first-round pick, taking Nathan Gaucher in the 2022 draft.

From @sdducksfan:

-What was ailing McTavish this season? Looked like a back problem. And could that be a reason for so many penalties?

-Any chance they bring back Sam Carrick?

Patrick: 

-The team disclosed injuries after exit interviews concluded. Mason McTavish was suffering from a sprained MCL. He will not require surgery.

-There's always a possibility. Verbeek has said he wants more speed and production from his bottom six, so perhaps that disqualifies Carrick.

Derek:

-I don’t know if McTavish had something ailing him prior to the ankle issue he picked up toward the end of the season and then the sprained MCL he suffered shortly after. If he was dealing with something earlier in the season, he certainly didn’t show it when he got off to a red-hot pace for the first month of the season. The frequent penalty-taking is a bit reminiscent of Zegras from the 2022-23 season, where no. 11 was shaky defensively and led the team in penalty minutes. It’s certainly something that needs to be cleaned up—for the team as a whole as well. Improving his skating, which McTavish has already mentioned he wants to work on this summer, will help lessen the sticky situations be puts himself in by moving his feet more.

-While Carrick’s hard-fought battle to become a full-time NHLer is an inspiring one, it’s unclear if he’d be able to have the same role once again if he returned to Anaheim next season. A strong performance in the playoffs if the Oilers make a deep run could increase the amount of teams interested in signing the scrappy veteran when July 1 comes around.

From @tragynus:

Who is running the power play for the Ducks long term? Mintyukov, Zellweger, or someone else?

Patrick: I think the notion of a "power play quarterback" is overstated. When it comes to who and where on the ice chances are generated from, I think it will run through Leo Carlsson and Trevor Zegras. If you're asking who will be the defenseman at the top of the umbrella, I think whoever proves more productive and meshes better with the rest of the unit. I would say it's 50/50 right now, but I'd personally lean Zellweger.

Derek: Mintyukov and Zellweger are both fantastic power play options in their own right. Both can use their skating and puck handling to pull penalty killers out of position and both also have a knack for getting shots on goal from long-range.

Ideally, I think you would want one of them on each unit as the complement to Zegras, Carlsson, McTavish, Terry, etc.

From @IdahoAztecFan:

How is Verbeek going to address the poor play and being the worst in the NHL in taking penalties? This has been an issue for years and the new coach hasn’t fixed this. Players need to be held accountable for this

Patrick: Both Verbeek and Cronin have acknowledged the penalty issue. Cronin holds himself accountable (catchphrase) and has stated he probably should have sat more players throughout the year. It's a major focus among those in the locker room, so only time will tell if they take a step forward in that department. 

Derek: Penalties were certainly one of the biggest issues for the Ducks this season and more often than not why they put themselves out of a game.

Cronin admitted that perhaps he should have benched players more often for getting into penalty trouble and while that isn’t the be-all, end-all solution, it did feel like players got off scot-free even after taking multiple penalties in the same game.

From @DoubleKsurf:

What are the players focused on for next season? Are any training in Anaheim this summer?

Patrick: I don't believe any of them will remain local in the summer. They check in on each other and remain in contact, but the summer is mostly about off-ice training, individual skill, and recalibrating their bodies.

Derek: Typically, players will spend most of the off-season at home, whether that’s nearby or wherever the rest of their family is. Most players do stick around until at least the middle of May, but they do all at some point go back home for a little bit at the very least.

Several players talked about gunning for a playoff spot—or at least being in contention for one—in their exit interviews. It feels like “re” part in the re-building phase is just about over. Now it’s time to start making some real strides.

From @ZegrasTrevor:

Do you think Gauthier, Zegras, Zellweger, and Carlsson will all be on the team in 2028? (All of their contracts expire in 2027, so it may be hard to keep all of them and this could lead to a trade)

Patrick: The Ducks only have one player under contract for the 2028-29 season (Terry). With the cap projected to increase every year by 5-10%, I wouldn't see keeping all those players under contract as much of an issue. 

Derek: It’s tough to say. That’s four years down the road! I was still in college four years ago, getting ready to graduate during the middle of a global pandemic. I had no idea what four years into the future was going to look like. A lot can change in that amount of time.

From @SeanSeabolt:

The Ducks have a lot of young players valued for their high hockey IQ. Does a man-to-man defense allow that IQ to shine or diminish its importance?

Patrick: I think true hockey IQ shines in any situation or system. It takes just as much defensive acumen to properly engage and win a one-on-one battle with a puck carrier, read where support is needed, and assess where one's assignment is as it does to read a backdoor cut or eliminate a seam. It's about diagnosing what an opponent is trying to accomplish in every instance and where your teammates are in relation. Those skills are universal, they just have to be adjusted and translated. 

Derek: If you’ve ever played basketball or football and had to cover someone 1-on-1, you know how tough that can be. Man-to-man defense can be punishing if you make a bad or late read and can pull everyone out of position just like that if someone has to cover for their teammate.

We’ve seen teams employ a weaving offense when attacking the Ducks and there have been times where it’s confused them and led to broken coverage.

I think at its best, man-to-man defense shows off a player’s hockey IQ because you can see when players are making the right reads and how quick they are to react.

From @DLoJones83:

What do you see as Ryan Strome’s role going forward? Is he still a help or should he be moved to make space for a prospect to get ice time?

Patrick: Strome told us during his exit interview that he relayed to the coaching staff he would fill any role he's given, regardless of line or position. He seems well-respected in the room and can provide an offensive impact in the right situations. 

Going forward, I would expect him firmly in the middle six of the forward group and ideally on the wing with an occasional stint in the middle if there's an injury. He is a decent F2 forechecker and has shown he creates a lot of chances from the perimeter and below the goal line. He played well with Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano down the stretch.

Derek: It’s true that Strome has been a bit underwhelming since signing a five-year, $25 million deal in the summer of 2022 and he’ll be the first one to tell you that.

He said in his exit interview that he’d like to get his goal total back up and that he’s going to tweak a few things during the offseason to help get him back to that level.

He’ll be entering year three of that contract in 2024-25 and has shown that he can make plays, especially beneath the goal line. His ability to interchange between center and wing makes him a versatile option for Anaheim, he just needs to be more consistent.

From @randomsf8

-Are there any updates on Mintyukov’s injury? 

-Thoughts on Colangelo and Nesterenko and where you see them next season? 

-Should Cronin make any changes to the system?

Patrick: 

-Mintyukov suffered a bone contusion on March 30. He is expected to be completely healthy and ready for training camp in September. 

-I was pleasantly surprised with Colangelo's explosion, motor, and clever forechecking during his time in Anaheim. It will be an uphill battle to earn a roster spot on the Ducks' opening night roster, but he looks ready for a bottom-six role to me. 

Nesterenko is an RFA this summer and I'm not sure if he'll return to the organization. Verbeek has shown he's not shy about holding back from qualifying RFAs, but he's also stated he was pleased with Nesterenko's progression and adjustment to professional hockey throughout the year. If he returns, it will likely be as a member of the Gulls and would then be among the first players called up when needed. 

-I think Cronin made a lot of quality tweaks and adjustments to the system as the season progressed. Layers were added mostly to the breakouts, set regroups, and neutral zone forechecks. He showed a knowledge of each opponent's strengths and weaknesses and made subtle tweaks to eliminate how they attempted to generate offense.

The only question I have is if man coverage is becoming outdated. We've seen several teams (Edmonton and Tampa Bay, notably) over the past couple years go back to a traditional zone/box-plus-one coverage. These playoffs will be very telling if man-to-man is still viable as the Avalanche, Hurricanes, Kings, and Panthers deploy that coverage.

Derek:

-We had injury updates come out after this question was submitted. Mintyukov suffered a bone contusion on Mar. 30 after he wore a slap shot from Jakob Silfverberg. He should be good to go for training camp next season.

-Colangelo has some bright spots in his cup of coffee with the big club, most notably scoring his first NHL goal. I thought there were elements of his game that the team had been missing all year. Nesterenko had some bright spots as well in his short NHL tenure this season and it’s a bit unfortunate that he was the casualty to get Colangelo up. Both players should be competing for a roster spot with the Ducks next season.

-I think we’ve already seen Cronin make some slight tweaks to his system in terms of how the team breaks out of the defensive zone from time to time. The best coaches know how to adjust when needed.

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