The Ducks are going for it next season!
Not many people around the hockey world envision the Anaheim Ducks making the playoffs next season. They have missed the postseason for five straight years and are currently in the middle of a rebuild.
But you can count their new head coach, Greg Cronin, as one of the few that believes. Of course, he has faith that he can help lead this young team to the promised land, but the Ducks have some exciting pieces on the roster.
The team was supposed to be much better than they were last season. Many forget this because they ended up with the worst record in the league. But entering last year, Anaheim was seen as a team that could make a possible push toward the playoffs.
Now, entering this upcoming year, anything is possible with a new coach and a more talented team. Cronin doesn’t want any excuses for why the Ducks can’t reach the postseason.
"We're trying to make the playoffs," Cronin said. "We're not playing for consolation prizes. We're playing this year to make the playoffs. That's our goal. ... As we saw last season, Florida gets in the playoffs [on] the last day, and they go to the Final. So, our job is to make the playoffs."
Anaheim signaled they are ready to take the next step in the rebuild when they signed a few veteran players in free agency this summer. Bringing in Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas to the squad gives them more of an established feeling. Alongside the young guys on the roster, the Ducks could be a very interesting team next season.
Trevor Zegras leads the way for the Ducks, and he continues to get better each season. But they also have some exciting guys around as well.
Troy Terry will aim to make Anaheim look good by giving him a new seven-year deal this offseason. Former first-rounder Mason McTavish will look to keep improving his game as well. Then there is Leo Carlsson, the Ducks second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
It remains to be seen if he will be with the team this year, but his upside is through the roof. Anaheim also boasts other young players like Jamie Drysdale, Jacob Perreault, Nathan Gaucher, Olen Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov.
Cronin was brought in to help this team grow. He is known for his ability to get the most out of his players, and he will look to do the same here with the Ducks.
"I think [what] we're going to try and do is give them all an opportunity to compete at training camp and then see who responds in a mature way," Cronin said. "And then hopefully there's some reliable trajectory to that growth."
The future is extremely bright for Anaheim after some very rough years. General Manager Pat Verbeek has put this team into a strong position to succeed going forward, and good times are ahead for this team.