Derek Lee and Patrick Present discuss the state of the Ducks in early-mid December On the last day of 2024, the Anaheim Ducks have a 14-17-4 record, sit in seventh place in the Pacific division, and sit 27th in the overall NHL standings. Game #36: Ducks vs. Devils Gameday Preview [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/ducks-gameday-preview-12-31-24] They're tied with the Nashville Predators with the least amount of goals scored in the league (88), and their offense has generated the 17th-most (tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, and Nashville Predators) expected goals per 60 minutes (2.44) [https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php?fromseason=20242025&thruseason=20242025&stype=2&sit=5v5&score=all&rate=y&team=all&loc=B&gpf=410&fd=&td=]. Defensively, they rank 14th in goals against (109) and 32nd in the league in terms of expected goals against per 60 minutes (3.07). Their special teams rank near the bottom of the NHL as their power play has converted at the second-lowest rate in the league (12.7%), and their penalty kill sits 28th in the league with a 74% success rate. The month of December has seen some high highs with decisive wins against Stanley Cup contenders like the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. The month has also delivered the lowest of lows with crushing defeats against the Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Ottawa Senators. They've also shifted the dynamics of their blueline with the acquisition of Jacob Trouba and the subsequent departure of Cam Fowler. Consistency has been elusive, but the team has shown flashes of what they can achieve when executing and firing on all cylinders. Let's look at three areas of focus to turn those flashes into prolonged stretches in the coming new year. STAY/GET HEALTHY This is a layup resolution that could apply to every team in the NHL, but if the Ducks hope to eventually end their extended rebuild, they'll need their youngest and most important pieces as healthy as possible to gain valuable experience and refine their abilities. So far, the 2024-25 season hasn't been as injury-plagued in Anaheim as the 2023-24 season, where nearly every potential core player (Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Jamie Drysdale before he was traded, Pavel Mintyukov, and Leo Carlsson) missed significant time. Carlsson has missed six games this season with an upper-body injury, as has McTavish with an upper-body injury. Zegras is the roster player this resolution applies to most. He has now been sidelined for 62 of the Ducks' last 117 games. He's done tremendous and under-appreciated work to round out his game, and his production was beginning to stabilize with six points in seven games before he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus. UNLEASH THE OFFENSIVE TALENT OF YOUNG PLAYERS The underlying numbers of the Ducks' team defense may reside at the bottom of the league, but they've made significant strides in terms of their on-ice structure. They're nowhere near as leaky in defensive zone coverage as they had been in the previous five seasons. However, that discipline and commitment to the defensive side of the puck has come at the expense of offensive production, especially when it comes to the youngest, most talented players who will be the most important when the Ducks are finally in their playoff-contending window. McTavish (16 points), Zegras (10 points), Carlsson (12 points), Cutter Gauthier (16 points), Olen Zellweger (12 points), and Pavel Minyukov (eight points) have all underperformed in terms of production this season. Part of that can be attributed to deployment in the lineup and power play, part to execution, and part to the system/style/tactics imparted to them by the coaching staff. In their recent victory over the Oilers on Dec. 29, the Ducks were able to generate an increased amount of chances in transition due to their ability to kill opposing attacks early and counter quickly when the Oilers were on their heels and slow to adjust. They were able to accomplish that by trusting their ability and the abilities of their teammates to recover if things went awry, pressuring heavier, manufacturing turnovers, and flying the zone thereafter. Generating chances off the rush is the strength of the young core of the team and will be the next and most important layer to add if the team is to maximize the offensive talent of their roster. ADD A BONAFIDE TOP-OF-THE-LINEUP FORWARD From a zoomed-out view, the Ducks have taken all the necessary steps in their rebuild that could and should lead to sustained success at some point in the hopefully not-too-distant future. They've been drafting near the top of each of the past six drafts and are deploying (when healthy) eight players under 24 years old on a mostly regular basis to go along with their expected goaltender of the future (Lukas Dostal) in an even tandem. All the Ducks' key future pieces are playing in the roles they'll assume when they're contending, and general manager Pat Verbeek has brought in veteran middle-six forwards like Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Alex Killorn, and Robby Fabbri to insulate the young stars. With all the pieces in place and more on the way in the forms of another likely high pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and 2024 third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke, the time to add a bonafide star to the lineup has come if the intention is to maximize and accelerate the latter stages of the rebuild. The Ducks may want to look to previous successful (to varying degrees) rebuilds for templates. The New Jersey Devils signed Dougie Hamilton in the summer of 2021, the New York Rangers signed Artemi Panarin in 2019, the Los Angeles Kings traded for Kevin Fiala in 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares in 2018, and the Colorado Avalanche traded for Devon Toews in 2020 as the first major acquisitions, effectively turning the corner on the rebuilds of their respective teams. The Ducks are projected to have roughly $40 million in cap space heading into the 2025 offseason (based on a $92.5 million salary cap projection), with McTavish and Dostal as the only RFAs in need of new contracts. The trade market is ever-evolving, but a young potential star is almost always available come summertime if that's the direction Verbeek wants to go. It could serve him well to be firmly in and ready to pull the trigger on any negotiations involving the next Alex DeBrincat or Kevin Fiala on the block. As of now, there's a trio of supremely talented forwards set to hit UFA status come July 1: Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Nikolaj Ehlers. All three are firmly in their prime, set to remain there for the foreseeable future, and proven, consistent point producers. The Ducks can outbid nearly every team in the NHL if any of them become UFAs and may want to consider offering them a "blank check." The Ducks will miss the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season in 2024-25, and patience can only be extended so far within the fanbase. 2025 could provide bright new horizons for the Ducks organization, but it could also see fears and anxieties around the team fully manifested. Starting the year off on the right foot will be paramount to the future success of the franchise. 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