Greg Cronin addresses the media ahead of Tuesday's Ducks v Panthers game The Anaheim Ducks announced on Tuesday that forward Brock McGinn underwent season-ending ACL reconstruction surgery last week and is expected to be out for 7-9 months. The Ducks also announced forward Isac Lundestrom's status is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Game #47: Ducks vs. Panthers Gameday Preview [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/ducks-gameday-preview-01-21-25] McGinn (30) was injured on Dec. 23 on a play where he finished a check on Vegas Golden Knights' forward Tomas Hertl. McGinn was in the final year of his four-year, $11 million contract and will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. In 26 games in the 2024-25 season, he scored four goals and added four assists. "I really like Brock McGinn as a player," Ducks head coach Greg Cronin said before Tuesday's game against the Florida Panthers. "You talk about catalysts for a team identity, his fearlessness, his skating ability, his ability to finish checks, to be a game changer in a non-scoring way. We miss him like we miss him. "He was a great penalty killer, we lose a penalty killer. I thought Brock was getting better and better. He's one of those guys that people don't really focus on because he's not a scorer, but inside the locker room, he was a focal point to our team identity." McGinn was acquired at the 2023 trade deadline along with a 2024 third-round pick (Tarin Smith) in a deal that sent Dmitry Kulikov to the Pittsburgh Penguins. McGinn played 75 games in 2022-23 for the Pens and Ducks but struggled to stay healthy during his time in Anaheim, only playing a total of 50 games in the last two seasons. At the other end of the injury luck spectrum, Isac Lundestrom seemingly escaped a severe fate after taking a knee from Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart on Saturday in the Ducks' 3-0 loss. "When I saw the hit, I was like, 'Oh boy, this is going to be a season-ending injury,' just by the way he hit him," Cronin said. "He came at him hard, like Reinhart was going full speed. He was hunting. It was very fortunate. "Lundy, he's not an offensive guy, but he's such a reliable (player). He's like a Swiss army knife, he can do so many things. He's a valuable part of our team, so we're blessed to miss that one." Isac Lundestrom has mostly played a role as the Ducks' fourth-line center in 2024-25 and leads the team in TOI on the penalty kill with 106:33. He has four goals and three assists in 44 games this season. He signed a one-year contract extension on June 30 worth $1.5 million and will be an RFA on July 1. Ducks Disappoint on Road Trip, Drop Further in Standings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-disappoint-on-road-trip-drop-further-in-standings] Report: Ducks Close to Signing Galimov [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/report-ducks-close-to-signing-galimov]
