The 2025-26 season is now just around the corner after a long, busy offseason for general manager Pat Verbeek and the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks]. There’s still one large order of business remaining on the table: the Mason McTavish contract extension. From a (mostly) new coaching staff to four key additions, the Ducks organization received a significant facelift this summer as they attempt to take another step and put an end to their elongated rebuild. The team's complexion is vastly different than the one that started last year’s training camp. Four pieces once considered part of the team’s future core at one point or another now call a different organization home, as does a player who was in Anaheim for just a short time but made a meaningful impression. I had fun asking one question about each Ducks roster player ahead of the upcoming season, so I decided to do the same for those former key pieces who once called Anaheim home. Questions Facing Each Anaheim Ducks Defenseman, Goalie Heading into the 2025-26 Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/questions-facing-each-anaheim-ducks-defenseman-goalie-heading-into-the-2025-26-season] Questions Facing Each Anaheim Ducks Forward Heading into the 2025-26 Season [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/questions-facing-each-anaheim-ducks-forward-heading-into-the-2025-26-season] BRIAN DUMOULIN: CAN HE HELP LOS ANGELES TOPPLE EDMONTON AT LONG LAST? Dumoulin only played 61 games in a Ducks sweater, but he had an immediate positive impact on the young dynamic defensemen on the Ducks' blueline, emphasizing good habits and communication skills. He signed a three-year contract with the Los Angeles Kings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/los-angeles-kings] this summer to add veteran experience and added Stanley Cup pedigree to a team that’s lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers in each of the last four seasons. Whether he’s slated to play a bottom-pair role next to a fellow veteran like Cody Ceci or aid in the development of a talented offensive talent like Brandt Clarke, Dumoulin will have the opportunity to solidify the middle or bottom of the Kings' depth chart on the blueline. CAM FOWLER: CAN HE SET A NEW CAREER HIGH IN POINTS? Fowler was the first of this group to depart the Ducks, ending a 14-plus-year career with the organization in which he played just shy of 1000 games (991), when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/st-louis-blues] in Dec. 2024. He made an immediate impact and found instant chemistry with the Blues, notably alongside Colton Parayko, where the two now comprise the projected top pair in St. Louis. After the trade, Fowler scored 36 points (9-27=36) in 51 games for the Blues, the highest scoring rate (.71 points per game) in his career. He’ll have to fight for top power play time with Justin Faulk, but if Fowler gets the nod (and stays healthy), he has the chance to set a new career high for himself, which now stands at 48 points, set in the 2022-23 season. JOHN GIBSON: CAN HE LEAD DETROIT INTO HE PLAYOFFS? On day two of the 2025 NHL Draft, Gibson was traded from the team with the third-longest playoff drought (Anaheim, seven years) to the team with the second (Detroit, nine years). Gibson’s numbers bounced back in a big way in 2024-25, after a half-decade of mediocrity. Talent remains, but health is the question. It’s a gamble the Red Wings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/detroit-red-wings] are willing to take, as they’ve been knocking on the door of the playoffs in the last two seasons. Cam Talbot, with whom Gibson will likely form a tandem, played well last season, but the goaltending position has been volatile for the Red Wings for the duration of their rebuild. Gibson and Talbot can hopefully raise the team’s floor and give the players in front of them needed security as they look to finally break through and play spring hockey. ISAC LUNDESTROM: HOW LONG CAN HE STICK IN THE NHL? Lundestrom was given a relatively long leash in Anaheim, where he played 337 games over seven seasons, but never found a way to meaningfully impact games on the offensive side of the puck. This summer, he signed a two-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/columbus-blue-jackets]. His skating, defensive prowess, and work ethic will always endear him to coaches, but his NHL role seems destined to that of a fourth-line center, a position in which he’ll have to fend off hungry, young players for the remainder of his career. He’ll also need to improve on his 45.9% clip in the faceoff circle, so coaches can trust him with defensive zone starts if he’s to be relied on as a matchup option in any way. TREVOR ZEGRAS: WHO IS THE REAL TREVOR ZEGRAS? Zegras burst onto the scene in 2021-22, dazzling on a nightly basis, was the 2022 Calder Trophy runner-up, and notched back-to-back 60-plus point seasons. A lengthy contract negotiation amid a coaching change and a mandate to work on his 200-foot game led to a muted impact followed by significant injuries over the following two seasons. Verbeek and the Ducks made the decision to go in a different direction, sending him to the Philadelphia Flyers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/philadelphia-flyers] this summer. Whether he ultimately ends up on the wing or sticks at the center position, as is the initial intention of the Flyers, he’s a player who will hopefully be afforded the freedom to explore the reaches of his vast creativity, increasing the odds of returning to that scintillating talent we saw early in his career. How Much the Ducks are Projected to Improve in 2025-26 Standings [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/how-much-the-ducks-are-projected-to-improve-in-2025-26-standings] Report: Anaheim Ducks "Not Crazy on a Bridge Deal" for Mason McTavish, Prefer Long-Term Extension [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/report-anaheim-ducks-not-crazy-on-a-bridge-deal-for-mason-mctavish-prefer-long-term-extension] Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba Highlight Angels' Ducks Night [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/chris-kreider-jacob-trouba-highlight-angels-ducks-night]
