The 2025-26 season is now around the corner after a long offseason. The Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] have lofty goals and one major piece of business left on the table to take care of: Mason McTavish's contract extension. The team has a wide array of potential outcomes and will rely on several “ifs” and “buts” to reach their full potential. Every roster player will be faced with at least one burning question heading into this pivotal year for the Ducks franchise. 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] 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] So, let’s ask some of those questions. We broke down the forwards last time, so let’s focus on the defensemen and goaltenders with this one: Inspiration for this article was borrowed from The Athletic’s Kevin Kurtz [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6551684/2025/09/04/flyers-roster-questions-2025/] DEFENSEMEN RADKO GUDAS: WHICH IS THE REAL GUDAS, THE 2023-24 VERSION OR THE 2024-25 ONE? Gudas made an immediate positive impact as a lead-by-example depth defenseman when he signed a three-year contract with the Ducks in the summer of 2023, to such an extent that he earned the title of team captain in 2024. His on-ice play and numbers across the board dropped dramatically in year two with Anaheim. He reportedly elected to forgo knee surgery this offseason, opting instead for physical therapy. Whether fully healthy or not, it may benefit the Ducks captain to assume more of a role as a bottom-pair defenseman in his final year under contract with Anaheim. DREW HELLESON: CAN HE HANDLE A POTENTIAL INCREASE IN WORKLOAD? Helleson gained favor with former head coach Greg Cronin after his final recall to the Ducks in Nov 2024, offering a steady presence and good habits for a young defender. That said, despite relatively sheltered minutes, his underlying numbers were poor, even on a Ducks team with some of the worst 5v5 numbers in the league last year. If Gudas’ game fails to bounce back, Helleson will be counted on to increase his defensive responsibilities at 5v5 and on the penalty kill. It will be interesting to monitor who he’ll be playing beside and if he’s a long-term fit next to either Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, or Olen Zellweger. JACKSON LACOMBE: WAS LAST YEAR A MIRAGE? On a team brimming with young talent, LaCombe was the only player to truly break out in 2024-25. He became the team’s number one defenseman, leading the team in TOI and featuring heavily on both special teams units. This will be a big year for him, as his contract will be expiring with arbitration rights. If he can continue his play or even elevate it further, the Ducks will have found one of the hardest pieces to find when building a Stanley Cup-contending team: an all-situations, minute-eating blueliner who can fill a scoresheet. TRISTAN LUNEAU: HOW MANY NHL GAMES WILL HE PLAY THIS SEASON? As the depth chart is currently constructed, Luneau can be penciled in on the opening night roster as a 6th/7th defenseman. After earning a spot on the AHL all-rookie team last season with 52 points (9-43=52) in 59 games, he’ll be looking to take the next step in his development toward that of a full-time NHLer. As a bubble player, he’ll need to win minutes from Drew Helleson, Radko Gudas, and Jacob Trouba, while fending off hungry San Diego Gulls defensemen Ian Moore, Tyson Hinds, Noah Warren, and Stian Solberg. Luneau has battled through and overcome several significant injuries in his career, with no signs of his drive or compete levels dropping. Pavel Mintyukov: How much will he benefit from a new coaching staff? Last season, Mintyukov was a casualty of a blueline logjam and a coaching staff that favored veterans, forcing him to play a muted, safe brand of hockey if he wanted to earn spots in nightly lineups. With that logjam now seemingly relieved, Mintyukov has the opportunity to play more fearlessly and more akin to his skillset, potentially maximizing his shift-by-shift impact. Joel Quenneville and Ryan McGill will now be tasked with elevating him to the player the Ducks envisioned they were drafting with the tenth-overall pick in 2022. JACOB TROUBA: IS HE A LONG-TERM PIECE IN ANAHEIM? The Ducks traded for Trouba in December, taking on his entire cap hit with a year remaining on his contract. Trouba was an immediate fit in the locker room and filled the leadership void on the Anaheim blueline after the departures of Cam Fowler and Brian Dumoulin. Now comes the question of whether they see him as a fixture for the foreseeable future as the franchise attempts to turn the corner on their rebuild and begin their contending cycle. Early guesses lean yes, and a Frank Vatrano-like extension announcement wouldn’t be surprising (speculation). OLEN ZELLWEGER: WILL HE BE UNLEASHED? Similar to Mintyukov, Zellweger’s offensive impact was dulled as he struggled to receive consistent starts in the nightly lineup for the Ducks last season. Atypical of what general manager Pat Verbeek has proven to prefer in his blueliners, Zellweger was already seemingly behind the eight-ball. But now that the path is clearer for him and a new, reportedly player-friendly head coach is calling the shots, he’ll have to seize every bit of runway given to him this season. He possesses an electrifying skillset, has produced at every level below the NHL, and has put in the work to round out his two-way game. For Zellweger, this will be as close to a make-or-break year as we’ll see. GOALTENDERS LUKAS DOSTAL: IS HE ELITE? A big new contract and the departure of John Gibson this summer gives Dostal sole possession of the Ducks’ crease. He can already be considered “above average” and is one of the most talented young goaltenders in the NHL, with low volatility in his nightly performance. His workload is now projected to become more predictable and increase to 55-60 games, typical of a modern NHL starter. Dostal carried the entire team for stretches of last season, and with the growth from the roster in front of him, along with an improved coaching staff, a path to consideration among the NHL’s elite goalies has emerged. It will be up to him to take it. PETR MRAZEK: WILL THE CONNECTION TO HIS CZECH COUNTRYMAN ELEVATE BOTH PLAYERS? Mrazek came over in the Gibson deal with the Detroit Red Wings with the intention of him becoming the short-term backup behind Dostal. He backed up Dostal at the 2024 World Championship, in which their Czechia team won the gold medal, and the Ducks are relying on the duo’s familiarity to assist and smooth Dostal’s transition into a full-time starter. After starting his career with several quality seasons with the Red Wings and Hurricanes, Mrazek has been relatively up-and-down since. He’ll look to provide some stability and regain some consistency in 2025-26. VILLE HUSSO: INSURANCE OR LONG-TERM BACKUP? Husso was brought in ahead of the 2025 trade deadline, mainly as an AHL option for the Gulls, who could (and would) provide veteran depth should injuries occur at the NHL level. He signed a relatively sizable two-year, $2.2 million AAV contract this summer to remain in the Ducks organization, making him potentially waiver-proof, as that would be a hefty gamble of a claim from an opposing team. Mrazek seems like a one-year plan, and the Ducks have a multitude of young goaltenders in the pipeline. Husso and Mrazek could serve as insurance for each other should one falter, but that also gives them each the motivation to seize the backup role. 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] How the Ducks Could Benefit from CBA Changes [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/how-the-ducks-could-benefit-from-cba-changes] Ducks Announce 2025 Rookie Camp Roster [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-announce-2025-rookie-camp-roster]
