The San Jose Sharks are looking to battle for the playoff spot this season, and in order to do so, they'll need to surpass some divisional rivals and potentially some teams in the Central Division as well. As a result, we're going to start taking a look at some of the Sharks' key opponents during the 2026-27 season and how they've changed over the summer, starting with the Anaheim Ducks.
Subtractions:
Jacob Trouba (UFA: Signed in San Jose)
Jeff Viel (UFA: Signed in Tampa Bay)
Ross Johnston (UFA: Signed in St. Louis)
Jansen Harkins (UFA: Signed in Tampa Bay)
Radko Gudas (Trade: Florida)
John Carlson (Trade: Carolina, UFA: Signed in Tampa Bay)
Olen Zellweger (Trade: Buffalo)
Mason McTavish (Trade: St. Louis)
Sasha Pastujov (Trade: Montreal)
There were quite a few players that departed the Ducks over the summer, including some key players like their captain Radko Gudas, trade deadline acquisition John Carlson, one of the newest San Jose Sharks Jacob Trouba, and young standouts who simply never got things going properly in Anaheim like Mason McTavish and Oleg Zellweger. The Ducks' defensive core in particular was severely weakened this summer, which could cause them to struggle.
Additions:
Jeff Malott (UFA)
Nick Jensen (UFA)
Corey Schueneman (UFA)
James Hamblin (UFA)
Jett Woo (UFA)
Laurent Brossoit (UFA)
Travis Mitchell (UFA)
AJ Greer (Trade: Florida)
Sean Farrell (Trade: Montreal)
Cruz Lucius (Trade: Pittsburgh)
While on paper the Ducks had just as many additions as subtractions, the quality of the players coming into the mix are much lower than what left. Nick Jensen will likely spent some time at the NHL level this season, as will Jeff Malott and of course AJ Greer, but all in all, they didn't add any gamechangers that will help the team massively this season. Cruz Lucius could be a piece that ends up being valuable down the line, but he won't help right out of the gate.
Jett Woo and Laurent Brossoit, for example, spent most of their time last season with the San Jose Barracuda and offer little value at the NHL level.
Other Notes:
Currently, the Ducks are facing the risk of starting the season without Cutter Gauthier as he remains a restricted free agent with training camp just around the corner.
Behind Anaheim's top left-handed defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, there's very little defensive quality. That fact is clear when looking at their defensive salaries, as LaCombe and Mintyukov take up roughly 72% of the $22.5 million that the Ducks spent on blue liners for the coming season.
The Ducks, inadvertently, did get some important business done this summer, extending Leo Carlsson with a then record-breaking deal after the Flyers submitted an offer sheet to the young forward. That contract completely changed the entire landscape of the market and directly influenced Macklin Celebrini's extension that was signed this summer.
Given the changes to their roster, it's difficult to see the Ducks duplicating their 92 point performance last season, which makes them one of the teams that the Sharks need to overtake during the 2026-27 campaign to reach the playoffs.
