The Ducks’ biggest roster concerns heading into the 2024-25 NHL season

While there was some hope that the Anaheim Ducks would take a step forward last season, especially with the additions of Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas in free agency, the team once again struggled mightily in 2023-24. It was the sixth consecutive postseason-less campaign for the Ducks, who continue to rebuild, but at a snail’s pace.

Heading into a new NHL season, the hope in California is that the talented young core can take another step forward. That includes players like Cutter Gauthier, who was brought in in a surprising trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, along with Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish and Olen Zellweger, among others. After finishing seventh or eighth in the Pacific Division in each of the past four seasons, it’s time for this roster to make significant progress.

But heading into training camp, Trevor Zegras’ future remains a major threat. After a brutal showing last year that saw the 23-year-old play just 31 games, the once-hyped star forward is the biggest unknown on this roster heading into 2024-25. Add to that a declining veteran goalkeeper and a weak defensive core, and it’s easy to put this club back in the league’s bottom echelon next season.

What will the Ducks do with Trevor Zegras?

Though Zegras’ name has been floating around in trade rumors more than likely any other player’s over the past year, the Bedford, New York, native remains part of the equation — for now. Zegras burst onto the scene after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2019 NHL Draft, scoring 61 points in 75 games in 2021-22 and then posting 23 goals and 65 points in 81 contests the following year.

But last season, one of the most highly touted prospects in Anaheim history didn’t pan out. Zegras was injured for most of the year, played just a third of his team’s games and scored just six goals and 15 points. That’s not at all what the Ducks expected after two excellent seasons. The third was a complete disaster, and Zegras has been widely considered a top trade candidate ever since.

But the former Boston University Terrier remains on the roster, and with each passing day this summer, it seems like there’s less chance he’ll be moved. Though the Montreal Canadiens have reportedly made a significant offer, along with a few other teams, it seems more likely that Zegras will still be a Duck come training camp.

How coach Greg Cronin decides on his forward lines will be directly tied to Zegras’ availability in September. Daily Faceoff currently projects him as a second-line center, alongside Gauthier and Frank Vatrano, with Carlsson, Killorn, and Troy Terry occupying first-line positions. But if he’s traded before the season, it will significantly weaken the center depth. As it stands, Zegras is barely playing like a 2C, and he’ll need to get back to form if this top-six is ​​going to be ready to take the next step in 2024-25.

Can John Gibson ever be his old self again?

Another big concern for the Ducks is the play of goaltender John Gibson. It’s a bit surprising that he also remains on the roster despite the team’s futility over the past half-decade. Still, this was one of the best goalies in the league for quite some time, though age has caught up with the 31-year-old in the worst way.

The 2023-24 campaign was one of Gibson’s worst, playing in 46 games and winning just 13 of them while posting a 3.54 goals-against average and .888 save percentage over that span. Things were even worse the year before, when he won just 14 of 53 games while posting a 3.99 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. Not exactly encouraging numbers for a team that’s going to need competent goaltending to get back to the postseason.

The good news is that Lukas Dostal has proven to be a more than capable backup, and that might not be the case for much longer after he appeared in 44 games in 2023-24. His 3.33 goals-against average and .902 save percentage were encouraging considering he’s just 24, and should continue to contend for a spot as a starter between the two teams. Still, Gibson is on the books for three more seasons and will make $6.4 million in each of them. He needs to be better, or else he could be playing second fiddle to Dostal in 2024-25.

The Ducks’ D core doesn’t inspire much confidence

Both Gibson and Dostal deserve some leeway; Anaheim’s defensive unit hasn’t exactly been a pushover in recent seasons and remains a concern for the roster heading into 2024-25.

That said, there are some young players on the unit who look ready to play a lot of minutes. That includes Zellweger, who played in 26 games last year and contributed a very respectable nine points in that span. He appears ready to join veteran Cam Fowler on the top pairing, who still has some game left after scoring 39 points while leading the top powerplay unit.

Gudas struggled last season and, at 34, shouldn’t be playing in the top four minutes. Neither should new signing Brian Dumoulin (32), though both veterans will be relied upon to help guide the youth revolution in Anaheim. That includes Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, who both showed flashes of encouraging play last year.

This blue line still projects as one of the weaker units in the league, and if Dostal takes over Gibson’s starting job, he’ll have his work cut out for him. There are still plenty of concerns throughout this roster, and it will be interesting to see if a talented core of forwards can help mitigate some of those issues next season. It will most likely be another long campaign in Anaheim, but it shouldn’t be too long before this team is back in contention for a playoff spot.