The Ducks have had serious trouble scoring goals for a number of years now. They are currently dead last in the league in goals per game at 2.42. The team’s power play has not helped at all, as they are currently operating at 12.7%, which is 2nd to last in the league.
Is it coaching? Is it talent? Is it confidence? It’s probably a combination of these factors, but the bottom line is something needs to change. Even if there were to be a positive coaching change (either through different systems or an entirely new coaching staff), this team needs more firepower and attacking options.
One piece the team currently lacks is a right-shot shooting threat, especially on the power play. Last offseason, General Manager Pat Verbeek publicly claimed that he was in the market for a top 6 right-shot forward. He took big swings at Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault, but they both ultimately chose Nashville instead.
Currently, Troy Terry and Ryan Strome are the only legitimate top 9 right-shot forwards on the team, but neither of them possesses a shot that forces opponents to respect it at all times. Terry can definitely shoot the puck, but it’s not at the level that strikes fear in opponents, especially on the power play. Sam Colangelo is another right-shot option who has shown some ability to shoot the puck at lower levels, but he isn’t quite ready to make a serious impact yet (though I would like to see him given more opportunities to do so).
Adding a right-shot shooting threat would give the team a new weapon that could add another dimension to the offense at both even strength and on the power play. A one-timer option on the left half wall of the power play would force penalty killers to defend that area more closely, hopefully opening up other parts of the ice. It remains to be seen if the team can properly utilize such a weapon, but I believe it’s a piece that can help this team.
Unfortunately, there are a number of teams in the market for these players, so it won’t be easy to sign or trade for any of them. It also means that teams who do have these players won’t be in a hurry to get rid of them. I considered some names like Owen Tippett (who I think would be an excellent fit), Rickard Rakell, Jordan Kyrou, Martin Necas, and Jonathan Marchessault, but I don’t think they are likely to leave their respective teams in the near future. If Philadelphia is desperate for a center, however, I could maybe see them using Tippett to get one. From a Ducks perspective, that would likely mean they would have to give up either Mason McTavish or Trevor Zegras, which I don’t see them doing just yet.
I identified 3 trade targets and 3 offseason free agent targets that could make sense for the Ducks (listed in alphabetical order by section):
Trade Targets
Oliver Bjorkstrand
The 29-year-old winger has had a decent season thus far with the Seattle Kraken. In 45 games, he has 13 goals and 16 assists. While he has never put up huge numbers, he has been a consistent 20-goal scorer and he isn’t afraid to shoot the puck.
Seattle has not had a good season and they are likely looking to retool their roster. Recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that Seattle might be looking to move Bjorkstrand. The Kraken do not have much cap flexibility, so they might want to shed Bjorkstrand’s contract and look to do something else with that money. His cap hit is $5.4M this season and next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. It’s also worth mentioning that Bjorkstrand has a 10-team no trade list, so it is possible that Anaheim is on it.
Earlier in the season, Bjorkstrand wasn’t producing and he wasn’t getting much ice time. I thought he was a great candidate for a cheap add, but he has turned it around and now I’m sure many teams will be calling about him. The feasibility of Anaheim acquiring Bjorkstrand likely comes down to what Seattle wants in return. If their goal is to shed as much cap as possible, then I definitely think the Ducks are a realistic option. Not many teams can absorb his full cap hit without sending any money back, but Anaheim has plenty of cap space this year and next. Contending teams will either need Seattle to retain money or take money back in the trade. If Anaheim is taking on his full cap hit, I can’t see the acquisition cost being too high.
Dylan Cozens
Cozens has been maybe the hottest name in trade rumors for the last couple of months. It isn’t common for a 23-year-old 6’3″ right-shot center to be available, but that speaks to how things have gone recently for Cozens in Buffalo. In 2022-23, Cozens put up 31 goals and 37 assists in his 21-year old season. That type of production at that age usually signals a star in the making, but he has had trouble reaching those heights since. Last season, he had 18 goals and 29 assists. So far this season, Cozens has just 10 goals and 12 assists in 45 games.
On the surface, Cozens seems like a great buy low candidate, but then you remember what his contract looks like. In the middle of his breakout season, Cozens signed a 7-year contract (until 2030) at a $7.1M cap hit. For a short period of time, it looked like a steal for the Sabres, but right now it represents a huge risk when looking at acquiring him. It’s a big commitment to a player that has lost his way and may have trouble finding it again.
The Ducks have enough centers, but Cozens has played the wing before (and Anaheim’s centers could also move to the wing). But is Cozens a risk worth taking? Of course it depends on the price. Buffalo is likely sick of picks and prospects at this point, so I have to assume they would be looking at young players who can make an impact either now or very soon. My guess is that they would want Mason McTavish in return for Cozens, and I don’t think Anaheim would be willing to take that risk. I also think that there are many teams out there more desperate for a center than the Ducks are, so I think they would likely get outbid anyway. Cozens’ combination of size and speed is probably very attractive to Verbeek, but I have a hard time seeing this deal happening for Anaheim.
Jack Quinn
Oh look, another young Buffalo Sabre. Quinn was drafted 8th overall in 2020, but he has not lived up to his draft status so far in his career. Like many other Sabres, he had a decent year in 2022-23 with 14 goals and 23 assists in what was his rookie season. Unfortunately, that has been his most productive year thus far. The 23-year-old winger has had injury issues and has battled consistency problems throughout his young career.
The highlight above shows Quinn’s main strength: his shot. He isn’t particularly big or fast, but his ability to shoot the puck is what makes him an intriguing target. Quinn is in the final year of his entry level contract, meaning he will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and he still has a few years of control left before he is eligible for unrestricted free agency. He is probably in line for a modest raise on his $863K cap hit, but it won’t be anything significant.
Quinn likely doesn’t have much trade value, but Buffalo certainly won’t give him away for free. Again, they would probably prefer a young player who can impact their roster right now, but Quinn won’t return a high quality player. Could someone like Drew Helleson interest Buffalo? Their only right-shot defensemen right now are Connor Clifton and Henri Jokiharju. Helleson has looked OK for the Ducks this season, but I’m not sure I see him on Anaheim in the long term (though I will admittedly say I thought similar things about Jackson LaCombe last season). Buffalo seems ready to make some drastic moves, and we will likely get a sense of their direction in the near future.
Free Agent Targets
Brock Boeser
There are a handful of impact forwards slated to become free agents this offseason. After Mitch Marner, Boeser is likely the best right-shot forward on the market. He will be 28 at the start of next season, and he will be looking for a nice raise on the $6.65M cap hit on his current contract.
Boeser has always been a high-level goal scorer, but health has held him back from regular, consistent production. He typically scored at a 30 goal pace, but injuries have caused him to only reach 30 goals one time in his 8+ year career. That was last season when he played 81 games and scored 40 goals. He has missed some time this year already, so you have to wonder if that healthy season was the outlier or not. Boeser is in line for a 5+ year contract and a cap hit of at least $7M, so it’s clearly a very important question to consider.
It sounds like Boeser would like to re-sign with the Canucks, but it is unclear if Vancouver is willing to shell out the money to keep him. They have had the ability to extend him sine July 1, and he still doesn’t have a contract. Vancouver has had plenty of drama this season, and they probably want to sort the Pettersson/Miller situation before committing to Boeser. He appears to be a good fit with the Ducks, but he has his risks and there are a lot of breaks that would have to go Anaheim’s way for a marriage to make sense.
Kyle Palmieri
Palmieri, a former 1st round draft pick of the Ducks in 2009, is in the final season of a 4-year contract that has a cap hit of $5M. He will turn 34 in February, so his best days are behind him, but Palmieri is still a productive winger who can finish chances. Last season he had 30 goals and 24 assists, his most productive since 2015-16 with New Jersey. So far this season, Palmieri has a respectable 12 goals and 16 assists. If he is available at the trade deadline, he will likely be a hot commodity as a rental for the rest of this year.
Palmieri’s shot would be a welcomed addition to the Ducks team, but he also has above average speed (according to NHL EDGE data). He has shown that he can be a solid complementary piece to good players, and I believe he could be a nice fit next to one of Anaheim’s young centers.
Palmieri’s age will make his offseason situation interesting. It is rare to see 34-year olds sign for more than 3 years, unless they are stars. Anaheim would probably have to offer him 2 or 3 years at close to his current cap hit of $5M to be competitive with other teams. The Islanders have not committed to selling yet, so there is always the possibility of him re-signing in Long Island, which is close to his hometown. I don’t mind the idea of Anaheim signing Palmieri if the contract makes sense, but he wouldn’t be at the top of my list.
Jack Roslovic
Roslovic had a hot start with the Hurricanes this season, but he has cooled off recently. He currently sits at 17 goals and 8 assists on the year, but he does not have a single point in 2025. He signed a 1 year, $2.8M contract with Carolina in the offseason, and it has worked out for him so far as he has gotten to play with good players. He will be looking to cash in on a successful season with a bigger contract this summer.
Roslovic has always had tantalizing skill, good speed, and quality shot, but he has had trouble finding consistency in the NHL. He has bounced around from Winnipeg to Columbus to New York (Rangers) to Carolina in his 8+ year career. He shows flashes of what he can do, but he doesn’t appear to have much staying power.
Roslovic’s next contract will depend on what he does for the rest of this season, and especially the playoffs. If he finds the game he had at the start of the year, he could be in line for a multi-year deal at good money. However, if this cold streak continues, he could be facing another 1-year deal at some other location. Roslovic is somebody I will be keeping an eye on for the rest of the season.
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