We are only through 16 games, but it’s already obvious that the 2025-26 edition of the Anaheim Ducks is far superior to the 2024-25 Ducks… and the 2023-24 Ducks… and the 2022-23 Ducks, and so on. The Ducks haven’t made the playoffs since 2018, but even then you could start to see the cracks in the armor. They were swept in the first round that year by the San Jose Sharks, and it only went downhill from there. Every year since then, Anaheim has been in the bottom 10 of the NHL. It has been 7 years of pain for the team and its fans, but it seems like the Ducks are finally turning a corner.
The main benefit of finishing low in the standings is getting a good 1st round draft pick. Since 2019, the Ducks have selected 9th (Trevor Zegras, traded for Ryan Poehling), 6th (Jamie Drysdale, traded for Cutter Gauthier), 3rd (Mason McTavish), 10th (Pavel Mintyukov), 2nd (Leo Carlsson), 3rd (Becket Sennecke), and 10th (Roger McQueen). The Ducks have amassed an enviable amount of young talent that looks good enough to propel the team into playoff contention as soon as this season.
The most notable change in this year’s team is the group behind the bench. After years of Randy Carlyle, Dallas Eakins, and Greg Cronin, General Manager Pat Verbeek made the decision to completely overhaul the coaching staff. Joel Quenneville (head coach), Jay Woodcroft (assistant coach in charge of forwards and power play), and Ryan McGill (assistant coach in charge of defensemen and penalty kill) are all reputable coaches who have a track record of success in their individual areas of expertise.
But exactly how have their presences changed this team? Let’s dive into some numbers to see why this team is so much more competitive:
5v5 Offense
The most obvious difference you see when watching the Ducks this season is the amount of offense they generate at even strength. They are playing a much faster game and it has led to significant jumps in production across the board. Here are some numbers from last season and how they have improved this year (via Natural Stat Trick):
- 5v5 Goals For per 60 Minutes – 2.36 (20th in the NHL) to 3.01 (4th)
- 5v5 Expected Goals For per 60 Minutes – 2.43 (22nd) to 2.86 (6th)
- 5v5 Shots For per 60 Minutes – 26.79 (19th) to 28.46 (8th)
- 5v5 High Danger Chances For per 60 Minutes – 10.11 (24th) to 12.45 (6th)
The top 2 lines of Kreider-Carlsson-Terry and Gauthier-McTavish-Sennecke have been potent thus far. The injuries to Mikael Granlund and Ryan Strome have neutered the bottom 2 lines a bit, but when they return, Anaheim will likely be able to run 3 solid forward lines.
It is clear that the team has been instructed to fly forward as soon as they believe there is a change in possession. When that strategy works, they are able to catch the opposing team flat-footed, making Anaheim extremely dangerous on the rush. However, it is a double-edged sword, as there have been quite a few times where they try to push forward too early, before the team has solid possession of the puck. This style of play has improved Anaheim’s offense generation, but it has also led the team to the highest expected goals against per 60 (xGA/60) and high danger chances against per 60 (HDCA/60) in the league. Thankfully, goaltender Lukas Dostal has been fantastic so far this season, so he has been able to cover up many of these mistakes. The final version of this Ducks team will be able to minimize those mistakes and pick its spots better.
Jacob Trouba
We also have to talk about Jacob Trouba, who has to be this season’s biggest surprise on the team. His defensive pairing with Olen Zellweger has been Anaheim’s best. Jackson LaCombe drew the headlines this offseason by signing the largest contract in Ducks history (at least until Leo Carlsson decides to sign an extension), but Trouba has taken the spotlight from him. Admittedly, I was not a fan of Trouba after he came over from the New York Rangers last season, but he has found his game so far this season. The Ducks have scored 75% of the goals scored with Trouba on the ice. That number is unsustainable, but he has an expected goals percentage over 50%, which means he’s winning his minutes. Before this season, I would have been disappointed if Anaheim gave Trouba a contract extension, but he might have earned it with his play so far. Let’s see if he can keep it up.
Power Play
Let’s move on to special teams. In recent seasons, both Anaheim’s power play and penalty kill have been pathetic, to put it lightly. The power play, specifically, served more as a momentum killer rather than a prime opportunity to score. Here are some key stats that show the improvement from last year to this year (via Natural Stat Trick):
- Power Play % – 11.8% (32nd in the NHL) to 23% (11th)
- Net Power Play %* – 9.1% (31st) to 23% (8th)
- 5v4 Goals per 60 Minutes – 3.66 (32nd) to 8.28 (11th)
- 5v4 Expected Goals per 60 Minutes – 6.72 (28th) to 8.74 (12th)
- 5v4 Shots For per 60 Minutes – 46.2 (23rd) to 51.73 (14th)
- 5v4 High Danger Chances For per 60 Minutes – 17.68 (32nd) to 26.9 (13th)
*Net Power Play % takes into account the number of shorthanded goals a team allows. Mathematically speaking, giving up a shorthanded goal counts as -1 power play goals scored in Net Power Play %. So teams are punished for giving up shorthanded goals in this stat.
It’s still early, but this year’s power play is essentially twice as effective as last year’s. Jay Woodcroft has this unit playing with much more confidence this season. It all starts with the zone entries to get the power play started. Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry have formed a great duo at entering the offensive zone with speed and possession. Once the Ducks get set up, there is a noticeable amount of movement from the players, especially Carlsson, Terry, and Cutter Gauthier. Carlsson and Terry are good at escaping pressure and using their puck skills to maintain possession and find open teammates, while Gauthier finds soft areas to open himself up for one-timers. Jackson LaCombe hasn’t been perfect as the quarterback on the power play, but his poise with the puck and deft hands allow him to help keep pucks in the zone.
The one player on the top power play unit that I haven’t mentioned yet is arguably the biggest reason why it has been so successful. Chris Kreider, acquired in the offseason from the New York Rangers, has provided a net-front presence that the Ducks have needed for years. The former 50-goal scorer has a knack for tipping pucks and causing chaos for opposing penalty killers. Kreider (#20) doesn’t score here, but he draws all the attention toward him, opening up his teammates for a relatively easy goal.
The Ducks also now have the depth to have a decent second power play unit, and guys like Mason McTavish, Mikael Granlund, Olen Zellweger, and even 19-year-old Beckett Sennecke can play on the top unit if needed. Granlund, in particular, proved to be dangerous on the power play before he got injured. And because last year’s team was so inept on the power play, even with the massive jump, there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Penalty Kill
Anaheim’s penalty kill isn’t quite as effective as its power play, but there still seems to be an uptick in its play this season under Ryan McGill. Here are side-by-side numbers looking at last year compared to this year (via Natural Stat Trick):
- Penalty Kill % – 74.2% (29th in the NHL) to 76.4% (23rd)
- Net Penalty Kill %* – 75.4% (30th) to 81.8% (16th)
- 4v5 Goals Against per 60 Minutes – 8.54 (25th) to 8.75 (24th)
- 4v5 Expected Goals Against per 60 Minutes – 8.31 (26th) to 8.54 (18th)
- 4v5 Shots Against per 60 Minutes – 52.97 (22nd) to 46.65 (10th)
- 4v5 High Danger Chances Against per 60 Minutes – 25.61 (26th) to 26.24 (15th)
*Net Penalty Kill % takes into account the number of shorthanded goals a team scores while on the penalty kill. Mathematically speaking, scoring a shorthanded goal counts as -1 power play goals allowed in Net Penalty Kill %. So teams are rewarded for scoring shorthanded goals in this stat.
The penalty kill hasn’t quite had the stark improvement the power play has had, but it definitely looks more competent. The significant improvement in shots against per 60 minutes stands out to me. I believe this has improved because the Ducks are using better players on the penalty kill than in recent seasons, forcing opponents to respect Anaheim’s ability to score shorthanded goals (they are tied for 2nd in the NHL with 3 so far). This is what makes their Net Penalty Kill % much better than their Penalty Kill %. Gone are the days of seeing Isac Lundestrom, Brett Leason, Frank Vatrano, and Jansen Harkins just try to survive on the penalty kill. Anaheim’s most used forwards on the penalty kill this season (in terms of shorthanded ice time per game) are Alex Killorn, Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Ryan Poehling, and Mikael Granlund, a significantly more dangerous and talented group.
While the Carlsson-Terry duo has been very dangerous shorthanded, they have also been giving up too many high danger chances as a result of pushing for offense. In my opinion, that duo should be saved for the second half of a penalty kill against either the secondary power play unit or a tired primary unit. This would allow them to push for offense with a bit less risk. The Poehling-Killorn duo should be used at the start of penalty kills when it’s probably smart to be safer, especially against the most dangerous teams.
The numbers also tell us that the team is actually giving up more high danger chances than they were last year, but the team’s ranking in the league has interestingly gone up quite a bit from 26th to 15th. If I had to guess, this is due to penalty kill units struggling early in the season as they adjust to power plays around the league. I assume most teams will give up fewer high danger chances as the season goes on, so hopefully the Ducks can maintain, or even improve that ranking as the numbers go down.
Looking Forward
It has been a promising start, but it’s a long season. Now that the Ducks have put the league on notice, teams will adjust to their new style of play. Anaheim also has to figure out how to tighten up the defensive lapses without sacrificing much offense, which is the true strength of this team.
It will also be interesting to see how the lineup looks when it’s fully healthy. Veterans like Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, and Alex Killorn might see a notable decrease in minutes now that the team is stronger and more competitive. If they are unable to embrace new, reduced roles, then there might need to be some moves made to better fill out the roster.
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