Anaheim Ducks hope to maintain momentum after skid-snapping playoff berth, summer roster upheaval

Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Last season: 43-33-6, lost in second round of playoffs.

COACH: Joel Quenneville (second season with Ducks, 1,012-605-77 in 27 seasons overall).

SEASON OPENER: Oct. 2 at Vegas.

DEPARTURES: C Mason McTavish, D Jacob Trouba, D John Carlson, F Chris Kreider, D Radko Gudas, D Olen Zellweger, F Jeffrey Viel.

ADDITIONS: F A.J. Greer, D Nick Jensen, D Travis Mitchell.

GOALIES: Lukas Dostal (30-20-4, 3.10 GAA, .888 save percentage), Ville Husso (10-8-2, 3.25, .884), Laurent Brossoit (0-1-0, 6.09, .783).

What to expect

The Ducks’ rough summer might have eroded much of their momentum after they ended their seven-year playoff drought last spring and steamed into the second round with a talented young core and a veteran supporting cast playing exciting hockey for Quenneville. Anaheim lost four NHL defensemen and gave up on the struggling McTavish even before Pat Verbeek was forced to sign Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov to deals well above their perceived market value, thanks to the GM’s handling of their restricted free agency.

Those lavish outlays — Cutter Gauthier got a huge raise as well — essentially forced Anaheim to drop 22-goal scorer Kreider for nothing. Verbeek also didn’t add any significant talent in free agency yet again, getting only depth forward Greer on a generous four-year deal. So will the Ducks take a step back with a less talented roster, or will their young cornerstones take a step forward and obviate those problems?

Strengths and weaknesses

The good: The Ducks are an exciting offensive team again after a half-decade among the NHL’s worst. The 21-year-old Carlsson is already looking like a franchise center, while Gauthier has the potential to be the Ducks’ best goal-scorer since Teemu Selanne retired in 2014. Their veteran forwards, including Alex Killorn and new captain Mikael Granlund, are also consistent producers for Anaheim, which repeatedly scored its way out of trouble last season.

The not so good: The Ducks’ defense is significantly worse on paper after the wholesale summer departures, and it wasn’t even that good last season when Anaheim allowed 288 goals — fourth-most in the league — during a down year from Lukas Dostal. Quenneville really must work on an overall team commitment to defense, or the Ducks could be in trouble.

Players to watch

The continued growth of Carlsson and Gauthier is the feel-good story, but the departures on defense have put the spotlight on Tristan Luneau, who played only one NHL game last season and 14 over the past three years. The 22-year-old junior star must become a Ducks regular, and most believe he’s ready. The top candidates for the remaining blue line jobs include Ian Moore, who played extensively at forward last year, along with Tyson Hinds and newcomers Jensen and Mitchell.

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