After the NHL Draft, free agency and other offseason moves, NHL.com is examining where each team stands in preparation for the 2025-26 regular season, which starts Oct. 7. Today, the Anaheim Ducks:<\/p>\n
2024-25 season:<\/strong> 35-37-10, sixth in Pacific Division; missed Stanley Cup Playoffs<\/p>\n Key arrivals<\/strong><\/p>\n Mikael Granlund<\/a>, C:<\/strong> The 33-year-old signed a three-year contract July 1 and could slot in at third-line center or as a top-six wing. Granlund is coming off the third-most productive season of his 13-season NHL career, finishing with 66 points (22 goals, 44 assists) between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He had another 10 points (five goals, five assists) for the Stars in 18 Stanley Cup Playoff games. … Chris Kreider<\/a>, LW:<\/strong> The 34-year-old was acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers on June 12. He shares the Rangers record for the most power-play goals (116), which should help an Anaheim unit that finished last in the NHL (11.8 percent). … Ryan Poehling<\/a>, C:<\/strong> The 26-year-old was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers on June 23. He could be the center on the third line if Granlund moves up to wing or fill the fourth-line role previously occupied by Isac Lundestrom<\/a>, who signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Poehling should also help improve a penalty kill that finished 29th last season (74.2 percent). … Joel Quenneville, coach:<\/strong> The 66-year-old was hired May 8 to replace Greg Cronin, who went 62-87-15 in two seasons. Quenneville won the Stanley Cup as head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, 2013 and 2015.<\/p>\n Key departures<\/strong><\/p>\n Trevor Zegras<\/a><\/strong>, C:<\/strong> Traded to the Flyers for Poehling, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft. Zegras scored 23 goals in 2021-22 and again in 2022-23, but was limited to 88 games the past two seasons because of injuries. … John Gibson<\/a><\/strong>, G:<\/strong> Traded to the Detroit Red Wings on June 28 for goalie Petr Mrazek<\/a>, a fourth-round selection in the 2026 draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Gibson, who turns 32 on July 14, played 12 seasons in Anaheim, becoming its all-time leader in starts (494) and saves (14,034), and ranking second in wins (204) and third in shutouts (24). Lukas Dostal<\/a>, 25, has emerged as the No. 1 goalie for the Ducks and Gibson isn’t ready to be a full-time backup. … Isac Lundestrom, C: Was not tendered a qualifying offer and signed with the Blue Jackets on July 1. Lundestrom scored 16 goals in 2021-22, but couldn’t regain that touch the past three seasons, combining for 13 goals in 186 games.<\/p>\n On the cusp<\/strong><\/p>\n Tristan Luneau<\/a><\/strong>, D:<\/strong> The 21-year-old made Anaheim’s opening night roster the past two years, but played in single-digit games with the Ducks in each season, seven in 2023-24 and six last season. A knee infection that developed while practicing with Canada before the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship ended his first season and he was returned to San Diego of the American Hockey League. Luneau remained in the AHL after Drew Helleson<\/a> showed considerable improvement following his recall from San Diego in early November. The Ducks then acquired another right-shot defenseman, Jacob Trouba<\/a>, from the Rangers on Dec. 6. … Sasha Pastujov<\/a>, LW:<\/strong> Anaheim’s third-round pick (No. 66) in the 2021 NHL Draft turns 22 on July 15. Pastujov had 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) in 43 games for San Diego after beginning last season with Tulsa in the East Coast Hockey League. He won AHL Player of the Month for January in his first month, the first player in Gulls history to earn the award.<\/p>\n What they still need<\/strong><\/p>\n The Ducks have finished in the bottom three in goals per game in each of the past three seasons, and general manager Pat Verbeek has been vocal about his pursuit of proven scorers. Kreider and Granlund each had 22 goals last season, but that might not make much of a dent in Anaheim’s overall production, especially after losing Zegras. An improved power play would help.<\/p>\n They said it<\/strong><\/p>\n “We want to play a fast game. We want to be competitive. We want to be known as a very hard-working team. Eventually, we want to be known as the hardest-working team. We feel that we’ve got some good energy with our younger players, but we want to play a puck-possession game, and we want to be relentlessly trying to get it back when we don’t have it. So, there’s a lot of emotion, a lot of intensity playing the right way and staying out of the penalty box.” — coach Joel Quenneville<\/p>\n EDGE stat to watch<\/strong><\/p>\n Anaheim defensemen combined to score 10 high-danger goals last season, tied for fourth in the NHL. Jackson LaCombe<\/a> had six, tied for second at his position behind Zach Werenski<\/a> of the Blue Jackets (seven). The only defensemen with more high-danger shots on goal than LaCombe (27) were Werenski (35) and Cale Makar<\/a> of the Colorado Avalanche (29). — Troy Perlowitz<\/p>\n