The Anaheim Ducks announced the club’s 2023-24 season-opening roster. The Ducks roster consists of 13 Anaheim draft selections overall, including seven Ducks first-round picks: Leo Carlsson (second overall in 2023), Pavel Mintyukov (10th overall in 2022), Mason McTavish (third overall in 2021), Jamie Drysdale (sixth overall in 2020), Trevor Zegras (ninth overall in 2019), Max Jones (24th overall in 2016) and Cam Fowler (12th overall in 2010).
Anaheim’s roster includes three players 19-and-younger: Carlsson (18), Mintyukov (19) and Tristan Luneau (19); and seven players 22-and-under with the additions of McTavish (20), Drysdale (21), Zegras (22) and Jackson LaCombe (22).
In all, Anaheim’s roster boasts a total of 12 players 25-and-younger, including Lukas Dostal (23), Bo Groulx (23) Brett Leason (24), Urho Vaakanainen (24) and Jones (25).
A total of 18 players return from last season’s roster, while the club signed two free agents (Radko Gudas, Alex Killorn), acquired one player via trade (Ilya Lyubushkin), added three draft selections (Carlsson, Mintyukov, Luneau) and claimed one (Ross Johnston).
Leo Carlsson (lower-body, day-to-day) is currently on Injured Non-Roster while Alex Killorn (fractured finger, approximately 3-4 more weeks) on Injured Reserve.
In addition, Carlsson will now wear No. 91 and Groulx will wear No. 24.
The Anaheim Ducks open their 30th Anniversary campaign against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights Saturday, Oct. 14 at T-Mobile Arena (7 p.m. PT). The Duck 30th season-opening contest also marks the 22nd time in franchise history the team will open a season on the road and the second at Vegas (also Jan. 14, 2021). Anaheim is 5-1-0 in its last six season openers overall.
The Ducks will open their 30th Anniversary home schedule the following night, Sunday, Oct. 15 vs. the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center (5:30 p.m. PT). The Ducks have won a club record seven straight home openers at Honda Center dating to 2016 while earning points in each of the last 10 such contests since (9-0-1). The Ducks have also posted an 11-1-1 record in Honda Center openers since 2010-11.
Click here for a detailed roster.
RETURNING PLAYERS:
- Troy Terry enters the campaign coming off back-to-back seasons with 60-plus points and 20-plus goals (20-38=61 in 2022-23 and 37-30=67 in 2021-22). Last season, Terry led the Ducks in points per game (.87) and even-strength points (18-31-49), co-led in goals, and ranked second among in points.
- Trevor Zegras looks to improve upon his career-high 23-42=65 points last season, his second straight campaign with 60 points and 20 goals (23-38=61 in 2021-22). He was the third-youngest NHL player (22 years) to lead his team in points and goals, trailing Jack Hughes, NJD (21) & Tim Stutzle, OTT (21).
- Cam Fowler enters his 14th NHL season with Anaheim, the team’s longest-tenured player. In 2022-23, Fowler set single-season career highs in points (10-38=48) and assists. He became the third defenseman in Anaheim history to reach 40 points three times (also 2021-22 and 2010-11), and the lone defensemen in club history with 400 career points (91-323=414).
- Mason McTavish was one of the NHL’s top rookies in 2022-23, scoring 17-26=43 points in 80 games. Among NHL rookies, he co-led in PPG (7), was tied for second in primary assists (18), third in points (17-26=43) and PPP (7-7=14), fifth in goals and tied for fifth in assists.
- John Gibson returns for his 10th NHL season, coming off a 2022-23 campaign where his 1,783 saves were the most by any NHL goaltender in his first 53 games of a season since Gump Worsley stopped 1,893 shots for the NYR through 53 games in 1962-63 (60 seasons ago). Gibson enters the new campaign leading Anaheim with 12,102 career saves. Last season, he ranked third among all NHL goalies in saves (1,783) and led the league in games with 50-plus saves (3).
- Adam Henrique recorded 22-16=38 points in 62 games last season, ranking tied for second in goals, third in points per game (.61) and tied for third in goals among Ducks leaders. He scored 20 goals for the sixth time in his career and recorded his fifth straight season over 50% in faceoffs (51.5%).
- Frank Vatrano recorded career-highs in both points (22-19=41) and assists in 2022-23, marking his first season crossing the 40-point mark. He recorded Anaheim’s lone hat trick last season, Jan. 26, 2023 @ COL (3-0=3).
- Ryan Strome recorded 15-26=41 points in 82 games during his first season with Anaheim in 2022-23, marking his fourth straight season with 40-or-more points and fifth overall. He paced the Ducks with two OT goals, which ranked tied for eighth among all NHL leaders.
NEW ADDITIONS
- Alex Killorn signed a four-year contract July 1, 2023 after setting career highs in points (27-37=64), goals and assists with Tampa Bay last season. His 64 points marked his second straight season setting a career best in scoring and assists (25-34=59 in 2021-22). He joins Anaheim as a two-time Stanley Cup champion (2020 and 2021) and four-time Stanley Cup finalist (also 2015 and 2022).
- Radko Gudas signed a three-year contract July 1, 2023 after helping Florida to the Stanley Cup Final. He led all playoff skaters in hits (91), ranked seventh in blocked shots (35) and ninth in shorthanded TOI (46:37 total). In the regular season, he earned 2-15=17 points with a +14 rating and 79 PIM in n 72 games.
- Ilya Lyubushkin was acquired from Buffalo Aug. 18, 2023. He appeared in his fifth season with Buffalo in 2022-23, scoring 2-12=14 points with 38 PIM in 68 games. He led Sabres blueliners in hits/60 (5.82) and blocked shots/60 (6.11) and was second in shorthanded time on ice (139:42).
- Leo Carlsson was selected second overall in 2023 after he was named the Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year in 2022-23. He recorded the most points (10-15=25) and assists by a junior player in the league as an 18-year-old. His 25 points were the fifth-most all-time by a draft-eligible player in the SHL.
- Pavel Mintyukov was named to the 2022-23 OHL Defenseman of the Year, the OHL First All-Star Team and CHL Second All-Star Team. He combined for 24-64=88 points in 69 games with Ottawa and Saginaw, the only OHL defenseman to rank in the top-25 in league scoring. He led all CHL defensemen in points, and led all OHL defensemen in points and assists.
- Tristan Luneau was named the 2022-23 QMJHL Defenseman of the Year, a QMJHL First Team All-Star and a CHL Second Team All-Star. He scored 20-63=83 points with a +49 rating in 65 games for Gatineau. His 83 points were the most by a QMJHL defenseman since 2013-14 and he was the only defenseman in the QMJHL to lead his club in points in 2022-23.
