The Anaheim Ducks are likely to name a captain prior to next season, general manager Pat Verbeek said.
Anaheim has not had a captain since Ryan Getzlaf retired following the 2021-22 season. He was captain for 12 seasons from 2010-22.
"I think it's certainly something we're exploring and we're discussing actively right now," Verbeek told the Ducks website Monday. "I think for the last two years, I got a really good handle on how the room's working, who the voices are and all of that sort of thing. So like I said, we're going through that process right now to make a decision, but I think at some point we will name a captain this summer."
This season, the Ducks rotated five players as alternate captains -- defenseman Cam Fowler and forwards Mason McTavish, Troy Terry, Jakob Silfverberg and Adam Henrique. Silfverberg retired following the season and Henrique was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on March 6.
Fowler is the longest-tenured player on the team (14 seasons), followed by Terry (six).
"We don't have a captain. … I think we need to have a captain," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said Monday. "We need to find a leadership group that can hold teammates accountable to these standards that I spoke to earlier."
The Ducks also signed veteran forward Alex Killorn and defenseman Radko Gudas prior to the season for leadership, and forwards Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano two seasons ago.
"Even with the veteran leadership, we're in a good spot and I want to start to make a push, a strong push to where we're competing and we're in the conversation and making the playoffs next year," Verbeek said.
Anaheim (27-50-5) finished seventh in the Pacific Division and 30th in the NHL standings this season under first-year coach Cronin. The Ducks ranked 30th in goals per game (2.48) and goals against per game (3.57), tied for 25th on the power play (17.9 percent) and were 31st on the penalty kill (72.4 percent).
They have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for six straight seasons, last qualifying in 2018 when they were swept by the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference First Round.
"Obviously the easiest way to go about [improving the roster] is to look at the free agent market," Verbeek said. "… I've also talked about having a improvement in our bottom-six forwards as well. I'm looking for more speed, a little more grit to add to our lineup in the bottom half. And then I'm also looking for a top-four defenseman. So are those are the kind of areas I'm looking to make improvements to the team."
The Ducks had 10 rookie skaters play in at least one game this season, including forwards Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and Cutter Gauthier, the No. 5 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers who was acquired in a trade on Jan. 8, and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, the No. 10 pick in 2022.
"You could be on a little bit of a roller coaster next year with things you're going to go through, things that you haven't experienced," Verbeek said. "So expect it and be prepared mentally for it and also be prepared to grind through it.
The Ducks are one of five teams without a captain along with the Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken and Utah.
