The Anaheim Ducks missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the sixth straight season.
The Ducks (23-42-3) were eliminated from contention Sunday when they lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Blues after the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the New Jersey Devils 3-1 earlier in the day.
Before the start of the drought, Anaheim qualified for the playoffs in six consecutive seasons and seven of the past eight. It reached the 2015 Western Conference Final, a seven-game loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, and the 2017 conference final, a six-game loss to the Nashville Predators.
The Ducks have lost six in a row and have allowed the second-most goals (247) in the NHL behind the San Jose Sharks (263), who were eliminated March 12. They have scored 170 goals, third-fewest to the Blackhawks (149) and Sharks (147). Their minus-77 goal-differential is 30th ahead of Chicago (minus-92) and San Jose (minus-120).
Here is a look at what happened in the 2023-24 season for Anaheim and why things could be better next season.
The skinny
Potential unrestricted free agents: Jakob Silfverberg, F; Ben Meyers, F; William Lagesson, D.
Potential restricted free agents: Isac Lundestrom, F; Max Jones, F; Pavol Regenda, F; Brett Leason, F; Benoit-Olivier Groulx, F; Gustav Lindstrom, D; Jackson LaCombe, D; Urho Vaakanainen, D.
Potential 2024 Draft picks: 9
What went wrong
Injuries: The Ducks have one player skate in every game so far this season, forward Frank Vatrano. They only have eight who have played at least 60 games and have dressed 31 skaters. There was little to no consistency in the lineup for coach Greg Cronin, who was hired June 5, 2023.
Generating offense: Vatrano leads Anaheim with 29 goals and is the only player who's scored at least 20. Troy Terry has 19 and Adam Henrique had 18 before he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers with Sam Carrick in a three-team deal also involving the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 6. Terry scored 37 goals two seasons ago but fell to 23 last season. Alex Killorn, signed as a free agent July 1, 2023, has 12 goals after he scored 27 for the Lightning in 2022-23. Silfverberg had 45 goals combined from 2018-20, but has 29 in the four seasons since, including six this season.
Not-so-special teams: The Ducks could not kill penalties; their 73.1 percent success rate is second-worst in the NHL behind the New York Islanders (71.8 percent). Not ideal for a team that has taken League highs of 317 minor penalties and 373 total penalties. They drew 302 penalties, and their minus-71 differential is last. Anaheim couldn't cover for this with a pedestrian power play (18.4 percent) that's tied with the Montreal Canadiens for 23rd. The Ducks have 37 power-play goals this season, and Vatrano (11) is their only player with at least five.
Reasons for optimism
Feeling the Draft: The Ducks have committed to rebuilding their prospect pool since general manager Pat Verbeek took over Feb. 3, 2022. That process will continue at the 2024 NHL Draft with nine picks, including seven in the first three rounds. Aside from their own pick in each round, which should be top-five, they have Edmonton's first-round pick from the Henrique trade, a second-round pick from the Boston Bruins and third-round selections from the Sharks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Prospect palooza: Anaheim will be adding those potential nine picks to an already impressive prospect pool that is among the deepest in the NHL with several either on the current roster or in the pipeline and expected to make an even greater impact next season. Forward Cutter Gauthier, acquired in the trade that sent Jamie Drysdale to the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 8, and defenseman Olen Zellweger, lead the cast waiting in the wings. Gauthier is dominating at Boston College with 52 points (32 goals, 20 assists) in 35 games; Zellweger has played 13 NHL games and counting. Anaheim already added 19-year-old forward Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and 20-year-old defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to the mix. Minyukov, chosen No. 10 in the 2022 NHL Draft, has been a revelation with 26 points (three goals, 23 assists) in 57 games.
Centers of attention: The Ducks have a core of good, young centers headlined by Carlsson and Mason McTavish, each playing on his entry-level contract. Carlsson was brought along slowly this season and kept out games to reduce his first-year workload, yet he has 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) while showing flashes of brilliance. McTavish, a 21-year-old forward, has 40 points (17 goals, 23 assists) in 56 games. Trevor Zegras, a first-round pick (No. 9) in the 2019 NHL Draft, has been limited to 20 games this season. The 22-year-old can play center and wing and had 126 points (46 goals, 80 assists) in 156 games the previous two seasons combined.
