Anaheim Ducks' 3 keys to a successful 2024-25 season – Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks must improve in various areas in order to have a successful season, as the keys to progress can vary from person to person. After all, the organization has the fourth-longest playoff drought at six seasons and has finished in the bottom five of the NHL standings four times in that span.

The most direct measure to determine a successful campaign is climbing the ranks by winning more hockey games. However, focusing on other areas that need further development is important and can ultimately lead the club to where it is headed.

Shaping Young Talent into Future Leaders

The Ducks named Radko Gudas the ninth captain in franchise history on September 19.[Gudas] it plays with emotion. He is an emotional leader. We're a young team and I thought that was important to our team,” said general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek. “One of the best things [Gudas] it doesn't matter what team he plays for, his teammates love him. And I think that's a good asset to have as a leader.”

Although the Ducks plan to rely on young players to move the team forward, it is evident that the team's decision makers wanted a veteran at the forefront. It may have been done to allow the rising stars to develop and step forward a bit in the limelight that comes from captaincy. It may also allow them to focus on playing rather than being a representative who has to talk to the media or on-ice officials. The burden of answering questions after a tough loss can be heavy, especially if success continues to be elusive in 2024-25.

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However, the team will give important roles to young players like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, and Pavel Mintyukov because they will be the team's future leaders. They will be heavily relied on for their skills on the ice and will play an important role as voices in the locker room. “We all lead together, and that won't change,” Gudas said after becoming captain.

Ducks Must Be More Behaved

Last season, the Ducks ranked second with 1,108 penalty minutes while receiving the fewest penalties (377), having the shortest ice time (514:41), and leading the league in shortstops (330). Besides ranking fifth overall in penalties called, the team had the worst penalties in the NHL at minus-94. The San Jose Sharks were the only other team to finish below minus-30 with a minus-45 point.

Surprisingly, the penalty kill was a major problem in 2023-24, ranking 31st in the league with a 72.4 percent success rate. Anaheim allowed a league-leading 91 goals during the shutout, surpassing the Minnesota Wild, who allowed 67 for second. The Ducks undoubtedly need to take a few more penalties, especially when it comes to unnecessary stick violations and those related to blocking, but the Team should be better while short.

Another way to improve is to have attacking players with penalty killing skills who can put opponents on their heels. To that end, the Ducks will test Carlsson and Gauthier during short terms in 2024-25. “[Carlsson’s] you got a long time, you are a really smart player. “There are certain things that I look at on the penalty kill that are useful,” said Verbeek after last season. “I see too [Gauthier] to do the same, to be involved in the execution of the sentence. One of the things that puts the power in the game is knowing that the players they are playing with have the ability to drop the puck, take it in a different way and score small goals.”

Accountability is often popular when a new coach or different leaders join the team. Bench manager Greg Cronin has received praise at the start of the 2023-24 season for a no-nonsense, first-team approach. However, it didn't last long and featured consistently throughout the remainder of the campaign. On the subject of penalties, Cronin said: “Maybe the boys should have stayed. You hate doing it because sometimes you can lose the guy. He curled his head because he was sitting. But I talked to him [GM Verbeek] about this length…Sometimes, you don't even say a word to him. Just let him see it. Short term pain, long term gain.” The Ducks also hope that having a captain will help the players to be accountable because it sets a standard that must be followed by every player on the list.

Ducks Must Take Smart Steps Offensively

The team's defensive structure and goalkeeping still have question marks, but there have been signs of improvement in 2023-24. The biggest advantage for everyone to be on the same page to score more goals is that it will have a huge impact on defensive results because it means spending more time in the attacking zone.

As of the 2019-20 campaign, the Ducks rank 32nd in the NHL with 2.53 goals per game and 31st with 28.2 shots per contest. Fortunately, there are reasons to believe the team can turn on the light every year in 2024-25. The end of Carlsson's game-limiting program will make him a staple in the lineup, and he'll likely join Gauthier in the top lineup. The Ducks will also get a boost from healthy seasons in forwards McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Alex Killorn.

The team's defense can also play a big role in creating more offense. Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau have outstanding puck-moving skills and offensive instincts. Anaheim hasn't had much production from the blue line outside of Cam Fowler since 2018-19, but that could change this campaign. The departures of Mintyukov, Zellweger, and Luneau will help the Ducks in the transition while defensive guards like Gudas and Brian Dumoulin work to stop the rush and regain possession.

Ducks with Group Activities on the Rise

Despite having an interesting collection of young talent, the Ducks will likely continue to experience growing pains in 2024-25. There are too many unknowns and past issues to consider to think the club can return to being a playoff threat. However, that doesn't mean there won't be significant improvements. The speed at which young players develop will determine how quickly the team climbs the ladder, and they will be put in positions to succeed. Consistency can be an issue, but Anaheim has the pieces to surprise teams in the 2024-25 season.