Ducks Flying a New Path

The season started bright, but the glimmer of hope has all but faded on the Anaheim Ducks’ playoff chances. After a 9-4-2 start to the season, the Ducks were dealt serious blows in the form of an injury to then leading scorer Daniel Sprong and a suspension to Max Comtois. With two of their top-6 forwards suddenly out of the lineup, the Ducks faced a make-or-break moment in the season. They faltered, tremendously.



Multiple losing streaks plagued the Ducks squad, the offense completely dried up, and the special teams went from tops in the league to laughable. GM Felts asserted that he would be staying the course despite the pressure from fans to right the ship and try to make a run at the playoffs. But then the unthinkable happened; the Ducks went 2-7-1 on a 10-game home stretch, culminating in a 7-game losing streak.



GM Felts decided enough was enough. Bodies needed to be moved to salvage the season. The initial trades helped the goal scoring and special teams, and the Ducks clawed back some points. However, the gap to the second wildcard spot was already 12 points. A huge margin to close in the powerhouse Pacific Conference Division. In response, GM Felts decided to sell off one of his biggest assets, Mark Stone, in order to prepare for the future. When asked about the direction the Anaheim Ducks are going, and whether they are rebuilding, GM Felts stated:


“Think of it more of a retool on the fly. I actually don’t know if I would go as far as saying retool, but we are punting on this season. I have full confidence in the players we have right now, and they’ll have every opportunity to step up. Last season (at this time), we were only a couple points above where we are right now, and we ended up only one point out of the playoffs. Of course, Mark had a lot to do with that run.”


Trade Recap


OUT:


Mark Stone

Joel Eriksson Ek

Jean-Gabriel Pageau



IN:


Brock Boeser

Ryan Graves

Wade Allison

STL 2023 1st

Alex Beaucage (prospect)

Riley Kidney (prospect)