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Drysdale, Zegras Close To Return

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The Anaheim Ducks are nearing the return of two of the most important players in their organization, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale. Zegras, who is dealing with an undisclosed injury, has been out of the lineup since November 10th, while Drysdale, has been out with a lower-body injury since October 19th.

Anaheim could certainly use the reinforcements on both sides of the puck, as the team has recorded only one win in the last 11 games. Aside from just returning to the lineup, the Ducks will need both players to step up their game, as Zegras has only registered two points in 12 games, while Drysdale has only been in the lineup 10 times in the last 108 regular season games.

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Mason McTavish Will Not Travel With Team

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Heading into the Anaheim Ducks’ two-game road trip this week, it was largely expected that Mason McTavish would be able to join the team, even after suffering an upper-body injury in the team’s loss last week to the Colorado Avalanche. However, earlier today, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reported that McTavish will not be making the trip with the team, and will likely be available for the team’s game against the Winnipeg Jets next Sunday.

Last season, McTavish produced at a solid clip, scoring 17 goals and 43 assists in a disappointing offensive season for the Ducks. His work at the center position left a lot to be desired in the faceoff dot specifically. Still, McTavish’s offensive production and his defensive attributes were good enough to see him finish seventh in Calder Memorial Trophy voting by season’s end.

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Gudas, Lyubushkin Close To Return

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Without a definitive commitment on their availability for the team’s game tonight, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports that the Anaheim Ducks are nearing the return of defensemen Radko Gudas and Ilya Lyubushkin. Gudas had previously missed the entirety of the team’s last game against the Vancouver Canucks, while Lyubushkin left during the game and did not return to action.

Anaheim could certainly use the reinforcements on the blue line, as they are currently riding a seven-game losing streak, being outscored by a margin of 21 goals in that time. Providing mild offense in their own right, Gudas and Lyubushkin’s defensive capabilities would help the Ducks considerably in keeping the pucks out of their net.

In regards to Gudas specifically, even though he was an integral defensive cog in the Florida Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last summer, he has arguably become even more important to the Ducks organization. Over the last several seasons, Anaheim has had a difficult time in the defensive zone, but with Gudas’ arrival, he has aided the team with a 91.3% oiSV% through the first 21 games of the season, a higher mark than even his solid career averages in that department.

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Jaxsen Wiebe Assigned To ECHL Tulsa

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  • The Ducks have reassigned forward Jaxsen Wiebe from AHL San Diego to ECHL Tulsa, per a team release. The 21-year-old signed an entry-level deal with Anaheim back in March but is off to a bit of a slow start in his professional career, notching just one assist through his first seven games.

Former Ducks Coach Dallas Eakins Signs As GM In Germany

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Former Anaheim Ducks head coach Dallas Eakins has signed a deal with Adler Mannheim of the DEL, Germany’s top league. Eakins will serve as general manager of the team and assist with coaching through the end of the 2023-24 season, before reassessing the position next off-season.

This is an interesting career move for Eakins, whose entire professional hockey career has come in North America up to this point. The 56-year-old head coach previously played 609 career AHL games, and 120 NHL games, as part of a career that spanned from his 10th-round selection in the 1985 NHL Draft to his retirement in 2004. Eakins was never particularly productive, recording 134 career AHL points and nine career NHL points. He also recorded 1051 penalty minutes in the AHL and 208 in the NHL.

Eakins took on an assistant coaching role with the Toronto Marlies for the 2005-06 season and was promoted to an assistant role with the Maple Leafs in the year after. After a couple of years behind the Leafs’ bench, Eakins went back to the AHL to serve as the Marlies’ head coach for four seasons. It wasn’t until the 2013-14 season that Eakins finally took on an NHL head coaching role, joining the Edmonton Oilers. He would lose the role to Todd Nelson partway through the proceeding 2014-15 season and returned for another four seasons in the AHL, before joining the Anaheim Ducks for the last four seasons. It’s been a back-and-forth career for Eakins. His best years came with the Toronto Marlies, who he took to the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs Finals in 2011-12. He hasn’t been apart of the Stanley Cup Playoffs since his playing career in 1999.

Eakins is replacing Jan-Axel Alavaara as Adler Mannheim’s general manager. Alavaara was in the role for the last five seasons, after spending a couple of years as an amateur scout with the Buffalo Sabres. Eakins also relieves head coach Johan Lundskog, who has coaching experience in the GMHL, ECHL, SHL, and National League. Lundskog was in his first year with Adler Mannheim.

Anaheim Ducks Place Chase De Leo On Waivers

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the Anaheim Ducks have placed forward Chase De Leo on waivers this afternoon, for the purpose of sending him to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Not playing a game this season, De Leo has been on the Season-Opening Injured Reserve from a play resulting in a suspension to Los Angeles Kings’ forward, Arthur Kaliyev, in the preseason.

De Leo is on the second year of a two-year, $1.525MM contract signed with the Ducks organization back in 2022, spending much of his time with the Gulls. Last season, although only playing 22 games in the AHL, De Leo scored nine goals and 14 assists, finishing over a point-per-game pace.

This being his second stint with the Ducks organization, De Leo spent 2018-2021 in the organization after coming over from the Winnipeg Jets in an offseason trade. In his original stint in Anaheim, De Leo played three games in three years in the NHL, producing zero points.

However, much like he was last year, he was an impressive player in San Diego, scoring 45 goals and 70 assists in 154 games, becoming one of the better playmakers for the team. Now that De Leo is presumed healthy, he will have his work cut out for him at the AHL level, as the Gulls currently hold a 2-9-3-0 record, sitting dead last in the Pacific Division.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Anaheim Ducks

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As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Anaheim Ducks.

Who are the Ducks thankful for?

Greg Cronin.

An improved defensive structure is the largest reason the Ducks have been among the more surprising teams to kick off the 2023-24 campaign. A 9-9-0 start may not be much to write home about for some, but it’s a stark improvement for a team that finished last in the league last season. Consider that a .500 points percentage currently ties them for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with the Coyotes, and the Ducks’ rebuild looks right on track.

The offseason parting of ways with Dallas Eakins and the hiring of Cronin, a first-year NHL head coach, as his replacement looks to be the right call early on. Higher-ups in the organization preached Cronin as someone who could mold a group of young players into a more well-rounded style – a shift that’s played out in front of fans quickly this year.

Luck has certainly been on the Ducks’ side. After all, Frank Vatrano’s 12 goals in 18 games (and his sky-high 19.4% shooting percentage) seem unsustainable. Their tandem of young Lukáš Dostál and John Gibson in the crease is providing them with truly above-average netminding for the first time in years, as well.

However, that shouldn’t take away from the mindset Cronin has instilled. The numbers back Cronin’s impact up – at even strength, their 47.1% Corsi share, 47.3% share of scoring chances, and 47.5% share of high-danger chances are all significant improvements over last season’s numbers, which resided in the low 40s. Their 56 goals allowed sits right in the middle of the NHL as Thanksgiving rolls around, and while they likely won’t be one of the 16 teams to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Cronin’s coaching has 2025 looking like a realistic bet.

What are the Ducks thankful for?

Their scouts.

The Ducks have one of the better prospect pools in the league, especially on defense. While they’ve had some high-value picks, the majority of their pool is coming from strong choices outside the top five.

19-year-old Pavel Mintyukov earns an obvious shout here. The tenth overall pick in 2022, he already looks right at home on an increasingly competent NHL defense and had ten points through 18 games. 2022 second-round pick Tristan Luneau has earned an earlier-than-expected NHL look and remains on the active roster, while 2021 second-round pick Olen Zellweger just wrapped up a stellar junior career and has eight points in 12 games with AHL San Diego this season.

And while it will take years to settle the debate between Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson as the second-best player behind Connor Bedard in the 2023 class, Carlsson is looking right at home in the NHL thus far and has six goals through his first 12 NHL games, good enough for third on the team. He’s logging heavy usage for a rookie at over 18 minutes per game and is posting positive possession numbers in the process.

What would the Ducks be even more thankful for?

A happy and healthy holiday season for Trevor Zegras.

Last summer’s drawn-out contract negotiations between the Ducks and the face of their franchise were one of the more surprising storylines. It was even more surprising that Zegras settled for a relatively tame three-year, $17.25MM deal after posting back-to-back 60-point seasons, even if he did have his struggles defensively.

In a small sample size this season, it seems the Ducks’ hesitation around a rich long-term commitment was justified. Zegras has just two points through 12 games and is now dealing with a nagging lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup for the past two weeks. There’s no clear timetable for his return, certainly a concerning development.

What should be on the Ducks’ holiday wish list?

Consistency from John Gibson.

Quietly, the Ducks’ netminder with a former all-world reputation is playing some of his best hockey in years. In six appearances in the month of November, Gibson has posted a .942 SV% and has not posted a save percentage under .900 in a single game since leaving an October 30 contest against the Penguins with an injury.

Dostál is looking like the future in the crease for Anaheim, making Gibson more expendable than ever. That timing lines up well with a resurgence for the American netminder, who is quickly rebuilding his trade value and could earn the Ducks quite a haul if the team does end up moving him after years of trade rumors.

Gibson does have a ten-team no-trade list and four seasons left at a $6.4MM cap hit, but that’s similar to what he would earn on the open market should he hit free agency next summer if he keeps this level of play up for the rest of the season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Cronin: Recovery 'Tricky' For Zegras And Drysdale

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It has been a tough year for Ducks center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  Contract discussions rolled into training camp and both have struggled when healthy so far.  Head coach Greg Cronin told reporters including Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link) that while he doesn’t know the nature of their respective lower-body injuries, the recovery on each of them is quite tricky and the team will need to be patient while waiting for them to return.  Zegras has missed a little more than a week so far and has struggled offensively with just two points in his first dozen games.  Meanwhile, Drysdale last played more than a month ago and has suited up just twice so far after being limited to just eight games last season due to a torn labrum.

  • Still with Anaheim, Ducks prospect Rodwin Dionicio is on the move in the OHL as his now-former team in Windsor announced that they traded the defenseman to Saginaw. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in June (129th overall) following an impressive 50-point year.  Dionicio is off to an even better start so far this season, collecting 20 points in his first 16 games while recording an assist in his debut tonight.  Anaheim has until June 1, 2025 to sign the blueliner to an entry-level deal.

Anaheim Ducks Recall Tristan Luneau From Loan

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Now that the conditioning loan requirements have been satisfied by defenseman Tristan Luneau, the Anaheim Ducks have announced he has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Over the loan assignment, Luneau got into six games with San Diego, tallying two assists over that time.

No corresponding move is necessary, considering Luneau stayed on the Ducks’ 23-man roster while on the conditioning loan. The 2022 second-round pick has made the transition to pro hockey earlier than some expected, remaining on the Ducks’ NHL roster as he is not yet eligible for full-time assignment to the Gulls due to his January 2024 birthday. If the Ducks decide not to keep him on the NHL roster full-time, a likely eventual scenario considering he’s played just two games for them this season, they’ll need to return him to the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques at the junior level per the terms of the NHL-CHL transfer agreement.

Luneau, 19, last played for the Ducks on October 21 against the Coyotes. After sitting as a healthy scratch for the first two games of the season, he made back-to-back appearances against the Stars and Coyotes, recording a -1 rating, one shot on goal, and a poor 38.9% Corsi share at even strength while averaging 15:29 per game.

The Ducks will assumedly look to get Luneau into some games in the next few weeks. He can make seven more appearances before the first year of his entry-level contract goes into effect, and considering his limited role so far, it’s unlikely they keep him past that point.

That’s also because the Ducks have a pair of young defensemen, Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, who have solidified roster spots in the early going. LaCombe is logging over 20 minutes per game and earning top-pairing duties alongside Cam Fowler in the absence of Jamie Drysdale due to a lower-body injury, while Mintyukov leads all Ducks defensemen with ten points through 16 games. Thus, competition for a roster spot has become fierce on the Anaheim blueline. While Luneau certainly has a long NHL future ahead of him, there’s no longer a clear path to consistent playing time on the Ducks roster.

Ducks Activate McGinn From IR

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  • The Ducks welcomed back winger Brock McGinn to the lineup tonight, activating him off injured reserve. The 29-year-old had been dealing with a lower-body injury that kept him out for their first 15 games.  Last season, McGinn split time between Pittsburgh and Anaheim, who took on his contract at the trade deadline as part of the return for blueliner Dmitry Kulikov.

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