It’s no secret the Ducks are at a point where they feel ready to start the ascension out of the basement of the NHL standings. Knowing that’s their goal, many were left scratching their heads after an understated start to the offseason in which their two most significant moves were adding forward Robby Fabbri and defenseman Brian Dumoulin.
Teams who’ve surrounded the Ducks in the standings the last couple of seasons, like the San Jose Sharks, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Chicago Blackhawks, made substantial moves to upgrade their lineups this offseason and insulate their influx of young talent.
Where the Ducks differ from those teams is they have most of their future core in place, already having experienced the rigors of an NHL season, and having assumed the role they’ll have when the team is ready to actively contend.
“You start to see some of the framework of what’s going to be here next year,” Ryan Strome stated during his exit interview in April. “Some of the young guys coming in and what they’re hopefully going to be and what another year will push them to be.”
The Ducks spent the previous two offseasons acquiring veterans meant to insulate, elevate, and nurture the young core. In 2023, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek signed forward Alex Killorn (four years, $6.25 million AAV) and defenseman Radko Gudas (three years, $4 million AAV). The year prior, he signed Frank Vatrano (three years, $3.65 million) and Ryan Strome (five years, $5 million) to substantial contracts with the hopes of assisting in establishing a culture and setting a standard for the organization moving forward.
With most of the young core having gained precious experience in 2023-24, now with a firmer grasp of the demand and output necessary for success in the NHL, the veterans on the Ducks roster are ready to start relinquishing some of their more significant responsibilities to the next wave of supreme talent.
“Now it’s time to win more games and hopefully play meaningful games later on in the stretch,” Vatrano told NHL.com’s Jon Lane at the HT Foundation’s “Shoulder Check Showcase” on July 26. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to help this team succeed. We have great younger guys who are going to make big steps next year and we’re going to rely on them. We’re all playing for the same goal.”
Vatrano was the healthiest member of the Ducks roster in 2023-24 and was the only…