Barring a miraculous yet unlikely outcome, the Anaheim Ducks will not be contending for the playoffs but should take a meaningful step forward in their path back to competitive play. They cannot afford another bottom-five finish in the NHL standings. In their post-Cup-contending era (2018-present), they have made numerous first- and second-round picks. They have engineered trades, brought aboard veteran talent, named a new captain, hired coaching staff at both the NHL and American Hockey League (AHL) levels, celebrated their 30th season as a franchise, and even changed uniforms. They enter a new decade in their short-but-storied history in need of a bang or the 2024-25 season will be a disappointment.
Related: Anaheim Ducks’ 3 Keys to a Successful 2024-25 Season
A big way the Ducks can deliver a big season is through an improved bottom-six forward group, which has teetered between underwhelming and nonexistent for years. For the first time in a while, it looks like it has a good chance to meaningfully supplement the offense of the top six. That said, let’s look at the players likely slotting into these roles and set some expectations for them.
Frank Vatrano: Replicate Your 2023-24, Please?
In fairness to Frank Vatrano, who scored a career-high 37 times in 2023-24, tops on the Ducks, he deserves to be higher in the lineup. After all, he developed a tremendous cohesion with Mason McTavish. They were the Ducks’ most consistent and dangerous duo when the latter was healthy. But there are a number of reasons that he will likely be relegated to a bottom-six forward role, at least to begin the campaign.
First off, it’s his place in training camp. He has been skating on a line with Robby Fabbri and Ryan Strome. Now, training camp lines are statistically unlikely to hold over the course of the season, but as of now, head coach Greg Cronin sees this as the best fit for his team and has placed McTavish between Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras. Second, there’s an experience and age factor to consider. Vatrano, Strome, and Fabbri are roughly the same age and have similar experience. They are similar players in that they battle hard, play with a feisty edge, and are consistently capable of providing 35-40 points (roughly half of a point per game) over the course of a full season.
Vatrano’s 59 goals and 101 points since joining the Ducks in the 2022…
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