Sunday marked the third team officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention as the Anaheim Ducks lost 4-2 to the St. Louis Blues and the Vegas Golden Knights won earlier in the day.
It’ll be the sixth straight season that the Ducks miss out on playoff hockey and it marks yet another season of disappointment for the young core they have up and coming.
While there’s a ton to look forward to in terms of the team’s overall depth in the system, the lack of success in recent years remains a worrisome part of the team’s overall development. Now, officially eliminated from the running, here’s a look back on the 2023-24 season for the Ducks and what went wrong, if changes could’ve been made and what they have to look forward to.
Where the Ducks Season Went Wrong
Realistic expectations didn’t quite have the Ducks cracking the postseason in 2023-24. They still have a young core with players like Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish, while others like Leo Carlsson and Pavel Mintyukov got a real taste for the NHL this season.
Still, John Gibson’s injury history and their lack of overall experience with the departure of Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks just aren’t at a level to make a strong push in an 82-game regular season.
Related: San Jose Sharks 2023-24 Obituary – Lost at Sea
They kicked off the season losing four of their first five games, albeit against some tough opponents. They followed that up by winning six in a row, before an eight-game losing streak to close out November. Another five-game losing streak in January and the current six-game slide that they’re on and those kind of extended streaks broke their season.
On top of that, the team had zero consistency when it came to their lineup. Injuries played a major role this season for the Ducks and that ultimately hurt their ability to develop chemistry throughout their four lines.
In fact, the only player that has suited up in every game thus far is Frank Vatrano, which is why he leads the Ducks with 29 goals and 50 points this season. McTavish, Zegras and former Duck Jamie Drysdale missed significant time which hurt the young squad and forced the Ducks to move a handful of players throughout the year and heading into the deadline — including Adam Henrique, Ilya Lyubushkin and Drysdale.
But it’s safe to say there wasn’t much room for improvement for this team.
Ducks…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Hockey Writers…