The Anaheim Ducks went 27-50-5 in 2023-24, finishing with the third-worst record in the league. Despite improving from 23 wins in 2022-23 to 27 victories last campaign, the Ducks lost 50 games in regulation for the first time in franchise history. The Ducks will look to turn the page and take meaningful steps forward in 2024-25. The team has a new look following an offseason branding change that it hopes will usher in a revised attitude. Players will wear the updated logo and uniforms when preseason action begins in late September.
The Ducks will face Pacific Division rivals 26 times while matching up against Central Division opponents on 24 occasions and will take on Eastern Conference combatants in 32 contests. There are some matchups that fans may want to circle on their calendars:
Season Opener Against Another Rebuilding Team (Oct. 12 – San Jose Sharks)
Anaheim will open the 2024-25 campaign with a back-to-back set of road games. The team will visit the San Jose Sharks on Saturday, Oct. 12, before linking up with the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday, Oct. 13. The contest against the Sharks is intriguing beyond the fact that it is the season opener.
The Sharks had the worst record in the NHL last season and landed the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, leading to the selection of Macklin Celebrini. During his age-17 season, he became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to the top men’s ice hockey player in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). In 38 appearances for Boston University during his freshmen season, he ranked second in the nation with 32 goals and was third overall with 64 points. Celebrini, who turned 18 in June, will play his rookie season in the NHL in 2024-25 as an integral part of the Sharks top-six group.
Celebrini could be matched up against Ducks prospect Cutter Gauthier on Oct. 12. The 20-year-old Gauthier was a finalist for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award after leading all skaters with 38 goals and placing second overall with 65 points over 41 contests in his sophomore season with Boston College. He got a taste of the NHL in 2023-24, making his debut in the Ducks’ finale versus the Golden Knights on April 18. He earned an assist in a 4-1 victory and will be a focal point of the team’s offense in 2024-25.
Celebrini, Gauthier, and Will Smith are among the top contenders for the 2025 Calder Trophy after starring in the NCAA. Smith and Gauthier are divisional rivals now after being teammates at Boston College. The 19-year-old Smith topped the nation with 46 assists and 71 points in 41 outings during his freshman season in 2023-24. He is expected to occupy key roles for the Sharks in the upcoming campaign. The Ducks and Sharks have intriguing young cores, and it will be interesting to see which squad gets the better of the other in 2024-25.
Start of the Freeway Faceoff (Oct. 20 – Los Angeles Kings)
The four-game Freeway Faceoff series between the Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings begins Oct. 20 at Honda Center in Anaheim’s second home game of the season. The Kings won three of four contests versus the Ducks in 2023-24. The lone victory for the Ducks came on April 9, thanks to an outstanding 36-save performance by Lukas Dostal. Ryan Strome had a hand in two goals, including the game-tying tally by Frank Vatrano and the game-winner by Alex Killorn.
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It has been a one-sided affair recently between the two sides, with the Ducks winning just two of the last 11 meetings. Still, it’s always a spirited contest when the two metropolitan adversaries lock horns. The Ducks will also host the Kings in their traditional day-after-Thanksgiving matchup on Friday, Nov. 29, while visiting Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8 and Thursday, April 10.
A Long Overdue, Much-Anticipated Matchup (Nov. 10 – Columbus Blue Jackets)
Fans were robbed of the chance to see the No. 2 and No. 3 overall selections in the 2023 NHL Draft play against each other last season. Leo Carlsson was a healthy scratch in the first contest between the two teams, and Adam Fantilli missed the second game due to an injury.
Carlsson’s workload was limited for the first part of the 2023-24 campaign because of the team’s strength and development program. The game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 24 was his second straight in the press box, which was a disappointing decision. Despite a superb performance from Fantilli, who had one goal and one assist, the Ducks emerged with a 3-2 victory. He missed the final 33 games of the season, including the Blue Jackets’ 7-4 triumph over the Ducks on Feb. 21, after suffering a calf laceration versus the Seattle Kraken on Jan. 28. Meanwhile, Carlsson set up a goal by Killorn in the defeat.
Barring unforeseen or additional unfortunate circumstances, Carlsson and Fantilli should be on the ice against one another for the first time in their NHL careers in November.
First Visit to Salt Lake City (Dec. 22 – Utah Hockey Club)
The Ducks will be in Salt Lake City for the first time in a regular-season contest to tangle with the Utah Hockey Club at Delta Center on Dec. 22. The former Arizona Coyotes won two of three matches versus the Ducks last campaign. The Coyotes made some progress in 2023-24, earning 18 more points in the standings than the Ducks. Anaheim still has some ground to cover to catch up to Utah, and it will be interesting to watch the two teams battle in 2024-25.
The Ducks will host Utah HC in the club’s home opener on Oct. 16, which is always a special moment for fans, players, coaches, and management. The team will pay another visit to Utah on March 12, following the contest in December.
Gauthier’s First Appearance in the City of Brotherly Love (Jan. 11 – Philadelphia Flyers)
Gauthier’s refusal to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers forced the organization to move him, and the Ducks were quick to pounce on the situation. Blueliner Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft were sent to the Flyers in exchange for Gauthier, who agreed to terms with his new team on April 11. On the heels of Gauthier playing a prominent role in captaining the United States to a gold-medal victory at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, the trade sent shockwaves through the hockey world. “It was a long time coming,” Flyers general manager (GM) Daniel Briere said. “It’s been going on for a while. We tried to give him space. We tried to get in touch with him many times. He would not communicate … so at some point, we had to make a decision, and we thought with what happened just a few days ago, this was probably the time to get the highest value.”
Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was ecstatic to add a forward with Gauthier’s skill set to a strong prospect pool that was already brimming with defensive depth. The thought of trading Drysdale, a talented puck-mover who has been plagued by injury problems, was a necessary sacrifice to obtain an immediate scoring upgrade. “He has obvious top-six talent,” Verbeek said of Gauthier. “He’s versatile. He can really shoot the puck, and he’s got underrated playmaking skills. His skating ability is elite, in my opinion. I’ve been looking for more speed up front with our group, and [he] certainly fills that ticket.”
The Ducks will welcome Drysdale back on Dec. 28 with open arms, but Gauthier won’t receive a warm reception from the Flyers’ faithful. Feelings of betrayal and anger over an alleged sense of entitlement will make Gauthier public enemy number one that night. Matching up against another top Calder Trophy contender in Matvei Michkov adds another layer of intrigue in what is sure to be an emotionally charged atmosphere.
Ducks’ Young Core Will Get to Showcase Their Skills
The Ducks could still have another big move in them before the start of 2024-25, but as it stands now, the projected roster strongly points to talented prospects being placed in positions to succeed. There are bound to be growing pains in what could be a season of ups and downs, but the Ducks expect to see the young core make significant strides in 2024-25. The opportunity to be along for that ride and witness firsthand how it all unfolds will be worth watching.
