The Christmas season is in full swing. With less than two weeks until the big day, it’s time to put the finishing touches on our lists to Santa. The Anaheim Ducks have one of the youngest rosters in the NHL, so there’s a good reason to believe there will be plenty of gifts under the tree. Let’s take a look at what some of their wishes may be.
Trevor Zegras: A Return to the Scoresheet
Trevor Zegras has been out of the lineup since the first week of November with a lower-body injury, but the 12 games he logged prior to his injury weren’t very productive. The 22-year-old dynamo was held to only two points, but there were plenty of underlying numbers to be encouraged about while he was playing alongside Leo Carlsson and Troy Terry, especially on the defensive side.
Zegras is with the team on their East Coast road trip and was on the ice during practice on Tuesday (Dec. 12). The next few games on the schedule are loaded with Zegras-centric narratives. On Dec. 15, the Ducks take on the New York Rangers, his favorite team growing up. Two days later, they’ll play Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils. Finally, they’ll round out their road trip in Detroit and Moritz Seider, who beat out Zegras for the Calder Trophy in 2021.
The sooner Zegras returns to the lineup, the sooner he can shake off his sluggish start. His 2024 leg of this season should be much more productive than 2023.
Jamie Drysdale: Health and Abundance of Playing Time
At this point, Ducks fans just want to watch Jamie Drysdale play hockey. After appearing in 81 games during his rookie year, the former sixth overall pick has been limited to 10 games since the start of the 2022-23 season. Like Zegras, Drysdale is also nearing a return to the ice, and Ducks fans are hopeful his long-term durability is more akin to his rookie season than what has happened the last two years.
Related: Ducks: Drysdale’s Impact in Eventual Return from Injury
Drysdale’s seldom seen the ice in the last year, and it’s easy to forget what his skillset can provide for the Ducks. I would assume he’s still the top choice to quarterback the power play, though rookie Pavel Mintyukov has likely narrowed that gap. Mintyukov has also managed to rack up assists at a decent rate, but Anaheim’s blue line is practically toothless without Drysdale’s offensive capabilities. Even with a deep group of defensive prospects, his development is the most important to Anaheim’s future success.
Pat Verbeek: A Fruitful Trade Deadline
With their 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, the San Jose Sharks moved ahead of the Ducks in the Pacific Division standings. Based on points, Anaheim is now dead last in the division and 31st in the league. With their late-October six-game winning streak fully out of their system, the Ducks have resumed their role as a lottery-bound rebuilding team.
Another year of rebuilding means another year of selling at the trade deadline. General manager Pat Verbeek does have a few expiring contracts to look at, and names like Adam Henrique, Ilya Lyubushkin, and even Sam Carrick could draw interest from more competitive teams. Anaheim currently has 10 picks in the 2024 Draft, but they have yet to add anything beyond their own picks in 2025 and 2026. I would expect this to change by the March 8 trade deadline.
John Gibson: Some Peace and Quiet
The holidays are a hectic time for everyone. After all of the shopping, decorating and baking, anyone forced to actually travel experiences the peak of holiday madness. Now think about John Gibson, who has spent the better part of three years being involved in various trade rumors. The on-and-off nature of these rumors has become exhausting for Ducks fans, so it’s hard to fathom the impact they have on the player.
My wish for Gibson is for him to be able to focus on hockey, whether that’s in Anaheim or elsewhere. Now 30 years old, some career stability would be welcome. He still has three years remaining on his deal and could very well end up seeing through his contract with the Ducks. If he does, then it’s a good sign that the organization believes they are close to being a playoff contender with the veteran under contract.
Ducks Fans: A Stretch Run Worth Watching
For the weary-eyed Ducks fan who has endured several years of mediocre hockey, having a reason to tune into the stretch run would be a welcome change. I should be clear – I’m not suggesting the Ducks will be playing any meaningful games in March. They’re a lottery team that will finish closer to last than any sort of playoff bubble. That being said, this iteration of the Ducks has been much more exciting to watch than in seasons past.
The Ducks went winless in their final 13 games last season and were outscored by 30 goals in those games. Their collapse during the 2021-22 season saw them win only 12 games during the second half of the season. I don’t think Ducks fans expect a winning record, but playing competitive games and avoiding double-digit losing streaks will be much more encouraging for the long-term state of the rebuild.
If the first 25 games of the season are an indication, I think the team is up for the task, especially as they become healthier.
