We’re currently deep in the doldrums of the NHL offseason. With last month’s draft firmly in the rearview mirror and free-agent signings slowing to a crawl, there’s no better time to begin looking at next season. The Anaheim Ducks have a few holes on the roster to fill, but we have a good idea of what most of this year’s group will look like. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some potential breakout candidates on the roster.
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My breakout candidates from a year ago failed to pan out, whether it was injury or just underwhelming performance. It doesn’t help that the Ducks were a disaster on both ends of the ice, and very few players get to look good on a team that finished 23-47-12 and a minus-127 goal differential. In the loosest of interpretations of the word, Lukáš Dostál was the only breakout player in Anaheim a year ago, and the extent of this breakout was that he proved to be a capable NHL goaltender.
Mason McTavish
My top breakout candidate from last year was probably the most obvious choice on the roster. Jamie Drysdale seemed poised to take a big step in his NHL career, but a shoulder injury sidelined him after only eight games. Because jinxes aren’t real and I would be nowhere near powerful enough to manifest them, I am going with another well-established name in Mason McTavish. The third overall pick in the 2021 draft, McTavish has been well-traveled in his brief hockey career. Entering his second full season in the NHL, he factors to have a huge role on this upstart Anaheim roster.
McTavish’s rookie campaign was good but ultimately bogged down by being on the league’s worst team. Forty-three points in 80 games was third on the rookie leaderboards, but I’d expect growth in both ends of the ice this year. Offensively, he should be solidified as one of the team’s top two centers, giving him more talented and consistent wingers to play alongside. Additionally, the power play should evolve beyond last year’s strategy of force-feeding McTavish one-timers, and any second dimension should keep opposing defenses honest. Defensively, I believe playing his natural center position will help in developing his game. This includes better discipline, as many of his 44 penalty minutes seemed to come when he got beat and started reaching with his stick.
Benoit-Olivier Groulx
If we lower our definitions of breakout, I think Benoit-Olivier Groulx has a great chance to earn a nightly spot in the lineup for the Ducks this year. Making the team out of camp would be nothing new for Groulx, who appeared in 18 games to start the 2021-22 season before getting sent down to the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s American Hockey League affiliate. After spending most of the 2022-23 year in San Diego, he was called up for the Ducks’ final two games. Earlier in July, he inked a one-year deal to stay in the organization, which could be a trial to see his fit with the team moving forward.
Groulx is a more defensive-minded center, which would be a welcome addition to Anaheim’s bottom-six. The center position is an interesting one right now for the Ducks, as there are a few open spots, but only in the short term. Ryan Strome was a massive defensive liability last year, and he’s likely to play out the rest of his contract as a middle-six winger. Isac Lundestrom is another option down the middle, but he’s seemed to have plateaued as a fourth-liner. While these options aren’t the most inspiring, the Ducks have some great center prospects, including Leo Carlsson and Nathan Gaucher, and both could be seeing regular NHL time as soon as 2024. This gives Groulx a narrow window to establish himself as an NHL player, and it likely involves a move to the wing if his future is in Anaheim.
Lukáš Dostál
I mentioned Dostál being one of the few bright spots in Anaheim last year, and even then, the numbers weren’t impressive. In 19 games, he allowed an average of 3.78 goals per game and had a .901 save percentage. The numbers don’t paint the entire picture, as midseason injuries to John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz forced Dostál into a trial-by-fire situation. He appeared in seven straight games in December, including playing all 120 minutes of a back-to-back and another 90 in a back-to-back that included a relief effort. Considering the awful defense in front of him, Dostál’s efforts were impressive enough for him to be considered Anaheim’s goaltender of the near future.
As of writing this, Dostál is in line to be Gibson’s backup to start the season. However, the trade rumors surrounding Gibson have once again filled this quiet period of the NHL offseason. Even if he remains in Anaheim, his injury history has kept his backups busy. Regardless of his spot on the depth chart, Dostál will have plenty of chances to play in front of a defense that can only get better from a year ago and solidify his status as the Ducks’ future between the pipes.
Our offseason content of the Anaheim Ducks will continue with free agent signings, as well as previews for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
