For a sixth straight season, the playoffs are but a mirage for the Ducks, who head toward Friday’s noon PT trade deadline as sellers looking toward their future once again.
But for the first time, the light at the end of the tunnel might be permeating that darkness, as the Ducks dealt for top prospect Cutter Gauthier to deepen a stable that already included three Canadian junior defensemen of the year, No. 2 overall pick Leo Carlsson and a host of other teenage and 20-something talents. While the immediate-term fortunes might get dimmer, the prospect pool all but ensures a brighter future.
Where they stand:
The Ducks have won more than two straight games just once this season, though they’ve been more competitive and exciting than last year while making strides in several areas. First-time NHL head coach Greg Cronin has instilled structure and work ethic in a group that started slightly short on talent only to be decimated by injuries this season.
They’ve also already made two trades, both of which were forward-facing moves that further thinned their young, inexperienced defense corps. Last week, they dealt veteran blue-liner Ilya Lyubushkin to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a third-round draft pick, and earlier in the season, they made a huge splash by acquiring Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick. Lyubushkin’s departure has opened up playing time for the ultra-mobile Olen Zelwegger and Gauthier should make his Ducks debut after his NCAA campaign concludes, adding youth to a resourceful group that has braved difficult circumstances.
“There’s definitely been more consistency. We like the way we’re playing [lately],” said two-time Stanley Cup champion Alex Killorn, who signed with the Ducks this past summer. “There’s definitely more of a positive feel in the room, and we feel like we’re going in the right direction.”
Recent history:
General Manager Pat Verbeek was hired just ahead of the trade deadline two years ago and he quickly got to work selling off roster players for futures and looking toward tomorrow. His most notable deal was moving former lottery pick Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins in exchange for multiple draft picks, including a first-round selection, and players that included former first-rounder Urho Vaakanainen.
Verbeek could net his next biggest haul this deadline as he searches for a home for Adam Henrique. Henrique, a middle-six forward who can play all three positions and situations, has posted 23 points in 23 games. Versatility and current level of production both drive deadline interest, and an all-around narrow market seems particularly light on centers. Verbeek could capitalize and add to an already promising crop of futures.
“There’s a lot of things that are going very well for the Ducks. I know it’s not showing in the wins and losses, but there are so many things that I’m happy with,” Verbeek said on Ducks Stream following the Gauthier deal.
What they might do:
A year ago, Verbeek rebuffed offers for Henrique given that there was no urgency to trade him for less-than-ideal value. This year, Henrique, despite his production and leadership, is headed toward free agency and performing at a level that will surely pique the interest of contenders. Veteran forwards Jakob Silfverberg and Sam Carrick are, like Henrique and Lyubushkin, pending UFAs. Silfverberg has been a career Duck who likely has limited trade value. Carrick, 32, could garner the interest of a contender seeking a hungry, competitive forward.
Beyond their expiring contracts, the Ducks have been perhaps the most talked-about franchise in the Western Conference if not the entire NHL near the deadline. Last year’s top point producer Trevor Zegras, this season’s leading goal-scorer Frank Vatrano and No. 1 goalie John Gibson have all had their names bandied about in rumors. Vatrano has an additional year left on his pact, Zegras has two more seasons remaining and Gibson is under contract for three more campaigns. Zegras has been injured twice this season (he is presently recovering from ankle surgery) and while Lukáš Dostál has progressed nicely, the Ducks’ NHL-ready goaltending is fairly limited at present. Zegras, whom Cronin called one of the most high-IQ players he’d ever coached, seems unlikely to move until the offseason if he moves at all. The same seems true of Gibson, though the goalie market might be even more narrow than the talent pool for centers. Vatrano, whose 29 goals already represent a career high with 21 games to play, has also been an emotional catalyst for the rebuild.
“He’s been terrific. When there’s a coaching change, culture change and an environment change, some guys match that with their DNA in terms of their compete level, they kind of embrace the challenge of what that represents,” Cronin said. “ He’s an ultra competitor, he’s obviously got a great shot, but he’s just a great person, a great teammate and just a quintessential guy to have on your team.”
Names to know:
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Barring some unforeseen twist like the Drysdale-Gauthier swap, where Philadelphia had reached a contractual impasse with Gauthier, the Ducks will likely be dealing for draft picks and/or prospects at the deadline. Their own first-round pick projects to be high as they would select third if the season were to end today and the draft lottery went according to record. This could even be the year when they finally win the lotto, as they’ve picked second three times but never first overall.
Gauthier competes for Boston College and their arch-rival (and the Alma Mater of Zegras) Boston University boasts the top prospect in the upcoming draft, center Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini was recently described by Sportsnet draft analyst Jason Bukala as a blend of a former foe, three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews, and a future one, Adam Fantili, whom some felt the Ducks should have selected over Carlsson. Even after Gauthier’s addition, the Ducks are still looking for top-end finishers and could find one with a bit later pick in Ivan Demedov, whom Bukala compared favorably to another Russian who took Gauthier’s spot as Philly’s top prospect.
“[Demidov] has the most dynamic upside,” Bukala said in the same interview. “He’s got the highest floor and definitely the highest ceiling. This kid is better than [Philadelphia’s] Matvei Michkov, in my opinion.”