LEADING SCORERS
Ryan Getzlaf (25 G, 45 A, 70 P)
Corey Perry (33 G, 22 A, 55 P)
Ryan Kesler (20 G, 27 A, 47 P)
LAST SEASON
To the surprise of no one, the Anaheim Ducks had yet another great NHL season in 2014-15. They finished 1st in the Western Conference and third in the entire league, led by their captain Ryan Getzlaf and sidekick Corey Perry, as usual, and Ryan Kesler proved to be a valuable addition as well, sliding in on the penalty kill and powerplay and notching 47 points. This season was a significant one for goaltender Frederik Andersen, after previous starter Jonas Hiller left the team in the 2014 offseason for the Calgary Flames, Andersen was put to the test to see if he could live up to expectations and be a serviceable replacement for Hiller, and he did just that. Andersen posted a record of 35-12-5 with a GAA of 2.38 and a save percentage of 0.914. At the trade deadline, they acquired three defensemen in three seperate trades, bringing in Simon Despres of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Korbinian Holzer of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and James Wisniewski of the Columbus Blue Jackets. They entered the playoffs that year against the Winnipeg Jets, where they swept the young team in the first round, they then progressed to the second round and faced up against the Calgary Flames, where they defeated the Flames in five games, and then after two inexperienced matchups, they faced a much more difficult Chicago Blackhawks team, who they would eventually fall to in seven.
OFFSEASON
IN
Anton Khudobin
Carl Hagelin
Kevin Bieksa
Shawn Horcoff
Chris Stewart
Brian McGrattan
Chris Mueller
Joe Piskula
Matt Hackett
Harry Zolnierczyk
Shane O'Brien
OUT
James Wisniewski
Emerson Etem
Tomas Fleischmann
Sheldon Souray
Matt Beleskey
Francois Beauchemin
Colby Robak
Mathieu Carle
The Ducks, like every other team, began their offseason process at the 2015 NHL Draft. They didn't make any trades on the first day of the draft, but they used their 27th overall selection to select defenseman Jacob Larsson from Frolunda HC of the SHL. On the second day, however, they traded forward Kyle Palmieri to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2015 second round pick and a 2016 third round pick. They then followed with a couple more moves, including acquiring goaltender Anton Khudobin from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman James Wisniewski, and acquiring forward Carl Hagelin from the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Emerson Etem. A day before free agency, they boulstered their defensive core by bringing in veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2016 2nd round pick. In free agency, they signed several players sych as Shawn Horcoff and Chris Stewart to cheap contracts, as well as bringing in some goaltending depth with Matt Hackett.
NEXT SEASON PT 1. OFFENSE
One problem the Ducks have always had with their offensive lines is the fact that they have never had a solid winger to play alongside of Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, but they may have found their guy via trade. Carl Hagelin could look to score himself a spot on the top line next to the Getzlaf-Perry duo. They will also look for secondary offense from newly-acquired Chris Stewart. As usual, their scoring will likely be lead by Getzlaf and Perry, with Hagelin, Kesler, Stewart, and Jakob Silfverberg following behind them. Look for youngsters such as Stefan Noesen and Chris Wagner to challenge for regular spots on the team.
NEXT SEASON PT 2. DEFENSE
Once defenseman Francois Beauchemin left the Ducks through free agency for the Colorado Avalanche, it left a gaping hold for that solid veteran defenseman the Ducks needed. They have a relatively young defensive core, led by Sami Vatanen, Cam Fowler, and Hampus Lindholm, but they filled the need for that solid veteran defensive defenseman by trading for Kevin Bieksa shortly before free agency. For bottom six options, they have defensemen Clayton Stoner and Simon Despres, as well as Korbinian Holzer competing for a spot. Look for rookie Shea Theodore to compete for a spot in the lineup come training camp.
NEXT SEASON PT 3. GOALTENDING
The Ducks' goaltending situation is very interesting for this coming year, as they have four NHL ready goalies that could maintain a spot on the roster. These goalies include Frederik Andersen, Anton Khudobin, John Gibson, and Matt Hackett. The most likely scenario appears to be Andersen starting with Khudobin backing him up, considering Khudobin has proven that he can be a good backup goaltender and has more NHL experience than Gibson or Hackett. That being said, anything could happen depending on who impresses the most at training camp, so only time will tell who will thrive and who won't.
POSSIBLE 2015-16 OPENING NIGHT LINEUP
Carl Hagelin - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Andrew Cogliano - Ryan Kesler - Chris Stewart
Jakob Silfverberg - Rickard Rakell - Jiri Sekac
Patrick Maroon - Shawn Horcoff - Nate Thompson
Cam Fowler - Sami Vatanen
Hampus Lindholm - Kevin Bieksa
Simon Despres - Clayton Stoner
Frederik Andersen
Anton Khudobin
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