It’s easy to overlook the Anaheim Ducks. The team has lost nearly twice as many games as they’ve won (15-28-1) and sits near the bottom of the NHL standings (29 out of 32). And they just experienced the most turbulent week of their season, playing five games in seven days.
The Ducks went through a roller coaster ride of emotions during their trip across the sunbelt. Throughout stops in Nashville, Carolina, Florida, and Washington D.C., the organization managed a blockbuster trade, suffered injuries to key players and saw sentimental homecomings for the team’s two highest-paid offseason free agent acquisitions. Even for NHL standards, that’s a considerable amount of travel, games played and storylines for one week.
Jamie Drysdale – Cutter Gauthier Trade
On Jan. 8, Ducks general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek swapped defenseman Jamie Drysdale for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Cutter Gauthier. It was a rare exchange of two young and promising former first-round picks, and the questions surrounding the deal and how the Flyers’ relationship with Gauthier deteriorated shocked the hockey world.
The Ducks lost one of the core players of their rebuild, and insiders quickly speculated on the future of star forward Trevor Zegras — a possible Zegras trade is gaining momentum. Like Drysdale, Zegras was drafted by the former GM Bob Murray. Verbeek inherited both players, so he might not have the emotional attachment of scouting and drafting them. With the addition of Gauthier, the Ducks have a surplus of 19 and 20-year-old centermen to build around, including Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Gauthier.
Either Gauthier or Zegras could move to the wing to make it all work, but questions about how Zegras’ creative, finesse game fits with Verbeek’s and coach Greg Cronin’s defensive-minded vision could make him the odd man out. All these factors made for fascinating conversations and added distractions and media attention this past week.
Ducks Hurt by Blockbuster Deal
Acquiring Gauthier will likely benefit the team in future seasons, as he projects to be a better player than Zegras. But in the short term, Anaheim lost a top-four defenseman, further depleting one of the league’s worst backends. The Ducks have allowed 150 goals this season (27th of 32 teams) and had to prepare for their longest road trip of the season with one arm tied behind their back.
It’s always difficult for players to see a teammate traded midseason. Someone they laugh with in the locker room and sweat and bleed with on the ice is gone in an instant. Zegras and Drysdale were roommates and close friends. Zegras has talked about their friendship in the past: “We pretty much do everything together,” Zegras told reporters. “We pee together, we get injured together, we sleep together.”
Injuries Hit Ducks on Long Road Trip
Zegras and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov were hurt in the Nashville Predators game on Jan. 9. Zegras suffered a broken left ankle and is expected to miss two months. Mintyukov separated his shoulder and will be out for six weeks. Ducks goalie John Gibson sustained an upper-body injury in the second period against the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 11 and left the game. He didn’t play against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday but eventually returned and started against the Florida Panthers on Monday. Defenseman Radko Gudas suffered an unknown injury against the Panthers. He played through it but was out of the lineup against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.
The injuries added more barriers to the team’s success, with a 2-7-1 record in their last 10 games. Although the Ducks were not expected nor built to make the playoffs this season, the players are competitive. Losing makes it difficult to arrive at the rink every day, and every injury casualty is more deflating.
Alex Killorn’s Tampa Bay Homecoming
Last offseason, veteran forward Alex Killorn signed a four-year deal with Anaheim after spending the first 11 years of his career in Tampa Bay. His decade-plus run with the Lightning included three trips to the Stanley Cup Final and two championships. Saturday’s game against the Lightning was his first visit to Tampa Bay in a Ducks sweater, and the franchise honored him with a touching two-minute tribute video.
When the presentation concluded, Killorn took a lap under the spotlight and raised his stick to acknowledge the applauding fans. The game meant more than sticking it to his former club, and the long-time Bolt reconnected with former colleagues and friends during his emotional return.
“I was trying to push back all the emotions,” Killorn said. “And I’m pretty good at doing that. But once I saw that video, it was really tough to hold it in. … I think, honestly, if I was just sitting there, it would have been different. But to kind of get moving (helped). I was kind of breathing a little heavy, and just to go for a skate was nice. Honestly, a moment in my career I’ll never forget.” (from “Inside ex-Lightning forward Alex Killorn’s emotional return to Tampa,” Tampa Bay Times, 15 January 2024).
Gudas Receives Tribute in Return to Florida
In the Ducks’ next game against the Panthers, Gudas had his Sunshine State homecoming. It was his first game in Sunrise, FL, after inking a three-year deal with Anaheim last summer. He spent three seasons with the Panthers, far less than Killorn had with the Lightning, but it became his home after playing for three different teams in his first eight seasons. He played the best hockey of his career with the Panthers and helped elevate the franchise’s popularity after winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22 and reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Gudas was a key part of the Panthers’ most successful seasons and was honored with a video tribute. The grizzled, bearded veteran put his intimidating persona to the side and embraced the crowd. Fans stood and cheered, and several brought giant cardboard cutouts of his face. He shared his appreciation on X (formerly Twitter) following the game: “This was a game I will remember forever! Thank you for all the love and support!”
Ducks Return to California for Road Trip Finale
The Ducks’ slate of East Coast games ended Tuesday with a 2-0 loss to the Capitals. It was the second of back-to-back games, and Cronin’s group looked out of gas, physically and emotionally. They didn’t forecheck hard or get enough shots on net; Anaheim never threatened to score until a desperate push in the final five minutes.
A week filled with adversity caught up with them. Despite everything thrown at the Ducks on this trip, they managed to go 2-3, and they have an opportunity to split their six-game trip with a win against the last-place San Jose Sharks on Saturday. The Ducks will enjoy three days off before then. The break couldn’t come at a better time.