The Anaheim Ducks came into the season with higher expectations. After seven straight seasons of missing the playoffs, there was more pressure on the Ducks to a step this season.
However, Anaheim has managed to start the season hotter than anyone could’ve expected, behind head coach Joel Quenneville. The Ducks currently hold an 11-3-1 record, and sit first in the Pacific Division. They’re currently in the midst of a seven-game win streak, which includes multiple victories over the Florida Panthers, and wins over the Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, and Winnipeg Jets.
Over that seven-game win streak, the Ducks have scored a whopping 32 goals in regulation. In fact, the Ducks’ improved offense has been the single biggest factor in their hot start through 13 games. The team has averaged over 4 goals per game, which leads the NHL – a huge increase over their 2.65 goals per game last season, which ranked 30th in the league.
Below, we look at five factors in the Ducks’ hot start to the season.
Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier emerging as stars
Understandably, Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier were looked at as two of the team’s building blocks for the future. But their start to the season has shown both players are much further along in their development than anticipated.
Through 15 games, Carlsson has already registered 10 goals and 25 points, while Gauthier has managed 11 goals and 20 points. To put that into perspective, each player is roughly half-way to reaching their goal and point totals from last season, not even one-fifth of the way into the year. Carlsson in particular is tied for second in the league in points.
Gauthier is only 21 years old, while Carlsson’s 21st birthday comes in December. The duo have been a massive part of the team’s success, and they’re turning into the stars the team hoped they could be, and are doing so even earlier than anticipated.
Ducks getting contributions from entire forward group
While Carlsson and Gauthier have been the story, the Ducks’ success has also came from the fact they’ve been able to get contributions from their entire lineup.
Chris Kreider has proven to be a perfect fit, bouncing back from a down year in New York. He’s been just what the team needed, as someone who’s able to finish around the net, and has already registered nine goals and 12 points in 11 games. Then while fellow offseason addition Mikael Granlund has missed the team’s last seven games, he too made an impact early, notably recording a five-point game prior to suffering an injury.
Beckett Sennecke’s status with the team was a bit of a question coming into the season, in terms of whether he’d stick with the team past the nine-game mark. However, he’s not only shown he’s NHL-ready, but has already established his role in the team’s top-six, with six goals and 11 points.
Meanwhile, Troy Terry has been excellent, already sitting at 19 points, and Mason McTavish has registered 11 points. Even down the lineup, Ryan Poehling has been a good fit, and Nikita Nesterenko has established a full-time role for himself.
Not only has the team been able to count on their top stars, but has arguably gotten better contributions than expected from the majority of their forward group.
Improved power play making a difference
Part of the Ducks’ offensive improvement has also been a result of power play success, which is a big change this year.
Last season, the Ducks’ power play ranked dead last in the league, operating at under 12 percent. Through the entire 2024-25 season, the Ducks scored just 26 power play goals.
Jump to this year, and the team been roughly twice as effective on the man advantage. Their power play has operated at close to 24 percent, and has registered 14 goals – already halfway to their total from last season.
Ducks’ top-four group has been reliable
While the Ducks have generated significantly more offense this season, they’ve also made progress defensively.
Jackson LaCombe’s future in Anaheim was established when he signed his massive extension. However, he’s been used in an even larger role this season, seeing his ice time rise to over 25 minutes per game. He’s being counted on as the team’s top defender, and has risen to the challenge. Plus, he’s also worked well in a pairing with Drew Helleson.
Helleson played a fairly small role last season, but he too has seen his role grow this season. Helleson has averaged over 19 minutes per game this year with Radko Gudas unavailable, and has been a good fit alongside LaCombe. He’s already registered eight points, and is showing he could have a role as a long-term, top-four defenseman in Anaheim.
Perhaps the bigger surprise, however, has been the success of the Olen Zellweger-Jacob Trouba pairing. Trouba has seemed to return to form from his time in New York a few years ago, and leads all Ducks’ defensemen with 10 points. He also holds a plus-16 rating through 15 games, which leads the NHL. Then with Zellweger, while his point totals may still look a little low, he’s been very active offensively, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a breakout season as the year goes on.
Seeing the Ducks with a top-four group that can both contribute, and be counted on defensively, marks a big upgrade.
Lukas Dostal continues to be key for Ducks
Over the last two seasons, Lukas Dostal gave the Ducks every reason to believe he can be one of the NHL’s most reliable starters. He played 98 games over the last two seasons, and put up respectable numbers behind a team that often didn’t give him much help. So with John Gibson being moved this summer, it was clear that Dostal would be the team’s undisputed starter going forward.
Dostal has been counted on as expected, as has been very good once again. He’s started 12 of the team’s 15 games this season, posting a .908 save percentage.
Given how much the team has used him thus far, it seems very realistic that Dostal could hit 60-plus games this year. The team’s offense and young stars may be the story so far, but Dostal has been a big factor in their success.
