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The Anaheim Ducks are turning their attention to the 2024 NHL Draft. Anaheim has been officially eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This isn’t entirely surprising, as many expected the Ducks to have a rough season. In a way, though, this has been a somewhat disappointing year for Anaheim.
Anaheim began the season playing extremely well. In fact, they handed the Vegas Golden Knights their first regulation loss of the year. It seemed as if the team would turn the corner a bit in 2023-24. However, it wasn’t meant to be. The Ducks experienced a brutal run of form that saw them lose 15 of 18 games from November 7th to December 15th.
After that, Anaheim never really recovered. In fact, with the exception of a six-game winning streak early on, the Ducks have not had a winning streak of more than two games. Simply put, Anaheim has been bad for a good portion of the 2023-24 NHL season.
Still, there are reasons for fans to keep the faith as general manager Pat Verbeek prepares for the offseason. So, with that in mind, let’s provide some of that hope. Here are two reasons to keep the faith in the Ducks despite missing the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
High-end prospects
The Ducks have a promising young core already. Mason McTavish is close to matching his 2022-23 point total despite playing just 61 games to this point. Leo Carlsson, the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored over half a point per game this year. And defenseman Pavel Mintyukov played at a high level this season.
However, the team has more high-end talent ready to make an impact in the NHL. Defenseman Olen Zellweger received his first action in the league this year. He figures to play a major role on Anaheim’s back end, which has a ton of depth. That said, there is one name that only recently joined Anaheim’s ranks that fans should certainly be excited about.
Forward Cutter Gauthier was traded to the Ducks earlier this season. The Ducks dealt from a position of depth, sending defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a draft pick to the Philadelphia Flyers. Gauthier should sign with Anaheim once Boston College ends its run in the NCAA National Championship tournament. Gauthier scored two goals on Friday to help his school take down Michigan Tech in the first round.
Overall, the Ducks have a load of young talent ready to make their mark in Anaheim. Gauthier and Zellweger are two players who are likely to make the Ducks roster sooner rather than later. But they have a strong foundation and a strong prospect pipeline moving forward.
2024 NHL Draft capital
The 2024 NHL Draft takes place in late June. With the Ducks out of the playoffs, their attention is going to turn to the draft soon, if it hasn’t already. Anaheim fans should take time to familiarize themselves with the prospects in this year’s class. General manager Pat Verbeek is going to be busy during those two days.
The Ducks have nine selections in the 2024 NHL Draft. This total includes seven picks in the first three rounds. Anaheim has two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and three third-round picks for the upcoming draft. Furthermore, the Ducks are likely to have a top-five selection once the NHL Draft Lottery is conducted.
Anaheim is not as loaded with draft capitals as the Arizona Coyotes. However, they are still in a great position in their own right. They are set to strengthen an already promising prospect pipeline during the summer. That will only aid their efforts to make the NHL team a contender once again.
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