Authored By: Adrian Rosati

Leo Carlsson — Photo by Pwinger / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Last Edited: August 9, 2026, 5:02 p.m. ET

General Manager Pat Verbeek has been busy during the 2026 offseason. The Anaheim Ducks are looking to return to the playoffs for the second straight season after breaking an eight-season playoff drought last year.

Here’s a summary of Anaheim’s major moves.

Additions

• F A.J. Greer — Traded from Florida for Radko Gudas
• D Nick Jensen — Free Agency
• F Anton Wahlberg — Traded from Buffalo for Olen Zellweger
• G Laurent Brossoit — Free Agency
• F Jeff Malott — Free Agency

Subtractions

• F Mason McTavish — Traded to St. Louis for two first-round picks
• D Olen Zellweger — Traded to Buffalo for Anton Wahlberg
• D John Carlson — Traded to Carolina
• D Radko Gudas — Traded to Florida for A.J. Greer
• D Jacob Trouba — Unrestricted Free Agent
• F Ryan Strome — Traded to Calgary

Offseason Thoughts

I’m going to be honest here: the Anaheim Ducks lost some key pieces, primarily when looking at the Mason McTavish move.

What they acquired in return doesn’t move the needle for me in terms of major upgrades. They didn’t acquire a centerman, and in return, they lost some of the centre depth they once had.

Now, in Verbeek’s defence, after signing Carlsson to his monster contract by matching the offer sheet, there was never really an opportunity for McTavish to grow into their No. 1 centre. Additionally, if McTavish were to stay on the team, the Ducks wouldn’t be able to afford Cutter Gauthier.

As much as your second-line centre isn’t primarily there to score on most teams, trading 20–25 goals for 40+ goals is the ultimate goal when you’re trying to win the goal-scoring contest that is hockey.

The Ducks’ forward group accounted for 216 of their 265 goals last season. With the loss of Terry to LTIR, McTavish via trade, and Gauthier potentially holding out, that same offence is projected to score only 127 goals.

A majority of that production is Gauthier’s projected 41 tallies, but approximately 20 goals from Terry and McTavish each signals a regression.

Moving to defence, Verbeek elected to get rid of the older players through trades or by letting them walk, in exchange for signing a young stud in Pavel Mintyukov. It’s a clear signal that the window is not now, but potentially in a couple of years.

I feel like that’s a fair signal given the lack of right-handed defensive depth and the continuing roller coaster between the pipes with Lucas Dostal. However, the Ducks are going to be hoping to add to their defensive corps with young talent as they move toward a potential competitive window.

A Sneak Peek Into Their First 10

The Ducks open their season Friday, October 2, 2026, at 7 p.m. PT in Vegas.

In their first 10 games, they have the Jets, Flames twice, and the Rangers — all games they should probably win regardless of the moves they made this year.

Boston and Florida at home also give the team opportunities to win five or six of their first 10 games, regardless of whether a Gauthier deal is done yet.

A strong start could propel the team’s confidence and get them going early.

Prediction?

What’s glaring to me is that the division hasn’t gotten much better around them, if not worse.

While they’ve lost a significant amount of veteran players, I think the good young pieces they’ve added can help them avoid regression to the point where they’re waiting on lottery balls to determine their draft fate.

If they were in a stronger division, I’d be more down on their performance and the team going into the year. That said, with a Gauthier holdout on the horizon, there’s certainly going to be plenty of smoke and storylines surrounding this team.

It’ll be interesting to watch this team and see how they progress through the challenges ahead.

My prediction: 4th in the Pacific Division.

That signals a slight regression, but I still see the Ducks as a playoff-calibre team.

Read our Cutter Gauthier piece on our website for our thoughts on his expected contract.