Five Biggest Questions for Ducks in Final Five Weeks of Season

With the Ducks bound for another bottom-five finish in the NHL standings, questions surround the team, its future, and several of its core pieces.

On the heels of three straight lackluster efforts and blowout losses, the Anaheim Ducks head into the final five weeks of their 2023-24 season facing several questions. There’s likely very little to be learned in the final 18 games that we don’t already know, but there are storylines worth following. Here are the five biggest as the season starts to wind down.

1. Who Fills the Voids Created by the Ducks’ Big Deadline?

Once again, the Ducks assumed the role of seller this season and subsequently dealt Ilya Lyubushkin, Sam Carrick, and Adam Henrique at last week’s trade deadline. Henrique was a lineup mainstay and reliable producer since his arrival in 2017-18.

None of these players were world-beaters, but they ate up crucial minutes and held critical, impactful spots in the lineup that will now be filled by a variety of players down the stretch. Recent acquisition Ben Meyers has drawn in, as has Gustav Lindstrom on the backend. Glenn Gawdin and Pavol Regenda were recalled from the San Diego Gulls but have since been sent down. We can probably expect more of the same as the final month of the season plays out.  

Perhaps it’s wishful thinking, but there are several players – Nathan Gaucher, Brayden Tracey, Sasha Pastujov, Chase De Leo – that are worth a look given the potential revolving door of nightly lineup openings in the next few weeks. After all, after consecutive lifeless performances, there’s not much to lose by going with alternative looks. We’ll see if that happens.