The Ducks Will Be Back in the Postseason by 2026-27
The Ducks’ 30th season ended the same way it has the five seasons prior: without a playoff berth. When will they next make the big dance?
Not since the Anaheim Ducks were led by Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, Adam Henrique, Rickard Rakell and others in the 2017-18 season have they reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They didn’t last long and were bounced (swept, in fact) in the first round by the San Jose Sharks, another team that has been playoff irrelevant lately.
Since then, the Ducks have gone from average, to bad, to worse. They tried a soft rebuild by moving forward with a core that included an aging-but-still effective Getzlaf, Henrique, Rakell, Cam Fowler, Brandon Montour, Hampus Lindholm, John Manson, and John Gibson, an ultimately futile effort. Management finally embraced a full rebuild by trading these players and accumulating a number of high-draft picks and prospects that have finally started to earn roster spots in the last couple of seasons.
For six years, the Ducks have been a team in transition, searching for a collection of young players that will one day lead them back to the postseason for a chance at a Stanley Cup championship. I’m betting that it happens no later than the 2026-27 season. Let’s explore why.
Rebuild Has Been Slow, but With a Consistent and Thorough Vision
Here are some quick facts. It’s hard to believe, but the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Playoffs marks the 17th postseason since the Ducks won their first and only Stanley Cup, and the 10th postseason since what felt like the Ducks’ last true chance at another – a run to the 2017 Western Conference Final. The road back, while tortuous at times, has not been without fruit, vision, or a plan. Former and current General Managers Bob Murray and Pat Verbeek, respectively, have carefully curated a roster, through drafts and trades, that is young, fast, skilled, and loaded with potential in all three phases of the game.
The Offense
The Ducks have lacked all types of scoring during their six-year rebuild. A 30-plus goal scorer that struck fear in teams? No. Reliable scoring by committee? No. Middle or bottom-six scoring? Definitely not. Nothing consistent, at least. Their last reliable tried-and-true finisher was a prime Corey Perry, who last scored 30 goals in 2015-16.
