Anaheim Ducks depth chart: Where the projected lineup stands after a quiet offseason (2024)

The recent signings of restricted free agents Max Comtois, Max Jones and Josh Mahura completed the offseason business for the Ducks when it comes to resolving the situations of their own players.

Is that all they will do to address the roster? Possibly, but there are still 42 days left for further movement. But the majority of positions are filled, and the Ducks could take into next month’s training camp a group that looks a lot like the one that finished last season.

For those who pined for substantive change, it is a disappointing development. But the signings leave Anaheim as one of the teams with substantial salary cap space heading into the 2021-22 season. Whether they will use any of it before their Oct. 13 season opener is a different question. They also have five available contract slots under the 50-contract maximum.

It is worth looking at Anaheim’s organizational depth chart and where different players stand within it and whether there is any potential for players to move up and down. Or around. Just know that this won’t be the last time we do this. (Note: All salary figures listed are average annual value and pulled from Cap Friendly. Years listed are when the contracts expire.)

Left wing

Having become a surprise leader of the Ducks in goals (16) and points (33) during the shortened 56-game season, Comtois tapped into the finishing ability he displayed at lower levels and enters next season atop this position. But while Comtois is now a roster fixture and a potential 20-goal scorer, Anaheim isn’t particularly deep at left wing. Some of that could be remedied by a center being moved over. While he played right wing for much of last season, Rickard Rakell has played a ton on the left side and could be inserted into a second-line spot.

But if there are no such movements, it could allow Jones the opportunity to hold down a full-time top-six role. Jones has played up on occasion, but the recent commitment to him reflects the Ducks’ view of him as a certain top-nine power forward with the potential to grab more. At worst, Jones is a physical complement to his linemates and is one of the few Ducks who is eager to mix it up in front of the net and play with a mean streak. Alexander Volkov can play on both wings and could move between the third and fourth lines. Nic Deslauriers returns for his third season as the team’s protective element.

It’ll be interesting to see if Sonny Milano will come back from the concussion issues that limited him to just eight games between the Ducks and San Diego Gulls. AHL veteran Danny O’Regan had 16 goals and 37 points with the Henderson Silver Knights last season and should fill the void created when Chase De Leo signed with New Jersey after three years in Anaheim’s organization. Brayden Tracey got his first taste of pro hockey with a 12-game scoreless run with the Gulls and it’ll be interesting to see if the 2019 first-rounder is in the AHL full-time or is shipped back to junior for an overage season. Maxim Golod should have another developmental season in San Diego.

Center

Full of confidence and dynamism, Trevor Zegras went from starting in the NHL on left wing to playing top-line minutes at center by the end of his impressive 24-game audition. It remains to be seen whether Zegras will be regarded as a true No. 1 center after he goes through the entire league. It also remains to be seen whether Dallas Eakins will feel bold enough to hand an all-important role to a 20-year-old right away. But it shouldn’t be a question that Zegras will handle a first-unit power play that already ran through him whenever he was on the ice.

Uncertainty abounds once you get past Zegras. Ryan Getzlaf isn’t the top-10 center who was the pulse of the lineup for many years. But as he looks to reach the 1,000-point milestone, Getzlaf could be recharged enough to head the second line if he is playing well and if youngsters Sam Steel or Isac Lundestrom aren’t flourishing with top-six minutes. Adam Henrique is still around and can fill a middle-six role or move to left wing if necessary, although his best work has come at center. Lundestrom was tried out on left wing without success at the start of last season.

Derek Grant didn’t have a year that matched up to his two prior turns with the team. But Grant has handled fourth-line duties and can win faceoffs and kill penalties, two things Eakins values. Andrew Agozzino’s departure should open a top-line role for Bo Groulx with the Gulls unless Sam Carrick doesn’t make the Ducks. Groulx, who has good size and routinely wins puck battles, had an impressive first pro season and could put himself in a position to earn a call-up for his NHL debut should an injury leave a hole up front to fill. Jack Badini split time between San Diego and ECHL Tulsa in his first pro season.

Right wing

This is a position at which someone has to emerge as a goal scorer. Not one of the current right wings scored in double figures last season. Troy Terry, Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg unequivocally fit into the top nine, but where each slot in among their first three lines should be decided at camp. Terry finished the season playing with Zegras and Comtois and it is possible they could start out together, given the chemistry they showed as a trio.

The Ducks could have a spot to fill on the fourth line, which was created after Carter Rowney went down with a knee injury. Numerous forwards were put there and there could be several options. If they stay in-house, Volkov could be put there. Although it might be more of a fallback, Getzlaf did play there at the end of the year as others got looks in the middle. Sam Carrick has mainly played in the middle but he can play on the wing and might challenge for that spot if he can build on his inspiring play when called up last season.

Vinni Lettieri is a proven AHL scorer who should be a fill-in once again, after he got into five games with Anaheim last season. The presence of Carrick and Lettieri will allow Bryce Kindopp to continue honing his game at the pro level. Jacob Perreault, a 2020 first-rounder, got to advance his development with the Gulls while the Ontario Hockey League was shut down. It was an up-and-down experience, as Perreault had only three goals but did finish with 17 points in 27 games. Because he played more than 20 games, it is possible that Anaheim could keep him with San Diego instead of returning him to juniors with the Sarnia Sting. Buddy Robinson has spent the last two years in Calgary’s organization.

Left defense

Anaheim can be a better club if Hampus Lindholm and Cam Fowler remain healthy for an entire season and eat up more than 20 minutes each on the top two pairs. Ironically, Lindholm has been dealing with the injury issues the last two seasons, while Fowler had missed some blocks of time each year. Once you get past those two, the competition for the third spot on the left side could be open after Haydn Fleury was lost to Seattle in the expansion draft.

Jacob Larsson has had an uneven, if not unimpressive three years, played mostly at the NHL level. But he does have 159 games with the Ducks and some of his best outings with them came at the end of last season. Larsson has been given a longer leash than Mahura and it is interesting that Mahura’s new deal is two-way in nature for this season before it switches to a one-way deal for 2022-23. It gives the appearance that Larsson, a former first-rounder, might have the edge going into camp but that this might be his last stand to solidify himself in the team’s future. What could aid Mahura in staying with Anaheim is the fact that he would have to go through waivers if he were sent down.

Meanwhile, Simon Benoit has methodically moved into the mix with his strong work for the Gulls, which got him a six-game NHL tryout. It could be an interesting conversation within Ducks headquarters if Benoit outplays Larsson and Mahura during the preseason. Often-injured Brendan Guhle played only with San Diego and had his season cut short because of an apparent head issue after a heated tussle with Kings prospect Akil Thomas. Kodie Curran and Trevor Carrick will have regular roles with the Gulls. Both appear to be longshots toward making the opening-night roster.

Right defense

Josh Manson wasn’t traded at the deadline and wasn’t dealt this summer. Whether he’ll be with the Ducks all year or beyond remains to be seen, but the eight-year defender and alternate captain occupies one spot. Manson has played alongside Lindholm and Fowler in the past so it’ll be up to Eakins and new assistant coach Mike Stothers to decide who the pairs will be. Jamie Drysdale was thrown into the fire last season and it became clear that the teenager could not only survive but even thrive at times. His ascent to top-pairing status may not be a straight line but his ability to handle tough NHL minutes is obvious.

Drysdale’s rapid rise could allow the Ducks to use Kevin Shattenkirk in a more sheltered role that can accent his strengths and minimize his weaknesses. If Drysdale hits a bump and has a rough period, Shattenkirk has the experience and can handle more minutes but will have to deliver much more in his second season in Anaheim. The deck has been reshuffled a bit as far as right-side depth. Greg Pateryn has played in 280 NHL games with five teams. Brogan Rafferty could be intriguing. Rafferty didn’t get much of an opportunity with Vancouver despite being third among all AHL defensem*n in scoring in 2019-20.

Pateryn and Rafferty should allow Axel Andersson and Hunter Drew to continue their growth. Andersson joined the Gulls late in the year after playing with second-division Sodertalje in Sweden. His smooth skating and effective puck movement were evident and he should get a lot of ice time under new San Diego coach Joël Bouchard. Drew played a fair amount at forward and might have to do so again if he can’t beat out the new veterans or Andersson.

Goaltender

Signed to a max-term deal in 2018, John Gibson has been the undisputed No. 1 goalie for the last five seasons and will be for the foreseeable future. The goaltending pecking order is relatively straightforward. Anthony Stolarz did enough in his eight games with the Ducks last season to earn the chance at holding down a regular job at the NHL level for an entire season, and he should enter camp as Gibson’s backup.

However, Lukáš Dostál looks to have the “goaltender of the future” tag after an excellent season in which he got off to a roaring start with the Gulls following his transition from playing overseas, and shook off some midseason struggles for a fantastic finish over his final 11 outings. Any injuries to Gibson or Stolarz could put Dostál up in Anaheim. Olle Eriksson Ek did a commendable job in getting his most AHL action to date and figures to get one or two starts to every three that Dostal makes for San Diego. Roman Durny put up good numbers — 14-7-4/2.31 GAA/.916 SV% — in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers.

Projecting the lineup

This, of course, is subject to change. Writers don’t make out the lineup. Fans would love to, but they can’t. Coaches do – perhaps with a level of influence from the general manager – and they will make the determination on who fits where when practices are held, scrimmages are conducted and preseason games are played. There may be enough bodies in place but there are still roles to win. Let’s not forget that the forward lines will change halfway into the first game if the team is down by a couple of goals.

The Ducks have quite a few centers and that will guarantee someone lining up on a wing instead of at their natural position. What is more crucial for them is the semblance of a true top six, if not a real top line, that can lead this team and be a regular threat that makes it harder to defend. It can be argued that the Ducks, the league’s lowest-scoring team last season, has iced three third lines and a fourth line over the past two seasons.

Who knows if Comtois-Zegras-Terry will be a thing on opening night against Winnipeg? But the three had excellent underlying numbers and drove play when united. They also appeared on the scoresheet as well, combining for 14 points over the final seven contests. How the center position shakes out and whether anyone can produce offense in a second-line role is something else that will go a long way toward any forward movement as a team.

Six weeks remain until some answers start to be provided. Don’t worry, they’ll go by at the speed of a net-seeking slap shot.

(Photo of Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois and Troy Terry: Debora Robinson / NHLI via Getty Images)

Eric Stephens is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Southern California. Eric has been writing and talking about sports for newspapers and media outlets for more than 30 years. He has previously covered the NHL for The Orange County Register and Los Angeles Times. He is also an occasional contributor on NHL Network. Follow Eric on Twitter @icemancometh