Ducks Lock Up Young Core, Eye Playoff Return

The Ducks earned 92 points and finished third in the Pacific, their best showing in years, then spent the summer locking down their young core. General manager Pat Verbeek matched a five-year offer sheet from Philadelphia for center Leo Carlsson and signed defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year extension, per nhl.com. Those moves signal faith in internal development over splashy additions, a reasonable bet given the production Anaheim already got from its kids.

Last season in review

The Ducks went 43-33-6 and scored 273 goals, a respectable total driven by a trio of young forwards. Cutter Gauthier led the way with 41 goals and 69 points, while Carlsson posted 29 goals and 67 points. Beckett Sennecke chipped in 23 goals and 60 points. The offense was good enough to compete most nights. Defense was the issue: Anaheim allowed 288 goals, a minus-15 differential that kept them from climbing higher in the standings. Goaltender Lukas Dostal went 30-20-4 but posted an .888 save percentage, a number that needs to rise if the Ducks want to take the next step.

Ins and outs

• In: Leo Carlsson (matched five-year offer sheet from Philadelphia)
• In: Pavel Mintyukov (signed five-year extension)
• In: Axel Nordmark (signed three-year entry-level contract)
• In: A.J. Greer (signed as a free agent)
• In: Tristan Luneau, Drew Helleson, Sasha Pastujov, Jansen Harkins (signed two-way contracts)
• In: Ethan Hinds (signed two-year extension)

No major departures have been confirmed. The Ducks appear to be running it back with the same core, banking on another year of development from their young forwards and defensemen.

The big question

Can Lukas Dostal give the Ducks league-average goaltending? An .888 save percentage won't cut it in a tight Pacific Division, and Anaheim's defensive structure still has holes. If Dostal takes a step forward and the blue line improves even modestly, the Ducks could push for a wild-card spot. If not, they'll be stuck in the middle again.

X-factor

Leo Carlsson. The 21-year-old center just signed a five-year deal after the Flyers tried to pry him away with an offer sheet, and Anaheim's decision to match shows how much they believe in him. He put up 67 points last season and is being positioned as a franchise cornerstone. If he takes another leap offensively and becomes a true number-one center, the Ducks have a legitimate playoff contender. If he stalls, the rebuild drags on.

Bold prediction

The Ducks will finish second in the Pacific Division. Their young core will continue to improve, Dostal will rebound to a .905 save percentage or better, and they'll ride that combination to a playoff berth. The division is wide open behind the top team, and Anaheim has the talent to capitalize.

The outlook

The Ducks are betting on continuity and internal growth, a sensible approach for a team that already showed real progress last season. Matching the Carlsson offer sheet was the right call, and extending Mintyukov keeps another key piece in place. The question is whether the goaltending and defense can catch up to the offense. If they do, Anaheim could surprise people. If not, 92 points might be the ceiling for now.