Anaheim Ducks Aim for Playoff Push with Bold Offseason Moves
By Peter O'Hanraha-Hanrahan
The Anaheim Ducks have made a bold statement this offseason, signaling their intent to return to playoff contention. In a year marked by substantial roster changes, the team has opted not to rebuild through the draft, but rather to capitalize on unique opportunities in the trade and free-agent markets. I sat down with Ducks GM Mark Elstob to discuss the team's clear and deliberate strategy.
“Our primary goal is to make the playoffs,” Elstob told me. “This offseason was unlike anything I’ve seen before. We had a lot of cap space to work with, and several players in the same age range became available for reasonable asks. Once one piece fell into place, it seemed like everything started clicking.
Instead of rebuilding, we felt we could trade our way into contention.”
With a flurry of new faces coming in, the Ducks are betting on professionalism and a competitive environment to fuel their success. Elstob emphasized that a strong work ethic and high standards are central to the team’s approach this year. “The number one thing we’re looking for in these deals is professionalism. We want players who are dedicated to their craft, who understand what it takes to compete at this level. The roster is wide open—18 spots, and the minutes that come with them, are up for grabs. We expect that to breed competition, and competition is something we can use to our advantage.”
One key acquisition is veteran forward O. Vilkman, who Elstob expects to play a critical role on and off the ice. “Vilkman’s been around a long time, and he brings a play style that speaks volumes without saying much. His leadership is quiet but impactful. He’ll set the tone for us, not just in terms of his on-ice contributions, but in shaping the culture of the team. He’ll be integral to our success moving forward.”
The Ducks are also pinning hopes on their younger players, such as Wainman, Carvalho, and Yavorskiy, all of whom are expected to push for spots on the opening-night roster. Elstob sees plenty of promise in these prospects. “Honestly, they’re carrying themselves like veterans already. They’re responsible, focused, and their maturity has been impressive. They’ll lean on the vets, like Vilkman, but they’re ready to step up and contribute right away.”
As for how quickly this revamped roster can come together, Elstob acknowledged that there will be some growing pains. “There’s a mix of youth and experience here, and it’ll take time for everyone to gel. But with the tools we’ve acquired and the mindset we’re fostering, I’m confident we’ll be competitive. We have a lot of potential.”
The Ducks' offseason moves have set the stage for an intriguing season ahead. With a more competitive atmosphere and an influx of talent, they appear primed to make a serious push for the playoffs. But there’s more to uncover about this new-look roster—stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll dive deeper into the impact of the Ducks' trades, their leadership strategy on the ice, and the expectations for this exciting season.
Quack Attack: Post Draft '39
A quick talk with the new Ducks GM.
by Peter O'Hanraha-Hanrahan
Q: The Ducks have seen a drop in playoff appearances over the past four seasons after years of consistent success. What specific steps do you plan to take to return the team to being a perennial playoff contender?
Mark Elstob: We have been left bereft of a prospective talent pool and consistent performances from top-end guys; the support hasn't been there for our most talented players, and the easiest way that shows itself is in the spending; we aren't anywhere near cap but also not seemingly purposefully rebuilding either. There is enough talent to build around in the short term, so we will see how it pans out. Without revealing anything specific, with some of the moves and calls we have been making, I expect us to be making a more serious playoff push this year.
Q: While the Ducks have been recognised for their talent, it seems that performance hasn’t translated to consistent postseason success. How do you plan to address this disconnect between talent and results?
ME: We need to get an identity and stick with it. People within the organisation have been trying to be too clever or too cute to try and save a bit of cash, and it hasn't panned out the way they wanted it to; spending money won't fix everything, but an assurance from me to the coaching staff to make things as simple as they need to for this group and then build outward. Let our scorers try to score, guys who can skate, skate and guys who can defend, defend. You start by going back to basics.
Q: Player development and team culture often play significant roles in long-term success. What changes, if any, would you make to ensure the Ducks’ young talent develops into impactful players, and how would you define the team culture you want to build?
ME: We want a team that recognises that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back. We aren't the new kids on the block anymore, and the guys who are on this team weren't even born when this organisation started out. It is a proud organisation with a cup win this century behind it, it is a privilege to play here and that is what the players will understand above all else when they sign here.
Q: The Ducks' fanbase has grown accustomed to high expectations and success, but the recent struggles have been frustrating for many. What’s your message to the fans about your vision for the future, and how do you plan to restore their confidence in the franchise?
ME: The fans are, rightfully, aggrieved, I refer to my previous answers, we want to build a team that has pride in the jersey it wears and plays in such a way that the fans have pride in them. We have a proud history to lean on, but we have to make sure the fans are equally as excited about our future as they are proud of our past. Conversations are being had right now that we can't be specific about, but the results of those conversations and subsequent announcements should let the fans know that we aren't here to make up the numbers this year.
Quack Attack: November 2038
Another month has come and gone in the PSHL season. The Anaheim Ducks sit 5
The Ducks only won four games during November after starting the month 2-2. They ended the month on a four-game losing streak.
Roster Moves: The Ducks brought back popular center/left winger OLIN CIGNAC. Last season, across 64 games, CIGNAC had 22 goals, 28 assists, and 50 points. The Ducks also added restricted free agent RW KYLER GRAY on November 30th. GRAY is 23 years old and can play both right-wing and center, but due to his face-off rating, he is expected to play on the wing only. Last season in 76 games for the Abbotsford Canucks, Gray had 19 goals & 28 assists.
Who’s Hot:
RW MICHAEL DEASLEY – DEASLEY has played in every game this season but it took until the month of November for him to make score a goal and he’d end the game with 4 goals and 0 assits in the 15 games palyed. He also accumulated 18 penalty minutes while being -9 in plus/minus.
RD CAMDEN IANNI - Only one goal scored for IANNI in the 15 games but his 8 assists and 9 points. He also finished with a plus/minus of -7.
RW SHANE WRIGHT – The 34 year old winger continues to lead the Ducks month after month. He finished with a stat line of 3 goals (2
Who’s Not:
LW RHETT MCGOVERN – The 25 year old has had a month to forget and for the most part a whole season to forget. MCGOVERN appeared in all 15 games in November but put up a 0|0|0 stat line with a plus/minus of -10.
RD CONNOR BALL – There’s no much to say about BALL other than he has the worst plus/minus of everyone on the team at -13. He finished November with 0 goals & 1 assist. BALL has been paired with BRANDON SHORT on the 2
G ELIJAH RILEY – This is probably more offense not scoring more but RILEY accumulated a 3-9-0 record in November with a .901 save percentage and 3.81 GAA.
Quack Attack: October 2038
The Anaheim Ducks opened the 2038-39 season going 6-5-1 during the month, including a 4 game win streak form October 8
Who’s Hot:
RW - SHANE WRIGHT: The 34-year-old right winger led the Ducks for the month in goals and points. WRIGHT doubled up any other skater in goals (BRANDON MURPHY and WILL BRYKS both ended with 4 goals). Wright also led the Ducks with 15 points.
RD – CAMDEN IANNI: The 21-year-old IANNI accumulated 8 assists in 12 games played.
LW – MARKSON SCHNARR & RW BRANDON MURPHY: Both SCHNARR and MURPHY ended the opening month with 9 points each. SCHNARR added 2 goals and 7 assists with a plus/minus of -9. MURPHY added 4 goals with 5 assists with a plus/minus of -1.
Who’s Not:
RD – YANNI FRASER: The 26-year-old defenseman has gotten off to a slow start. In 36/37 he finished with 37 points (10G|27A) and last season with 34 points (11G|23A). This season in 12 games he’s accumulated just 1 assist with a plus/minus of -9. Fraser started the season getting minutes on the 2
LW – RHETT MCGOVERN: The 25-year-old MCGOVERN finished the month with 0 goals and 2 assists while averaging 6:37 minutes of ice time per game.
G – SIMON GOTAAS: The backup goaltender spot has been a weakness for the Ducks dating back to last season with both GOTAAS and JAREK PETTIT splitting time. GOTAAS started the season as the backup and appeared in 3 games so far this season accumulating a 1-2-0 record with a .881 save percentage.
Quack Attack: December 2037
Is it time to consider the season over for Anaheim?
The Ducks close out December going 5-9. They sit 6
Who’s Hot:
RW Shane Wright – 14GP | 6G | 5A: Wright remains the one lone bright spot for the season for Duck fans. Which is a positive for fans as he’s got 2 years remaining on his deal. He led the team in gaols (6) and points (11) while adding in 5 assists.
RD Yanni Fraser – 14GP | 3G | 6A: Four different players (Fraser, Dan Myers, Soslanbek Imayev & Jack Hughes) finished the month with six assits on the month. Fraser led the way with adding in 3 goals.
Who’s Not:
RD - Mazden Leslie – 14GP | 1A | 21PIM | -6 ±: It might be time to remove Leslie from the top defensive pairing. The 32 year old defenseman couldn’t stay at of the penalty box in December. He averaged 1.5 PIM’s per game.
RW - Johannes Teppo – 14GP | 2G | 3A | 20PIM | -11 ±: Both Teppo and Dane McVeigh finished the month with a plus/minus of -11. Teppo added in 20 penalty minutes for good measure.
RD - Dane McVeigh – 14GP | 0G | 1A | -11 ±: Not much to say about McVeigh, if he wasn’t on the ice when a goal as scored or in the penalty box, you’d never notice he was on the team.
Quack Attack: November 2037
The Anaheim Ducks finished the month of November going 4-9, including closing the month out with a 5-game losing streak. The Ducks currently sit in 5
Who’s Hot:
RW Shane Wright – The 33 year old right winger had two goal games on both 11/17 in a 4-3 win vs Colorado and 3 days later on 11/20 when the Ducks easily beat the Lagers 5-1. For the month Wright played in 13 games with 7 goals and 4 assists.
LW Martin Smrcina – Smrcina, 25 years old, is on pace to have a career year. This month he’s accumulated 10 points while scoring 3 goals and picking up 7 assists. So far this year Smrcina has 19 points in 28 games, just 5 points shy of his career high of 24 points in 82 games last season. Smrcina has already passed his season-high of assists, which was 11 last year, he has 14 so far this season.
RW Johannes Teppo – Teppo scored only two goals during the month but he also hooked up others for 4 assists on the month. He also finished the month second in plus/minus on the team with a +6, which is two behind team leader Smrcina but three in front of both Olin Gignac & R.J. Martens.
Who’s Not:
RD Mazden Leslie – Leslie led the team with 45 penalty minutes, a whopping 31 more than anyone else on the Ducks. Through 28 games, he’s already tied last seasons total of 61 penalty minutes. His career high was in 2034-35, with the Philadelphia Flyers, as he accumulated 90 penalty minutes. For the month, Leslie had 2 assists and finished the month with a plus/minus of -6.
LW Ramjeet Sandhu – Sandhu played all 13 games this month and accumulated just 1 goal with 3 assists while accumulating 14 penalty minutes with a -14 plus/minus.
Goaltending – Both Simon Gotaas & Elijah Riley have to get better. Riley got the most starts, with 9 compared to 4 for Gotaas. However, Riley finished the month with a record of 3-6 with a .879 save percentage and 3.9 goals against average. Gotaas was a bit better in the save percentage department, .910% and a bit lower on the GAA at 3.26 but still finished the month with a 1-3 record.
Quack Attack: October 27th-31st 2037
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 1 — YEVGENY PESTROVO (4) scored the game-winning goal early in the third period to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim's MAZDEN LESLIE (2) opened the scoring at 8:35 of the first period, assisted by JOHANNES TEPPO and MARTIN SMRCINA. FILIP SEMYONOV (2) equalized for Toronto with a power-play goal at 1:41 of the second period, assisted by MAURICE PRESTON. PESTROVO'S decisive goal came at 5:15 of the third, with YEVGENY MAKAROV providing the assist. Toronto outshot Anaheim 40-24, with BRENT NOVAK making 23 saves for the Maple Leafs. ELIJAH RILEY stopped 38 shots for the Ducks.
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DALLAS STARS 1 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 5 - Dallas struck first with SOSLAN TAVASIYEV'S (2) goal at 11:40 of the first period, assisted by BENOÎT DALLAIRE and DUQAQ WASEEM. However, Anaheim took control in the second period, beginning with a shorthanded goal by R.J. MARTENS (4) at 1:58, assisted by RAMJEET SANDHU. ILYA RIZAYEV (4) scored the game-winning goal at 14:28, followed by a goal from JACK HUGHES (4) at 15:12. In the third period, the Ducks extended their lead with goals from JOHANNES TEPPO (3) at 2:14 and MILOSLAV KEJZLAR (3) at 14:35. Dallas was unable to respond, and the Ducks held firm to secure the win. Anaheim's ELIJAH RILEY made 20 saves, achieving a .952 save percentage. Dallas's JASON CHRISTIAN stopped 23 shots but allowed five goals. The Ducks outshot the Stars 28-21. The game saw multiple penalties, including a 10-minute misconduct for Anaheim's MAZDEN LESLIE.
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EDMONTON OILERS 4 @ ANAHEIM DUCKS 1 - MATTHEW SAVOIE (5, 6) scored twice to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. SAVOIE opened the scoring at 18:06 of the first period with an assist from PATRIK HOLADA. He added his second goal, the game-winner, at 19:19 of the second period, assisted by CHRIS RERIE and HOLADA. Edmonton extended their lead in the third period with goals from ZACHARIE FRÉCHETTE (3) at 2:55 and MICHAL PRESSL (1) at 5:58. Anaheim’s WILL BRYKS (3) scored the lone goal for the Ducks at 10:34, assisted by R.J. MARTENS and RAMJEET SANDHU. Edmonton outshot Anaheim 29-22. Oilers' goaltender RADOSLAV CZILLING made 21 saves, achieving a .955 save percentage. Ducks' goalie ELIJAH RILEY stopped 25 shots but allowed four goals.
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3 Stars of the Week:
1. LW RAMJEET SANDHU – 3 Games Played | 0 Goals | 3 Assists | -3 Plus/Minus
2. RD MAZDEN LESLIE – 3 Games Played | 1 Goals | 1 Assist | 12 Penalty Minutes
3. RW JOHANNES TEPPO– 3 Games Played | 1 Goal | 1 Assist | +1 Plus/Minus
Ducks Weekly: October 21st-26th 2037
Anaheim Ducks 3 @ St. Louis Blues 2 – It took just 32 seconds for the Blues to take the 1-0 lead as CHRISTOFFER LINDQVIST scored his fifth goal of the season. The Ducks scored two of their own in the final five minutes of the period to take the 2-1 lead into the 1
Anaheim Ducks 2 @ Seattle Kraken 3 – Seattle and Anaheim swapped goals in the first period, RAMJEET SANDHU (2) for the Ducks and ALEKSANDR VOYNOV (2) for the Kraken. Seattle took the 2-1 lead 4:31 into the second period as LANE HOFFORD netted his fourth of the season. The Ducks were able to tie it with just under four minutes left in the game with DAN MYERS scoring his fourth of the year. At 6:57 of the overtime, FATIKH NIGMATULLIN gave the Kraken the win, scoring his first goal of the season. MATEJ NOVY was in net for Seattle, stopped 42 of 45 shots for a .957 save percentage. ELIJAH RILEY got the start for Anaheim stopping 24 of 27 shots faced for a .889 save percentage.
The Ducks currently sit in 2
Sim 3 Recap
Boston Bruins 3 @ Anaheim Ducks 4 – The hometown Anaheim Ducks jumped out to the early 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Ilya Rizayev (2) and R.J. Martens (3). After the Ducks made it 3-0 just 2:24 into the second period on a Miloslav Kejzlar (2) goal, the Bruins proceeded to score 3 striaght goals to close out the second period. Dominik Petr (4, 7:33), Miroslav Brisuda (3, 10:07) and Nicolas Roux (3, 19:53).
The Ducks picked up the game-winner at 16:59 of the final period with Ramjeet Sandhu netting his first of the season. Simon Gotaas saw only 17 shots, stopping 14 of them for Anaheim while Travis O'Mahony stopped 41 of the 45 shots he faced.
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Arizona Coyotes 1 @ Anaheim Ducks 2 – Only one goal was scored in the first 40 minutes, and that was Olin Gignac (6) at 8:49 of the first to give the Ducks the 1-0 lead. Arizona tied it at 9:06 with Silas Everett scoring his second of the season before Dan Myers (3) picked up the game-winner for the Ducks with just 55 seconds remaining.
The Ducks held the Coyotes to 17 shots on goal, Elijah Riley stopped 16 of those 17. Magnus Tikkala stopped 34 of the 36 shots he faced.
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Anaheim Ducks 4 @ Arizona Coyotes 5 – It was the second of a home-and-home with the Arizona Coyotes. Both teams scored two goals each in the opening 20 minutes. Samuel Sisik (2, 4:33) and Juho Susi (2, 15:57) for the Coyotes while Ilya Rizayev (3, 12:49) and Olin Gignac (7, 19:15) for the Ducks.
Both teams swapped single goals in both the second period & the third period. Silas Everett (3) for Arizona and Shane Wright (2) for Anaheim in the second. Corey Apperson (1) for Arizona and Wright again for Anaheim in the third period.
However, the Coyotes picked up the game-winner at 5:28 of the overtime period with Phillip Sattler scoring his second of the season. Magnus Tikkala was in net for Arizona stopping 40 of 44 shots, while Simon Gotaas stopped 15 of 20 for Anaheim.
Sim 1 Recap
The Anaheim Ducks opened the 2037-38 PSHL season by playing four games, starting with two on the road at Colorado and Minnesota before heading back home to host Prince George and St Louis.
October 4, 2037: Anaheim Ducks 3 @ Colorado Avalanche 4
The Avalanche took an early lead with Jamaal Augustsson's first-period goal. The Ducks equalized early in the second period through Shane Wright, but Colorado responded with goals from Casper Eriksson and Michael Sigfuson.
Anaheim mounted a comeback in the third period with goals from Will Bryks and Markson Schnarr, forcing the game into overtime. However, penalties undid the Ducks' efforts, and Riley Augustine capitalized on a power play to net the game-winner for Colorado at 4:25 in overtime.
Fredrik Johansson made 30 saves for the Avalanche, while Elijah Riley stopped 31 shots for the Ducks.
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October 6, 2037: Anaheim Ducks 1 @ Minnesota Wild 2
Minnesota broke the stalemate in the second period, Jesse Forsyth (2) scored a power-play goal for the Wild, assisted by Jari Tervonen.
Anaheim tied the game in the third period with a goal from Camden Ianni (1), assisted by Jack Hughes. Despite chances in overtime, neither team could score, leading to a shootout where Minnesota emerged victorious.
Ben Sawyer was outstanding in goal for the Wild, making 33 saves on 34 shots, while Elijah Riley stopped 29 of 30 shots for the Ducks.
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October 8, 2037: Prince George Saw Blades 7, Anaheim Ducks 4
The high-scoring game saw Prince George take control with three goals in the first period after Anaheim initially led 2-0. Anaheim's Ilya Rizayev (1) opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the game, followed by a short-handed goal from Will Bryks (2). However, Prince George responded with goals from Chase Meyers (2), Scott Frattin (1) (also short-handed), and Jayce Puskarich (4) to lead 3-2 by the end of the first period.
In the second period, Donaldas Kurtinaitis (1) extended the lead for Prince George to 4-2. Anaheim’s R.J. Martens (1) and Olin Gignac (1) scored to tie the game at 4-4 before Koehn Ziemmer's (2) goal put Prince George ahead for good.
The third period saw Prince George cement their victory with goals from Paul Billyard (2) and an empty-netter by Jayce Puskarich (5) . Despite a solid effort by Anaheim, they were outshot 42-28. Elijah Riley made 35 saves on 41 shots for the Ducks, while Nathan Schroeder stopped 24 of 28 shots for the Saw Blades.
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October 9, 2037: St. Louis Blues 1 @ Anaheim Ducks 3
The Ducks took an early lead with two first-period goals. Jack Hughes (1) opened the scoring at 11:56, assisted by Will Bryks and Yanni Fraser. Olin Gignac (2) doubled the lead at 15:22 with assists from Johannes Teppo and Yanni Fraser.
In the second period, Jack Hughes netted his second goal of the game at 14:41, with an assist from Camden Ianni, extending Anaheim's lead to 3-0. St. Louis managed to get on the scoreboard late in the third period with a goal from Rasmus Windahl (1) at 19:15, assisted by Rick MacIsaac, but it wasn't enough to stage a comeback.
Simon Gotaas was stellar in goal for the Ducks, making 24 of 25 saves and earning a .960 save percentage. Martin Lobpreis stopped 27 of 30 shots for the Blues.
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3 Stars of the Week:
1. RW Will Bryks – 4 Games Played | 2 Goals | 2 Assists | 4 Points
2. RD Yanni Fraser – 4 Games Played | 0 Goals | 3 Assists | 3Points
3. C Jack Hughes – 4 Games Played | 2 Goals | 1 Assits | 3 Points
