Anaheim Ducks: where things stand

The Anaheim Ducks have opened the 2026–27 NHL season with genuine momentum, though their first result also exposed the instability that has defined the franchise in recent years. Anaheim defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4–3 on October 2, racing to a 4–0 advantage before surrendering three unanswered goals and surviving a tense finish. Lukas Dostal provided the essential insurance with 27 saves, while Leo Carlsson led the attack with a goal and an assist. Beckett Sennecke also made an immediate impression, scoring the season’s opening goal after receiving a brilliant stretch pass from Carlsson.

The victory offered evidence of a faster, more assertive Ducks team, particularly through the line combinations assembled by head coach Joel Quenneville. Anaheim’s most effective forward trio controlled more than 72 percent of expected goals at five-on-five and produced a point apiece, suggesting that the club’s young core can drive play rather than merely react to opponents. Yet the late collapse against Vegas remains a warning: protecting leads and tightening defensive coverage will be critical for a team that allowed 3.51 goals per game last season and owned a 76.45 percent penalty kill.

Now 1–0, Anaheim faces the Florida Panthers at Honda Center on October 4. Florida arrives at 1–0–1 but without captain Aleksander Barkov, placed on long-term injured reserve. The Ducks therefore begin their home campaign with opportunity, optimism, and an immediate test of whether their improved transition game can withstand pressure for a full 60 minutes.

The Anaheim Ducks have begun the 2026–27 NHL season with an encouraging 4–3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, although the result also exposed a vulnerability they will need to address. Anaheim built a commanding four-goal lead before Vegas mounted a late third-period rally, forcing the Ducks to protect a narrow advantage under pressure. The victory nevertheless provided an early statement against a divisional opponent that eliminated Anaheim from last season’s playoffs.

Leo Carlsson led the attack with a goal and an assist, while Beckett Sennecke opened the scoring with a breakaway finish. Alex Killorn and Jeff Malott also scored, giving Anaheim contributions from both established experience and emerging talent. On defense, Noah Warren recorded his first NHL point on Killorn’s goal, a small but notable development for a young group expected to mature alongside the team’s highly regarded forwards.

Lukas Dostal was equally central to the win, stopping 27 shots and keeping Anaheim ahead when Vegas regained momentum. The Ducks therefore leave their opener with two points and an early foothold in the Pacific Division, but not a complete performance: the third-period collapse highlighted the need for stronger game management and defensive composure. Their next test is at home on October 4 against the Florida Panthers, offering the Ducks an immediate opportunity to build on their fast start.

The Anaheim Ducks begin the 2026–27 season as a young, ambitious team trying to prove last season’s breakthrough was the start of something lasting. Anaheim went 43–33–6 in 2025–26, reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018, and advanced to the second round before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games. That rematch now arrives immediately, with the Ducks opening their regular-season schedule on October 2 in Vegas.

The roster remains heavily tilted toward youth: 15 players are 25 or younger, and the organization is relying on inexpensive emerging talent to complement a costly core. Cutter Gauthier is coming off a 41-goal, 69-point season, while Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, and Pavel Mintyukov represent the next wave of players expected to drive the franchise. The club also strengthened its long-term defensive foundation by signing Tristan Luneau to a six-year extension.

There are practical concerns beneath the optimism. Anaheim’s scoring ranked respectably last season, but its 3.51 goals allowed per game placed it near the bottom of the league, while both the power play and penalty kill were ordinary or worse. Mikael Granlund now wears the captain’s “C,” and Coach Joel Quenneville enters the second year of his tenure—and the final year of his contract—with pressure to turn potential into consistent results. Against a Vegas team already 1–0, the Ducks’ opener offers an immediate test of whether their rebuild has truly accelerated.

The Anaheim Ducks enter the 2026–27 season as an intriguing but unsettled young team, coming off their first playoff appearance since 2018 and a first-round victory before falling to Vegas in the second round. Their offseason reset removed several experienced pieces and younger contributors, leaving Anaheim with one of the league’s youngest lineups and little margin for inconsistency.

The Ducks’ hopes center on a highly skilled forward group led by Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke. Gauthier is under particular scrutiny after leading the team last season in goals, points, power-play goals and shots. Carlsson and Sennecke will be expected to make larger offensive contributions, while new captain Mikael Granlund provides experience and organizational stability. Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano and Troy Terry would add veteran scoring, although Terry is recovering from hip surgery and is expected to miss significant early-season time.

Defensively, Jackson LaCombe is positioned as the leader of a developing blue line that includes Pavel Mintyukov, Tristan Luneau and Nick Jensen. Ian Moore begins the season injured, further testing the group’s depth. Lukas Dostal is projected to handle the primary goaltending role, with Ville Husso behind him.

Anaheim’s regular-season opener is October 2 on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights. The matchup immediately tests whether the Ducks’ youth and offensive promise can offset their thinner experience and defensive uncertainty.

The Anaheim Ducks enter this preseason in the middle of roster trimming and lineup experimentation, with camp cuts already reshaping the depth chart ahead of their road exhibition against the Los Angeles Kings on September 26. Recent moves sent Cruz Lucius, Lucas Pettersson, and Anton Wahlberg to San Diego, while Sean Farrell, Nathan Gaucher, James Hamblin, Corey Schueneman, and Jett Woo were placed on waivers for assignment, signaling a clear push to sort NHL-ready depth from developmental players.

The camp picture is being driven by competition at forward and on the blue line, where the Ducks have plenty of young players trying to force their way into consideration alongside established names. That includes prospects such as Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Beckett Sennecke, Roger McQueen, Tristan Luneau, and Pavel Mintyukov, all of whom fit the kind of evaluation-heavy preseason the team is in now. In goal, the battle also remains crowded, with Lukas Dostal, Ville Husso, Petr Mrazek, and others giving the staff options while training-camp looks continue.

The tone around the team is one of sorting and judging rather than chasing results, with the focus on who can survive the final cuts, where the best young skaters fit, and how the Ducks’ coaching staff wants to structure lines and pairs before opening night.

The Ducks enter this preseason with a mix of optimism and uncertainty after a busy summer and a roster that is still being sorted out in camp. Their final tune-up against the Sharks underscored how much evaluation is still underway, with exhibition play serving mainly to test combinations, gauge depth, and separate NHL-ready pieces from prospects and fringe contenders.

A lot of attention is on how the coaching staff balances established contributors like Lukas Dostal, Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, and Pavel Mintyukov with a wave of younger players trying to force their way into the picture. That includes prospects such as Beckett Sennecke, Roger McQueen, Stian Solberg, Tristan Luneau, and Ian Moore, all of whom fit the camp atmosphere of auditions and early impressions. The Ducks also have notable goaltending depth to evaluate, with veterans and younger netminders competing for attention behind Dostal.

Training camp has also highlighted the kind of roster trimming that defines this stage of the calendar: players are being sorted into likely NHL roles, development assignments, or further evaluation, while line combinations are being tested for chemistry rather than results. With preseason games still underway and a road meeting with the Kings next on the schedule, Anaheim’s focus remains on finding the right mix of skill, size, and stability before opening night.

The Ducks are in the middle of a lively preseason camp built around youth, competition, and a few established veterans trying to steady the group. Their recent 2-1 preseason loss to the Kings showed a lineup full of tryout energy and camp auditions, with young players such as Ethan Procyszyn and Judd Caulfield getting meaningful looks while Lukas Dostal handled the crease. The bigger picture is less about the result than about sorting roles: defense pairings and forward combinations are still being tested, and the club is leaning into internal competition at both ends of the ice.

This camp also reflects a transition season for Anaheim. The organization is blending core pieces like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano, and Jackson LaCombe with a deep wave of prospects and fringe roster players trying to force their way into the opening-night picture. In goal, the mix of Lukas Dostal, Ville Husso, Petr Mrazek, Laurent Brossoit, and the younger netminders gives the Ducks options, but also creates a crowded evaluation process. Recent reporting has also pointed to minor injury absences, including A.J. Greer, Drew Helleson, Ian Moore, and Troy Terry, which has opened more space for younger players to skate in prominent camp roles. The Ducks now head to their only upcoming preseason game, a road meeting with the Sharks, as the evaluation period intensifies.

The Ducks enter preseason with a camp that is less about polished results than about sorting out roles, health, and depth. Mikael Granlund has been named captain, giving the room a new voice as Anaheim evaluates how its mix of veterans, established young core pieces, and prospects fits together ahead of the opener against the Kings.

The most immediate storyline is on the blue line, where injuries and opportunity are colliding. Drew Helleson is out with a lower-body issue and is expected to miss the rest of the preseason, while the team keeps looking at younger defenders such as Ian Moore, Tristan Luneau, Pavel Mintyukov, and Stian Solberg in camp action. That creates a real battle for minutes and roster spots, especially with the Ducks trying to find more stability in front of Lukas Dostal and the goaltending group.

Up front, Anaheim is still testing combinations and giving prospects a chance to force the issue. Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano, and Alex Killorn sit at the center of the lineup picture, while newcomers and depth forwards like Ryan Poehling, Mikael Granlund, Sam Colangelo, Sean Farrell, and Roger McQueen are part of the camp conversation. The overall feel is one of evaluation: who can handle NHL pace, who needs more seasoning, and who can help the Ducks build a more competitive everyday lineup.

The Ducks enter preseason with a camp defined by youth, competition, and a few injured players trying to get back into the mix. Their opening exhibition already hinted at the tone of camp: Beckett Sennecke erupted for a hat trick, Leo Carlsson and Jackson LaCombe were productive, and young forwards such as Nikita Klepov and Roger McQueen are getting extended looks as the staff sorts out which prospects can handle bigger roles now. The roster has also been trimmed, with Marcus Nordmark assigned back to junior and the camp group reduced as Anaheim narrows its evaluations.

There is still genuine uncertainty around the depth chart, especially at forward and on defense, where players like Tristan Luneau, Pavel Mintyukov, Drew Helleson, and Stian Solberg are among those pushing for ice time or special-teams responsibility. Ryan Poehling has been cleared to rejoin camp after a lower-body issue, while the goaltending picture remains crowded with Lukas Dostal, Petr Mrazek, Ville Husso, and Laurent Brossoit all part of the broader mix. Under new coach Joel Quenneville, the Ducks are using these exhibition games to test line combinations and identify who fits with the club’s established core, including Troy Terry, Cutter Gauthier, Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, and Mikael Granlund. Their next test is a preseason home game against the Los Angeles Kings on September 23.

The Ducks open preseason at home against San Jose on Sept. 20 with training camp already shaped by a few early questions rather than any concern about results. One of the biggest storylines is in goal, where Laurent Brossoit is getting a long look and is expected to start this exhibition while competing with Lukas Dostal for the backup job behind the likely starter. On the blue line, the coaching staff is still sorting out the right side after injuries and departures thinned the group, leaving Drew Helleson, Nick Jensen, Ian Moore and Tristan Luneau among the defensemen being rotated and evaluated.

Up front, Anaheim is using camp to test combinations and sort through a crowded forward mix. Tim Washe has already earned attention in camp after landing a four-year extension, and he has been skating with Sam Colangelo and Jeff Malott, while younger players such as Beckett Sennecke, Roger McQueen and Cutter Gauthier are among the prospects getting a real preseason look. A.J. Greer is also dealing with an upper-body injury, which adds another small wrinkle to the lineup picture. The broader feel around the Ducks is one of competition and experimentation, with the staff using exhibition games to learn what the roster can handle and who is ready to seize a role.

The Anaheim Ducks enter preseason with a camp that already feels competitive, and the focus is on sorting out depth rather than chasing results. Their next exhibition is at home against the San Jose Sharks on September 20, and early practices have featured lineup mixing, role auditions, and a clear emphasis on how the back end settles itself after a few bumps.

Injury news has shaped the first days of camp. Ian Moore is expected to miss two to four weeks with a lower-body injury, Ryan Poehling is day-to-day, and Herman Traff has been briefly sidelined by illness. Tyson Hinds has also been absent early, while there has been concern around Nick Jensen after he was shaken up in practice, leaving the Ducks to keep testing defensive pairs and call on younger options. That matters because Anaheim’s blue line already has several players competing for ice time, and absences could open more opportunity for Tristan Luneau and other prospects.

Up front, the Ducks are also using camp to get looks at their younger forwards and see which fringe players can force the issue. Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Tim Washe, and Sam Colangelo have been among the names appearing in early camp work, while veteran support remains part of the mix. Pat Verbeek’s group looks intent on building a more balanced roster, but for now the story is about health, evaluation, and which players can turn exhibition minutes into real jobs.