What went wrong in the postseason
The Ducks posted the fifth-highest goal total in the playoffs but also surrendered the fifth-most goals. Vegas won two games by five or more goals while securing the series with tighter 3-1 and 3-2 victories. The Golden Knights’ balanced attack exposed weaknesses at both ends of the ice.
Goaltender Lukas Dostal struggled with consistency in his first postseason. He posted an .870 save percentage and 3.54 goals-against average, getting pulled twice across the two series. In eight of 12 games his save percentage sat at .892 or lower, numbers that proved insufficient even with strong play from teammates.
First-year coach Joel Quenneville guided the team effectively during the regular season but could not find the right adjustments for timely scoring against Vegas. The Ducks showed flashes of promise yet lacked the patience needed to match a veteran, Cup-winning roster.
Key roster decisions ahead
Verbeek must navigate restricted and unrestricted free agency with significant cap space available. Six RFAs, including Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Pavel Mintyukov, head the list of players needing new deals. Six UFAs, led by defensemen John Carlson, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba, also require attention.
Verbeek has shown a firm approach with RFAs in the past. Center Mason McTavish signed his latest contract on September 27 after accepting a deal capped near the $7 million mark that Verbeek has favored for most players. Only Carlson and Trouba carried higher salaries, and those agreements were not completed by Anaheim.
Negotiations with Carlsson and Gauthier will draw particular attention given their high-end potential. The Ducks possess a solid foundation with left winger Alex Killorn, right winger Troy Terry and center Mikael Granlund already in place.
Building on recent progress
The Ducks demonstrated clear growth this season and should avoid any drastic shift from Verbeek’s established plan. Winning a Cup remains a gradual process, and the organization understands that results are rarely linear. Young stars and experienced hands together create an exciting platform for continued development.
The team will ultimately rise or fall based on how far its young players advance. After the sting of the second-round exit, the focus turns to rising within the Pacific Division and pushing past the second round next spring.
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Par Mike Jonderson
Mike Jonderson is a passionate hockey analyst and expert in advanced NHL statistics. A former college player and mathematics graduate, he combines his understanding of the game with technical expertise to develop innovative predictive models and contribute to the evolution of modern hockey analytics.