Healthy Ducks look ready to prove critics wrong
With opening night on the horizon, the Ducks could be the surprise of the season
After finishing dead last in goals for, and 23rd out of 31 in goals against last season, things can only go up from here, right?
While the debuts of Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale in 2021 may have been unconventional (Drysdale would have likely played in Erie of the OHL), they served as a valuable learning tool for the two Calder contenders.
While Zegras may not have set the world on fire, a demotion in early April to San Diego in early April set the stage for a late season return, seeing the team go 3-2-2 with Zegras playing down the middle.
Many project the Ducks to be bottom feeders yet again, but a healthy Ducks lineup is far more talented than most will give them credit for. A (once) elite goaltender, young and exciting firepower, and a potentially improved defence with the emergence of Drysdale could set this team on a path to success that few would have predicted.
While preseason records mean very little, the Ducks 4-2-1 showing gives fans something to dream on. The powerplay had killer instinct, the penalty kill looked feisty, and the new defensive scheme helped limit quality scoring opportunities for their opponents.
Prospect News: While Mason McTavish did impress during the preseason, picking up two goals and an assits, the Ducks announced that he would be rejoining Peterborough of the OHL for the upcoming season. McTavish, this years 3rd overall pick, will headline the list of World Junior Championship eligible players for team Canada this Christmas.