In just three weeks, the Ducks will head over to Seattle to play the Kraken in their season opener. However, fans are still uneasy about the strength of the team heading into this season and are looking for some more moves to be made.
1. Work out the future of McTavish
Without doubt the biggest cloud over the heads of the Ducks right now is regarding the status of their talented 22-year-old center Mason McTavish. McTavish is seen as a cornerstone piece amongst Ducks fans and as a restricted free agent, Anaheim controls what happens to their star center.
There is no hiding the fact that most fans want to keep McTavish on the roster. As a young talent, fans believe that he has proven himself to be their center of the future. Although trading him would likely be a bad decision due to his sheer net-front strength and versatility on the ice, Anaheim should not rule out a trade for the young star yet.
If the Ducks are looking for more veteran pieces to gel together the locker room after key departures of longtime veterans such as goalkeeper John Gibson in the offseason, trading McTavish to some of the interested parties such as Detroit, Montreal and Carolina may be a smart decision.
2. Mold the defense more to Quenneville’s system
There is skepticism in Anaheim around how some of the current defensemen will fare under new head coach Joel Quenneville’s high-powered offense. This puts into question whether it would be worth trading upcoming free agents who may struggle this season.
Defensemen Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas are names of note. While keeping them would allow for a stronger veteran presence throughout the team, it may be worth getting value out of Trouba and Gudas now before Quenneville steps in behind the bench rather than waiting until the trade deadline. In return, Quenneville would likely desire some defensemen who are both strong skaters and physical on the ice such as Boston defensemen Charlie McAvoy or Detroit defensemen Moritz Seider.
3. Trade for an offensive star
The primary issue for the Ducks over their seven-year playoff drought has been their lack of ability to find the goal and have success in power play situations. Ahead of fears that the Ducks may relapse into these struggles again this season, maybe it’s time for Anaheim to bring in an offensive powerhouse who will be sure to find the net.
The Ducks would fare brilliantly with a player like Dallas left-winger Jason Robertson on the ice. Robertson, who is in line for a massive payday in Dallas, could be moved before the season begins if Dallas deem him not worth the cap hit. Although a trade for Robertson would be very expensive for the Ducks, likely costing stalwart names in their deep prospect pool, this would certainly be a risk worth taking. Robertson would bring in unforeseen levels of offensive firepower to the Ducks and would provide a key veteran presence with playoff experience under his belt.
Making moves such as these will ensure that the intensity in the Honda Center grows to a level higher than ever before when the Ducks return to the ice early next month.