2 Ducks trade targets after 2nd round loss to Golden Knights

It was one of the best seasons in recent memory for the Anaheim Ducks, who not only returned to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018, but also upset the favored Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Quarterfinal.

Not only did they frustrate the likes of Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but they also prevented Edmonton from advancing to the second round of the postseason for the first time since 2021 while also preventing what could have been the makings of a third straight run to the Stanley Cup Final. However, the season for the Ducks came to a close against the Vegas Golden Knights, who are now in the Western Conference Final against the powerful Colorado Avalanche.

The Ducks, who responded to wins in Games 1 and 3 by the Golden Knights with wins of their own in Games 2 and 4, were defeated in a heartbreaking 4-3 overtime thriller in Game 5, and bowed out of the series with a blowout 5-1 loss on home ice in Game 6. However, Ducks fans who remained behind for the ceremonial postgame handshakes at Honda Center showed their appreciation for the tremendous season that was, loudly chanting, “Let’s Go Ducks!” repeatedly.

Meanwhile, the Ducks are going to be using the painful loss as motivation for the future under head coach Joel Quenneville, who guided them to 43 victories during the regular season and six postseason wins as part of his first year behind the bench in Anaheim.

“It’s a great learning curve in going forward,” Quenneville said via NHL.com. “I think the one thing we’re going to find out in this league is everybody has a shot to make the playoffs at the start of the season, everybody is competitive as heck. The regular season is extremely meaningful.”

Now, general manager Pat Verbeek begins the work of not only taking care of several of the club’s pending free agent players, but also potential reinforcements and possible replacements should one or more of those players depart from the Ducks. Among their pending unrestricted free agents are Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Radko Gudas. Notable restricted free agents (RFAs) such as Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger.

That being said, who are some potential players that Verbeek could look to in the trade market in the coming weeks and months?

Dougie Hamilton could replace a right-handed Ducks defenseman

Veteran Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils has remained heavily involved in trade speculation over the past several months and reportedly used his no-trade protection to block a deal that would have moved him during the recently concluded season.

If the Ducks aren’t able to retain one or both of Carlsson and Gudas, Hamilton would be a good fit on the Ducks’ blue line, considering that he’s a right-shot defenseman who can play in all situations.

While the Ducks would likely ask the Devils to retain a portion of his hefty $9 million salary cap hit, that reduced number could be absorbed by Anaheim’s current cap situation, especially if money is coming off the books via a departure from one or more players in free agency.

This past season with the Devils, Hamilton scored 12 goals with 27 assists for 39 points in 77 games played.

The Ducks will need goaltending depth being Lukas Dostal

Last offseason, the Ducks traded longtime goaltender John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings in return for Petr Mrazek, who didn’t exactly impress during his time in Anaheim. The oft-injured Mrazek posted a record of 3-5 with a subpar 4.07 goals-against average and a .858 save percentage before being shut down for the remainder of the season because of surgery.

The Ducks promoted Ville Husso, who began the season as the third goaltender on the Ducks’ depth chart, from the affiliate San Diego Gulls and also made a handful of appearances in relief of Lukas Dostal during the postseason. Whether or not Verbeek decides to let him compete for the full-time backup spot in the fall in Training Camp remains to be seen.

An option for Verbeek to consider for a goaltender needing a change of scenery is Sam Montembeault of the Montreal Canadiens, who, like Husso, has one year left on his contract with a reasonable salary cap hit that won’t break the bank. Having competition in net for the backup position is a problem that most teams would love to have, and it wouldn’t cost much to acquire the final year of Montembeault’s contract, considering that he’s been replaced by Jakub Dobes.

He went 10-8-4 with a 3.43 goals-against average and a .872 save percentage this season with the Habs.

It’s going to be an interesting offseason for the Ducks, who brought thrills back to the fans of Southern California who hadn’t experienced playoff hockey since 2018. Verbeek will need to make his decisions wisely on who comes back and who doesn’t in their quest to not only return to the postseason next year, but to advance further.

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