New Leadership Has Ducks Fans Thinking 7-Year Playoff Drought Might End

Leadership makes a world of a difference.

Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli has his team back in contention for the NHL’s Stanley Cup championship. With deep pockets, and giving fifth-year general manager Pat Verbeek the green light to spend on players, Samueli has brought a positive vibe to Honda Center this season.

After missing the playoffs for the past seven seasons, the Ducks made major off-season strides to strengthen their club, from player acquisitions to who is calling the shots from the bench.

The results are clear. Heading into today’s game on the road with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim is 20–12–1 and tied for first place with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference’s Pacific Division. The 41 points collected in 2025 is keeping Anaheim within striking distance of conference leaders, with the exception of the Colorado Avalanche (23–2–7), who are having a runaway year (so far).

After two disastrous finishes for the Ducks under coach Greg Cronin, with just a combined 62 wins and a sixth place finish in last season’s division standings, Verbeek has put the team’s rebuild on a fast-track to success. No longer is seventh or eighth place in their division or conference acceptable.

The biggest reason Anaheim has gone from pretender to contender is the signing of Joel Quenneville last May to be their new head coach. Now the bench boss for his fifth NHL team, Quenneville is the head coach with the second-most wins in league history (989), trailing only Hockey Hall of Famer Scotty Bowman (1,244).

Quenneville’s résumé speaks for itself. After 13 seasons playing in the NHL, and now in his 26th season guiding teams from the bench,  Quenneville has successfully changed his approach to the game to remain relevant. During the 11 seasons that Quenneville was calling the shots as the Chicago Blackhawks’ coach, the franchise hoisted the Stanley Cup three times in a seven-year period. That’s the kind of success the new leadership in Anaheim wants to have at Honda Center.

With Samueli’s purchase of the Ducks from The Walt Disney Company in 2005, success came quickly. In just his second full season as owner, Samueli celebrated with his Stanley Cup-winning roster. With the crew that Verbeek and Quenneville have assembled for this season, happy days again seem on the horizon in Anaheim, where a year ago this was closer to being a dream than reality.

Having a new voice and a matching attitude in the locker room under Quenneville’s watch is having a huge impact on Anaheim’s performance on the ice.

Verbeek signed free agent center Mikael Granlund to a three-year deal for $21 million. Longtime New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider came over to the Ducks in a trade this past June. Now in his 13th full season, Kreider brings veteran leadership to a roster of several young and extremely exciting Anaheim skaters.

Center Mason McTavish, the No. 3 pick in the 2021 NHL draft taken by the Ducks, has 20 points this season. Center Leo Carlsson, Anaheim’s first-round draft selection in 2023, leads this season’s squad with 41 points. Left wing Cutter Gauthier, in his third season with the Ducks, is second with 36 points.

Right wing Troy Terry, who has played 460 games in his nine-year NHL career (all with the Ducks) is third with 34 points. Lukas Dostal, the starting goaltender for Anaheim, has a 12–6–1 record, and his goals-against average of under three per game is keeping the Ducks far more competitive than most NHL followers thought possible, prior to the start of the season.

Anaheim, winners of five of eight games in December, after today’s visit to Columbus will be return for a three-game homestand against Dallas, Columbus, and Seattle. Knowing center Ryan Strome has returned from injuries is a huge plus for the Ducks’ offense. Limited to 15 games and five points this season, Strome’s return to Quenneville’s lineup has all the makings of higher scoring opportunities.

At this point in the season, the Ducks’ hold on fifth place in the Western Conference is worthy of applause. The first place Avalanche, with 53 points, will be a tough team to catch. More than half of the season remains, but minus a collapse no one sees coming, Colorado likely will win the conference. Staying within their shadow is a major victory for the up-and-coming Ducks.

Most importantly, the team is moving forward. It all started with the hiring of Quenneville, and the rest is falling into place nicely.