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New York Times
20 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Why did the Ducks trade for Chris Kreider, and what might come next?
General manager Pat Verbeek is taking a peculiar path when it comes from shifting the Anaheim Ducks from a long and painful rebuild into a win-now mode — and moving toward playoffs-or-bust mode. With his trade for the proven and, well, aging goal-scorer Chris Kreider expected to become official on Thursday — for forward prospect Carey Terrance, plus a draft-pick swap — Verbeek apparently is trying to reconstruct the 2022 Eastern Conference finalist New York Rangers to help guide his team toward ending a seven-year postseason drought. Advertisement We're not expecting the Ducks to acquire Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox or Alexis Lafrenière to make Kreider feel completely at home after spending the last 14 years of his hockey life in New York, but the 34-year-old winger should feel more at ease with former teammates Jacob Trouba, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano already in Anaheim. But Verbeek turning part of the Ducks' roster into Rangers West, at a crucial point in their evolution, is indeed a choice. There is some pressure on Verbeek as he enters his fourth year on the job. Ducks fans have had their patience tested by poor seasons, trade deadline sell-offs, the slow-moving development of high draft picks and best prospects, and a general lack of material progress. He's on his second head coaching hire, so turfing Greg Cronin for Joel Quenneville, despite a 21-point year-over-year improvement in the standings, must be followed by results. Also, usually media-shy owner Henry Samueli all but led the charge into 2025-26 at Quenneville's introductory news conference. The Ducks are armed with what PuckPedia estimates is nearly $39 million of salary-cap space, and Samueli is willing to flex some financial muscle to improve the team. 'We're not going to write stupid checks,' Samueli said last month. 'But I told (Pat), you do what it takes to make this a really steady perennial playoff contender and Stanley Cup contender down the road. And if it means signing big-name free agents, go for it. We told him, going forward, you will not be constrained by the budget.' Which makes their first big move of the summer a curious one. Kreider can still skate well enough to be a threat off the rush, and will give the Ducks a short-handed threat on a penalty-kill unit that needed an upgrade. His biggest presence will come at the net and on the power play, since he's long been effective at screening goalies and finding rebounds. He also has excelled at tipping pucks and redirecting shots, two skills that the Ducks' 30th-ranked offense and dead-last power play can desperately use. Advertisement The red flag here is whether Kreider's 22-goal season — a bad year by his standards, after his 127 goals in his previous three, including his massive 52-goal blowout in 2021-22 — was just one ugly part of the Rangers' team-wide failure, or a bellwether of a dramatic personal decline. Sure, the cap is spiking upward, but the Ducks taking the remaining two seasons of Kreider's deal, at a $6.5 million cap number, won't look good if the winger doesn't put at least 20 to 25 pucks in the net, or if he provides only a negligible impact at five-on-five play or on special teams. The Ducks will like the fact that Kreider's actual salary is lower: $5 million in each season. Samueli has always valued that, more than the AAV, when taking on a contract. While the trade return — Terrance (a second-round pick in 2023) and a third-round draft pick — is hardly a major cost for a big winger with 326 career goals, the Ducks do, in a certain view, come out looking like a contract-dumping ground for Rangers GM Chris Drury, who also sent Trouba and his $8 million contract to Anaheim last December. Of the Ducks' ex-Rangers, Vatrano is the only one who has been highly productive — and Verbeek rewarded the edgy winger with a three-year extension. Kreider must produce, before that Ducks-Rangers connection becomes a damaging narrative. But what really matters for the Ducks in this offseason is this trade being the first in a series of moves to show they are serious about becoming relevant. Kreider's $6.5 million puts only a small dent in the Ducks' available cap space. Each team is gaining an additional $7.5 million for next season, putting the cap ceiling at $95.5 million, and it is expected to rise further, to $104 million in 2026-27 and $113.5 million in 2027-28. But the Ducks must pay core young players in those coming seasons, starting with center Mason McTavish and No. 1 goalie Lukáš Dostál. As pending restricted free agents, McTavish and Dostál need new contracts now. Both are set to get significant raises. McTavish's entry-level deal contained attainable $2.5 million performance bonuses in addition to his $832,500 base salary. Dostál just finished a two-year second contract worth $1.625 million ($812,500 AAV). They also must extend RFA Drew Helleson, and potential new deals for Trevor Zegras, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger are on the horizon. Advertisement Even with expected pay hikes for McTavish and Dostál, the Ducks are in position to flex their financial might. They have no notable unrestricted free agents this summer. There have been rumblings of a planned entrance into the Mitch Marner sweepstakes, with the contracts for Trouba and team captain Radko Gudas set to end next summer. The Ducks may want to hang onto John Gibson and play him with Dostál in a strong 1A/1B tandem, but trading Gibson and his $6.5 cap number could provide more flexibility if they avoided retaining salary. The roster fit with Kreider may be trickier. A natural left wing, Kreider joins a club with Gauthier, Vatrano and Zegras all playing a lot (or exclusively) there last season. The Ducks have Carlsson and McTavish atop their depth chart down the middle, and they played Strome at center last season. If they're able to somehow land Marner on a massive deal, that would put him with Troy Terry and Alex Killorn on right wing. With or without Marner, the Ducks would surely want Kreider in their top-nine and would consider him for the top-six. Gauthier is on the rise after scoring 20 goalies as a rookie and finishing fifth in Calder Trophy voting. Vatrano has 80 goals in his three Anaheim seasons. Kreider's arrival could put Zegras, who has dealt with injuries the last two seasons and has long been floated in trade rumors, in an uncertain position. (It should be noted that New York native Zegras and Kreider are good friends and offseason training partners, so the Ducks still could try to tap into Zegras's vast upside, particularly with Quenneville now on board.) Verbeek has turned over the Ducks since his hiring in February 2022. Gibson, the last link to their playoff seasons, is just one of five — with Zegras, Terry, Dostál and Isac Lundestrom — to remain with the team since the GM change from Bob Murray. This is Verbeek's team. He's had time now to execute his vision for how Anaheim will be successful. That vision remains incomplete after the trade for Kreider. This should only be the beginning of what promises to be an active summer for the Ducks. The hard part of building a consistent contender remains for Verbeek, but full judgment should be reserved until he has played more of his cards. Kreider might not work, but the Ducks are back in the game. It's about time.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ducks Owner Breaks Silence on Joel Quenneville Hire
The Anaheim Ducks' hiring of former Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville has certainly sparked up massive debut. Quenneville was part of the 2010 Blackhawks scandal, where the team covered up a sexual assault claim from a former player. The veteran coach has been out of the league for a few years, but was reinstated last summer. The Ducks circled in on Quenneville shortly after they let go of former coach Greg Cronin, looking to him to help them get back on top. Advertisement Anaheim has missed the postseason for multiple years, but they finally have a young core growing. Quenneville could be a solid coach on the ice, but his off-ice reputation could cause some issues. Ducks owner Henry Samueli broke his silence on the hiring, acknowledging the negative response the team may get for it. '(My wife) Susan and I have built a reputation in this community, hopefully a good one. Obviously preserving that is really important. We know that there will be negative comments on social media, but to us it's most important that we maintain our integrity. Did we do a thorough investigation? Are we comfortable with Joel and his current state of health and being and mental wellness? And we are comfortable. Very comfortable. We're really not overly worried that it's going to become a problem." Joel Quenneville stands on bench during Panthers Guillory-Imagn Images There have been many around the sport who are concerned with this hire. Some don't feel that Quenneville deserves a second chance, while others believe that he has served his time. Advertisement The Ducks seem to believe that Quenneville is the correct person to lead them forward, and for their sake, they better be right. Quenneville will now be tasked with taking a young team forward, but he has a lot of work to do in repairing the trust of the entire hockey community. Related: Ducks' Joel Quenneville Releases Statement After Coaching Announcement
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ducks Fans Slam Team Over Possible Next Head Coach
The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the worst teams in the entire NHL over the past few seasons. Anaheim hasn't reached the postseason since the 2017-18 season, essentially being a bottom-feeder of the league. Despite a decent jump in the standings this past year, Anaheim decided that it was time to move on from head coach Greg Cronin. Even with the jump, the Ducks believed that it was more on the players, rather than Cronin. Advertisement Now with an opening coaching position, it seems that Anaheim may be getting closer to finalizing the next head coach. It has been reported that the Ducks are serious about bringing in former Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. Quenneville was part of the 2010 Blackhawks scandal and has been out of the league for the past few seasons. The Blackhawks were accused of covering up a sexual assault that occurred during the 2010 NHL Playoffs between a former player and a video coach. Quenneville reportedly knew about this, but was told by management not to do anything until after the Stanley Cup Finals were over. The veteran coach is one of the best in NHL history, but many worry about him being included back into the league. Joel Quenneville stands on bench during Panthers Guillory-Imagn Images There have been multiple reports that Anaheim has met with Quenneville, even offering him the job. Nothing has been finalized at this time, but the fanbase is very upset with this decision from Anaheim. Some fans have even taken time to write the Ducks about the concern level that they have. One fan account has encouraged others to do so as well. It remains to be seen if the Ducks will end up hiring Quenneville, but many of the fans don't seem too happy about it. Anaheim has some tough decisions to make, and with a young team, they can't afford to keep making mistakes.
Reuters
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Reports: Ducks hiring Joel Quenneville as head coach
The Anaheim Ducks are hiring three-time Stanley Cup winner Joel Quenneville as their new head coach, multiple outlets reported Thursday. Quenneville, 66, won three championships with the Chicago Blackhawks (2010, 2013 and 2015) and ranks No. 2 in NHL history with 969 wins for four teams over 25 seasons. He resigned as coach of the Florida Panthers in October 2021 after an independent investigation came to light about how he and other Blackhawks leaders had handled a 2010 sexual assault allegation against the team's video coach, Brad Aldrich. Commissioner Gary Bettman said at the time that the coach would have to meet with the NHL should he seek future employment in the league, and the NHL reinstated Quenneville in July 2024. The Ducks fired Greg Cronin last month after he compiled a record of 62-87-15 in two seasons. Anaheim has missed the playoffs in each of the past seven seasons. Quenneville was 969-572-150 with 77 ties as head coach of the St. Louis Blues (1996-2004), Colorado Avalanche (2005-08), Blackhawks (2008-18) and Panthers (2019-21). He won the Jack Adams Award as the league's coach of the Year in 1999-2000. Former Blackhawks prospect Kyle Beach made assault claims against Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. The investigation found that Quenneville and Chicago executives decided to defer any actions against Aldrich until after the Stanley Cup Final to avoid any distractions. "I want to express my sorrow for the pain this young man, Kyle Beach, has suffered," Quenneville said after leaving his job with the Panthers in 2021. "My former team -- the Blackhawks -- failed Kyle, and I own my share of that. I want to reflect on how all this happened and take the time to educate myself on ensuring hockey spaces are safe for everyone." --Field Level Media
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Latest News Spells Trouble For Ducks in Head Coaching Search
The Anaheim Ducks are currently looking for a new head coach, and the front office has been going through a very long search. Anaheim missed the playoffs once again this past season and eventually fired head coach Greg Cronin. This started the search for a new head coach, and the search has turned a lot of heads. But one candidate seems to be out of the running as David Carle has agreed to become the new head coach at Denver University. Advertisement This eliminates him from consideration with the Ducks, and Anaheim will look elsewhere. Many fans were hoping for Carle for multiple reasons, but if only to push Anaheim away from a different option. One name that has generated a ton of buzz is former Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville. It has been heavily reported that the Ducks are seriously considering the veteran head coach, much to the anger of the fanbase. Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville stands behind the bench during the first period between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins at FLA Live Vinlove-Imagn Images Quenneville was part of the 2010 scandal with the Blackhawks, where the team hid a sexual assault accusation. A former player reportedly told Chicago about an incident with a former video coach, and the Blackhawks kept things hidden until after the Stanley Cup Finals were over. Advertisement The veteran coach has been out of the league for a few years following this news, but was reinstated last summer by the commissioner. The Ducks and other teams have been discussing bringing him back to the bench. It remains to be seen who the Ducks will ultimately hire to replace Cronin, but they seem to be doing their due diligence on candidates. Anaheim wants to get back to the postseason, and whoever takes over will have their work cut out for them. Related: Ducks Fans Slam Team Over Possible Next Head Coach
