The 2022/2023 season marks a fresh start for the Ducks following the retirement of team captain and long-time serving player Ryan Getzlaf. It is also new general manager Pat Verbeek’s first full season.
The Ducks have wasted no time in their attempt to rebuild with notable signings like Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano. Ryan Strome is coming off the back of a stellar season, and it remains to be seen how these players will combine alongside superstars like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras.
One thing is for sure; Troy Terry will need to replicate the performances that earned him his first All-star game appearance last season. The winger scored 37 goals and led the Ducks in scoring while making the Pacific Division all-star team, and is a player worth looking out for in NHL betting markets this year.
With a 31-37-14 record and 76 points last season, the Ducks finished 7th in the Pacific Division and failed to qualify for the playoffs.
The last time this team made the playoffs was in 2018 when they lost to the San Jose Sharks 4-0 in the first round.
The Anaheim Ducks, also known as “The Ducks” or “Mighty Ducks,” play in the Western Conference of the NHL under the Pacific Division. They play their home games at the Honda Center in California.
The Walt Disney Company founded this Team in 1993 and was initially named the “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim,” coined from the 1992 film. The Team later rebranded as the “Anaheim Ducks” before the 2006/2007 season when Disney sold the company. Coincidentally, the 2006/2007 season was when they won their first and only Stanley Cup trophy.
The only time the Ducks reached the Stanley Cup Finals was during the 2002/2003 season. They beat the then defending Stanley Cup Champions en route to the Western Conference Finals, where they beat the Minnesota Wild. The Team eventually lost to the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals. However, there was a silver lining as Goaltender Jean-Sébastien Giguère won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Stanley Cup playoffs. He became the fifth and most recent player in playoffs history to win the trophy as a player on the losing Team in the finals.
The Ducks were Stanley Cup Champions for the 2006/2007 season; They finished the regular season with a 48-20-14 record and 110 points. That was the first time the Team had a 100-point season. They defeated the Minnesota Wild, Vancouver Canucks, and the Detroit Red Wings on their way to the Stanley Cup Finals.
They eventually won the finals by defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-1 in the series. With their victory, the Ducks became the first California team to win the Stanley Cup. Defenceman Scott Niedermayer became the second man in Ducks history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the playoffs.
The Anaheim Ducks share notable rivalries with the Los Angeles Kings and the San Jose Sharks. They faced the latter during the 2009 and 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, with the Ducks coming out victorious in 2009 while the Sharks won the 2018 series.
The Team boasts affiliation with seven Hockey Hall of Fame players, including Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne, who are team legends.
