The Beginning of the Anaheim Ducks ‘New Era’

Photo by Mark Rightmire for Orange Country Register

Southern California kicked off the start of a new hockey season this past week with the Anaheim Ducks training camp and the first two games of preseason. Although there is a collective uneasiness amongst most Ducks fans as both Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale remain unsigned, the future certainly looks bright in Anaheim. With a new head coach, the 2nd overall draft pick, and a roster filled with exciting prospects, let’s recap what we’ve seen so far.

It is no secret that the Anaheim Ducks are still in the early stages of an extensive rebuild. The upcoming 2023-24 roster is filled with young and ridiculously talented prospects that will completely reshape this franchise throughout the coming years. Some standout skaters throughout training camp have been Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe, Pavol Ragenda, and Vojtech Port. Unfortunately, as of Tuesday night, Port was reassigned to the Edmonton Oil Kings.

During training camp, Pavel Mintyukov proved to be a promising defensive prospect, which Anaheim desperately needs more of in their pipeline, especially with the current absence of Jamie Drysdale.

Head coach Greg Cronin made the unsurprising decision to place Troy Terry, Adam Henrique, and Alex Killorn on a line together during training camp practice and scrimmages. Although expected, this line provides a glimpse of Anaheim’s offensive future. With Terry penning a seven-year deal in August and skating alongside veteran linemates like Henrique and Killorn, this exemplifies how seriously the Ducks coaching staff are investing in Terry’s future.

Jackson LaCombe got called up to the Anaheim Ducks roster at the end of last season but certainly made a breakout appearance during game one of the preseason on Sunday night against the Los Angeles Kings. LaCombe scored two of the Ducks’ three goals, which contributed to Anaheim’s win over Los Angeles. LaCombe proved to be a solid two-way player, and Anaheim will benefit immensely from a dependable defenseman who also obtains the ability to achieve multiple points in a game.

Overall, the result of the first preseason game is a direct reflection of the major changes that were made to Anaheim’s roster and coaching staff during the offseason. With two preseason wins under the Duck’s belt, fans can finally begin to feel a glimmer of hope for the future of their beloved franchise.

This one is a short one, and for good reason. The guys give their thoughts on the concerning coaching news surrounding the Ducks. That's uh… that's really it honestly! Some thoughts on what kind of PR the Ducks should expect is had and they talk a bit about the first round of the playoffs coming to a close. Follow Late Arrivals  Twitter: @latearrivalspod Instagram: @latearrivalspod Follow the hosts Chris: @CJKChel Connor: @91_Pluty Jake: @_JRobles71 Louis: @Louiex37  Intro/ Outro done by Will Rice/ @pastorwillrice
  1. Episode 124: Why?
  2. Episode 123: Cro On And Git!
  3. Episode 122: Loud, Incorrect Buzzer Noises
  4. Episode 121: Full Frontal
  5. Episode 120: Hella Dawgs

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

10 thoughts on “The Beginning of the Anaheim Ducks ‘New Era’

  1. Henrique for Vatanen. Do Ducks fans like that trade? I also write for ITR (you can find my latest article on the site, its about Australian Devils Fans) I’m wondering what Ducks fans think about that trade, then and now.

    1. Hi Joseph, thank you for your question! Sammi Vatanen was certainly a valuable player during his stint with the Ducks. Ultimately, I would argue that the Ducks got the better end of the deal when receiving Henrique. He is an invaluable defenseman, and his hockey IQ elevates the success of the players around him.

Leave a Reply

ECHL North Division Finals – Game 3 Recap: Trois-Rivieres Lions vs Norfolk Admirals

On Thursday night, the North Division Finals shifted to Norfolk, Virginia. The two teams split the first two games in TR. Norfolk would make a change in net as they went with Domenic DiVicentiis. The 21-year-old goaltender also started Game 3 of the North Division Semifinals, making 29 saves in a win. In game 2 […]

Read More
Mikko Rantanen skating for the Dallas Stars

Opinion: Stars’ Mikko Rantanen Returns to Form At the Right Time

It was clear that Mikko Rantanen was not exactly about being traded by the Colorado Avalanche, the only NHL club he had ever known. It was in Colorado where he spent close to 11 seasons, won a Stanley Cup in 2022, had 681 points (287 goals and 394 assists), and made lifelong friends. That is […]

Read More

Edmonton Oilers Playoff Thoughts: Round 2, Game 2

It takes four wins to advance, but the Edmonton Oilers historically lose almost every Game 1. In their last 15 rounds, including Tuesday night, they’ve won only four series openers. Even in 2006, they only won one Game 1. If you include that Playoff run, just for laughs, the record is 5 Game 1 wins […]

Read More