The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in quite the precarious position. With the team in the midst of a playoff battle but also needing to potentially move on from some veteran players to set up the long-term success of the franchise. And decisions need to be made sooner rather than later as the NHL Trade Deadline is less than 2 months away.
It was supposed to be simple; The Anaheim Ducks were rolling into the 2021-22′ season by and large with the same roster they had the year previously which finished close to dead last in the league. The Ducks would finish in a similar spot, move all their aging expiring free agents and continue the re-build for the future. Well, the Ducks had other ideas. Troy Terry became an All-Star, Trevor Zegras and Sonny Milano have taken huge steps and become a dynamic duo, Ryan Getzlaf and John Gibson have returned to form and the Ducks are in the midst of a heated playoff battle. On top of it all the man at helm is no longer Bob Murray but interim GM Jeff Solomon. And he needs to walk the tightrope between standing pat and hurting the long-term course of the franchise and a full sale fire-sale that could cause him to lose the players who feel they can make a run at the post-season and have deserved the chance. So, who stays and who goes and what is the return back to Anaheim?