All tricks and just a treat, in the Anaheim Ducks' week 5 collapse

Happy Dia de los Muertos to all those that celebrate. Hopefully you all had a safe and fun Halloween night and weren't too scared of things that go bump in the night. The Anaheim Ducks, on the other hand, had an awful week 5 of the 2026-27 season and went 0-1-1. As of right now, the Ducks are 4 points back of the St. Louis Blues for a wildcard spot in the playoffs and 6 points back of the Seattle Kraken for third in the Pacific Division. Not exactly what we expected after the success of last season. And while we normally reserve this space to highlight the more positive aspects from the week's action, there were definitely more tricks than treats for Anaheim fans.

Three tricks of the week

Third trick: what defense?

The Anaheim Ducks have been abysmal on the defensive side of the puck, for what feels like ages at this point, and it's become agonizingly frustrating to endure, season after season. Currently, the Ducks are second worst in the entire NHL in goals against per game, at 3.85. While we silently celebrated the exodus of the veterans from the Ducks blue line during the past offseason, the new and youngish revamped blue line has not lived up to expectations. In both of their losses this week, the Ducks were in control and playing with a lead but somehow let the opposition snatch away what seemed like sure victories.

Be it the empty net goals for the Canucks.

Or the ease in which the Sabres skaters were able to get behind the defense.

Nothing went right for the Ducks blue line this week. While Ian Moore's return to lineup will undoubtedly help the struggling unit, he is not exactly a needle mover and not a catch-all for the Ducks defensive woes either. There is a big trade target out on the market that could shore up the Ducks blue line, but without the cap space to make such a move, GM Pat Veerbek's hands are tied to this group.

Second trick: what goaltending?

The Ducks blue line is not the only main culprit for Anaheim's season-long poor goals against though either. Both of Anaheim's goalies had a bad week in net. Lukas Dostal had an .818 save percentage and 5.55 GAA, in the loss to the Canucks. Somehow, Ville Husso was even worse against the Sabres, with a .774 save percentage and a 7.84 GAA. On the whole, Dostal has been about break even, with 0.2 goals saved above expected for the season. Husso, on the other hand, has -3.1 goals saved above expected. With such subpar goaltending from the Anaheim netminders, Laurent Brossoit will get his first start in net and providing a much-needed wake up call to the rest of the team.

First trick: surprise demotions?

Nikita Klepov, who we had high hopes for before the regular season began, has unceremoniously been sent back to the OHL, per the Anaheim Ducks. While he had flashes of the high-end skill and playmaking ability we saw in the preseason, his lack of offensive production in 4 games, made the move an unfortunate foregone conclusion. We would have loved to see him to get regular reps on the top line with Leo Carlsson and Beckett Sennecke though, before his reassignment.

And in another blunder by Verbeek, offseason acquisition Nick Jensen, who received a 2-year $2.25 million extension, was placed on waivers and subsequently cleared. The veteran defenseman only appeared in 3 games for the Ducks and averaged 15:20 of ice time. With cap space being a rare commodity for the Ducks nowadays, how Verbeek thought the signing was prudent and useful, is beyond our comprehension.

Treat of the week

Roger McQueen's first goal

The Ducks may have scored plenty of goals during week 5 and are currently 12th in the NHL at 3.31 goals per game, but in the end, they could not outshoot their problems. However, McQueen was finally able to notch his first goal of his NHL career, in the game against the Sabres.

Bouncing between being the third line or fourth line pivot, while the Joel Quenneville line blender has been working overtime, McQueen averaged just 10:02 of ice time. With Ryan Poehling still on injured reserve though and the Ducks struggling to secure standings points, McQueen's presence in the lineup will be crucial to any sustained success.

What's next?

The Ducks will host the Ottawa Senators on Sunday night, before heading out on a Western Canadian road trip with games against the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and Edmonton Oilers. Those last three games will be crucial in Anaheim's quest back to relevancy, as division points are at a premium for the floundering Ducks.

And in one of the worst kept secrets on the internet, Anaheim's Hometown Remix Jersey will be officially revealed on Monday, November 2nd. In a season that has not lived up to expectations, a "Mighty Ducks" themed jersey will be a breath of fresh air.

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