Anaheim Ducks Winter Olympics power rankings

The preliminary round is over and the matchups are set, but how did our Ducks competitors fare? One never saw the ice, another faced too many pucks, and the rest produced a mixed bag of on-ice performances. However, for the first time in 12 years, we can finally say, welcome to the first edition of the 2026 Anaheim Ducks/Winter Olympics power rankings.

Preliminary round power rankings

5) Jackson LaCombe

LaCombe may have been a controversial pick, as the Seth Jones replacement for Team USA, but he was not going to see the ice unless there was an injury for the Americans. Through the first three games of the preliminary round, that proved to be the case. With Team USA on a roll too, a shakeup to the defensive pairs will probably not happen either.

4) Radko Gudas

The captain of the Ducks, Gudas averaged 16:41 of ice time for Team Czechia. Credited with 5 shots and a +2 rating, Gudas was not going to be a focal point on the blue line for Czechia, as he is mainly deployed on the second pair in Anaheim. But on a team with scarce NHL talent, especially on defense, the veteran Gudas filled the role as anticipated.

3) Lukas Dostal

The deck was always going to be stacked against Team Czechia, but if they were to have a chance in the tournament, Dostal was going to have to carry the team and steal a game or two. After two starts, with one regulation loss and a heart-breaking overtime loss, Dostal has struggled in net. With a 4.47 goals against average and .862 save percentage, Dostal has not lived up to expectations, prior to the tournament beginning.

2) Mikael Granlund

As the captain of Team Finland, Granlund did not have the best of starts to the tournament. However, Granlund made an impact in the matchup against Team Italy, by notching two goals.

Granlund has also been averaging 17:11 in ice time, had 10 shots, won 57% of his faceoffs, and added an assist to his point total, which was more in line with what the veteran center has contributed to the Ducks this season.

1) Damian Clara

The Ducks prospect, Clara announced his presence to the world, with a loss in the opening game against Team Sweden. Team Italy was the underdog of underdogs in every game of the preliminary round. Although he only started two games, Clara played in net for all three of Italy's games and had a 6.51 goals against average and an .895 save percentage. While those numbers are not flattering, considering the lack of talent around him and the fact that he faced a tournament leading 95 shots, Clara should be applauded for the effort.