Despite a strong start, the Anaheim Ducks have other worries through their first 5 games of the 2026-27 season

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Calgary Flames last night by a final score of 4-2, to close out week two of their 2026-27 season. Coming off of an inspiring win against the Winnipeg Jets, the Ducks may had won an ugly game against the Flames but have held firm at third place in the Pacific Division with a 4-1 record and a +5-goal differential. But that's the least of the worries for the Ducks, as we saw two key players exit the Calgary game early with injuries.

Biggest Concern

Injuries

Already without Troy Terry for a couple months, and both Ian Moore and Drew Helleson still on injured reserve, combined with Nick Jensen's continued absence from the lineup, the Ducks could not afford to suffer any more injuries. But that was not to be, as Cutter Gauthier exited the game against the Flames with an upper body injury, sometime in the second period. Even worse, Ryan Poehling had to be helped off the ice, after colliding with the goal post during a scoring play.

Gauthier was Anaheim's leading goal scorer from last season and already had 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the Ducks first five games of the 2026-27 season. With his goal, Poehling was up to 2 points for the season, but he is an integral part of the Ducks lineup, as he is the third line center and regularly kills penalties. Both Gauthier and Poehling are listed as day-to-day, per PuckPedia, but there have not been any updates from the Ducks yet on their respective injurie statuses.

The Ducks will undoubtedly have to dip into their prospect pool again, to fill the voids from the Gauthier and Poehling absences. Already thin on the wing, as both Sam Colangelo and Nikita Nesterenko were playing in the top six, Nikita Klepov could be back in the lineup again, after playing in his first game earlier in the week against the Edmonton Oilers. And even though he got sent back down to the San Diego Gulls, Roger McQueen could be recalled and used as an option to slide into the third line center role.

It's not all doom and gloom though, as the Ducks still had some impactful performances to begin their 2026-27 campaign.

Three stars of the first five games

Third star: Jackson LaCombe

The Ducks number one defenseman has led all Anaheim skaters in ice time, averaging 26:20 per game, which is four minutes more than the next closest skater, Tristan Luneau who averaged 22:38 per game. LaCombe also plays in all situations and leads all Ducks defenseman in points with 5 (1 Goal, 4 assists), despite playing with a new partner, Noah Warren, for the past two games, as Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville has thrown the lines into a blender.

Second star: Leo Calrsson

Even though he has not scored a goal since game one against Vegas, Carlsson has been a major factor in creating scoring chances for the team, as he leads all Ducks skaters in points with 8 (1 goal, 7 assists). Carlsson is also clipping at a 1.6 points per game played pace, which is also tops for all Ducks skaters and puts him in line with some of the league's best skaters, like Nikita Kucherov and Kirill Kaprizov. After signing the wealthiest contract in Ducks history during the offseason, Carlsson may not be an $18 million player yet, but he is unequivocally their best player.

First star: Beckett Sennecke

Penalty trouble aside, as he already has 6 PIMs for the season, Sennecke has cut back on the flashy plays that resulted in costly turnovers last season and has begun utilizing his big frame to overpower opponents. And the scoring touch that made him a finalist for the Calder Trophy last season, is still there, as Senncke has registered 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) this season, which is third best on the Ducks. Senncke will be elgible for an extension this coming offseason and his hot start has only increased his value.

What's next?

The Ducks will only play two games in week three of the 2026-27 season, as they will be hosting the Flames at Honda Center on Tuesday night, followed by a matchup with the Boston Bruins on Friday night. The extra days off should bode well for the Ducks, as they rest up and keep their fingers crossed that the injuries to Gauthier and Poehling are not of the long-term variety.

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