Snapshot look at the Anaheim Ducks heading into training camp and who could make an impression in the preseason

Welcome back hockey. Though summer is almost behind us, training camp is already underway for the Anaheim Ducks. With their first preseason game scheduled for Sunday against the San Jose Sharks at Honda Center, the upcoming week will provide the best opportunity for some unproven Ducks rookies or surprise callups from last season to audition for an NHL roster spot. Here's a snapshot look at the position groups for the Ducks and where an opportunity for an extended look with the big club might lie.

Forward

While you can almost certainly pencil in Leo Carlsson, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling, and Tim Washe as the centers for the opening night roster, there is a glaring void on the wing for the top six. Troy Terry will be on the shelf to start the season with an injury and coupled with the Chris Kreider contract termination and subsequent move to the Montreal Canadiens; there is a definite need for more offensive support. If the Ducks stack the top line with Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Becket Sennecke, the second line could feature Granlund and Alex Killorn, with an open spot on the opposite wing. We've already discussed the possibility of Nikita Klepov or Roger McQueen staking a claim for a top six role, but maybe some other rookie can impress the coaching staff enough to give them a fair shake in the preseason. For context, Sennecke was not expected to be on the opening night roster last season, but by the season's end, he banked 60 points and finished third in Calder trophy voting.

The bottom six forward group will certainly need some help too, as the new additions of Jeff Malott (9 points) and A.J. Greer (32 points) should cinch their respective roles, but the other options of Frank Vatrano (9 points) or Sam Colangelo (1 point) are uninspiring. So even if a rookie was deployed in a depth role, there's more than enough room to fit in a more dynamic skater.

Defense

Much like the center depth, three of the six spots can already be penciled in by Jackson LaCombe (58 points), Pavel Mintyukov (22 points), and recent addition Nick Jensen (17 points). With the recent exodus of the veterans from the Ducks blue line though, three spots could be up for grabs. Drew Helleson, who played in 60 regular season games and notched 15 points, should almost be guaranteed a roster spot. Tyson Hinds debuted late in the 2025-26 season and with his defense first mentality, he earned himself some extra runway throughout the Ducks postseason run. Ian Moore was an absolute wildcard, shifting from playing on the back end to finding himself on the fourth line as a winger. In spite of the inconsistent deployment, Moore played in 67 regular season games and registered 12 points. However, Moore will be sidelined with an injury for two to four weeks, to begin the 2026-27 season. Tristan Luneau (4 points, in 14 NHL games) should have the inside track and if there was ever a more opportune time to grab a roster spot, now would be the time. But do not discount the possibility of another rookie, such as Stian Solberg, to find an extended look throughout the preseason. The Ducks blue line will be a hodgepodge of NHL regulars and a lot of inexperience; let's see who stands out.

Goaltending

While Lukas Dostal had an abnormally subpar 2025-26 season (.888 save percentage, 3.10 GAA, -2.9 goals saved above expected) compared to his typically higher standards (14.3 goals saved above expected in 2024-25), he will unquestionably be the Ducks number one goaltender. Ville Husso should be the backup (.884 save percentage, 3.25 GAA), and new addition Laurent Brossoit, who's coming back from hip surgery and has not played in more than one game since the 2023-24 season (.927 save percentage, 2.00 GAA), as the third option. We've beat this drum before, but Damian Clara should get an extended look, as he was spectacular in net (.911 save percentage) during the Winter Olympics for Team Italy, while playing behind arguably the worst team in the tournament.

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