Overview

• Thursday’s game at the Kraken starts Joel Quenneville’s first season behind the Ducks bench since his 2021 exit from coaching, as the club tries to halt a seven-year playoff absence.
• GM Pat Verbeek’s overhaul added veterans Chris Kreider, Mikael Granlund, Ryan Poehling and Petr Mrázek, leaving only Lukáš Dostál, Mason McTavish and Troy Terry from the 2022 roster.
• Dostál takes the No. 1 goalie job after John Gibson was traded to Detroit, reflecting broader changes to the core and leadership mix.
• Leo Carlsson has been elevated to the first-line center role, with Quenneville citing his consistency and leadership potential entering a pivotal season.
• Special teams remain the biggest concern, with Quenneville labeling the penalty kill and power play a work in progress under assistants Ryan McGill and Jay Woodcroft, with an emphasis on cutting penalties.