The Anaheim Ducks Battling Their Longest Playoff Drought in History
This past NHL season was a step in the right direction for the young Anaheim Ducks squad – with the ultimate goal, as always being playoff contention, and if the stars align, a chance to lift the Stanley Cup.
This year the Ducks showed significant improvement. However, they were yet again unable to secure a ticket to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Statistically speaking this was the team's best season since 2019, but it also marks the seventh consecutive year of a regular season elimination.
The most recent playoff appearance in Ducks history was in 2018 against the San Jose Sharks where they were quickly eliminated in the series minimum of four (4) games. One game of which (game 3) was a horrendous 8-1 loss. This devastating series loss sparked the beginning of the modern day Anaheim Ducks rebuild that we know today.
Anaheim Ducks fall to the San Jose Sharks in 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs (John Hefti)
As of May 6, 2025, the Anaheim Ducks ranked fourth-youngest team in the NHL, at an average age of 26.46 years old (Boan, C. 2025). Some young players who have come as a result of the current rebuild and are making an impact at the NHL level include Trevor Zegras, Jackson LaCombe, Mason McTavish, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Leo Carlsson.. Just to name a few. In the upcoming 2025 draft lottery the Ducks will most notably select 10th overall.
Regardless of this past year's outcome, the future is still looking very bright in Orange Country. As the young Ducks core is gaining their NHL level footing, it seems that the team is on the right track once again to be contending in the postseason in the not so distant future.
References
Christopher Boan - Ontario Bets. Top 10 Youngest NHL Teams For 2024-25 Season (2025). https://www.ontariobets.com/nhl/top-10-youngest-nhl-team-rosters
Anaheim Ducks Playoff History (2025). https://champsorchumps.us/team/nhl/anaheim-ducks
Anaheim Ducks Draft History (2025). https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr00004643.html
