The Anaheim Ducks have started the season with a 9-3-1 record, leading the Pacific Division and ranking second in the NHL with a .731 points percentage. Their offense has surged to lead the league in goals per game at 4.15, driven by a young core and key acquisitions. Advanced NHL EDGE stats highlight their high-danger scoring and possession play as reasons for sustained success.
One month into the season, the Anaheim Ducks have transformed into a high-flying team under coach Joel Quenneville, a three-time Stanley Cup champion. After finishing 30th in goals per game last season at 2.65, Anaheim now tops the NHL at 4.15 goals per game. This marks a franchise record with four seven-goal games in their first 13 outings, the most since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2019-20.
The Ducks' young talent has been pivotal. Rookies and recent picks like Leo Carlsson (No. 2 overall, 2023), Cutter Gauthier (No. 5, 2022 by Philadelphia), Beckett Sennecke (No. 3, 2024), and Mason McTavish (No. 3, 2021) have combined for 65 points, including 27 goals and 38 assists—the most among players 23 or younger. Carlsson reached 20 points in 13 games, the fastest for Anaheim since Teemu Selanne in 1995-96.
Acquired from the New York Rangers on June 12, Chris Kreider has nine goals in nine games, leading the NHL at 1.00 goals per game. Gauthier follows closely with 0.85 goals per game and 11 total goals, tied for the league lead with Sidney Crosby. He also leads in shots on goal with 62 and excels in EDGE metrics, including the hardest shot at 89.38 mph (93rd percentile) and max skating speed of 22.99 mph (94th percentile). Gauthier's Goals Above Projected stands at plus-5.91, the NHL high.
High-danger scoring bolsters their attack, with 28 such goals (second to Toronto's 29). Kreider ties for the league lead with seven, while Troy Terry and Sennecke each have four. Anaheim boasts five players at one point per game: Carlsson (1.54), Gauthier (1.38), Terry (1.31), Kreider (1.11), and Mikael Granlund (1.00), though Granlund is sidelined with a lower-body injury.
Defensively, the Ducks rank 10th in 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage at 51.5, up from 46.3 last year. Goalie Lukas Dostal is 7-3-1 with a .913 5-on-5 save percentage, tying for the NHL lead in midrange saves at .939. They lead the league in first-period ice tilt advantage at 12:04 per game and have nine wins, five via comebacks—including three multi-goal rallies. Since last season, Anaheim has 10 multi-goal comeback wins, the most in the NHL.
Despite leading in high-danger shooting percentage at 26.9, which may regress, their metrics suggest playoff potential after six years out.