NHL insider warns league to watch out for Anaheim Ducks under new HC Joel Quenneville

After seven consecutive years of missing the playoffs, the Anaheim Ducks are hungry to make a return to the postseason in 2025-26.

The Ducks have been in the midst of a lengthy rebuild for several years, but now it is time to turn the corner. And on Thursday, they showed their desire to return to contention by hiring three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville as their next head coach.

While Quenneville is a controversial hire due to the sexual assault scandal dating back to his time with the Chicago Blackhawks, he was reinstated this summer, and the Ducks felt his experience and championship pedigree were a perfect fit to help them take that next step.

NHL insider Jeff Marek spoke about the Anaheim Ducks on "The Sheet" and gave high praise to their young core group of players, believing they will be a force to be reckoned with under coach Q. The Sheet with Jeff Marek shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter).

"I think we all look at that organization right now, look at that team. And you see, like McTavish is right there to take the next step, Carlsson is right there to take the next step. Cutter Gauthier had a really good season. But the one that I look at the back end, the back end is young. Jackson LaCombe, to me, is the one. Every time I would watch Anaheim, that guy would pop, every single game," Marek said.

"But the one guy that I keep coming back to there. And it's interesting, I was always told that in job interviews, Joel Quenneville only asks one question: Who's our goaltender? Lukas Dostal is about to become a household name," Marek added.

The Ducks are projected to have over $38 million in cap space to add to their roster this offseason, though they will have to sign pending RFAs Mason McTavish and Lukas Dostal to new contracts.

The Anaheim Ducks are ready to become a contender

Anaheim Ducks owner Henry Samueli is adamant about his team taking a step towards competing for not just the playoffs, but the Stanley Cup in the years to come.

He spoke to the media following the introduction of new head coach Joel Quenneville on Saturday. The Anaheim Ducks shared the full video on X.

"We felt that we've reached a point where the rebuild is coming to an end; it really is. And it's time to take the step to becoming a perennial playoff contender and eventually a Stanley Cup contender," Samueli said (1:37).

Anaheim showed improvements in 2024-25, finishing with a 35-37-10 record and 80 points, which was the most points they've accumulated in the regular season since the 2018-19 campaign.

The Ducks will look to be aggressive this summer and push for their first playoff berth since 2017-18 next season.