Anaheim Ducks stock up, stock down

It has been a busy offseason for general manager Pat Verbeek, who has quickly made moves that can make the Anaheim Ducks a contender again. After finishing the 2022-23 campaign with a league-worst 58 points and then missing out on the first overall pick in the NHL Draft, Verbeek is giving Anaheim the facelift it needs to get back into the conversation. 

But after spending nearly five years in a rebuild, have the Ducks really turned the corner this time?

Here's a look at whose stock is either rising, falling, or unclear:

Stock rising: Defined core

Thanks to a decent amount of space under the salary cap, Anaheim has made big moves at the start of free agency, adding a few veterans to its roster full of young talent and rounding out a nice core group of players. 

Adding Stanley Cup winner Alex Killorn to the blue line is the biggest get for the Ducks thus far, as the seasoned defenseman can serve as an elder statesman as well as bolster a team that ended last season with a -129 goal differential. Radko Gudas will also be a welcome addition to the D-corps so Cam Fowler and Jamie Drysdale don't do all the heavy lifting.

Having such a seasoned defense also lets rising stars Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry focus more on finding the back of the net -- and will probably help their plus-minus a bit as well. 

Stock falling: 'Wiggle room'

Maybe "falling" isn't the best terminology to use here. But there is no denying the Ducks must improve significantly after ending last season at the bottom of the barrel. Anaheim hasn't made the playoffs since 2018 when it was swept out of the first round by the San Jose Sharks, so the Ducks have a short leash.

Verbeek has only been GM since February 2022, so he can't take the blame for all five seasons the Ducks haven't made the cut. And he has certainly done plenty of work for the future of the team, whether it's selecting Leo Carlsson with the second overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft or ending Dallas Eakins' tenure behind the bench. 

That being said, Anaheim's rebuild phase still must trend up — and soon.

Stock unclear: Goaltending

The biggest test will be how much regular goaltender John Gibson benefits from a beefed-up defense. Having a stronger blue line —  and potentially a regular backup — could ultimately take pressure off him to save the team every game.

Anaheim extended a qualifying offer to Lukas Dostal, who ended 2022-23 with a .901 save percentage over 17 starts. With Anthony Stolarz signing a one-year deal with the Florida Panthers and Olle Eriksson Ek hitting the free-agent market on July 1, it looks like Dostal may be backing up Gibson, who the entire league knows has done most of the heavy lifting for Anaheim the past few seasons.

All of this sounds good in theory, of course. But until the Ducks hit the ice for the 2023-24 season, it's difficult to tell what their goaltending corps will look like.