Anaheim Ducks’ Preseason Hypothetical: All-American Top Line – Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

If the opening night roster for the Anaheim Ducks turns out as expected, then Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, and Cutter Gauthier will be a healthy lineup that provides heavy minutes every night. However, with only two weeks until opening night (Oct. 12, San Jose Sharks), there are many possibilities that could put a damper on the Ducks’ plans for a healthy postseason. In fact, it has happened. John Gibson underwent emergency surgery on his appendix and will miss three to six weeks. This follows a broken foot for 2024’s Beckett Sennecke and a torn ACL for Tomas Suchanek. Let’s not forget last season, when Alex Killorn and Leo Carlsson were injured in training camp.

But let’s take a breath and not worry about that a second time. Let’s entertain ourselves with a preseason thought: what if the Ducks made an all-American top line that included Terry, Zegras, and Gauthier? Let’s look at their capabilities, whether they will work, and whether they will happen. Forward we go.

Zegras, Terry, and Gauthier Each Bring Different Skills to the Table

Assessing the synergy of these three requires understanding the unique skills they bring to the ice. Since we have covered these young stars in detail, we can summarize. Let’s start with Terry, who is a seasoned finisher on the Ducks list at the moment.

Terry has been Anaheim’s shining star (and leading scorer) since Ryan Getzlaf left and has finished at or near him in scoring since the 2021-22 season when he exploded for 37 goals. Only Frank Vatrano has beaten him since he had 37 goals last season to Terry’s 20. Terry is dangerous both on and off the puck. He is agile, able to get into the most dangerous scoring areas, and uses his feet, hands, and shots effectively to create plays or put himself in a position to convert opportunities created by other players. He is entering the second season of a seven-year, $49 million extension through 2024-25. After suffering from decreased production (not entirely his fault) since breaking out in 2021-22, he needs to find his 37-goal form again if the Ducks are going to win more games.

Let’s move on to Zegras, a player who uses universal hands and vision. Although we got glimpses of that in 2023-24, especially towards the end of the campaign when he was fit, it was a losing season for the striker, who missed 51 games due to various injuries.

At his best, Zegras makes plays for his teammates and facilitates with his eyes, hands, and hockey IQ, competing against the best offensive players in the game today. He can be at that level. He also made it clear that he will improve his two-man game, which was praised for many points throughout last season by head coach Greg Cronin. To further the idea that he, like Terry, is one of the few on the roster who can be dangerous on the ice, consider this: he has eight points (two goals, six assists) in his last eight games. last season, including scoring five points. From the looks of his training camp, he looks poised to pick up that momentum again.

Now, for Gauthier, the rookie is carrying the weight of anticipation for his first season. He has strengthened himself in preparation for the state of the pro game. If you ask him, he’s ready, saying, “I feel a lot better on the ice, I feel a lot stronger, a lot more controlled going to the corners in puck battles and stuff.” The former Boston College Eagle enters his rookie campaign armed with a pro-level gun (38 goals in his second season at BC), an NHL-ready frame (6-foot-2, 210 pounds), and a desire to get to work and make an impact quickly. Like Terry, he is a perfectionist. He should get a chance to be a reliable starter when the season starts. Like Terry and Zegras, Gauthier could be the most dangerous player on the roster.

Will This Association Work For Ducks?

So, each of these guys has a unique skill. They can all be dangerous in their own ways. We get that. Would it work if they all played together in line?

I think yes, and why not? The success of the forward line depends on the trio’s ability to complement each other and bring different things to the table, and all three have distinguishing qualities. Terry is a right winger who can play outside and inside the puck. Zegras is a dynamic player who does his best when the puck is on his stick and has options on his side to play with. Gauthier is a left-handed player who knows how and where to hit to score. He can also play with and without the puck. All three can swing well and are shooting threats.

It’s not the most unique combination the Ducks can play, but who wouldn’t want to see a trio with a skate that could attack together? Each of these guys has said at one point or another that they want to be the absolute front, and they just might get there. But for now, the main focus of this line of speculation will be driving the offense. Carlsson has shown that he is well on his way to doing that, but there is no doubt that this combination is capable and full of skill, speed, hockey IQ, and finishing.

Drawbacks of the Ducks

Well, our analysis above includes a consensus about the three, that is, currently, they are not perfect, two-way hockey players. Not being able to protect or recover the puck effectively can reduce the power of this combination, and thus interfere with the success or combination. For all the attacking power of Zegras and Terry, they are still small players. They score more than they produce. Although Gauthier says he’s physically ready for the NHL, he won’t know for sure if he can drive defenders into the corners until it happens. None of this need be true forever, and we will soon know what awaits these men.

Another thing that makes this line perhaps too good to be true? It may not be different enough, from a talent standpoint, to be a feasible combination. Let’s say for example, this was the line that ducks roll on. There are many questions that need answers. Does it make sense to play your top two scorers on the same line? Where does this leave Carlsson and Mason McTavish? Both are centermen; Carlsson’s game is predictable with speed, but McTavish is not. Do you play them together or separately? As fun as it may be, one can see why it might make sense to spread them around.

Big Seasons Await These Three Ducks, Together or Not

So, we explored why this line of reasoning might work and why it might not. There are possible arguments in favor of both, but from the looks of Ducks training camp so far, it’s not a combination the Ducks are currently considering. It would be fun to watch, wouldn’t it?

Related: Anaheim Ducks’ 3 Keys to a Successful 2024-25 Season

Currently, the top two front lines are Killorn-Carlsson-Gauthier and Terry-McTavish-Zegras. Ideally, these should work very well. But Cronin changed lineups several times last season, and who’s to say that Terry, Zegras, and Gauthier don’t see if the current combinations don’t hold? Time will tell, but if one thing is certain, it’s this: no matter what the combination is, big things are expected of the Ducks’ plethora of freshmen in 2024-25.