Jones has been cleared from his sprained shoulder injury, the team announced Wednesday.
Jones missed the final 11 contests of the season because of the injury. He finished 2023-24 with five goals, 15 points, 33 PIM and 125 hits in 52 outings. The 26-year-old is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and Jones figures to maintain his bottom-six role with the Ducks in 2024-25 if the two sides are able to come to terms on a new contract.
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Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov: Ends year with bone bruise
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Mintyukov's lower-body injury is a bone bruise that kept him out of the last eight contests of 2023-24, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Mintyukov sustained the injury on a Jakob Silfverberg shot in a game versus the Oilers on March 30. Mintyukov is expected to be recovered in time for the 2024-25 campaign.
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Ducks' Max Jones: Dealing with sprained shoulder
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Jones ended the season with a sprained shoulder, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Jones was out for the final 11 games of the season with the injury. The 26-year-old winger is set to be a restricted free agent, though it's unclear if the Ducks have interest in bringing him back for 2024-25.
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Ducks' Mason McTavish: Will avoid surgery
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McTavish is dealing with a sprained MCL in his knee, but he won't required offseason surgery, Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune reports.
McTavish missed the last six games of the season with the injury. The 21-year-old will compete for a top-six role in training camp in the fall.
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Ducks' Urho Vaakanainen: Can't keep steady role
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Vaakanainen was scratched for four of the Ducks' last 11 games.
Vaakanainen set a career high with 68 games played in 2023-24, picking up 14 points, 67 shots on net, 55 hits and 79 blocked shots. He was generally solid in a bottom-four role, but he couldn't maintain an everyday role in the second half of the season. Vaakanainen is a pending restricted free agent.
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Ducks' Ben Meyers: Playing time shaky after trade
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Meyers played in 14 of the Ducks' final 20 games after he was traded from the Avalanche.
A reunion with head coach Greg Cronin, who worked with Meyers at AHL Colorado in previous seasons, was not enough to spark the winger's offense. The 25-year-old has not accumulated enough games in his career to remain a restricted free agent, so he'll be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer. Meyers has eight points over 67 career NHL appearances.
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Ducks' Ross Johnston: Finishes season cold
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Johnston failed to record a point over his last 10 contests in 2023-24.
Johnston had just four points with 139 hits, 117 PIM and a minus-12 rating over 68 appearances in his first year with the Ducks. He's under contract for two more seasons with a $1.1 million cap hit. He can help provide toughness on the Ducks' fourth line, but if the team experiences an influx of talent, he could be waived again as he was at the start of 2023-24 to make room for more talented players.
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Ducks' William Lagesson: No points for Anaheim
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Lagesson didn't record a point in 10 appearances with the Ducks after he was claimed off waivers from the Maple Leafs.
Lagesson got shuffled out of a crowded defense corps in Toronto and couldn't claim a full-time role in Anaheim. At 28 years old and with just 11 points to his name over parts of four seasons, there's no guarantee Lagesson will get an NHL deal this summer as an unrestricted free agent. Even if he does, he'll likely have to settle for a two-way contract.
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Ducks' Cutter Gauthier: Registers helper in debut
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Gauthier notched an assist and three shots on goal in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Gauthier took a pass from Leo Carlsson and set up Jackson LaCombe on the game-winning tally. It was a glimpse into the future for the Ducks, with Gauthier joining a growing talent pool after a surprise midseason trade from the Flyers. Gauthier may still need a taste of the AHL in 2024-25, but he'll likely be given every opportunity to win an NHL job in training camp.
Fowler notched a power-play assist and three blocked shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Fowler finished the campaign on a five-game assist streak. The 32-year-old dealt with some challenges as the most veteran member of a young defense corps, but he came away with 39 points, 109 shots on net, 119 blocked shots and a minus-36 rating through 81 games. Fowler remains productive on offense and a minutes-eater defensively, though his fantasy utility varies by format, and that's likely to remain true in 2024-25.
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Ducks' Trevor Zegras: Delivers assist in win
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Zegras notched an assist in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Zegras put together a strong finish with two goals and six helpers over his last eight games. The 23-year-old's injury-plagued fourth season saw him post 15 points, 73 shots on net, 30 PIM and a minus-1 rating over 31 appearances. He saw time at center and on the wing, so it's unclear where he might play to begin 2024-25, but he should be able to maintain a top-six role.
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Ducks' Leo Carlsson: Pockets helper
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Carlsson posted an assist in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Carlsson had five points over seven outings in April to salvage a positive finish to an eventful rookie year. He was strong with 29 points, 109 shots on net and a minus-11 rating, but between workload management and injuries, he ended up playing just 55 games. Carlsson figures to be the Ducks' top-line center in 2024-25, though the team around him will need to be stronger to help him build up his production.
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Ducks' Ryan Strome: Dishes pair of helpers
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Strome logged two assists, two hits and two PIM in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Strome ended 2023-24 on a 19-game goal drought, earning just five assists in that span. He was far from consistent this season, but he had a much stronger first half of the campaign. Overall, the 30-year-old forward produced 11 goals, 30 helpers, 131 shots on net, 64 hits, 86 PIM and a minus-20 rating over 79 appearances in a middle-six role.
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Ducks' Jackson LaCombe: Two points in Thursday's win
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LaCombe scored a goal, added an assist and went plus-2 in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
LaCombe's second tally of the season was his first career game-winner. The 23-year-old defenseman picked up four points over seven outings in April, finishing his rookie season strong. He produced 17 points, 55 shots on net, 129 blocked shots, 50 hits and a minus-24 rating in 71 appearances while generally filling a top-four role in 2023-24.
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Ducks' Frank Vatrano: Ends career year with hat trick
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Vatrano recorded a hat trick in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Vatrano opened the scoring with a power-play tally in the second period. He then added an even-strength goal and a shorthanded empty-netter to finish the hat trick in the third. It's a fitting finish to the campaign for the 30-year-old, who broke out in a big way this season with 37 goals and 60 points over 82 contests. He added 272 shots on net, 156 hits, 78 blocked shots, 85 PIM and a minus-20 rating. Vatrano figures to be a veteran leader and mentor for the Ducks in 2024-25, the final year of his current three-year contract.
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Ducks' Lukas Dostal: Wins over Vegas in finale
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Dostal stopped 32 of 33 shots in Thursday's 4-1 win over the Golden Knights.
Dostal had a tough matchup for the season finale, but he was able to put in a strong performance for his third win over six outings in April. The 23-year-old ends the season at 14-23-3 with a 3.33 GAA and a .902 save percentage over 44 appearances. Dostal is set to fill a similar role for the Ducks next season, though that could change if the team can find a taker for John Gibson's $6.4 million cap hit.
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Ducks' Max Jones: Still out to end campaign
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Jones (upper body) won't play in Thursday's season finale versus the Golden Knights.
Jones ended up missing the final 11 contests of the campaign. The 26-year-old winger had 15 points, 125 hits, 76 shots on net and 33 PIM in 52 appearances this season. Jones is set to be a restricted free agent this summer.
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Ducks' Pavel Mintyukov: Ends season on shelf
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Mintyukov (lower body) won't play in the Ducks' season finale versus the Golden Knights on Thursday.
The lower-body injury ended Mintyukov's season early, as the rookie defenseman missed the final eight games. He had 28 points, 85 hits, 65 blocked shots and a minus-20 rating over 63 appearances. Mintyukov should be in line for a top-four role in 2024-25, assuming he recovers from the injury in the offseason.
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Ducks' Mason McTavish: Officially finishes season injured
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McTavish (knee) won't play in the Ducks' season finale versus the Golden Knights on Thursday.
McTavish was spotted in a knee brace last week, and he wasn't able to shake off the injury in time to return. The center had 42 points, 130 shots on net, 67 hits and 86 PIM over 64 appearances in 2023-24. As long as he doesn't need surgery, McTavish should have a good chance to be ready for the start of 2024-25.
