IRVINE, Calif. — As was their mission from the moment they hired Joel Quenneville as their head coach, the Anaheim Ducks played their way into the Stanley Cup playoff position. General manager Pat Verbeek rewarded their efforts by being a buyer at the trade deadline, helping secure their spot.

The Ducks took that shot of belief from the front office and won their first playoff series in nine years. After coming up short in the second round, it’s back to Verbeek to shape the roster in the offseason and build on their renewed success.

No team runs it all back, not even championship clubs. And it’s not as if the Ducks should. They’re only at the initial stage, now about to take that first step toward being a consistent Stanley Cup contender. Verbeek’s job over the next few months is to fortify the roster while settling contractual situations and making important decisions on their own players, including those who figure to be franchise pillars.

“At some point, I got to look to see how we can improve the team,” Verbeek said as the Ducks began to conduct their exit meetings. “It’s obvious we’re not quite good enough to get to the third round, so we’ve got some more work to do. But I think there’s going to be certain things. There’ll be maturity amongst our younger guys; they got another year under their belt. Can expect another step from them and just kind of keep growing it.”

Free agency begins July 1, there is and the trade market, with deals often occurring at the NHL Draft in June. But Verbeek also has his own yard to tend to. Twelve players on the Ducks’ playoff roster will require new contracts. What lies ahead for him?

Restricted free agents

The two big ones are Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier. Neither is eligible for salary arbitration and Verbeek, along with assistant GM and chief contract negotiator Jeff Solomon, has a well-established reputation for hammering away at deals for their own RFAs until they get the terms they want. Just ask Mason McTavish. Or Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale.

But does it make sense to play hardball with your franchise No. 1 center and best goal scorer, who recorded the most since team legend Corey Perry? Carlsson and Gauthier are going to make a lot of money. What Verbeek is willing to pay both and for how long remains to be seen.

“Well, in a perfect scenario, I’d like to be able to get them done in a week here,” Verbeek said, chuckling. “I’m hoping for the best to try and make sure that everybody’s excited for training camp and all of us are happy. Unfortunately, I don’t have a crystal ball to say how it’s going to go. But we’re going to do our best to make sure that we get everybody excited and there for camp.”

It isn’t a laughing matter for fans who watched last fall’s talks on an extension for McTavish grind into the preseason, or what eventually led to both Zegras and Drysdale being traded. Now it’s obvious that Carlsson, their No. 2 pick in 2023, and Gauthier — who was acquired by trading Drysdale — are the kinds of foundational pieces that Verbeek envisioned.

They’re also going to cost a ton. Jackson LaCombe signed the richest total contract in Ducks history in October, an eight-year extension worth $72 million. That could be eclipsed in a matter of months.

Verbeek did that deal just days after negotiating the six-year deal for McTavish, well before LaCombe’s two-year bridge contract was set to expire. It was proof the Ducks can get something done with an important RFA without dragging it into camp, when talks can become rancorous and the player may not report. Every player is different, but McTavish is coming off a challenging season.

“You obviously want to get it done before training camp, so you can be here with the team as early as possible,” Carlsson said.

Talks with Gauthier have yet to commence. Like his teammate, the Ducks will be paying for current production and the promise it holds up throughout their prime seasons. Gauthier led Anaheim with 41 goals and 69 points. Carlsson scored 29 goals and had 67 points. The two combined for eight goals and 23 points in their 12 playoff games.

Gauthier said his focus was on the season and hasn’t put much thought into his upcoming contract.

“We got a handful of months before camp starts up again,” he said. “I don’t think it’ll be an issue, but you never know so we’ll see what happens.”

Another factor is the maximum length of contracts changing from eight years to seven when teams sign their own free agents, and seven years to six for players who sign with another team. Verbeek said he doesn’t see that change, which takes effect Sept. 16, as being a problem.

Carlsson said he’s “open to everything” when it comes to term. LaCombe said getting Carlsson and Gauther signed “for as long as they can get them is the biggest goal.”

“Those two guys are so big for us, and they’re going to be huge for us moving forward,” the defenseman added.

But will Verbeek reach common ground with the agents for Carlsson and Gauthier sooner rather than later?

“I’d like to get it done as soon as possible,” he said. “We all have to cooperate with one another, right? So that’s the goal.”

Those two aren’t the Ducks’ only notable RFAs. A slate of their young defensemen have that status, starting with Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger, who were lineup regulars most of the season. Ian Moore played much of his rookie year at forward because of the defensive depth. Tyson Hinds figured into the Ducks’ playoff plans after playing most of the year in the American Hockey League. With prospects Tristan Luneau and Stian Solberg at the top of the pipeline, Verbeek could have some interesting calls to make in sorting out his blue line.

Unrestricted free agents

Speaking of the defense, the Ducks have three prominent impending UFA blueliners: Jacob Trouba, John Carlson and Radko Gudas. CapWages estimates Anaheim having $40 million available under the $104 million salary cap for 2026-27. Where the contracts for Gauthier and Carlsson come in at will subtract from that.

Trouba has settled in as a strong partner for LaCombe. The 32-year-old is finishing a seven-year, $56 million contract he signed with the New York Rangers. He said there was contract talk with the Ducks at the deadline but that it “didn’t get very far.”

He joked that he’ll continue to let his hair grow until he signs an extension. The partnership with LaCombe paid dividends and is an attraction.

“Obviously, he’s a very special player,” Trouba said. “I think he’s shown that. The growth he’s had throughout the time here and then this year the step he took is pretty impressive. He’d be a great guy to play with for years to come.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that’s going to be a partner if you’re here. Things change obviously. Whoever gets the opportunity to play (with) him is in a very good spot.”

Carlson was the big deadline addition by Verbeek after the longtime Washington Capital couldn’t reach an extension with his team of 17 seasons. He had four goals and 10 assists in 16 regular-season games with Anaheim and added six more assists in the playoffs.

The 36-year-old said there have been no numbers exchanged on a new contract with the Ducks. He called his time with the club a “thrill” and a “blast.” But he was also noncommittal, with his wife and family certain to figure into his decision-making.

“That’s the part of it that I don’t have answers for right now,” said Carlson, whose cap number is $8 million. “I certainly loved it here. There’s a lot of moving parts to that to properly answer the question. But yeah, I’ve loved my time. It’s a special place here for sure with some extraordinary talent and a really bright future. That certainly is attractive to anyone, not just myself.”

The one who expressed the most desire to remain is Gudas. The 35-year-old Czech blueliner said the Ducks making him their captain two years ago “was one of (the) biggest honors of my career.” But will the Ducks want to keep him? Gudas signed a three-year, $4 million AAV deal with Anaheim as a 2023 free agent.

“I have a very soft spot for Anaheim after these few years here and if there’s a chance for me staying here, I’m open to do that,” he said. “They’re doing strides in the right direction. And it would be a shame to say I don’t want to be part of a group that’s getting better every day.”

Along with the defensemen, the Ducks have rugged forwards Ross Johnston, Jansen Harkins and Jeffrey Viel on expiring contracts. Each contributed to the team at different points, with Viel notably becoming an everyday regular who scored important goals in their first-round victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

In his postseason availability, Verbeek didn’t want to get into the details of where things stand.

“It’s still a little raw losing out,” he said. “I’m going to take two to three weeks to sit there and look at it unemotionally. Sift through the decisions. Obviously, there’s going to be some really tough decisions that are going to get made. But I’m going to take my time to do it. And I have time to think about it and make the best possible decisions.”