Anaheim’s breakthrough season ended with a second-round exit to Vegas, but it also snapped a seven-year playoff drought and set up one of the more unusual offseasons in the league. General manager Pat Verbeek kept his 21-year-old franchise center by matching a stunning offer sheet, then watched four regular defensemen walk out the door to help pay for it. The Ducks return to the ice on Friday, Oct. 2, against the Golden Knights, and open at Honda Center two days later against the Florida Panthers, per NHL.com.
Below is a full breakdown of Anaheim’s 2026-27 outlook, including the latest Stanley Cup odds from FanDuel, Caesars and Hard Rock Bet, plus our best bets for bettors tracking the Ducks all season. Compare these numbers against the rest of the board at RG.org’s online sportsbooks hub before wagering, since futures prices can move fast once training camp opens.
Carlsson Cashes In, and the Cap Crunch That Follows
Leo Carlsson is now the highest-paid player in the NHL. When the Philadelphia Flyers threw a five-year, $90 million offer sheet at the 21-year-old center in July, Verbeek matched it rather than lose a player who scored 67 points (29 goals, 38 assists) in 70 games last season and added 11 more points in 12 playoff outings against Connor McDavid’s Oilers and the eventual Western Conference finalist in Vegas. The $18 million average annual value is the largest cap hit in the league, consuming 17.3% of Anaheim’s cap space.
That deal, plus a new five-year, $7.2 million contract for blueliner Pavel Mintyukov, ate into the room Verbeek needed for a Cutter Gauthier extension. Gauthier, still just 22, scored 41 goals and led the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes last season, and Daily Faceoff notes he could threaten for 50 goals as soon as this season if the deal gets done before camp. Pair him with Carlsson and 20-year-old winger Beckett Sennecke, and Anaheim’s forward group is arguably one of the best young trios in hockey. The bigger question is what Verbeek has left to spend on everyone else.
A Defense Rebuilt From Scratch
Here is the price of keeping Carlsson: Anaheim’s blue line lost four regulars in one summer. John Carlson was traded to Carolina and later signed with Tampa Bay, Jacob Trouba left for San Jose in free agency, Olen Zellweger was dealt to Buffalo, and captain Radko Gudas signed with Florida. The only outside addition was 35-year-old Nick Jensen, which means prospects Tristan Luneau (22), Stian Solberg (20) and Tyson Hinds (23) are all projected to open the season in real NHL roles.
The timing is not ideal. Anaheim ranked among the league’s five worst teams in expected goals against at 5-on-5 last season and finished with the NHL’s No. 27 penalty kill, weaknesses the roster just made harder to fix. Without a named captain — Gudas held the “C” before leaving — the Ducks will lean on a five-player alternate group that includes Jackson LaCombe and Carlsson for leadership while the kids get up to speed.
Quenneville’s Encore, on an Expiring Deal
Joel Quenneville turned an 80-point team into a 92-point playoff club in his first season behind the bench, and he’ll try to do it again on the final year of his contract. At 67, he is the second-oldest head coach in the league and sits on nearly 1,000 career wins; another strong season will determine whether he earns an extension or the team searches for a successor, with assistant Jay Woodcroft seen as the internal favorite if a change comes.
Goaltending Is the Swing Skill
Lukas Dostal took a step back last season after his 2024-25 breakout, and the Ducks did not add an obvious fix behind him. Ville Husso and new arrival Laurent Brossoit are both replacement-level options at best, so a full season of a competent Dostal is close to a prerequisite for Anaheim to make the playoffs again. If the defense in front of him struggles as expected early on, this is the group that could decide whether the season stays on track.
Anaheim Ducks Stanley Cup Odds
Odds as of Aug. 25. Lines are subject to change — always shop the full board at RG.org’s US sportsbooks hub before placing a futures bet.
SIGN UP AT HARD ROCK BETBest Bets for Ducks 2026-27
Anaheim Ducks to make the playoffs — take the number once it posts: A defense that lost four regulars usually means a step back, but Anaheim still has three top-flight forwards in Carlsson, Gauthier and Sennecke, plus a coach who has already proven he can squeeze extra points out of this roster. Rather than chasing Stanley Cup value at +3000 or +3300, the smarter angle is the postseason-qualification market once books post it, where the Ducks’ talent up front should keep the number honest even with the losses on defense.
Under on the team win total, once posted: With Dostal unproven behind a retooled blue line and a brutal early test against Florida in the home opener, the floor here is lower than the ceiling. Wait for books to release a win total, and check FanDuel and BetRivers once lines go up, since futures markets like these often carry the best value in the opening weeks of the season.
Predicted finish: A battle for a Western Conference wild-card spot, with the forward group carrying a defense still finding its footing.
More NHL previews, odds and best bets will run throughout the season at RG.org’s sportsbooks hub. Check the latest sportsbook promos and compare the best betting apps before placing a futures wager, and always bet within your limits.