2013-14 record: 54-20-8 (116 points)
Lost to Los Angeles in Conference Semi-finals
Captain: Ryan Getzlaf
For the second straight season, the Ducks won their division and for the second straight season, they couldn't close out a series in the playoffs. Now, the Ducks are experiencing a bit of a makeover, as veterans Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu have moved on. Jonas Hiller, Nick Bonino, and Matthieu Perreault also left, and in their places will be rookies and Ryan Kesler. Scoring shouldn't be too much of a problem, as the top ranked scoring team in the regular season will still have Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry leading the way. Kesler should compensate for Bonino and Perreault while giving the Ducks a legitimate second line center. However, there will be other players who have something to prove, as Rickard Rakell is set to make his case for a spot on the roster while others such as Jakob Silfverberg, Emerson Etem, and Kyle Palmieri seek to improve their standings on the roster. Defensively, they are solid, with Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen, and Hampus Lindholm providing the team with much needed youth on the unit and Francois Beauchemin and Ben Lovejoy providing veteran leadership at that spot. The big question mark is in goal, where Frederik Andersen and John Gibson are expected to battle for the starting role. 31 combined regular season games between the two does provide concern, but the team's shift from Hiller in the playoffs towards youth is an indication that they are comfortable with the kids on the roster.
Prediction: 1st in the Pacific Division
The Ducks will once again be a great team in the regular season, but the heat will be on them come playoff time, and certainly, no one is feeling it more than Bruce Boudreau, who has yet to get any of his teams to the Conference Finals.
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