Dallas Sports Today

Dallas Sports News Continuously Updated

The Plan for the Anaheim Ducks Moving Forward

by

Examining the Anaheim Ducks’ leadership disconnect and the puzzling decisions that are prompting the question, “What’s the plan?”

The Anaheim Ducks have struggled to find consistency and identity in recent seasons, and under head coach Greg Cronin, their trajectory hasn’t inspired much confidence. In a league where expectations are sky-high, it’s baffling that Cronin continues to lead the Ducks while other franchises in similar situations have made decisive moves to improve their coaching staff.

The Anaheim Ducks Plan

Read the Room

Take the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite being further behind the Ducks in a rebuild, they recently dismissed their head coach, signaling their commitment to progress. With that move, the Blackhawk’s front office made a statement: poor performance will not be tolerated. Then there’s the case of Jim Montgomery. Montgomery led the Boston Bruins to the best regular season in NHL history just two seasons ago and won the Jack Adams Award as Coach of the Year. The Bruins subsequently fired him after an 8-9-3 start to the 2024-2025 season. Although, unsurprisingly, the St. Louis Blues rehired him within five days, and he is already 4-1-1 with them. Expectations are rightfully much higher in Boston than in Anaheim, but Montgomery lost in the playoffs last year to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions.  So why does Cronin—master of saying “I don’t know”—still have a job?

“I don’t know, shoot more”

Cronin’s press appearances only add fuel to the fire. These are opportunities for any coach to instill confidence and outline a coherent vision but have instead highlighted his lack of clear solutions. When asked about his team’s shortcomings, Cronin often defaults to vague clichés like “shoot more,” sounding more like an annoying youth hockey parent shouting from the stands than a professional coach. Cronin fails to address the systemic issues plaguing the Ducks, like defensive lapses, disorganized special teams, and a lack of development among young players who should be the cornerstone of the franchise’s future.

Worse still, when pressed for insights into what went wrong after a tough loss, Cronin has repeatedly offered the incredibly insightful: “I don’t know.” In a results-driven business, this type of response should be unacceptable. However, the message from the Anaheim front office is it is. A head coach is paid to know. Cronin’s comments signal either a lack of preparation, an inability to diagnose problems, or both. This raises serious questions about whether he is the right person to guide the Ducks out of years of ineptitude.

Trouba Trade

Adding to fans’ confusion, management’s actions are signaling it is time for the Ducks to escape the league basement. Last offseason, General Manager Pat Verbeek stated that he wanted to sign a top-tier forward from the free-agent market – that never happened. The Jacob Trouba trade was the latest signal. At 30 years old, Trouba is a seasoned defenceman whose hefty contract ($8 million AAV through 2026) reflects expectations of immediate impact rather than long-term development. If bringing in a journeyman defenceman who is making $8m AAV isn’t an indicator that the team is looking for progress in the standings, then what is? The Trouba acquisition, a win-now player with a hefty contract, feels completely at odds with the developmental, rebuilding tone set by keeping Cronin as head coach.

What’s the Ducks plan?

Ducks fans deserve better. They deserve a coach who can articulate a vision, address flaws, and inspire the team. If a coach of Montgomery’s calibre can be fired for underperformance, why does Cronin—whose shortcomings are so glaring—still have his job? Ducks fans will collectively feel Montgomery’s availability was a major missed opportunity to improve the team’s coaching. As of December 8, the Ducks are 10-12-3, including a 5-1 beatdown by the Minnesota Wild marking their third loss in the last four games. At this point last season, the Ducks were 9-14-2. Is that “progress”? In a literal sense, it kind of is because they are three points better. However, ask any Ducks fans and they’ll tell you it does not feel progress. Anaheim’s front office owes its fan base an explanation, or better yet, a change. Until then, fans will continue to wonder, “What’s the plan?”

Main Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The post The Plan for the Anaheim Ducks Moving Forward appeared first on Last Word On Hockey.