The blueprint for the Anaheim Ducks moving forward

On By Littum

Examining the Anaheim Ducks’ leadership disruption and the confusing decisions that beg 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 pitching hasn’t inspired much confidence. In a league where expectations are sky high, it’s amazing that Cronin continues to lead the Ducks while other franchises in similar situations have taken decisive steps to improve their coaching staffs.

Anaheim Ducks Plan

Read the room

Take the Chicago Blackhawks. Despite being further behind the Ducks in a rebuild, they recently fired their head coach, signaling their commitment to progress. With this move, the Blackhawks front office made a statement: poor performance will not be tolerated. Then there is the matter 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 Coach of the Year Award. The Bruins subsequently fired him after an 8-9-3 start to the 2024-2025 season. Although St. Louis Blues, unsurprisingly, rehired him within five days, and he’s already 4-1-1 with them. Expectations are rightly 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 yelling from the stands than a professional coach. Cronin fails to address the systemic issues plaguing the Ducks, such as defensive lapses, disorganized special teams and a lack of development among young players who should be the cornerstone of the franchise’s future.

Even worse, when pressed for insight into what went wrong after a tough loss, Cronin repeatedly offered the incredibly insightful, “I don’t know.” In a results-driven business, this type of reaction should be unacceptable. But the message from Anaheim’s 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

To add to fan confusion, management’s actions signal that it is time for the Ducks to escape the league’s basement. Last offseason, General Manager Pat Verbeek stated that he wanted to sign a top-tier forward from the free-agent market — it never happened. The Jacob Trouba trade was the latest signal. At 30 years old, Trouba is an experienced defenseman whose solid contract ($8 million AAV through 2026) reflects expectations for immediate impact rather than long-term development. If it’s not an indicator that the team is looking for progress at the position, if bringing in a journeyman defenseman making $8M. AAV, what is it? 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 is Duck’s plan?

Ducks fans deserve better. They deserve a coach who can articulate a vision, address shortcomings and inspire the team. If a coach of Montgomery’s caliber can be fired for underperformance, why does Cronin — whose shortcomings are so glaring — still have his job? Ducks fans will collectively feel that Montgomery’s availability was a major missed opportunity to improve the team’s coaching. Since Dec. 8, the Ducks are 10-12-3, including a 5-1 beatdown by the Minnesota Wild that marks their third loss in the last four games. At this point last season, the Ducks were 9-14-2. Is it “progress”? In the most literal sense, it is a little because they are three points better. Ask any Ducks fan, though, and they’ll tell you it doesn’t feel like progress. Anaheim’s front office owes its fanbase 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