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Ducks Being Linked With 3-Time All-Star After Joel Quenneville Hire

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated May 29, 2025 6:24 PM ET

After hiring veteran Joel Quenneville to take over as the next head coach, the Anaheim Ducks could be very active this offseason. Anaheim wants to get back to the postseason, and they made some big improvements last year in the standings.

The Ducks went from 59 to 80 points, but still missed the playoffs, leading to the hire of Quenneville. But now it's time for the Ducks to start being serious about contention, and the team is being linked with the top option on the free agent market.

Ryan Dixon of Sportsnet has linked Anaheim with Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner. Marner isn't expected to return to Toronto and could have a lot of suitors on the open market, with Anaheim likely giving his representatives a call.

"Anaheim has good young players or prospects at every position. Of all the non-playoff teams that could take a run at Marner, it feels like the Ducks — and another one we’ll mention soon — can make the best case for being competitive in the immediate future. That’s especially true if No. 16 joins the squad."

Marner could give the Ducks a legitimate "go-to" option, and he could lead the young squad back to relevance. The biggest question would be whether Marner would be interested in going to a younger team, but the challenge could motivate him.

Anaheim struggled at times at scoring the puck, something that Marner does very well. This past season with Toronto, the star scored 27 goals and 75 assists.

While Marner will have plenty of suitors, it does seem that Anaheim could be a strong landing spot for the star forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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