Anaheim Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek Named as Finalist for Jim Gregory Award – The Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

Anaheim Ducks general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek has been named as a finalist for the Jim Gregory Award. The award celebrates the best GM in the league, and Verbeek has certainly made a case for it this season. This is his first nomination, but not the first in franchise history. Former GM Bob Murray was a finalist for three seasons and won the award in 2013-14.

Verbeek is in his fifth season with the franchise and has been with the team since Feb. 3, 2022. Since his appointment, he has built up a collection of young talent that has ushered in a new era of Ducks hockey. When he took over, the team was in its fifth year of a playoff drought and desperately needed a morale boost and refresh. While the process was long and arduous, Verbeek was up for the challenge.

Draft Picks

Verbeek knew he had to make an impact with the team’s draft picks to build up a young core of players that would bolster the team’s future and help them on their way to winning again. In his first NHL Entry Draft in 2022, his notable picks were defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who is a regular in the Ducks lineup, as well as Nathan Gaucher, Noah Warren, and Tristan Luneau, who have been successful in the American Hockey League (AHL).

In 2023, he changed the fate of the up-and-coming Ducks by taking a chance on Leo Carlsson. Carlsson is now one of the team’s top offensive performers and has become a household name across the league. This season, he was second on the team in goals (29) and points (67). He also has 10 points in as many playoff games.

Verbeek drafted another member of the young superstars club, Beckett Sennecke, in 2024. Sennecke was not expected to be taken so early in the draft, but the GM rightly saw potential. Sennecke has been a standout rookie among the franchise and the league as a whole. He ranked third on the team in goals (23) and points (60) and is a Calder Trophy Finalist.

Verbeek further built up the team’s future by drafting Roger McQueen and Stian Solberg in the first round of the 2025 draft. McQueen — a high-scoring, fast forward who will only benefit a young, gritty, and hungry team like the Ducks — is expecting to make his debut next season. He. Solberg is a large, physical defenseman who will bolster the blue line as players like Radko Gudas or Jacob Trouba age out of the lineup.

Impactful Trades

Verbeek has made smart and impactful trades during his time as GM. Perhaps the most notable trade regarded the acquisition of Cutter Gauthier from the Philadelphia Flyers. The GM took a shot in the dark on a strong college hockey player at the loss of young defenseman Jamie Drysdale– and it worked out superbly.

Gauthier has been the team’s offensive leader this season with 41 goals and 69 points. In his rookie season, he had 44 points in 82 games; not a bad start, nothing like the explosion that was to come. Rarely does a game go by where Gauthier does not tally at least one point. He has been impactful in the playoffs too, with 10 points in 10 games.

Another notable trade came when Verbeek acquired veteran defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals, a late-night blockbuster that made waves around the hockey world. Carlson had been the strongest blue liner in Capitals’ franchise history and was expected to stick around Washington until retirement. He started off his time with the Ducks strongly, with 14 points in 16 games and six points in 10 playoff games. The team needed a strong two-way defenseman, and Verbeek found a way.

Verbeek’s ability to make a deal and trade strategically has helped shape the team into what it is today. They would have been unable to make the playoffs this season without players like Gauthier or Carlson in the lineup, among others. They also likely would not have had as much success if certain players, like John Gibson or Trevor Zegras, had stuck around. While they impacted the team positively during their tenure, their success had fizzled out, and it was time to move on. Verbeek has an uncanny ability to read players and make the right trades at the right time.

Success This Season

No one expected the Ducks to be a real playoff contender this season, but for the first time since 2017, they are making an impressive postseason run. Verbeek’s hiring of head coach Joel Quenneville made a massive impact as Quenneville was able to turn Anaheim from a bottom-of-the-standings team into a tough, competitive opponent in just one season. The Ducks consistently surprised their opposition with late-game comebacks and last-minute victories, a high level of physicality, and a stellar amount of offensive opportunities.

Anaheim climbed 21 points in the standings last season, which was impressive enough. However, they improved by an additional 12 points this season, finishing third in the Pacific Division. Their success carried them to a first-round playoff win, and they are in the midst of the second round versus the Vegas Golden Nights. Without Verbeek’s leadership and his keen mind regarding draft picks, trades, and staffing, the team would not have made it to where it is.

Verbeek joins Bill Guerin of the Minnesota Wild and Chris MacFarland of the Colorado Avalanche as the finalists for the award. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the season.