(Image by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) The Anaheim Ducks are expecting something significant as they enter the 2025-26 season, which is a crucial year for the franchise. The team is currently hoping to reach the 2026 playoffs, and with Joel Quenneville leading a nearly new coaching staff and four major roster additions, the team’s clear goal is to reach the playoffs and end a seven-year drought. This year, the Ducks are entering a pivotal 2025-26 NHL season. Meanwhile, Lukas Dostal is the Anaheim Ducks’ starting goaltender who is going to make his debut at the 2025–26 campaign. At only 25 years of age, the Czech player is now positioned as the team’s current hope, as they expect to end its drought and make a comeback to the playoffs. Let’s take a look at how Lukas Dostal can become a pivotal player for the Anaheim Ducks.
Goaltender Lukas Dostal’s journey as an NHL player
Lukas Dostal is regarded as one of the top-tier goaltenders of the NHL, and his journey has been quite inspirational. From being a no-name goalie to carving his name among the NHL elite, Dostal’s journey has been incredible so far. As per reports, he is considered the tenth-highest-paid goaltender in the NHL, with his $6.5 million cap hit. Dostal now leads the next tier of highest-paid goaltenders, which includes more experienced veterans like Gibson ($6.4 million), Adin Hill ($6.25 million), and Jacob Markstrom ($6 million).
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In the 2024–25 season, Dostal was among the league’s top goaltenders. However, as the campaign progressed, his effectiveness declined, which might have been caused by exhaustion from playing more games than ever before or the difficulty of maintaining consistency while John Gibson struggled with recurrent injuries.Reports suggest that Dostal has a 42-58-13 record, two shutouts, and a.902 save percentage after 121 games in the NHL. He is a master at positioning, depending on calm judgment and acute angles. He seldom loses structure and does a lot of movement around the net. He is a calm player who knows how to deal with the pressure.
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How promising would Lukas Dostal be for the Anaheim Ducks?
According to BetMGM, he’s considered a long shot for the 2026 Vezina Trophy, sitting at +3500 and tied for 14th with Jeremy Swayman. The early frontrunners include the 2025 Vezina winner Connor Hellebuyck at +310, followed by Igor Shesterkin at +675 and Andrei Vasilevskiy at +750. Also read: Canucks’ Jake DeBrusk opens up on J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson’s rift Hellebuyck had an impressive 2024-25 season, boasting a 47-12-3 record, a 0.925 save percentage, and 39.6 goals saved above expected. Fans are waiting in anticipation to see Anaheim if they can stick to their strategy, from nurturing their young talent, providing strong leadership from the new coaching staff, ensuring reliability from veteran players, to maintaining top-notch goaltending from Dostal.