Leo Carlsson #91 of the Anaheim Ducks (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In an exclusive and in-depth interview with RG, Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin touched on a variety of topics as he prepares for his second season behind the Ducks bench.
From Trevor Zegras needing to increase his compete level to budding star Leo Carlsson and to forming a team identity reminiscent of team general manager Pat Verbeek’s playing style, Cronin gives an inside look into the Ducks’ preparation for the 2024-25 season.
On Trevor Zegras becoming a complete player:
“It’s like anything. You learn to ride a bike, and you’ve never ridden a bike before, and you get up, and you gotta keep riding it until you learn how to conquer it,” Cronin said. “The competition for him hasn’t been at the top of the value system - and I don’t mean he doesn’t compete at all - but does he compete in those areas where he’s not really comfortable competing? Like net-front battles or wall battles. He’s so skilled and talented that he can use his stick as a tool to create offense. So, we’re just asking him to be a little stiffer in those areas I identified.
He knows now what he has to do, and he’s just gotta go out and do it. It’s like a value system. The highlight and finesse are a value of his core identity and a reflection of his natural ability. He has ridiculous hand and hand-eye coordination and an incredible IQ, and he will always have that. That’s not going to go away, but we’re just trying to get him to be more dynamic and adaptable in terms of what happens without the puck. You’re not going to have the puck the whole game, and there’s a lot of ice time when you won’t have it. So, it just boils down to us helping him become a physical threat in his non-possession ice time.
On Leo Carlsson:
“He’s just a great hockey player. He’s an elite player with a super-high IQ, strong, has a long reach and a long stride, fearless, and again, he’s not going to be the one initiating contact like a [Matthew] Tkachuk in Florida pinballing off of people, but he’s not afraid. He will initiate to win puck battles. What did surprise me was how great a skater he was. You know, you read those reports, and many people had his skating as ‘average.’ Well, it’s not average, it’s elite! He’s got separation speed through the neutral zone, he’s got a switch he can turn on in one-on-one puck battles, and his length makes him even more dangerous. So, that part of his game to me is something I didn’t expect based on prior reports.
I thought he’d be more of a methodical skater who just kind of went at the same speed that the traffic did, but he’s got breakaway speed.”
On why Ducks named Radko Gudas captain:
“People who are of an older generation remember [Ducks GM] Pat [Verbeek]. Pat was a pit bull, and he naturally identified as relentless and fearless. Those are all qualities that he represented as a player. I think even today, with hockey not as violent and physical as it was when he played, there is a need to have that type of player on your team. We have a young group that may need to have a little bit of support from that perspective. …and not just being intimidating but being mentally tough. When you go through adversity, you must manage it, and I think Radko represents that. That’s what he is. He’s not a ra-ra guy, and he won’t get up and give some big speech between periods, but he just leads naturally through his actions every day, and I think the players will really benefit from experiencing his compete level.”
On forming their identity:
“I think Pat has done a tremendous job of not just drafting acquiring skill but also grit and character. He’s got a plan in our core value system, and that plan is to compete. I think when you constantly compete, and it becomes a natural habit, you’re ahead of the game. So we don’t want to have to electrocute people to get them to compete consistently. That needs to be done from the outset. That’s how I believe it should be done, and Pat and I talk about this. To me, compete, and aggression are transferable habits.
Why don’t kids today just do it all the time? But I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole because that becomes a socio-economic thing, but I think you need it.
In any sport, you have to be tough mentally and physically if you want to win a championship. You have to be, and you have to do it all the time. You can’t just do it once or twice and say, ‘I’m playing hard,’ because that doesn’t equate. So, I think we identify with players who are naturally competitive and reliable. That’s the first step. Then, once you identify those guys, you need to make sure the guys that aren’t are aware of it. Then what can we do with an organization to arm them to get over that hurdle? And if they can’t get over it, then you need to make organizational decisions because it all goes back to reliability and dependability. There’s a time frame to that, too. Look at Sam Bennett. He’s not the same player he was in Calgary or Buffalo, but he found a way to adapt and change his game. So you have to have patience, but you also need to know if and when it won’t happen.
With 24 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, ESPN Boston, NESN, NHL.com, etc.) covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA and junior hockey, and more, Jimmy Murphy’s hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a wide array of hockey media personalities that have lived in and around this great game. For 22 of his 24 years as a hockey and sports reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins on a daily basis, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals. Murphy is currently a co-host, along with Pierre McGuire, on The Eye Test Podcast.
