Summer Skate: Anaheim Ducks

Although the weather doesn't necessarily make us think of winter pursuits, it's a good time to take the temperature of every NHL team. Hockey Prospectus will guide us through the league-wide tour and spotlight one player trending up and one player trending down for each club, as well as a key statistic as we look ahead to the 2014-15 season. References will be made to goals versus threshold (GVT), a Hockey Prospectus proprietary statistic; for more on GVT, click here. All other advanced stats are courtesy of Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

On the back of amazing seasons by their two superstars, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, the Anaheim Ducks held off the uber-talented Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks to win the Pacific Division in 2013-14. In the playoffs, however, their shortcomings were exposed. Anaheim used three different goaltenders, ultimately putting its Stanely Cup hopes on the shoulders of rookie John Gibson, who held strong until being beaten by the Kings 6-2 in Game 7 of the conference semifinal.

The Ducks' goaltending wasn't their only issue. They lacked the top-end talent to handle the second lines of the Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. If he stays healthy, Ryan Kesler will be the solution. The Ducks went all-in by trading Nick Bonino, Luca Sbisa and two draft picks for the former Selke Trophy winner.

The trade combined with Getzlaf and Perry heading toward the end of their primes makes Anaheim one of the top "win now" teams in the league. Anything short of a Stanley Cup finals appearance will not be enough.

Trending Up: Ryan Kesler, F

Last season: 5.0 GVT
VUKOTA Projection: 6.3 GVT