Early look The full preview opens on Tuesday 15 December, three days before puck drop, with the expected goalies, the latest team news and game-day prices. Until then this page shows the matchup as it stands.
Early look · NHL 2026-27

Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild: game preview

Puck drop18 Dec · 8:00 PM ET
VenueGrand Casino Arena
All-time meetings104 completed
BasisLast 5 meetings + 2025-26
The thesis

Twelve points apart last season

Anaheim finished last season 18th in the league on 92 points. Minnesota finished 7th on 104.

Game-day prices arrive with the afternoon snapshot, about 4:30 PM ET on the day of the game.

Head-to-head

Meeting number 105

Across 104 completed games, Minnesota lead the head-to-head 55-41-8.

All-time record55-41-8Minnesota's record in the series
Meetings played104This is number 105
2025-26 series—
Last 55-0Minnesota
DateResultShotsPower playWinner
14 Apr 2026ANA 2 – MIN 3——MIN
2 Jan 2026MIN 5 – ANA 2——MIN
15 Nov 2025ANA 0 – MIN 2——MIN
15 Apr 2025ANA 2 – MIN 3 OT——MIN
6 Dec 2024MIN 5 – ANA 1——MIN
Head-to-head finder

The table on each 2025-26 meeting night

DateAnaheimMinnesota
15 Nov 202511-6-1 · 23 pts7th8-7-4 · 20 pts23rd
2 Jan 202621-17-3 · 45 pts16th25-10-7 · 57 pts3rd
14 Apr 202642-33-6 · 90 pts19th46-24-12 · 104 pts7th

League rank after that night's games; a longer bar is a higher place. On 15 Nov 2025, Anaheim were 7th in the league and Minnesota 23rd. By 14 Apr 2026 it was 19th and 7th.


Where the shots come from · last 5 meetings

Anaheim out-attempted Minnesota 196 to 188

Every attempt from the last meetings, both teams shooting right.

Anaheim Ducks

196 att · 93 on goal · 4 G · 4.3%
Crease14 att · 1 G
Slot68 att · 2 G
Wing80 att · 1 G
Point33 att · 0 G
Neutral zone1 att · 0 G

Minnesota Wild

188 att · 84 on goal · 10 G · 11.9%
Crease12 att · 2 G
Slot72 att · 4 G
Wing62 att · 3 G
Point31 att · 0 G
Neutral zone11 att · 1 G
GoalOn goalMissedBlocked

Expected goals

Anaheim have created the better chances, last 10 games

Shot quality both ways: expected goals weigh every unblocked attempt by its chance of scoring. Finishing above zero means more goals than the chances.

AnaheimMinnesota
2.19xG for per game3.01
3.49xG against per game2.83
38.6%xG share51.5%
+2.6FinishingGoals minus expected goals−0.0
+2.0GoaltendingExpected goals against minus goals allowed+3.5

This season: 2 games for Anaheim, 3 for Minnesota. Small sample: early-season xG moves a lot from night to night.

Every team’s xG →


Special teams

Power play and penalty kill, season and series

This season's rates first, then 2025-26 and the last meetings between the two. Power-play chances are counted from the penalty log with coincidental minors cancelled; faceoffs are each club's wins over draws taken.

All bars share one scale · 0–100%SeasonLast meetings

Anaheim

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2750.0%
Power play · 2025-2618.6% · 23rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-2785.7%
Penalty kill · 2025-2676.4% · 27th
Faceoffs · 2026-2743.9% · 50/114
Drawn · 2026-276 (3.00/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-277 (3.50/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Minnesota

Small sample
Power play · 2026-2736.4%
Power play · 2025-2625.2% · 3rd
Power play · last 5 meetings—
Penalty kill · 2026-27100.0%
Penalty kill · 2025-2679.8% · 16th
Faceoffs · 2026-2748.0% · 84/175
Drawn · 2026-2711 (3.67/gm)
Drawn · last meetings0 (0.00/gm)
Shorthanded · 2026-279 (3.00/gm)
PP goals · last meetings0

Skaters

Skaters to watch

Each club's top three forwards and defencemen by points this season, with 2025-26 one tap away.

PlayerGPGAPP/GP
91Leo Carlsson21452.50
61Cutter Gauthier22242.00
64Mikael Granlund21121.00
97Kirill Kaprizov33031.00
20Blake Coleman31120.67
Points leaders
PlayerGPGAPP/GP
67Tristan Luneau20110.50
47Noah Warren20110.50
43Quinn Hughes31341.33
46Jared Spurgeon31231.00
3Olli Maatta30110.33
Defencemen stats

Goaltending

Who has stopped this matchup

Save percentage in the last meetings by goalie. Starters are confirmed on game day.

Expected startersAn estimate until the teams confirmEvery game tonight →

Expected starter after their game on 16 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Expected starter after their game on 15 Dec: a back-to-back depends on who plays that night.

Anaheim crease

ANA · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Dec

Lukas Dostal.9182 GP · 2-0-0 · GSAx +2.0

No appearances against Minnesota in the last meetings.

Minnesota crease

MIN · 2026-27 Starter estimate from 15 Dec

Jesper Wallstedt.9333 GP · 2-0-1 · GSAx +3.5

No appearances against Anaheim in the last meetings.


Totals

Scoring rates point to about 6.4 goals

No total is posted yet: it arrives with the game-day prices. Until then, the scoring rates and the recent meetings set the range.

Goals in the last 5 meetings

14 Apr 20265 · ANA 2–3 MIN
2 Jan 20267 · MIN 5–2 ANA
15 Nov 20252 · ANA 0–2 MIN
15 Apr 20255 · ANA 2–3 MIN
6 Dec 20246 · MIN 5–1 ANA

Bar length is total goals, coloured by the winner.

Scoring rates

Team26-27 GF26-27 GA25-26 GF25-26 GA
Anaheim3.502.503.333.51
Minnesota3.001.673.322.93

Goals for and against per game. The estimate averages each team’s scoring with the other’s goals allowed, and leans on 2025-26 until a team has played 20 games.

Scoring rates suggest6.4Goals in this game
Last 5 meetings5.0Goals per game
Line—No total posted yet
Books at the line—With the game-day prices

Team news

6 on the injury lists

Anaheim · injuries

Drew HellesonLower BodyIRReturn7 Oct
Ian MooreLower BodyIRReturn16 Oct
Troy TerryHipIRReturn21 Nov

Minnesota · injuries

Brock FaberSkullIRReturn15 Oct
Filip GustavssonHipIRReturn1 Nov
Nick FolignoUpper BodyDay-to-dayReturn8 Oct
1 Oct · ANA

Signed D Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension.

30 Sep · ANA

Reassigned C Roger McQueen and C Cruz Lucius to San Diego (AHL). Recalled D Noah Warren, D Ian Mitchell and D Tristan Luneau from San Diego. Placed D Drew Helleson on injured reserve. Moved RW Troy Terry from the non-roster list to long-term injured reserve.

27 Sep · ANA

Placed G Laurent Brossoit and D Travis Mitchell on waivers.

24 Sep · MIN

Waived for the purpose of assignment to Iowa (AHL) Ds Matt Kiersted, Carson Lambos, and Roman Schmidt and Fs Caedan Bankier, Dylan Gambrell, Justin Kirkland, Tyler Pitlick, and Mason Shaw. Assigned Ds Ben Dexheimer and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg and Fs Jagger Joshua, Hunter Haight, Riley Heidt, Rasmus Kumpulainen, and Rieger Lorenz to Iowa.

14 Jul 2026 · MIN

Signed G Filip Ruzicka to a three-year, entry-level contract.

13 Jul 2026 · MIN

Signed D Filip Ruzicka to a three-year contract.

Injury report
#15Nikita KlepovRound 1 · SaginawRW
#28Marcus NordmarkRound 1 · Djurgarden Jr.LW
#45Jayden KurtzRound 2 · RogersD
#50Mathis PrestonRound 2 · VancouverRW
Full draft
#83Adam AnderssonRound 3 · Leksand Jr.C
#112Kayden LemireRound 4 · Prince GeorgeRW
#137Filip RuzickaRound 5 · BrandonG
Full draft

Updated after every final