IRVINE ––The Ducks purged what was left of their previous administration in 2022 when they brought in general manager Pat Verbeek to slice and dice the roster with his blade pointed squarely toward the future. Not surprisingly, Verbeek's first full season on the job generated the worst point total in franchise history for an 82-game season. Year Two was to bring greater promise as prospects arrived along with a rookie head coach – albeit one in his 60s – but the Ducks' 59 points in the standings were only one point better than the year prior, while their 50 regulation losses added yet another ignominious franchise record to Verbeek's young tenure. With that, the Ducks have three burning questions to answer as they seek to halt their playoff drought at six seasons.