The Ducks will begin 2026-27 without one of their top players, the team confirmed Thursday, as Troy Terry will be out until the holiday season after undergoing surgery earlier this month.
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Terry will be sidelined for five to six months following his June 9 procedure to repair a right hip impingement and labral tear. Though Terry continued to produce and skate through every play, he was troubled by simple daily tasks off the ice from January though the Ducks’ May 14 elimination from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Though Terry and the team were vague about the injury, their second-round opponent found out anyway. At the 3:33 mark of Game 3, Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden laid a cross-check directly to Terry’s right hip/lower rib area.
After a three-point Game 6 to eliminate Edmonton in Round 1, Terry had just three in the entire series against Vegas, two of which came after the Howden hit.
At 28, Terry has been with the Ducks longer than any player on their current roster. He was selected by the team in 2015’s fifth round as the 148th overall pick. After winning a national title during his stretch at the University of Denver, he has spent his entire career, parts of nine campaigns, with the Ducks.
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His absence early next season will complicate matters from two significant standpoints. Despite missing 21 games and being limited for much of the season when he did play, Terry narrowly trailed Leo Carlsson for the team lead in points per game last year. Furthermore, he and Carlsson have both taken on more extensive leadership roles that could expand further next season.
Current captain Radko Gudas is an unrestricted free agent and just turned 36. Should he not return or take on a lesser role, it’s possible that the Ducks could be looking to stitch the “C” onto a different jersey when play resumes.
With the potential departure of former New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in free agency, Terry and Carlsson could be argued as the most logical choices for the role. Though Carlsson, 21, has been growing immensely as a player and person, including surmounting speech difficulty, Terry has been as communicative, compassionate and analytical as any player in the NHL.
Since 2018-19, Terry’s total of 342 points was 114 greater than the next most prolific Duck, former center Adam Henrique. He also leads the franchise in goals, assists and power-play points during that span.
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