IRVINE — Some day, perhaps as soon as opening night next season, the Ducks will have a new captain. Some day, they will have two new alternate captains, new voices in the dressing room, on the bench and on the ice. Some day, the old core group will retire, sign elsewhere or be traded.

It’s the natural order of things.

Right wing Troy Terry sounded ready during an extended interview the other night to assume a greater role as a leader, as a member of a new core group of players as new Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek continues the rebuilding project Bob Murray began last season.

Terry, 24, has had a breakout season in 2021-22, recording career highs of 29 goals and 23 assists in 59 games. He is poised to lead the Ducks in scoring for the first time and, with his next goal, to become their first 30-goal scorer since Rickard Rakell had 34 in 2017-18.

“I feel like I’ve been a big part of the team, but I haven’t necessarily been a leader or a core group guy,” Terry said. “We’ve been lucky to have great veteran players and older guys, but it is something I relish and I don’t take it for granted. I think it’s something I’m more than capable of doing.”

At this point, with the trade deadline looming Monday, change seems inevitable.

“You never want to lose guys, but that’s something I’ve looked forward to, and it took me longer than I planned,” Terry said. “But I think, personally, I feel like I can be that guy. For me, working on it, is making sure I’m not getting frustrated, realizing if I show my frustration it has more of an impact on the team.

“Just approaching maybe everything I do a little differently. I think we have a lot of younger guys who are in the same boat and are more than capable of doing it. It’s just a matter of us getting together and acknowledging that this is the reality now and maybe we have to change a few things or act a little differently now.”

Jamie Drysdale, a 19-year-old rookie defenseman, isn’t in the same place as the more veteran Terry. But, just as it’s easy to envision Terry playing a significant leadership role for seasons to come, Drysdale has taken on additional responsibilities while still a teenager.

After all, in the wake of trades last week of defensemen Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins and Josh Manson to the Colorado Avalanche last week, Drysdale was teamed with veteran Cam Fowler to form the Ducks’ new top pair. Drysdale and Lindholm played together all season.

“I’m not too sure what’s going on,” Drysdale said. “I’m just kind of focusing on coming to the rink and doing my part, doing my job and moving on from there. So, obviously, I want to be a big part of this team for years to come. I’m just going to keep working towards doing that and becoming that.

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“We’ll see where that takes us.”

No matter what happens before or even after the trade deadline Monday, the Ducks won’t have the same makeup as they once did. Verbeek said last week he wants to “look at everything” when it comes to completing deals and changing the overall makeup of the Ducks’ roster.

“We’re starting to have a young group that’s being assembled here,” Verbeek said. ‘I’d like to add to that. I’m always looking for what I think can improve the team the most. When I look at the team, I’d like to improve our overall team speed. That’s one thing I’m looking to improve.”

FACTS AND FIGURES

The Ducks claimed right wing Gerry Mayhew off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers. He had six goals in 25 games with the Flyers and nine goals and seven assists in 24 games with Philadelphia’s AHL team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, this season. He was the AHL’s MVP in 2019-20.

Defensemen Urho Vaakanainen, acquired from Boston in the Lindholm trade, arrived too late to skate with the Ducks on Sunday, but is expected to join them for their morning skate Monday. He has been sidelined by an upper-body injury and was still on injured reserve as of Sunday.