NHL insiders believe the Anaheim Ducks locker room has the most toxicity in the league

The Anaheim Ducks find themselves at a crossroads.

Since their last postseason appearance back in 2018, the team has endured what could soon become seven straight years without playoff hockey.

For a franchise once synonymous with success, it's a harsh reality.

After years of rebuilding, one might expect progress to be visible.

But the outlook remains murky.

So far this season, early on under the guidance of second-year head coach Greg Cronin, the Ducks have stumbled badly.

The offense has been anemic, the defense is shaky, and the team's rising stars, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Cutter Gauthier, have yet to hit their stride, while veterans Cam Fowler, Robby Fabbri, and John Gibson have largely been absent from the impact column.

That frustration can be palpable, and it has started to spawn its share of rumors about dysfunction.

On this week's episode of 'Spittin' Chiclets', hosts Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonnette pulled no punches.

Bissonnette insisted he's heard Anaheim's locker room is "the most dysfunctional in the NHL," with whispers that Cronin might already be on thin ice due to a lack of support from his players.

If true, it's a grim outlook for a team desperately in need of some forward momentum.

A second reset after such a long rebuild would be catastrophic.

Progress isn't just desirable, it's imperative.

Still, glimmers of hope remain.

Rookie forward Leo Carlsson, 20 years old, resembles a cornerstone piece.

Goaltender Lukas Dostal, 24 years young, remains on an upward trajectory.

Hope, however, won't close the gap to playoff contention.

The Ducks will require a big turnaround, and a common direction if they are to regain their standing among the league's elite anytime soon.