Anaheim Ducks Sign Blake McLaughlin

Despite the disappointment of his team being unable to capture the NCAA’s National Championship, having been eliminated in the semifinals, there is some good news coming for Minnesota Gophers winger Blake McLaughlin. The Grand Rapids, Minnesota native has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, the team announced. His deal begins in the 2022-2023 season and McLaughlin will join the AHL’s San Diego Gulls for the rest of this season on an amateur tryout agreement.

McLaughlin, 22, was the 79th overall selection in the 2018 draft and has played four seasons at the University of Minnesota. He was an instantly meaningful scorer for the team, scoring 20 points in 35 games as a freshman, and he finished this season as one of the team’s most important players, tying Toronto prospect Matthew Knies for second in team scoring with 33 points. (in 39 games) McLaughlin has impressed coaches throughout his career as a prospect with his work ethic and all-around ability, and the transition to the professional game should be more seamless for him than it is for some other prospects.

For the Ducks, by signing McLaughlin the team gets a well-developed prospect who is either already or close to being NHL-ready. The team already boasts significant young talent up front, led by stars such as Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry, so McLaughlin won’t be expected to shoulder a significant load, but with the game he plays, it wouldn’t be surprising if he got a look next to some more talented players to see if they have chemistry. Given that McLaughlin is a senior player and could have had the opportunity to hit the open market and sign wherever he pleased, securing McLaughlin’s signature on an entry-level deal is a nice bit of work by new GM Pat Verbeek.