Anaheim Ducks goalie prospect Olle Eriksson Ek has signed a two-year contract with the newly-promoted MoDo Hockey of the SHL, the team announced this morning. Eriksson Ek, who made his NHL debut this season, is a restricted free agent this offseason.
Twenty-three years of age, Anaheim selected Eriksson Ek with the 153rd overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. He’s split the last four seasons between the AHL’s San Diego Gulls and ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers, never terribly impressing with his numbers. This season was especially tough for him in San Diego, winning just two games in 20 attempts and recording a .852 save percentage and 4.81 goals-against average. In his only NHL appearance, a late-season start against the Arizona Coyotes, he stopped 34 of 39 shots,
MoDo’s release notes the signing has been a long time coming, saying there had been mutual interest between the two parties before the Allsvenskan playoffs had started. Eriksson Ek would have joined the club whether or not they had gained promotion. The team feels Eriksson Ek still has high potential but has been affected by his development (or lack of) in the Ducks system.
The question now revolves around whether Anaheim will issue Eriksson Ek a qualifying offer to retain his NHL rights in 2025 when his agreement in Sweden expires. Given his lack of tangible development over the past few seasons, Anaheim seems more likely to walk away from him altogether.