The Ducks have signed restricted free agent defenseman Drew Helleson to a two-year contract, the team announced. The deal is worth $2.2MM with a cap hit of $1.1MM, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Helleson had previously elected salary arbitration, but he avoided a hearing with today’s settlement. Anaheim’s other arbitration case this offseason, No.1 goaltender Lukas Dostal, settled yesterday with a five-year, $32.5MM contract as a result.
The 24-year-old quietly emerged as a full-time option on the Ducks’ blue line last season, particularly late in the year. He started the year with AHL San Diego but remained on the roster for the rest of the season after a November recall, making 56 appearances and recording a 4-9–13 scoring line with a +6 rating.
That last stat is noteworthy, considering the Ducks had a -8 goal differential at 5-on-5 and a -44 goal differential overall. That number led all rookie defensemen, but advanced metrics don’t back it up. Helleson’s 43.1% shot attempt share was subpar, even on a weak possession team in Anaheim, and he didn’t see challenging deployment.
Nonetheless, the 2019 second-round pick has now established his floor as a No. 6/7 option in the NHL and will continue to serve in that capacity for the Ducks for the next two seasons. While initially drafted by the Avalanche, Anaheim acquired his signing rights in 2022 as part of the Josh Manson trade. He turned pro months later after finishing his junior year at Boston College.
Helleson always projected as a shutdown defenseman at the NHL level. The results were there for him as he averaged 16:21 per game last year with 73 blocks and 99 hits, but his possession play needs to improve for him to flourish as a quality stay-at-home piece with penalty-killing upside. Perhaps a system change under incoming head coach Joel Quenneville can help accomplish that feat.
The Minnesota native will be 26 years old upon expiry, keeping him under Anaheim’s control as an RFA in 2027. Whatever his next contract is, it will allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Ducks still have $21.4MM in cap space for 2025-26 with a projected roster size of 21, according to PuckPedia. They still have two notable unsigned RFAs, forwards Sam Colangelo and Mason McTavish, neither of whom was eligible for arbitration.
Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.