The Ducks have agreed to terms with general manager Pat Verbeek on a multi-year contract extension, the team announced Friday. The team has also promoted assistant GM Mike Stapleton to associate GM, with the title of senior VP of hockey operations added.
It’s a welcome reward for Verbeek, who’s built a good chunk of the current Ducks roster that has the franchise on the verge of its first postseason appearance in eight years. He took over at the top of Anaheim’s hockey ops department in February 2022 after spending several years under Steve Yzerman as an assistant GM with both the Lightning and the Red Wings.
Since then, he’s been aggressive in his pursuit of finishing up the Ducks’ rebuild. He’s made six first-round selections during that time. With Nathan Gaucher making his NHL debut recently, four of them have already logged game action. Two of them, Leo Carlsson in 2023 and Beckett Sennecke in 2024, are already among the team’s top three scorers. The other name in that mix, Cutter Gauthier, was the fifth overall pick in 2022 by the Flyers, but Verbeek acquired his signing rights in exchange for Jamie Drysdale two years later.
Over the past couple of offseasons, he’s been busy trying to insulate his still-developing young core with experienced talent. He’s made free-agent splashes for Mikael Granlund, Alex Killorn and captain Radko Gudas while weaponizing his cap space to acquire beleaguered names like Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba. His open-market record has been something of a mixed bag, but his trade history, particularly over the past two seasons, is difficult to argue with. He capped all of that work off by acquiring a likely Hall-of-Fame defenseman in John Carlson, albeit as a potential rental, at this year’s trade deadline.
Of Anaheim’s top 10 scorers, Verbeek has signed, drafted, or acquired seven of them. It’s fully his team now, especially after making his mark behind the bench last summer with the hiring of Joel Quenneville. As such, Ducks ownership had no intention of letting him reach the end of his contract without a new deal. Owners Henry and Susan Samueli said Verbeek has “turned the Ducks into what we believe are perennial contenders for the next decade.”
As for Stapleton, his promotion secures his Anaheim tenure should extend meaningfully into its second decade. The veteran of 697 NHL games never suited up in Orange County during his playing career, but has only been with the Ducks in his front-office work.
After several years of coaching in the OHL and AHL, Anaheim picked Stapleton up as a pro scout back in 2014. He was promoted to the team’s director of player personnel in 2022 before Verbeek bumped him up to an AGM role two years later.
True story, my fourth grade teacher in Sarnia was Pat Verbeek’s cousin. Six degrees of separation and all that.
THE Little ball of hate, Pat Verbeek. I had heard that Alex Killorn likes Verbeek so much, He’s calls him Santa Claus.
Covered the Whalers when Verbeek was there, he was the original Brad Marchant. Small in height, big in spirit, and huge in nose.
Verbeek has proven to be one of the best GMs in the NHL. His signing of Gauthier and hiring coach Q are the highlights. Signing Killorn was probably his biggest misjudgment, but many other GMs would have wanted that to be their worst decision.
So anyone thinking of hiring proven failures like Treliving, look elsewhere for first-time guys. They’ll come cheaper and, most likely, better.
While Verbeek has won some deals he has also come across meh on some as well. Zegras for Poehling and picks is very meh. Gauthier cost them Drysdale and a 2nd. Drysdale and a 2nd for a guy who refused to sign there is a bit rich. But Gauthier has been a nice addition so far. Time will tell how those 2 deals alone will finish. I wouldnt call what he has done a complete win, but he hasn’t completely failed yet. Coaches and GM’s are only hired to eventually fail after all. Can’t call what he has done so far a failure.
Zegras had to be traded after 2 disastrous seasons in Anaheim. His body language last year indicated that he didn’t want to be there. He’s also always been poor defensively while Poehling’s defensive numbers are excellent.
Drysdale and a 2nd for Gauthier workout out superbly for the Ducks. And just because Gauthier refused to sign with the Flyers didn’t mean that there was no competition to sign him.
But Killorn isn’t worth 6.25M*4.
Sorry, but I think you are looking at all situations with rose tinted glasses. As someone who isn’t a fan of either Ana or Phi I think its a win-win set of trades. Both teams got better. Both teams lost somethings and Both teams gained some. Zegras had 2 years of injuries reducing his ability. But yes was a defensive problem. Poehling fits the 3C position, and is better defensively. Gauthier has worked out in Ana, but like Zegras in Ana, maybe didnt want to be where he was. the picks will figure out if the deals worked out evenly.
Looking at it from an outside perspective.
If it was a win-win set of trades as you are saying, it was a win for Anaheim, and therefore Verbeek.
Those sets of trades. As you said, there are other items to be discussed. Such as Killorn. And many others who may or may not have been beneficial overall. Like I said, I am not a fan for or against the Ducks. Selanne however is my all-time favorite player.