- Ducks sophomore Mason McTavish is out Friday against the Oilers with an upper-body injury, head coach Greg Cronin said. It’s unclear whether this is a recurrence of the upper-body injury that sidelined McTavish for seven games in December. The 2021 third-overall pick looks well on his way to holding down a long-term center spot in Anaheim’s top six, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 13 goals and 31 points in 43 games. His 54.2 faceoff win percentage is the highest on the team, and while his possession metrics this season are mediocre, they don’t suggest he’s been a defensive liability.
Ducks Rumors
Alex Killorn Resumes Skating
- Ducks winger Alex Killorn skated before practice today as he works his way back from knee surgery, relays Derek Lee of The Sporting Tribune (Twitter link). The 34-year-old had the procedure two weeks ago and it carried a four-to-six-week recovery period. While he didn’t stick around for Anaheim’s full practice, the fact Killorn is back on the ice is a promising sign that his return date could come closer to the earlier part of that range. He has 19 points in 34 games so far this season, his first with the Ducks.
Frank Vatrano Hoping To Remain With Ducks
- Ducks winger Frank Vatrano is having his best season, notching 36 points in 50 games already to secure an All-Star spot. With one year left on his contract at $3.65MM and Anaheim in a firm rebuild, some have wondered if the 29-year-old could be a trade candidate. Speaking to reporters on All-Star Media Day including Forever Blueshirts’ Jim Cerny, Vatrano acknowledged the situation is out of his hands but that he’d prefer to remain with the Ducks. That said, teams looking for some scoring help on the wing and don’t want to pay a high price tag for a rental will likely be calling about Vatrano over the next few weeks.
Afternoon Notes: Lindholm, Zellweger, Hertl
The Vancouver Canucks are hoping that Elias Lindholm can stick around, with the team’s President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford sharing that, “Lindholm could be a rental. He could be a long-term guy. In an ideal world, we’d like to keep him.” The Canucks acquired Lindholm on Wednesday, sending the Calgary Flames Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, and a first and fourth-round draft pick in return.
Lindholm’s contract extension has been heavily discussed throughout the season, with reports from the summer sharing that he could be asking for as much as $9MM per year on a new deal. That’s likely changed after what’s been a slow season for Lindholm, who has only managed nine goals and 32 points through 49 games – continuing his decline in scoring since scoring a career-high 42 goals and 82 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 season. The 29-year-old will look to regain his former scoring touch – and his value on an extension – now on a Vancouver Canucks team that ranks second in the league in scoring.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Anaheim Ducks have sent top defensive prospect Olen Zellweger to the minor leagues. This move is likely to get Zellweger ice time while the Ducks have an eight-day break for the All-Star Break. Zellweger has appeared in the first four NHL games of his career since getting the first recall of his career on January 23rd. He’s recorded one assist and a +2 in those outings, still looking for the first goal of his career. The 20-year-old is in his first pro season, after spending the last four seasons in the WHL. He’s had a hot start to his professional career, ranking third among rookie AHL defensemen in scoring with 25 points through 34 games.
- Top San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who has been out for the team’s last two games, shared with media that he will play in Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game. This will be Hertl’s return from a lower-body injury that’s held him out since January 27th. The 30-year-old has scored 15 goals and 34 points through 48 games this season, leading the Sharks in both categories.
Adam Henrique Could Reunite With The New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils have expressed interest in Anaheim Ducks centerman Adam Henrique, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast. The Devils were the team to draft Henrique, taking him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft. He played out his rookie season in 2011-12, appearing in 74 games and scoring 51 points – the seventh-most a Devils rookie has ever scored. Henrique would go on to play eight seasons and 455 games with the Devils, serving in a pivotal role as the team’s second-line center and averaging around 18 minutes of ice time. He even served as an alternate captain for the team from 2015 to 2017.
The Devils dramatically parted ways with the centerman in November of 2017, trading him to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Sami Vatanen and a 2019 third-round pick used to select Daniil Misyul. Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick used on Blake McLaughlin were also sent to Anaheim. Henrique has been with the Ducks ever since, playing in seven seasons and 423 games with the club. That includes 48 games this season – with Henrique boasting 15 goals and 32 points, ranking him third in scoring on the Ducks and, if he joined them, the Devils. The 33-year-old has scored at least 40 points in every season where he’s played at least 50 games – a mark he’s on pace to continue this year.
The Devils would relish in the chance to find an apt replacement for absent centermen Jack Hughes and Michael McLeod. Their missed games have left team captain Nico Hischier with a lot of responsibility – though he’s managed it in stride, with 28 points in 36 games this season despite facing injuries of his own. Still, Henrique would relieve Erik Haula as the team’s second-line center, and provide yet another goal-scorer to a Devils team that already has seven players with 10 or more goals on the season.
Henrique is in the last year of his five-year, $29.125MM contract signed with the Ducks in 2018. He carries a manageable $5.825MM cap hit.
Trade Deadline Primer: Anaheim Ducks
With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We start our look around the league with the Anaheim Ducks.
At this point of the season, there aren’t many teams that are going to be sure-fire sellers. The Ducks are one of the exceptions. GM Pat Verbeek’s squad is right in the heart of a full rebuild and after a surprisingly good start, they’ve fallen off as of late and are well out of the playoff picture. Of course, they at least have some strong core pieces to build around and while they likely won’t be able to add any of those in the coming weeks, they should be able to add to their prospect cupboard and pick up an extra draft pick or two.
Record
16-30-2, 7th in the Pacific
Deadline Status
Seller
Deadline Cap Space
$35.446MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2024: ANA 1st, ANA 2nd, BOS 2nd, ANA 3rd, PIT 3rd, SJ 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th, ANA 7th
2025: ANA 1st, ANA 3rd, ANA 4th, ANA 5th, ANA 6th, ANA 7th
Trade Chips
The likeliest Duck to move is Adam Henrique. It wouldn’t have been surprising to see him be dealt last season but an injury put an end to that fairly quickly. The 33-year-old is believed to be drawing strong interest already, understandably so in a center market that isn’t particularly deep at the moment. Henrique has been one of the top scorers for Anaheim this season with 15 goals and 15 assists in 45 games while being an all-situations player who also is winning over 53% of his faceoffs. This is the type of player who ticks off a lot of boxes for what a contender is typically looking to add at this time of season. At $5.825MM, the cap hit is going to be somewhat prohibitive, even with 50% retention so some creativity might be needed but there will be a strong market for the veteran that should net Verbeek a solid return.
When Frank Vatrano signed a three-year, $10.95MM contract with Anaheim back in 2022, it raised some eyebrows as he had only reached the 20-goal mark once. However, it proved to be a worthwhile move as he had a career year last season and should beat those numbers in the coming weeks to set new benchmarks. His value might not get any higher while whoever gets Vatrano would also have him for next year so if the opportunity is there to cash in, Verbeek could look to take it. Trevor Zegras was in trade speculation before he broke his ankle and while a move could be the eventual outcome, it feels like that might be more of a summer swap over trying to move him as he’s just coming back.
One possible under-the-radar candidate to move could be Isac Lundestrom. The center just came back from a torn Achilles tendon and has been quiet, producing at a similar level to last year, one that was a big step back. With Anaheim’s depth down the middle and a $1.8MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights looming, it’s fair to wonder if the Ducks might consider going in a different direction. If that happens, he could be moved for another young player in a change of scenery type of move.
On the back end, Ilya Lyubushkin might be the only one to move (with Jamie Drysdale having already been dealt). The 29-year-old was added as a rental player two years ago by Toronto and fit in well on their third pairing and it’s fair to think teams will be looking to add some grit once more. The return might not be the highest as he’s on an above-market deal but they should be able to pick up a draft pick and perhaps even beat the fourth-rounder they gave up to get him.
Then there’s John Gibson. The netminder has been in trade speculation going back a few years now and frankly, until one happens, he’s going to likely continue to be in that speculation moving forward. The 30-year-old has shaved nearly a full goal off his GAA this season while a .900 SV% on a rebuilding squad isn’t bad the way that stat is trending. However, a $6.4MM cap hit through 2026-27 will be an issue. Sure, the Ducks can retain 50% but in terms of real money, that’s more than $10MM in salary they’d owe to someone not playing for them. How much is that worth in a return? Couple that with a goalie market that has teams mostly bargain-hunting and it would be a bit of a surprise if a deal gets done although teams will certainly call.
Other Potential Trade Chips: F Sam Carrick, F Jakob Silfverberg (a $5.25MM AAV will limit his market though), G Alex Stalock
Team Needs
1) Young Wingers: With Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Zegras in the mix, Anaheim is set down the middle for a while. They have a young core group of defensemen and while odds are all won’t pan out, they should have a good core group. On the wing, however, it’s a bit thinner, even with the Cutter Gauthier acquisition. If there’s an opportunity to get a young winger in any of these moves, it would certainly help to shore up that portion of the prospect pool.
2) Draft Picks: While Anaheim has ten picks so far this season, they only have six for 2025 and between the two years, they don’t have any extras in the first or second round. Some rebuilding squads have a multi-year surplus of selections and the Ducks aren’t there yet. They can at least take a step in that direction before March 8th.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anaheim Ducks Recall Olen Zellweger
The Anaheim Ducks have recalled defenseman Olen Zellweger from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, per a team announcement. Even though the Ducks already have six defensemen ready and able to play this evening, Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that Zellweger could make his NHL debut tonight, as he was a full participant in practice this morning.
Zellweger originally came to the Ducks organization as the 34th overall selection of the 2021 NHL Draft. Mostly playing for the WHL’s Everett Silvertips during his Junior career, Zellweger played parts of five seasons, scoring 50 goals and 183 points in 180 games. In the playoffs, Zellweger’s offensive prowess was relied upon even more, where he scored 13 goals and 38 points over 20 postseason games.
Outside of being productive for the Silvertips and Kamloops Blazers, Zellweger was a part of Team Canada’s U20 team in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 World Junior Championships, winning the gold medal in both tournaments. In both of those gold medal runs, Zellweger suited up in 14 games, scoring two goals and 17 points, being one of the better defensemen on Team Canada’s roster.
Now having fully transitioned to professional hockey, Zellweger has spent the entire season up to this point with the Gulls and has played as advertised. Although San Diego is not playing well overall as a team, Zellweger has played in a total of 34 games, scoring eight goals and 25 points, which is good for second on the team in scoring.
In desperate need of defensemen even before the trade of Jamie Drysdale, the Ducks will now attempt to use one of their highly touted prospects to fill some of the gaps on the blue line. Proving to be an effective two-way defenseman in the AHL, there is a reasonable chance that Anaheim will utilize Zellweger to replace the lost minutes of Pavel Mintyukov, who was placed on the team’s injured reserve on January 11th.
Lyubushkin Scratched With Upper-Body Injury
- The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin was scratched for their game tonight against the Rangers due to an upper-body injury. The 29-year-old has been a regular on Anaheim’s third pairing all season long, logging over 17 minutes a night in 45 games. While the pending UFA only has four assists, he also has contributed 117 blocked shots and 71 hits and is likely to attract some interest from playoff-bound squads looking to toughen up the back end of their defense corps in the coming weeks.
Ducks Receiving Strong Interest In Adam Henrique
Now less than two months before the trade deadline, teams are starting to get a sense of what might be out there on the trade front. Early indications are that it’ll likely to be a relatively thin center trade market on the trade front. Between that and his strong track record, the Ducks are receiving a lot of trade interest in middleman Adam Henrique, reports ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link).
The 33-year-old has been a consistent second-line center for the past decade, reaching the 20-goal mark six times, the most recent of which was last season. He’s on pace to come close to that this year with 12 goals and 14 assists in 44 games; his 26 points rank fourth on Anaheim.
Of course, Henrique is also known for his two-way play as he has been a dependable matchup center and penalty killer for most of his career, a trend that has continued this season. He’s averaging nearly three minutes a night shorthanded and is over the 50% mark at the faceoff dot for the sixth straight year.
With an ability to play up and down the lineup, it comes as little surprise that the interest in Henrique has been strong. He’d slot in nicely on the third line on several contenders and could fit on the second line on a team that’s a bit more balanced while also giving a big boost on the penalty killing side. Players with the ability to do that are often coveted for the stretch run.
However, it must be noted that Henrique is on the pricey side from a salary cap perspective as his cap hit checks in at $5.825MM, an amount that matches his salary this season. While Anaheim can hold back half of that to help facilitate a trade, that would only pay down the pro-rated cap charge to $2.9125MM, an amount that would be difficult for some cap-strapped teams to take on. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Ducks get asked to take a player back to help offset the rest of the cost or to try to get a third team involved to hold back another chunk of Henrique’s contract. Either way, expect his name to be in the rumor mill for the foreseeable future as he’s a strong bet to be moved by the March 8th deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alex Killorn To Undergo Knee Surgery
Alex Killorn’s first season with the Ducks has been somewhat of a struggle due to injury and the veteran will be out for a while once again. The team announced that the winger will undergo arthroscopic left knee surgery next week and he is expected to miss the next four to six weeks.
The 34-year-old signed with Anaheim in free agency, inking a four-year, $25MM contract, good for the highest AAV ($6.25MM) among any forward to sign on the open market this summer. However, his start to the year was delayed due to a fractured finger sustained in the preseason, one that caused him to miss nearly a month.
Since returning in early November, Killorn has played as expected. While no one should have been anticipating another career year offensively, he was brought in to be a stabilizing presence in Anaheim’s top six and play alongside some of their younger talents. He has done just that while still contributing at a reasonable clip, notching six goals and 13 assists in 34 games while taking a regular turn on both special teams units.
With the injury just being announced, the Ducks have not yet placed Killorn on injured reserve. However, with the team carrying a full-sized roster right now, he’ll likely land on IR in the near future, freeing up a roster spot to bring someone up from AHL San Diego.