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Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23

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Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)

Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)

F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)

Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)

G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)

Los Angeles Kings (via team release)

D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)

New York Islanders (via team release)

F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)

New York Rangers (via team release)

F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)

Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)

F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release)

F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via team release)

F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)

It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.

As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.

In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.

In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.

A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.

In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.

There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.

While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Chase De Leo Out Eight Weeks; Leo Carlsson Remains On Roster

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Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo will miss the next eight weeks after sustaining an MCL sprain during a Tuesday game against the Los Angeles Kings, per a team announcement. He sustained the injury on a knee-on-knee hit from Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev, whom the league suspended for four games today as a result.

  • Sticking with the Ducks, GM Pat Verbeek confirmed on a radio spot on SiriusXM today that the team envisions keeping 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson on the roster for the entire season. Verbeek wouldn’t commit to Carlsson being an everyday player, however, it seems he’ll get that shot out of the gate – multiple websites project Carlsson will slide into Anaheim’s top-six to begin the season, given the finger injury to free-agent signing Alex Killorn. The 18-year-old has had a strong camp and is coming off an incredibly strong draft year that saw him boost his stock into a top-four lock, recording 25 points in 44 games with SHL club Örebro HK and finishing off the season with five points in eight games for Sweden at the World Championship. He already has NHL size at 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds.

Anaheim Ducks Re-Sign Jamie Drysdale

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The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they have agreed to a three-year, $6.9MM contract with defenseman Jamie Drysdale. Projected to be one of the team’s top two defensemen headed into the 2023-24 NHL season, Drysdale would only play eight games last year, before shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum would keep him out of the lineup the rest of the season.

Rated as the third-best North American skater prior to the 2020 NHL Draft, Drysdale would be the second defenseman off the board, going sixth overall to the Ducks. Capping off an impressive two-year run with the Erie Otters of the OHL, Drysdale would finish off with a nine-goal, 38-assist performance in 49 games heading into his draft year.

Turning pro immediately, Drysdale would split his time during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 NHL season between Anaheim, and their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Showing some signs of growing pains at the NHL level, Drysdale would score three goals and five assists in 24 games for the Ducks in 2020-21.

Earning more playing time in his first full NHL season, Drysdale’s numbers dramatically improved during the 2021-22 season, scoring four goals and 28 assists in 81 games. Acquiring minutes on Anaheim’s powerplay unit as well, Drysdale would produce a total of 12 assists with the man advantage.

Throughout much of his career in the OHL, as well as a modest amount of NHL experience, there is no doubt that Drysdale has the capabilities to be a solid offensive contributor from the blue line. However, the Ducks will certainly be looking for Drysdale to grow his defensive attributes over the life of this contract, to become a more complete defenseman.

Over his 113 games at the NHL level, Drysdale has a commendable 101 blocked shots but also carries a 25/71 ratio in terms of takeaways/giveaways, as well as a career CF% of 49.1% and a oiSV% of 89.7%. Much of this could be attributed to the lack of talent surrounding Drysdale on Anaheim’s roster, but he will need to improve on this production nonetheless to become the defenseman the Ducks are hoping he can be.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Darren Dreger of TSN was the first to report Anaheim had signed Drysdale.

Ducks Sign Ben King To AHL Deal

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  • Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego announced the signing of Ben King to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick by the Ducks in 2022 (107th overall) but has exhausted his WHL eligibility.  After putting up 105 points in 2021-22, King’s production dipped to just 35 points in 30 games last season with Red Deer.  Anaheim has until June 1, 2024, to ink him to an NHL contract.

Waivers: 10/04/23

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10/05/23: Per Sportsnets’ Elliotte Friedman, all players on the waiver wire yesterday have cleared (X Link).

10/04/23: Teams continue to trim their rosters ahead of the regular season, which starts in just six days. That means multiple players will hit the waiver wire daily until opening night rosters are due, and today is no different. Per TSN’s Chris Johnston, 12 players were waived today at 1 p.m. CT, 11 of whom have NHL experience. As a reminder, a waiver placement is a prerequisite for qualified players for assignment to the AHL but not necessarily an indication that a demotion to the minors will immediately happen. NHL teams can send a player down to the minors within 30 days or 10 games played of the date the player originally cleared waivers. After that time, their waiver clock will reset, and they will need to clear again.

Anaheim Ducks

D Robert Hägg
D Colton White

Boston Bruins

F Jayson Megna

Buffalo Sabres

F Brett Murray

Minnesota Wild

F Jujhar Khaira
F Vinni Lettieri
D Dakota Mermis
F Nic Petan

New Jersey Devils

D Callan Foote

Nashville Predators

F Mark Jankowski

San Jose Sharks

D Leon Gawanke

Winnipeg Jets

F Jeffrey Viel

Training Camp Cuts: 10/04/23

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The start of the regular season is less than a week away, and clubs are narrowing down their opening-day rosters. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

G Calle Clang (to San Diego, AHL)
F Glenn Gawdin (to San Diego, AHL)
D Scott Harrington (released from PTO to San Diego, AHL)
F Nikita Nesterenko (to San Diego, AHL)
F Pavol Regenda (to San Diego, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

F Trevor Kuntar (to Providence, AHL)
F Marc McLaughlin (to Providence, AHL)
F Jayson Megna (to Providence, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Georgii Merkulov (to Providence, AHL)

Buffalo Sabres (via team release)

F Jiri Kulich (to Rochester, AHL)
F Brett Murray (to Rochester, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Isak Rosén (to Rochester, AHL)

Chicago Blackhawks (via CapFriendly)

G Jaxson Stauber (to Rockford, AHL)

Colorado Avalanche (via team release)

F Peter Holland (to Colorado, AHL)
D Nate Clurman (to Colorado, AHL)
F Oskar Olausson (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ondrej Pavel (to Colorado, AHL)
G Trent Miner (to Colorado, AHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Artem Anisimov (released from PTO, remains free agent)

Minnesota Wild (via team release) (supplementary release)

F Jujhar Khaira (to Iowa, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Vinni Lettieri (to Iowa, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Dakota Mermis (to Iowa, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Nic Petan (to Iowa, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Samuel Walker (to Iowa, AHL)
G Jesper Wallstedt (to Iowa, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release)

D Callan Foote (to Utica, AHL) pending waiver clearance
G Erik Källgren (to Utica, AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)

D Ronald Attard (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Ginning (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Tanner Laczynski (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Victor Mete (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Calvin Petersen (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Samu Tuomaala (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)

San Jose Sharks (via team release)

F Justin Bailey (released from PTO to San Jose, AHL)
D Leon Gawanke (to San Jose, AHL) pending waiver clearance

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Waivers: 10/02/23

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10/3/2023: Following yesterday’s list of the waiver wire, Johnston reports that all players on the list have cleared.

10/2/2023: Another large slate of players was placed on waivers today by a handful of teams across the league, with the regular season just eight days away. Today’s full list of players hitting the waiver wire comes courtesy of TSN’s Chris Johnston:

Anaheim Ducks

F Glenn Gawdin

Arizona Coyotes

F Travis Barron
D Cameron Crotty
F Jan Jeník
D Steven Kampfer
F Justin Kirkland
F John Leonard
F Ryan McGregor
G Matt Villalta

Boston Bruins

G Kyle Keyser

Calgary Flames

F Clark Bishop
G Oscar Dansk
F Ben Jones
D Colton Poolman

Colorado Avalanche

D Wyatt Aamodt
D Corey Schueneman

Dallas Stars

D Gavin Bayreuther
F Nicholas Caamano
F Fredrik Karlstrom
D Derrick Pouliot

Florida Panthers

F Rasmus Asplund
D Lucas Carlsson
F Gerald Mayhew

New Jersey Devils

F Kyle Criscuolo

Ottawa Senators (announcement arrived Monday night, meaning players may be officially on Tuesday’s waivers)

D Jacob Bernard-Docker
D Jacob Larsson
F Matthew Highmore
F Egor Sokolov

Philadelphia Flyers

D Louis Belpedio
F Adam Brooks
F Rhett Gardner
F Cooper Marody
D Victor Mete

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/23

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AHL training camps are beginning to kick into gear as NHL teams make some of their final training camp cuts. As always, we’ll keep track of those roster moves here.

Anaheim Ducks (via team release)

D Trevor Carrick (to San Diego, AHL)
D Drew Helleson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Tyson Hinds (to San Diego, AHL)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to San Diego, AHL)

Arizona Coyotes (via team release)

F Josh Doan (to Tucson, AHL)
F Curtis Douglas (to Tucson, AHL)
F Conor Geekie (to Wenatchee, WHL)
F Milos Kelemen (to Tucson, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Tucson, AHL)
D Patrik Koch (to Tucson, AHL)
D Vladislav Kolyachonok (to Tucson, AHL)
F Ben McCartney (to Tucson, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to Tucson, AHL)
F Austin Poganski (released from PTO to Tucson, AHL)
F Aku Räty (to Tucson, AHL)
F Nathan Smith (to Tucson, AHL)

Boston Bruins (via team release)

F John Farinacci (to Providence, AHL)
G Kyle Keyser (to Providence, AHL) pending waiver clearance

Chicago Blackhawks (via The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus)

G Drew Commesso (to Rockford, AHL)
D Louis Crevier (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dave Gust (to Rockford, AHL)
F Mike Hardman (to Rockford, AHL)
F Gavin Hayes (to Flint, OHL)
F Paul Ludwinski (to Kingston, OHL)
F Ryder Rolston (to Rockford, AHL)
D Filip Roos (to Rockford, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Rockford, AHL)

Colorado Avalanche (via Twitter)

G Arvid Holm (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ivan Ivan (to Colorado, AHL)

Dallas Stars (via team release)

F Francesco Arcuri (to Texas, AHL)
F Ben Berard (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
G Christopher Gibson (released from PTO)
D Artem Grushnikov (to Texas, AHL)
D Michael Karow (released from PTO to Texas, AHL)
D Christian Kyrou (to Texas, AHL)
F Kyle McDonald (to Texas, AHL)
F Keaton Mastrodonato (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO to Texas, AHL)
D Jacob Murray (released from PTO)
G Matt Murray (to Texas, AHL)
F Scott Reedy (to Texas, AHL)
F Matthew Seminoff (to Texas, AHL)
F Antonio Stranges (to Texas, AHL)
G Bryan Thomson (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin White (to Texas, AHL)
D Benjamin Zloty (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)

Florida Panthers (via team release)

F Liam Arnsby (to North Bay, OHL)
D Mike Benning (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Riley Bezeau (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Santtu Kinnunen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Ryan McAllister (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Evan Nause (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Calle Sjalin (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Zachary Uens (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Ludovic Waeber (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Jake Wise (to Charlotte, AHL)

Montreal Canadiens (via team release)

F Lias Andersson (to Laval, AHL)
F Philippe Maillet (to Laval, AHL)

New Jersey Devils (via team release)

F Kyle Criscuolo (to Utica, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)

New York Rangers (via team release)

G Louis Domingue (to Hartford, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Hartford, AHL)

Ottawa Senators (via team release)

G Kevin Mandolese (to Belleville,  AHL)
D Tyler Kleven (to Belleville,  AHL)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (to Belleville,  AHL)
F Zack Ostapchuk (to Belleville,  AHL)
F Cole Reinhardt (to Belleville,  AHL)

Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)

D Louis Belpedio (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Adam Brooks (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Matt Brown (released from PTO to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Brendan Furry (released from PTO to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Rhett Gardner (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Olle Lycksell (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Matteo Mann (to Saint John, QMJHL)
F Cooper Marody (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Victor Mete (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance

St. Louis Blues (via Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

F William Bitten (to Springfield, AHL)
D Wyatt Kalynuk (to Springfield, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Springfield, AHL)
F Matthew Peca (to Springfield, AHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release)

F Nicholas Abruzzese (to Toronto, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Luke Cavallin (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Nolan Dillingham (released from ATO to Toronto, AHL)
F Max Ellis (to Toronto, AHL)
D Matt Hellickson (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Dennis Hildeby (to Toronto, AHL)
F Roni Hirvonen (to Toronto, AHL)
F Braeden Kressler (to Toronto, AHL)
F Robert Mastrosimone (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Topi Niemelä (to Toronto, AHL)
F Dmitri Ovchinnikov (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jay O’Brien (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Vyacheslav Peksa (to Toronto, AHL)
D Matteo Pietroniro (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Marshall Rifai (to Toronto, AHL)
F Logan Shaw (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Neil Shea (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Tate Singleton (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Josiah Slavin (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Alex Steeves (to Toronto, AHL)
F Keenan Suthers (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Ryan Tverberg (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jonny Tychonick (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D William Villeneuve (to Toronto, AHL)
F Ty Voit (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Weiss (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)

Washington Capitals (via team release)

D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)

Winnipeg Jets (via Twitter)

F Colby Barlow (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Wyatt Bongiovanni (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Chaz Lucius (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Elias Salomonsson (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Danny Zhilkin (to Manitoba, AHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day

Anaheim Ducks Come To Terms With Trevor Zegras

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The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have agreed to a new three-year contract with restricted free-agent forward Trevor Zegras that will allow him to join the team prior to the beginning of the regular season. Elliotte Friedman tweeted that the new deal comes with an average annual value of $5.75MM and will carry him through the 2025-26 season. Friedman had said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that he felt the two sides were moving towards a resolution to the contract dispute, and it appears that he was indeed correct.

Zegras is already a star in the NHL and, at 22 years of age, may only be scratching the surface of his potential. In 180 NHL games, the center has 49 goals and 90 assists while producing countless highlight-reel moments. While there is little doubt that he displays elite offensive abilities, the Ducks were hesitant to commit to the young forward long-term. A three-year contract could ultimately come back to bite the Ducks if Zegras is able to develop into a superstar.

With a new deal in hand, Zegras can now focus on the remainder of training camp and getting himself prepared for what could be a very difficult season in Anaheim. The Ducks are expected to go through serious growing pains this year as they wait for many of their elite prospects to develop into NHL players. Zegras will be counted on to provide much of the scoring for the Ducks as they traverse some rocky waters in what could be one of the final seasons of their rebuild.

Locking up Zegras finally resolves what had been a rocky negotiation process by all accounts between the Ducks and Zegras. Few expected talks to drag out this late into the summer, let alone training camp, given the Ducks had the most salary cap space in the league after the dust settled on free agency. Reports from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie last month even suggested the Ducks were only offering Zegras between $3MM and $4MM per season on a bridge deal, but they’ve obviously significantly upped their offer here to get their star forward back around the team.

While the Ducks aren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot this season, they do need to improve on last year’s poor all-around showing under new head coach Greg Cronin. With news that marquee free-agent acquisition Alex Killorn is expected to miss the first month of the season with a broken finger, the team was down two forwards with shutdown center Isac Lundeström already sidelined due to an offseason Achilles tendon injury. Simply put, Zegras’ absence stretching into the season would have put them at even more of a disadvantage than normal.

Getting Zegras locked into a three-year term gives the Ducks a little more flexibility when his contract expires in 2026. A four-year or five-year deal would’ve been much riskier, walking him either directly to unrestricted free agency or just one year away, which could have forced a move if Zegras wasn’t willing to re-sign. Instead, Zegras will see his contract expire with two years remaining until he hits UFA eligibility, giving Anaheim a little more team control. That, combined with the bargain cap hit compared to other players in his age group with similar production, clearly marks this as a short-term win for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. Whether that plays out into long-term dividends is a different question, however.

Zegras projects to resume his role as the Ducks’ first-line center to begin the season, likely on a line with Adam Henrique to his left and Troy Terry to his right. After signing Zegras, the Ducks have roughly $10MM in cap space per CapFriendly’s projections, which are going off a 24-man roster – one player over the maximum size of 23. They still have young defenseman Jamie Drysdale to sign to a new deal before all their dominoes are in place, however.

PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this report.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Latest On Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale

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Elliotte Friedman reported today on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Anaheim Ducks and Trevor Zegras have made some small progress on a new contract between the two sides. He goes on to say that he doesn’t believe a contract is nearing completion, but he has the impression that they are taking steps in the right direction.

Zegras, a native of Bedford, New York, is coming off a season in which he posted 23 goals and 42 assists in 81 games and has posted back-to-back seasons of more than 60 points. Last year, however, his ability to drive play took a step back, and the defensive side of his game continued to leave a lot to be desired.

It appears the Ducks want to see more from the 22-year-old before offering a long-term deal, as they have agreed with Zegras on a three-year term, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading. What that cap hit will look like remains to be seen, but there does appear to be progress based on Friedman’s reporting.

Friedman also dispelled a rumor that the Ducks were under investigation by the NHL for the handling of defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s shoulder injury last season that caused him to fall two games short of accruing a season of eligibility toward arbitration rights. Friedman poured cold water on that rumor saying that he investigated it, and it was untrue. He did, however, add that there were some questions about whether Drysdale could have been healthy enough to play those two games to get his service year, but Friedman believes that there is no ongoing investigation into the matter. Furthermore, Friedman says that he doesn’t feel as though anyone is accusing the Ducks of doing anything underhanded, but the question is about whether Drysdale could have played the two games he needed.

Friedman then said that because Drysdale is two years away from being arbitration-eligible, the Ducks hold the leverage in this contract negotiation, and they are using it. Drysdale has very few rights other than to hold out for a new contract, and the Ducks have been using every tool available to them to make the most team-friendly deal that they can.

The 20-year-old Drysdale was held pointless last season, dressing in just eight games for the team. The season prior, when he was healthy, Drysdale had a breakout campaign with four goals and 28 assists in 81 games.

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