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Anaheim Ducks Agree To Terms With Glenn Gawdin

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The Anaheim Ducks have added a top minor league player who might be ready for an NHL opportunity, agreeing to terms with Glenn Gawdin on a two-year deal, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. The deal will be a two-way contract in 2022-23 and one-way in 2023-24.

Gawdin, 25, has played just nine games in the NHL, all with the Calgary Flames. His play since entering the AHL however, has resulted in 148 points through 201 games and this deal is a reward for that strong play.

Whether he actually gets a chance to compete for a Ducks roster spot remains to be seen but with the club having just eight forwards signed to one-way contracts, there should be some healthy battles at camp.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Frank Vatrano

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The Anaheim Ducks have added some proven goal-scoring, signing Frank Vatrano to a three-year contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal will carry an average annual value of $3.65MM. Vatrano comes to Anaheim fresh off a successful (and brief) tenure with the New York Rangers.

After being acquired from the Florida Panthers in a mid-season trade, Vatrano had a combined 26 points in 42 games as a Ranger, including 13 goals. That’s a 25-goal, 51-point pace, and Vatrano’s $3.65MM AAV is likely an indication of how his strong finish to the season heightened his leaguewide profile. Before he came to New York, Vatrano was only valuable enough to net the Panthers a fourth-round pick in a trade.

In Anaheim, Vatrano will bring speed, tenacity, and goal-scoring ability. Vatrano can fly and is the sort of player who benefits from the increased emphasis placed on speed in today’s NHL game. If Vatrano can provide 20 goals, 15 assists, and the type of shift-to-shift energy he’s provided throughout his NHL career, this will be a solid market-price signing for the Ducks and GM Pat Verbeek.

Anaheim Ducks Hire Craig Johnson As Assistant Coach, Jim Johnson As Director Of Player Development

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The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have hired former NHLer and recent member of the Los Angeles Kings organization Craig Johnson as an assistant coach on Dallas Eakins’ staff. Though Johnson doesn’t bring with him any previous NHL coaching experience, he does bring a wealth of hockey knowledge and experience between his 10 year playing career, coaching experience at various other levels, as well as other roles in scouting and directing. Johnson has spent the previous four seasons in the Kings organization, serving as a development coach, a professional scout, and an assistant coach on the staff of the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ AHL affiliate.

One of the more intriguing aspects of this hire is Johnson’s ties to the southern California hockey scene. Johnson came to the Kings in February of 1996 as part of the deal that sent Wayne Gretzky to the St. Louis Blues. The forward would spend eight seasons in a Kings uniform before spending part of the 2003-04 seasons with the Ducks. Shortly after retiring from his playing career, Johnson became the head coach of Santa Margarita Catholic High School’s hockey team, which plays in the Anaheim Ducks High School Hockey League (ADHSHL), leading the team to three national titles during his tenure before joining the Kings organization. Craig’s son Ryan Johnson was a first round pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2019, becoming the second first-round pick in that draft to come out of the ADHSHL, along with the Philadelphia Flyers’ Cam York.

  • Craig Johnson was not the only Johnson the Ducks hired today, with the team also announcing the hire of Jim Johnson as Director of Player Development. Jim Johnson has held numerous roles in coaching between USA in the USNTDP and at several World Junior Championships, as well as in the NHL, spending time as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, San Jose Sharks, Edmonton Oilers, and most recently, the St. Louis Blues. In addition to his time behind the bench, he spent parts of thirteen seasons in the NHL, getting into 829 games as a defenseman.

Gibson's Agent Says Veteran Is Committed To Staying In Anaheim

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With the Maple Leafs being one of the teams that still need to add a starting goaltender, some have speculated that Ducks goaltender John Gibson could be a potential trade option for them.  However, his agent Kurt Overhardt told Sportsnet 590’s Nick Kypreos (Twitter link) that Gibson has “no interest” in playing in Toronto and is committed to staying in Anaheim.  Gibson has five years left on his deal with a $6.4MM AAV with a ten-team no-trade clause so even if the Ducks were inclined to move him this summer, the 28-year-old may be able to block a move.

Latest On San Diego Gulls Head Coaching Job

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The Pittsburgh Penguins had two franchise icons to re-sign this offseason, and today they finalized a deal with one of them: Kris Letang. With Letang’s extension finalized, the next priority for Ron Hextall and the Penguins is re-signing Evgeni Malkin. According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, getting across the finish line with Malkin and his agent, J.P. Barry, could be a challenge.

Per LeBrun, Malkin and the Penguins are “not on the same page” and Malkin is reportedly “ready” to hit free agency if the Penguins don’t offer him an extension with more than a three-year term. Malkin, 35, is coming off of a season where he was above a point-per-game, although his injury woes limited him to playing in only half of the Penguins’ 82 regular-season contests. Injury issues have plagued Malkin for years, and he has not reached the 70-game mark in any regular season since 2017-18. Malkin’s desire for more term is definitely reasonable, he’s such a widely-respected superstar that he could likely get a longer-term deal on the open market, and the Penguins’ desire to keep term down on an extension for their injury-prone, 35-year-old franchise legend is also understandable. It looks like a difficult, complicated situation for the Penguins to navigate, and it seems that the unthinkable possibility of Malkin playing for another NHL franchise is more realistic than it has ever been.

Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The San Diego Gulls’ next head coach seems to have been found. The Athletic’s Eric Stephens reports that “multiple sources” have told him that the San Diego Gulls will hire Ray Sommer as their next head coach, on a one-year deal. The contract is not yet finalized but once it becomes official the Gulls will be adding the AHL’s all-time winningest head coach. Sommer was previously the coach of the San Jose Barracuda and has been an AHL head coach since the 1998-99 season when he led the Kentucky Thoroughblades to the playoffs.
  • The Los Angeles Kings are beefing up their hockey operations department. Earlier this year they added a former GM to their front office ranks and now they’re adding another accomplished name: Manon Rheaume. Rheaume famously became the first woman to play in any of the four major North American professional sports leagues, when she suited up for the Tampa Bay Lightning for exhibition games 1992 and 1993. Rheaume will take an advisory role with the Kings.

Prospect Notes: Beck, Nelson, Lucius, Guhle

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Hockey Canada has made some changes to their National Junior Team summer development camp roster, from which the organization will select their contingent for the 2023 World Junior Championship in December. In lieu of San Jose Sharks defense prospect Gannon Laroque being unable to participate due to injury, Hockey Canada has added a pair of 2022 draft-eligible prospects in forward Owen Beck and defenseman Ty Nelson to their list.

Beck, ranked 33rd in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final scouting poll, netted 51 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads in 2021-22. The public opinion on him is rather skewed, with some listing Beck in the mid-to-late first while some have him deep within the second round. Regardless, he’s one of the better OHLers available in this year’s class. He’ll rely on his strong skating and transitional play to try and improbably work his way onto the final roster. Nelson, who hails from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion, was ranked 50th in McKenzie’s consensus rankings after a 51-point season.

  • A second Lucius brother has officially left the University of Minnesota program. 2022-eligible Cruz Lucius, the younger sibling of Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius, has switched his college commitment to rival Wisconsin. Cruz’s draft stock was hurt by injury this season, but he still managed eight points in six games for the U.S. at the U18 World Juniors and 25 points in 33 games with the U.S. National Development Team Program. If McKenzie’s consensus rankings are a proper indication, he’s slated to hear his name called in the mid-to-late third round.
  • Anaheim Ducks defense prospect Brendan Guhle won’t be staying in North America for 2022-23 after signing a contract with the DEL’s Eisbären Berlin. Guhle, originally selected 51st overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, will still belong to the Ducks organization if they issue the pending restricted free agent a qualifying offer. Guhle has just 65 NHL games to his name at this point, tallying 14 points. He had just seven points in 37 games last season in the AHL with San Diego.

Anaheim Ducks Interested In Josh Manson Reunion

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One of the most speculated-about scenarios at every trade deadline is one where a team, out of the playoff race, trades away an important pending free agent only to re-sign him a few months later. After all, why not lease the player for a nice deadline return of future assets, that make the team even stronger upon his return.

In practice, this rarely happens. Those deadline additions are either extended by their new team or reach free agency and suddenly find themselves surrounded by new suitors.

This year, it appears the Anaheim Ducks will be trying to pull off the unlikely scenario of bringing back a sold-off veteran. Pierre LeBrun reports on TSN’s Insider Trading that Anaheim has an interest in a reunion with Josh Manson, once his run to the Stanley Cup Final is finished with the Colorado Avalanche.

Manson, 30, has been a nice addition for the Avalanche, giving their defense corps some additional snarl while adding some nice (and likely unexpected) offense at key moments. As LeBrun notes though, it will be very difficult for Colorado to retain him, given how many other free agents they have on the roster–some of which they’re hoping to sign after the playoffs come to an end.

Meanwhile, Manson had seen his reputation around the league take a bit of a hit in recent years, as his minutes and effectiveness waned in Anaheim. That doesn’t mean the Ducks are done with him though, as he is extremely well-liked in that dressing room and could still be a nice veteran piece to help the team transition into the next phase of their build.

Currently carrying a $4.1MM cap hit, it will be interesting to see what Manson can command on the open market. His playoff performance has only driven his value back up but defensemen who don’t offer much offensively rarely get big paydays–at least in relative terms–in free agency.

Ducks Could Take Fliers On Young Talent This Offseason

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  • The Anaheim Ducks are entering what could be a transformative offseason under new general manager Pat Verbeek after the organization’s young talent took big steps forward in 2021-22. In a piece for The Athletic, Eric Stephens names a list of young players who the Ducks could take a flier on to add to that talent pool, including Carolina’s Martin Necas and Ethan Bear, Edmonton’s Jesse Puljujarvi, Detroit’s Filip Zadina, and Chicago’s Dominik Kubalik. All of them have been mentioned in trade rumors recently after falling down the depth charts of their respective organizations. With a lot of turnover expected in Anaheim this offseason, due in part to the retirement of captain Ryan Getzlaf, Anaheim could give a chance to one of these players to excel in more important roles.

John Gibson Denies He Wants To Leave Anaheim

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Last year, Ducks goaltender John Gibson didn’t exactly hide his frustration with Anaheim being a non-playoff team.  With a rebuild squarely in the works now, some have wondered if he’d be looking for a move this summer.  Asked exactly that by Eric Stephens of The Athletic, the veteran tried to pour cold water on that idea:

No. I want to win in Anaheim. I’ve been here and I’m happy to be here.

It wasn’t that long ago that the 28-year-old was viewed as one of the top goalies in the league but Gibson has had his struggles over the past few seasons.  Over the last three years, his save percentage has been either .903 or .904, marks that were below the NHL average.  He struggled mightily over the final three months of the season, posting a save percentage of just .876 as the Ducks went from being in the playoff mix to missing the postseason by 21 points.

Anaheim has missed the playoffs for the last four years and they haven’t made it past the first round since 2017 and there’s a good chance those streaks are extended next season following the exodus of several key veterans including defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, winger Rickard Rakell, and long-time captain Ryan Getzlaf.

However, there is a young nucleus in place headlined by centers Trevor Zegras and Mason McTavish, winger Troy Terry, and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  They will be able to add to that this summer with a pair of selections in the first round including the tenth-overall pick while they enter the offseason with over $39MM in cap space, per CapFriendly.  Brighter days should be on the horizon soon and it appears Gibson wants to still be around at that time:

When I signed my extension in Anaheim however many years ago, I said I’d be honored to play in the same city and be a part of the same organization my whole career. I still have all my intentions on doing that.

Gibson has five years remaining on his contract with a $6.4MM cap hit so if the Ducks are willing to keep him around that long, he won’t be leaving Anaheim for quite a while.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Pavol Regenda

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June 1: The Ducks have officially announced the contract, confirming the details reported yesterday.

May 31: The Anaheim Ducks have added to their young pool of talent, signing UFA forward Pavol Regenda to a two-year, two-way contract (link). The deal will pay Regenda $750K in the NHL in 2022-23, moving up to $775K in 2023-24, and $80K in the AHL both years, but does include bonuses. Overall, the contract carries an $855K salary cap hit and an $925K AAV for Anaheim. The 22-year-old Regenda had been undrafted in the NHL, but has impressed in his time playing in native Slovakia and representing his country, most recently at the IIHF World Championships this spring.

Though not much of a heralded name in NHL prospects circles, Regenda has proven his worth, making this an intriguing signing for the Ducks. Throughout his career, Regenda has performed at every level and role he has been placed in. The 6’3, 210 pound forward has spent the past two seasons playing with Dukla Michalovce in Slovakia, recording 11 goals and 14 assists in 50 games in 2020-21, taking a step forward and putting up an impressive 15 goals and 24 assists in 43 games this season. Internationally, he has represented Slovakia on a number of occasions, including at this year’s IIHF World Championships and the Olympics, where he was given a more prominent role, and did not disappoint. After a four point performance in seven games at the Olympics, Regenda posted six points, including five goals, in eight games at the World Championships.

Despite being undrafted, bringing in a player like Regenda is a smart move for the Ducks, who already boast one of the NHL’s best crop of young players and prospects. Of course it’s possible Regenda may not work out, however his ability to produce every step of the way so far, and being just 22 years of age, is a perfect recipe for a diamond in the rough. On a two-way contract with plenty of bonus potential, as well as a transitioning Anaheim roster, Regenda should have an opportunity to earn playing time with Anaheim this upcoming season, though it’s likely he will see plenty of time with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL, where he can learn the North American style and continue his development.

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