Salary Cap Deep Dive: Anaheim Ducks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2022-23 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Anaheim Ducks
Current Cap Hit: $63,657,667 (under the $82.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Jamie Drysdale (one year, $925K)
F Mason McTavish (three years, $894K)
F Trevor Zegras (one year, $925K)
Potential Bonuses:
Drysdale: $850K
McTavish: $2.5MM
Zegras: $850K
Total: $4.2MM
Simply put, these three are the centerpieces of Anaheim’s rebuild. Zegras played his first full NHL season in 2021-22 and finished second on the team in scoring, establishing himself as their top center in the process. An early extension is always possible but with only 99 career games under his belt, GM Pat Verbeek might want to wait on that. His next contract seems likely to check in around the $8MM range on a long-term deal, similar to the ones that Nick Suzuki and Josh Norris have signed recently. Worth noting, he will still have five years of team control after next season. As for McTavish, he didn’t look out of place in his limited NHL stint last year and his showing at the World Juniors shows that he’s ready for a full-time role in 2022-23. It’s obviously too early to forecast his next deal but they’re hoping he does well enough to be in that $8MM range as well.
Drysdale had some struggles in his own end last season but that’s hardly uncommon for a 19-year-old and overall, he had a solid first full NHL campaign. While it might seem that he should get a bigger role this season, that’s far from a guarantee with the veterans that will be ahead of him. That makes his next contract a bit tricky. Anaheim will certainly want to extend him on a max-term deal but it might be in Drysdale’s best interest to look for a two or three-year bridge deal; he also will have five years of team control remaining. He’d get more of a chance to play top minutes in 2023-24 so locking in long-term before getting that opportunity would carry some risk from an earnings standpoint.
Signed Through 2022-23, Non-Entry-Level
D Simon Benoit ($750K, RFA)
F Max Comtois ($2.037MM, RFA)
F Derek Grant ($1.5MM, UFA)
D John Klingberg ($7MM, UFA)
D Josh Mahura ($750K, RFA)
D John Moore ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Kevin Shattenkirk ($3.9MM, UFA)
G Anthony Stolarz ($950K, UFA)
F Troy Terry ($1.45MM, RFA)
Bridge contracts are often overlooked as they’re often by-products of a salary cap situation. That isn’t the case in Anaheim as the ones they signed were simply decisions to see how a player continues to perform before needing a big commitment. They’ll certainly be needing that big commitment for Terry as he had a breakout showing in 2021-22, scoring 37 goals and 67 points. For context, he had 15 goals in 128 contests heading into the season. A repeat performance would push Terry well past the $6MM mark on a long-term deal which is basically four times what his qualifying offer would be next summer. Anaheim will enjoy another season at a bargain price tag and will be paying up soon after.
At the opposite end of the spectrum is Comtois. He received a bridge deal even after leading the Ducks in scoring in 2020-21 and the first year of it didn’t go well. He struggled with his production and consistency which resulted in him dropping down the depth chart and even being scratched at times. Still just 23, they’re certainly not giving up on him but his contract is back-loaded which results in a $2.55MM qualifier next summer. A repeat showing next season will make the decision regarding his future a little trickier. As for Grant, he’s coming off a career year with 29 points and played like a capable third center. That’s a good return for that price point and if Anaheim is out of the playoff picture in February, he’ll be a strong candidate to move as a rental at the trade deadline.
The addition of Klingberg this summer certainly raised some eyebrows. His presence on the roster will make it a little harder for Drysdale to play an elevated role in the lineup but at the same time, the veteran is in a good spot to be productive and show that he’s worthy of the long-term commitment he was seeking this summer. Even so, that long-term contract will likely check in at a lower price tag than this one unless he really has a standout performance. It certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see him move at the trade deadline either. The same can be said for Shattenkirk who has re-established himself as a top-three defender with the Ducks but might be in tough to put up the type of offensive numbers that he’s accustomed to with Klingberg now in the fold which could hurt his market in free agency next summer. Moore was a cap casualty they had to take on in the Hampus Lindholm trade last season and he’ll be looking at a deal at or near the minimum next season while Benoit and Mahura will need to become full-time regulars if they want to make more than the minimum in 2023-24 as well.
Stolarz did well in his first full NHL season as a backup, posting an impressive .917 SV% in 28 appearances. With the way that backups have seen their price tags go up in recent years, if he’s able to play at a similar level next season, he could push for upwards of three times his current deal. Even if he takes a step back, double his current price could still be doable.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Sam Carrick ($850K, UFA)
F Adam Henrique ($5.825MM, UFA)
F Max Jones ($1.295MM, RFA)
F Isac Lundestrom ($1.8MM, RFA)
F Jakob Silfverberg ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Urho Vaakanainen ($850K, RFA)
Henrique had a rough 2020-21 season to the point where he cleared waivers but he was much better last season with 42 points in 58 games while winning over 55% of his faceoffs. That’s not a great return on his price tag but those are second-line numbers which is a better outcome than seemed possible just a season ago. He won’t be able to command that type of money two years from now though. The same can be said for Silfverberg, who’s coming off an injury-riddled year that saw him score just five times in 53 games. While he was a top-six winger at the time his deal was signed, he isn’t now. Carrick very quietly put up decent numbers in a depth role last season with 11 goals in 69 games after having just four in parts of five seasons before that. His contract is cheap enough to give Anaheim good value if he’s on the fourth line while if young players push their way into his spot, it can be buried in the minors.
As for the younger forwards in this group, Lundestrom did well in his first full NHL season, picking up 29 points and playing a big role shorthanded. Still just 22, he’s more of an unheralded part of their future plans and should be more of a bottom-six player moving forward but this was still a promising season. The bridge deal makes sense and if he can produce at a similar rate these next two years, his AAV could jump into the $3MM range. It’s safe to call the first year of Jones’ bridge contract a write-off as a pectoral injury limited him to just two appearances last season. If he can return as a capable bottom-six winger, there’s room for his price tag to go up a couple of years from now.
Vaakanainen was part of the Lindholm trade as well and while he hasn’t played up to the level of a first-round pick as he was in 2017, he showed some signs of progressing into a regular NHL defender. This contract has a chance to be a bit of a bargain as a result but with limited offensive upside, he’s not going to be someone to command big money down the road. Doubling his current AAV could be achievable if he can hold down a regular spot.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Frank Vatrano ($3.65MM, UFA)
Vatrano has largely gone under the radar but he very quietly has scored at least 16 goals in each of the last four seasons and is coming off his second straight 18-goal campaign which wasn’t bad considering he played just over 13 minutes a night. That type of money for someone whose role is that limited is a bit on the high side but he has been able to produce with some consistency with less ice time than players that hover around 20 goals typically get. That made for a pretty strong market for him last month which yielded this contract.
Dmitri Osipov Signs Professional Tryout
The Anaheim Ducks are bringing free agent Dmitri Osipov to camp this season, as CapFriendly reports he has signed a professional tryout with the club. Osipov has played with the Rockford IceHogs the last several seasons.
Now 25, the Russian-born Osipov has been on this side of the ocean for years now, including four seasons in the WHL with the Vancouver Giants (and half a year with the Brandon Wheat Kings). Having played defense for most of his career, he recently made the switch to forward to better utilize his huge frame and strong skating ability, which led him to rack up 84 penalty minutes last season for Rockford.
A big open-ice hitter, he still managed only three goals and five points for the IceHogs but will now try to catch on in the Anaheim organization as a physical depth presence.
Remember, professional tryout contracts do not lock a player in with a certain organization, meaning this is really a showcase for the entire league. Osipov could sign with any team, if they’re willing to give him an NHL contract.
John Klingberg Will Seek Long-Term Deal Next Summer
- Anaheim defenseman John Klingberg met the media, including Matt Weller of the Ducks’ team site, for the first time since signing with the team last week. He indicated that he had similar one-year offers from other teams that he was considering while reiterating his desire to secure a long-term agreement next summer. Klingberg had 47 points in 74 games with Dallas last season and will have a chance to play a big role with Anaheim next season. His full trade protection expires in January so if the Ducks are out of the mix near the trade deadline, he could be on the move in late February as well.
Ducks Prospect Traded In WHL
- Goaltender Gage Alexander, a 2021 fifth-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks, was traded by his WHL team today. His Winnipeg Ice shipped him to the Swift Current Broncos, in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick. Alexander, 20, is a promising six-foot-six netminder who hasn’t had the chance to get the a starter’s workload in Winnipeg. This is actually relevant news for the Ducks, as the conventional wisdom surrounding goalie development is that they need to get as many games played as possible. Alexander wasn’t in a position to play as a starter with the Ice, but he’s now in prime position to be his team’s number-one in Swift Current. With the Broncos’ starting goalie from last season, Isaac Poulter, departed for the pro ranks, Alexander will compete with Boston Bruins 2022 draft pick Reid Dyck for the starting role in Swift Current.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, announced the signings of four players today, each receiving one-year AHL contracts. The players are Jack Badini, Brett Budgell, Zach O’Brien, and Zach Solow. Solow and O’Brien are each accomplished ECHL forwards, both scoring at high levels in the third-tier league with limited success at the AHL level. Badini is a 2014 third-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks who got into 46 games with their AHL affiliate last season but played in an extremely limited role. The most interesting player in the quartet is Budgell, a 21-year-old forward who has served as the captain of the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders for the past two seasons. A decent scorer in each of his junior campaigns, Budgell really hit his stride in his final two years, as many CHL players do. He had 40 goals and 79 points in his final junior season, leading the Islanders on a run to the QMJHL finals. He will hope to make the Marlies this fall and translate his junior scoring to the professional game.
Anaheim Ducks Sign John Klingberg
The market for John Klingberg this offseason never did materialize as he had hoped, so he will try again next summer after signing a one-year, $7MM contract with the Anaheim Ducks. GM Pat Verbeek released the following statement about the signing:
We are extremely excited to add John to our group. John is a gifted player who can quarterback a power play and give us needed scoring from the blueline. He also adds veteran leadership and character to our team.
It didn’t take long for Klingberg’s new agency to get a deal worked out, after he switched to Newport Sports Management earlier this week. The 29-year-old defenseman had been looking for a seven-year deal on the open market but after two weeks of waiting, he’ll have to settle for a one-year, high-money contract to set himself up for next season.
There’s little doubt that Klingberg can be a difference-making offensive weapon but with a history of inconsistent defensive play and a tough season results-wise (he finished a -28, the worst of his career), there may have been hesitation from teams willing to hand out long-term deals. Players like Ben Chiarot and Erik Gudbranson, two heavy, physical defensemen, were able to secure multi-year contracts at a hefty price but the offensive-minded Klingberg will have to settle for the one-year deal and try to prove he can still be a top-pairing option.
Heading to Anaheim is an interesting choice, given what the team already has in place. Kevin Shattenkirk and Jamie Drysdale are already good puck-moving options on the right side, and Cam Fowler was the team’s leader on the powerplay in 2021-22. While Shattenkirk has just one year remaining on his deal and Drysdale is still just 20 years old, one has to wonder how the team will fit Klingberg into the mix, at least in terms of deployment.
In terms of potential upside? The Ducks are certainly that, with plenty of young talent buzzing all over the ice and a need for some veteran playmakers to add to the mix. The team already brought in Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano in free agency, showing that they’re ready to start competing again after adding some top prospects to the mix.
Most notably for Anaheim, perhaps, is that Klingberg could potentially be a top trade chip at the deadline, should the team not be quite ready to make the playoffs this season. Adding that kind of chip–a trade with retained salary would likely net at least a first-round pick–for nothing but a little offseason cap space is a savvy move from Verbeek. It’s worth noting that the deal only contains a no-trade clause until January 1st, PuckPedia reports. After that, it turns into a 10-team no-trade clause. The team wasn’t in any danger of putting themselves in a tricky cap situation, as before signing Klingberg they had nearly $26MM in space. It makes perfect sense for the team to spend some of it to add an asset to the organization, even if it will be for only a few months.
There is also the chance that Klingberg could sign an extension in Anaheim, though that would have to wait until January 2023 now.
Overall, this seems like a player who is trying to make the best out of a disappointing free agent result, and a team capitalizing on having cap space in a market that is so tight.
ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was the first to report the deal.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Anaheim Ducks Sign Nathan Gaucher
The Ducks signed Pavel Mintyukov, the first of their two 2022 first-round picks, earlier this month. Now, per a team announcement, the Ducks have inked Nathan Gaucher, their second first-round pick, to his own entry-level deal.
Gaucher, 18, was the 22nd pick at the 2022 draft, a pick that belonged to the Ducks thanks to the team’s trade of Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins.
Gaucher has spent the past three seasons playing for the Quebec Ramparts of the QMJHL. The big six-foot-three, 207-pound forward had 57 points in 66 games last season and 31 points in 30 games in the COVID-impacted 2020-21 QMJHL season.
Gaucher’s size, pro-ready playing style, and overall polished game is what makes him an intriguing NHL prospect. While he may not have true top-of-the-lineup offensive upside, his addition to the Ducks’ prospect pool gives them an even more promising future down the middle, where they have two talented centers in Mason McTavish and Trevor Zegras already in the mix.
With this entry-level deal signed, Gaucher will likely head to training camp and have the chance to make the Ducks’ opening-night roster. If the way the team handled McTavish’s development is any indication, if Gaucher has a strong camp he could get a nine-game trial at the NHL level before being sent back to the Ramparts for a fourth season there.
With Zegras, McTavish, Ryan Strome, Isac Lundestrom, and Derek Grant all already on the Ducks, the Ducks’ center corps is a bit crowded at the moment. But Gaucher will get his chance soon enough, and this entry-level deal indicates that the Ducks are hoping Gaucher takes an accelerated path to the NHL similar to their other recent top picks.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Olli Juolevi
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Olli Juolevi to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season, per the team. PuckPedia reports the contract has a $750K NHL salary and a $175K minors salary with $200K guaranteed. Juolevi will be a restricted free agent upon the contract’s expiration.
Since the Vancouver Canucks drafted Juolevi fifth overall in 2016, the Finnish defenseman simply hasn’t been able to make an NHL impact. His 2021-22 campaign may have been the most challenging and disappointing yet, registering no points in 18 games split between the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings.
Now on his fourth NHL team at age 24, Juolevi was actually left unqualified by Detroit this offseason, choosing to move on from the former top prospect. Injuries bogged down Juolevi in the minors and slowed his development, but the Ducks are hoping there’s something left in the tank for the all-around defenseman.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Isac Lundestrom
The Anaheim Ducks have avoided arbitration with restricted free agent Isac Lundestrom, reaching a two-year agreement worth a total of $3.6MM. Lundestrom was scheduled for the first arbitration hearing of the summer on Wednesday and would have had to file salary figures later today. That hearing will no longer be required.
While everyone was watching Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, and Jamie Drysdale in Anaheim this year, Lundestrom quietly had a strong season in his own right. He actually ranked fourth on the team in goals with 16 despite tough defensive deployment and showed he could be a real difference-maker on the penalty kill. His four short-handed tallies trailed only Alex Formenton and Trevor Moore (who both had five) for the league lead, and his other 12 goals all came at even-strength.
In more than 1,000 even-strength minutes, Lundestrom was on the ice for only 43 goals against despite starting just 135 of his nearly 1,500 shifts in the offensive zone. With Ryan Strome joining the team in free agency, it appears as though the 22-year-old will stay in that defensive role, for the time being, giving the Ducks a rather deep group down the middle.
At a $1.8MM cap hit, there is a real opportunity for some surplus value in this case too, especially if his knack for goal scoring continues. It also gives the team a chance to sign him to a longer deal down the road, as he’ll still be a restricted free agent at its expiry.
The Ducks don’t have many long-term commitments at this point, with only Strome, Cam Fowler, Frank Vatrano, and John Gibson signed to one-way contracts through 2024-25. With Zegras, Terry, and Drysdale now eligible for extensions, that could be changing soon. Getting Lundestrom locked in at a relatively low price will give the team a little more understanding of how much they have to work with next season.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet broke the news on Twitter.
Anaheim Ducks Extend Three Players
The Ducks have gotten a chunk of their outstanding offseason business done, signing three of their restricted free agents to extensions. The team announced deals for defensemen Simon Benoit and Urho Vaakanainen as well as for goalie Olle Eriksson Ek.
Vaakanainen, 23, received a two-year extension, the terms of which were not fully detailed in the announcement. Vaakanainen came to Anaheim as part of the mid-season Hampus Lindholm trade, and got into 14 games with the Ducks after being dealt there. Vaakanainen was the 18th overall pick at the 2017 draft and has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL defenseman. In that limited sample with the Ducks, Vaakanainen played in nearly 20 minutes of ice time per game and got a sprinkling of ice time on both the power play and penalty kill.
Vaakanainen may never develop into the shutdown top-four force he was drafted to be, but there is hope that he can become a defense-first bottom-pairing piece in Anaheim.
Benoit, 23, is an undrafted player who got into an impressive 53 games for the Ducks last season. Benoit got a one-year, two-way deal. A hulking six-foot-three, 200-pound physical force, Benoit steadily earned coach Dallas Eakins‘ trust and eventually saw time on the Ducks’ penalty kill. There isn’t much offense to Benoit’s game, and he had just five points in 53 games, but he’s got four seasons of professional hockey under his belt and should be in the mix for a similar role in Anaheim this fall.
Eriksson Ek, 23, is the brother of Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek and has been a developmental goalie project for the Ducks organization since he was drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 draft. Eriksson-Ek served as the backup goalie for most of the season playing for the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. He got into 26 games and went 7-15-2 with an .880 save percentage and a 3.44 goals-against-average. He got a one-year extension.
Latest On Anaheim Ducks Offseason
A little under three months remain until the start of the 2022-23 NHL regular season, but with the conclusion of the NHL Entry Draft and the first few days of free agency, things feel as though they’re mostly wrapped-up for many teams. At this point, signing some RFA contracts, evaluating what happened at development camp, and making a few more behind-the-scenes hires are all that is left for many organizations. However, as Anaheim Ducks GM Pat Verbeek made clear to Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register, his team is not done with their offseason additions (link).
Verbeek mentioned that he would like to add another forward and defenseman to the organization, but before doing so, he wants to make sure the players he brings in are a good fit. Whoever the Ducks add, if anyone, wouldn’t be the first of this offseason, the team making a splash on the opening day of free agency, signing forwards Frank Vatrano and Ryan Strome to three and five year contracts respectively. Signing the two veterans seems to mark a turning point for Anaheim, who has been pretty clearly categorized as a rebuilder for the better part of the previous four seasons, last making the playoffs in 2017-18.
Regardless of whether Verbeek wants to add more talent, the Ducks are going to have to look to add salary considering they currently sit just under $9.3MM below the salary cap floor. Anaheim’s cap situation is not for a matter of trying, considering their signings of Vatrano and Strome, but they will have to find additional salary to take on. before the start of the season. Many of the most prized UFAs on the market have since signed, but two, who will command a significant salary, remain: forward Nazem Kadri and defenseman John Klingberg. However, neither has been connected to Anaheim thus far.
With the talk of Anaheim needing to add salary, failing to give qualifying offers to forwards Sonny Milano and Sam Steel would seem to be a counter-intuitive decision. However, Verbeek told Teaford, “It boiled down to role. What role would they play and did it make sense with the dollars?” The GM added that their individual mixed results also played a role in his decision. Both former first-round picks, Steel finished this season with six goals and 14 assists in 68 games, while Milano had a somewhat of a breakout season, tallying 14 goals and 20 assists in 66 games.
Finally, Verbeek discussed his hiring of Craig Johnson as an assistant coach, noting that he felt Johnson would be a key piece in developing their players. As Verbeek said, “I don’t subscribe to the idea that once you’ve made the NHL that development time is over.” That sentiment is of course very relevant for Anaheim as they work their way out of this rebuild, expecting to be lead by a young core including Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, and Jamie Drysdale.