Buddy Robinson Clears Waivers
March 3: Robinson has cleared waivers and can now be assigned to the minor leagues.
March 2: The Anaheim Ducks have placed Buddy Robinson on waivers today, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. This is his second time on waivers in 2021-22, after clearing just before the start of the regular season.
Given that Robinson, 30, has played in 23 games for the Ducks this season, he needed to go on waivers again before heading to the minor leagues. The 6’6″ winger doesn’t play much, but you notice him when he’s out there for Anaheim, racking up hits and generally imposing his will on the opposition physically.
Robinson has even set a career-high with four points this season, taking his total to seven through 44 NHL games. He also has two fighting majors and 43 hits, while averaging fewer than ten minutes a night.
If a team is looking for some size, he can certainly fill that role, but with a limited amount of upside at the NHL level and a whopping $400K minor league guarantee, it seems unlikely that a team would want to nab Robinson at this point. He is much more valuable in the minor leagues, which any claiming team wouldn’t be able to send him until getting him through waivers themselves.
More On Anaheim Ducks Deadline Strategy
Since the beginning of the season, even before Pat Verbeek took over as general manager, the Anaheim Ducks have been one of the most talked-about teams in the league when it comes to potential trades. Rickard Rakell, Josh Manson, and Hampus Lindholm, all on expiring contracts, could be huge pieces that move at next month’s deadline. The Ducks meanwhile are still in a playoff hunt, even with their recent struggles. The team is at 25-21-9 on the season and just three points out of a divisional playoff spot, let alone the wildcard race.
Recently, reports emerged that the team has reached out to Lindholm’s camp to try and make progress on a potential extension. The question then became whether the team would try to continue those negotiations through the trade deadline if a deal hadn’t yet been hammered out. Verbeek made it pretty clear how he feels about that while speaking with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic:
I think going into this, I’m looking at it like we could make the playoffs, we could miss the playoffs. At the end of the day, there’s no guarantee I can get those three free agents back. I’m going to attempt to sign them, if it doesn’t happen, I just can’t let them walk out the door free.
With just three weeks to go before the March 21 deadline, the Ducks have nine games to show Verbeek whether they’re true playoff contenders–though that may not even matter. They could win all nine and it seems as though the new GM would have to move on, should extensions not be on the table with Rakell, Manson, and Lindholm.
For Anaheim, this isn’t just one crucial player that they might normally keep for a stretch run. These are three sought-after talents that could bring back assets that could drastically change the direction of the franchise. Lindholm alone will bring back a huge package if he’s dealt, especially if an acquiring team believes they can sign him long-term. At 28, he is still in the prime of his career as a true first-pairing defenseman capable of playing in all situations. Averaging nearly 23 minutes a game, Lindholm has 20 points in 53 games, plays hard defensive matchups, and logs plenty of time on the penalty kill.
Manson and Rakell too could bring back substantial packages, if lesser ones than Lindholm. The former is a tough-as-nails defensive defenseman that punishes attackers in front of the net and in the corners, though his offensive upside is limited. The latter, a two-time 30-goal scorer, is having a nice bounce-back season with 14 goals and 25 points in 45 games and could likely slot into the top-six on several contenders. The fact that all three of them come at reasonable cap hits–Lindholm at $5.2MM, Manson at $4.1MM, and Rakell at $3.8MM–makes them a possible target for almost anyone, especially if the Ducks ate a bit of salary for the post-deadline stretch of games.
The Ducks already have a wave of young talent making an impact at the NHL level, making this a crucial set of decisions for Verbeek that could have a serious impact on the league’s playoff picture for years to come. There’s no guarantee that any future picks or prospects ever turn into someone like Lindholm, and taking him out of this lineup could have serious ramifications. Fans of the team should be happy to hear that their big assets aren’t going to be allowed to walk away for nothing though, which would certainly seem like the worst of the three possible outcomes in this situation even if they do make a playoff run this season.
Anaheim Ducks Hoping To Extend Hampus Lindholm
Time is ticking on Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, who now has fewer than one month to make a decision on whether to trade or hold onto some of the most sought-after pending free agents in the league. Rickard Rakell, Josh Manson, and Hampus Lindholm are all on expiring contracts and could bring back quite a few assets on the trade market, but are also key members of a Ducks team that is trying to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018.
There is of course the possibility that the Ducks extend any one of those players before the deadline, taking out any risk of losing them for nothing in the offseason. That appears to be the tactic Verbeek is trying to take with Lindholm, as Pierre LeBrun explained on TSN’s Insider Trading:
When you talk to other teams around the league, they view Hampus Lindholm as the number one rental defenseman on the market–if he is indeed on the market. One of the first things that Pat Verbeek has done is reach out to Lindholm’s camp, led by agent Claude Lemieux, and start the process of seeing if there is enough common ground to sign an extension before the trade deadline, to remove Hampus Lindholm from the trade market. That would be a heartbreaker for a lot of teams who would love to throw some assets at Anaheim for a player who plays 23 minutes a night on the top pairing.
Earlier in the segment, Darren Dreger had noted that the Toronto Maple Leafs could now be interested in Lindholm after Jake Muzzin‘s recent injury, though they will have to take their time to see what his recovery timeline is like. Of course, the Maple Leafs wouldn’t be the only team interested in the 28-year-old Lindholm. One of the most consistent two-way performers in the league since the moment he entered the NHL, Lindholm has 20 points in 50 games this season while playing in all situations. There’s no one that averages more even-strength ice time on the Ducks than the 6’4″ defenseman, and he has shown an ability to contribute both on the powerplay and penalty kill.
If you’re looking for someone who can reshape your entire defense corps, Lindholm is the kind of talent you can target. Though with any player like that, it will come at a cost. Not only will Lindholm cost you a big package at the deadline, but any team hoping to extend him after acquiring him would need to put a huge offer forward. Just recently, Eric Stephens of The Athletic suggested that on any extension, the pending free agent defenseman would be looking at a raise over the $6.75MM he earns this season, making him a huge commitment to any team, including the Ducks. Lindholm himself told Stephens that being on a competitive team in the playoffs is important to him, something that Anaheim is still chasing.
The Ducks currently sit just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, two points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final wildcard spot. That’s with 52 games played though, the most in the league and two more than both Los Angeles and the Edmonton Oilers, who currently hold the final spot in the Pacific Division. With a negative goal differential on the season and a so-so record recently, it’s not clear that the exciting Ducks will be able to actually take that next step and contend this season.
It does seem that playoff contention is coming though, with young talents like Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, Isac Lundestrom, and Jamie Drysdale already showing how dynamic they can be at the NHL level. Third-overall pick Mason McTavish will be there soon enough to help, meaning on a long-term deal, Lindholm could certainly expect several years of postseason play in Anaheim.
Anaheim Ducks Part Ways With Dave Nonis
The Anaheim Ducks continue to make changes in the leadership of their front office, as Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports that Dave Nonis has left the organization. Nonis had been with the Ducks since 2015, taking on the AGM role three years ago.
Anaheim has completely revamped its front office since Bob Murray resigned from the position of GM last year. Recently, they named Pat Verbeek his full-time replacement after a search was conducted with Jeff Solomon serving in the interim. Scott Niedermayer was also added as a special advisor after helping with the search and will work directly with Verbeek.
Nonis, meanwhile, will now be a candidate for other openings around the league. The long-time executive served more than a decade with both the Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs before joining the Ducks, often connected to Brian Burke, now the president of hockey operations in Pittsburgh. Nonis’ name has also been connected to other jobs over the last few years, including Philadelphia’s search in 2018 that ultimately ended with Chuck Fletcher.
Last night, the Ducks showed exactly the type of team they have been all year. Wildly exciting at both ends of the rink, winning a 7-4 match against the Vancouver Canucks that included three points for budding star Trevor Zegras. The new management has some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks and it appears as though Nonis will not be part of those discussions any longer.
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 for the 2021-22 season and beyond with contract statuses as of the beginning of the year. 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: $70,352,981 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Simon Benoit ($809K this season)
D Jamie Drysdale ($925K through 2022-23)
F Trevor Zegras ($925K through 2022-23)
Potential Bonuses:
Benoit: $82.5K
Drysdale: $850K
Zegras: $850K
Total: $1.7825MM
Zegras has certainly outperformed his entry-level deal. While they’re still sheltering him a little, he’s effectively Anaheim’s top offensive center now and a centerpiece to build around for the future. We’ve seen teams move quickly to try to sign these players to max-term contracts and it stands to reason that new GM Pat Verbeek will be doing so here. Montreal’s recent extension for Nick Suzuki (eight years at just under $8MM per season) is one that will inevitably come up in those discussions. As for the incentives, he has a chance at reaching all four of his ‘A’ bonuses but other than time on ice, the other ones should come down to the wire.
Drysdale’s first full NHL season has had some ups and downs but more of the former than the latter which is good for a 19-year-old blueliner. He’s another player Verbeek may want to sign to a long-term contract but unless Drysdale takes a big step forward next season, it may be difficult to find a price point where both sides are content with the risk (paying too much too soon for Anaheim and giving up on potentially higher earnings for Drysdale). A short-term bridge deal could fall in the $4MM range while a long-term pact could be double that. The youngster has a chance of getting two or three of his ‘A’ bonuses. As for Benoit, he’s logging light minutes in a depth role and players like that often sign their second contract for a fairly low AAV in exchange for one-way money. He’s a strong candidate for that type of deal.
Signed Through 2021-22, Non-Entry-Level
F Sam Carrick ($750K, UFA)
F Nicolas Deslauriers ($1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Getzlaf ($3MM, UFA)
F Ryan Kesler ($6.875MM, UFA)
D Jacob Larsson ($1.2MM, RFA)
D Hampus Lindholm ($5.206MM, UFA)
F Isac Lundestrom ($874K, RFA)
D Josh Manson ($4.1MM, UFA)
F Sonny Milano ($1.7MM, RFA)
F Rickard Rakell ($3.789MM, UFA)
F Buddy Robinson ($750K, UFA)
F Sam Steel ($874K, RFA)
Potential Bonuses:
Getzlaf: $1.5MM
Let’s get Kesler out of the way first. He’s on injured reserve but is eligible for LTIR since he isn’t coming back and his playing days are over. They don’t need to make that placement unless they’re in need of cap space and they’re not going to need that. There has been some talk that a team already in LTIR may be interested in him to expand their LTIR pool so that’s something to keep an eye on.
Getzlaf has had a nice bounce-back season. He still isn’t scoring much but his playmaking is still making him one of their better offensive contributors. He’ll be 37 in the spring and will likely be going year-to-year from here on out which will keep him eligible for incentives as he has now. A similar contract for him in the summer is certainly reasonable. Rakell is an interesting pending UFA when it comes to the trade deadline. He has two 30-goal seasons under his belt but 2017-18 was the last time he scored that many times; it’s also the last time he scored 20. That makes his value a little difficult to pin down. His career numbers say he’s a scoring winger that’s owed a nice raise but his more recent ones have him more of a second-line player in line for a smaller raise to around $4.5MM or so.
Despite suffering an upper-body injury that has kept him out for nearly a month, Milano already is having a career year despite his role not changing all that much. He’s eligible for salary arbitration with a $1.8MM qualifying offer. His track record isn’t the best which should limit an award but an extra million or so should be achievable. Deslauriers is one of the last true enforcers in the league. The need for them is dying down but he plays well enough to log a regular shift which should allow him to get a similar contract this summer. Robinson and Carrick are serviceable role players but neither have done enough to command much more than the minimum at the NHL level.
Steel and Lundestrom both signed their qualifying offers as bridge contracts to try to prove themselves. It has worked well for Lundestrom as he has become a regular in the middle six while playing full-time down the middle. He isn’t producing a lot so he’s not going to want a long-term contract this summer but with arbitration eligibility, doubling his AAV is a realistic goal. It hasn’t worked well for Steel, however. He hasn’t produced enough to move into a more prominent role and he’s not the type of player that thrives in a limited role. He’ll get a small raise but probably not much more than that.
Lindholm remains an under the radar number two defender. His offensive numbers rarely stand out but he’s no slouch at that end while being very strong defensively. At 28, he’s still young enough to command a max-term deal and with the role he plays, he can add a couple of million on his current price tag. Manson is another significant rental on the back end. However, he hasn’t been able to duplicate the offensive output he had in 2017-18; he basically has as many points in parts of four seasons combined since then. That will limit his market somewhat. He’s still physical, strong in his own end, and a right-shot defender so there will be plenty of interest but it would be surprising to see his price tag go much larger than $5MM. Larsson has spent most of the season in the minors but gets a mention here as Anaheim can’t clear his full contract off the books when he’s with San Diego. They may attempt to get him to sign for less than his qualifying offer to keep him around but otherwise, he’s a non-tender candidate.
Signed Through 2022-23
F Max Comtois ($2.0375MM, RFA)
F Derek Grant ($1.5MM, UFA)
D Josh Mahura ($750K, RFA)
D Kevin Shattenkirk ($3.9MM, UFA)
G Anthony Stolarz ($950K, UFA)
F Troy Terry ($1.45MM, RFA)
A year ago, Comtois was in the middle of a career year and led the Ducks in scoring. It looked like he had established himself as a capable top-six power forward but the bridge deal showed some uncertainty as to whether he could play like that on a long-term basis. That hesitance proved to be accurate as Comtois has struggled mightily this season and has gone back to more of a reserve role. Lots can change but for now, a long-term contract in 2023 seems unlikely. Instead, a one-year deal or a medium-term pact that buys out one or two UFA years may make more sense. Grant is a serviceable depth center that’s making too much for the role he fills. He should be able to get another contract after this one but it should be closer to the $1MM mark. As for Terry, he has clearly impressed this season and is Anaheim’s leading scorer by a considerable margin. All of a sudden, he has gone from a role player to a top liner and if he can keep this up, a long-term contract in the $6MM to $7MM range would become a serious option.
Shattenkirk has had a much better second season in Anaheim than his first, leading their defensemen in points while logging his usual 20 minutes per game. He’ll be 34 at the end of this deal and will be able to sign a multi-year deal without any 35+ risk. Another three-year pact could be done around this price point with the expectation that he will need to play a bit of a lesser role by the end of it. Mahura is a low-cost depth piece and will need to play his way into a regular spot in the lineup to have a chance to earn a bigger deal even with salary arbitration rights at that time.
Stolarz had been more of a depth goalie in the past which made it understandable that he took a low-cost two-year deal to give him some stability. However, he has done pretty well this season and should have himself positioned for a bigger deal in 2023. His path is somewhat similar to Laurent Brossoit who inked a contract with a $2.325MM AAV last summer.
Signed Through 2023-24
F Adam Henrique ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Max Jones ($1.295MM, RFA)
F Jakob Silfverberg ($5.25MM, UFA)
Henrique has had a nice bounce-back year after clearing waivers at one point last season. He has adapted well to playing on the wing and has become a quality part of Anaheim’s top six. He’s still not providing a great return on his cap hit and his next contract will undoubtedly be considerably less than this one but compared to how things looked last season, this is a nice step in the right direction. The same can’t be said for Silfverberg. He’s struggling to score despite heavy minutes and even his possession numbers aren’t pretty. The 31-year-old is better off as a bottom-six piece at this point and that’s a pretty high price tag for someone that is best suited now to be a checker. Jones is in the first season of a three-year bridge deal but has played just twice due to a torn pectoral muscle. That makes this season a write-off but there’s still enough time for him to outperform this deal. He’ll be owed a $1.5MM qualifier in 2024.
Anaheim Ducks Place Josh Manson On IR
The Anaheim Ducks announced via a team release today that they’ve placed defenseman Josh Manson on injured reserve, with The Orange County Register’s Elliott Teaford reporting Manson is week-to-week with a finger injury. The team recalled defenseman Greg Pateryn from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls to take Manson’s spot on the active roster.
Manson has continued to play a top-four role with the Ducks in his eighth NHL season. After what was a rough season defensively for him last year, as it was with most of the team, his play has rebounded in 2021-22.
Many expected the big-bodied, aggressive defender to be a large trade chip at this year’s trade deadline, but with the Ducks continuing to remain in the playoff hunt well into February, Manson could remain in Anaheim for the rest of the season if the situation proves right. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent with a $4.1MM cap hit.
Playing in 43 of Anaheim’s 48 games this season, Manson has registered three goals and four assists for seven points while averaging 19:43 per game. In his absence, expect more usage for younger Ducks defensemen like Jamie Drysdale and Josh Mahura.
Pateryn will likely serve as an extra body during the length of his call-up. The team’s shuffled him up and down this season, but with Anaheim, he’s gotten into just eight games, averaging 13:53 a night.
Anaheim Ducks Add Scott Niedermayer To Hockey Ops
After helping in the search for the Anaheim Ducks new general manager, Scott Niedermayer will take on a role in the front office. The Ducks have announced that Niedermayer is now a special advisor to the hockey operations department and will work with new GM Pat Verbeek. In a statement, Verbeek explained:
I’m really excited that Scott has taken on an enhanced role within our hockey operations staff. His winning culture and great hockey mind will help all of our players and staff moving forward.
One of the most decorated defensemen in NHL history, Niedermayer spent five seasons with the Ducks at the end of his career and won the Conn Smythe while leading them to their only Stanley Cup in franchise history. A four-time Cup winner himself, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. It wasn’t just the NHL where he found success though. Niedermayer is a member of the Triple Gold club, with gold medals at the World Championships and Olympics, a gold medal winner at the World Cup and World Juniors, and a Memorial Cup winner (not to mention two-time WHL champion). Everywhere he goes, success followed him as he smoothly glided around the ice in control of any game he was part of.
For years, Niedermayer was also the owner of the Kootenay Ice of the WHL, but sold his part of the franchise a few years ago and rejoined the Ducks as a development coach for a time. He’ll now join the front office, even if it is in a limited role for the time being, and hope to drop a bit of that winning magic on the next wave of talent in Anaheim.
Toronto On Josh Manson's No-Trade List
New Anaheim Ducks general manager has some big decisions to come in the next few weeks, as the team holds several players who would be top rental options at the trade deadline should they be put on the market. One of those names is Josh Manson, who has seemingly been linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs since the moment he entered the league. Well, if the Maple Leafs ever did want to pry Manson out of Anaheim, there’s another roadblock in the way. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast that Toronto is one of the teams on Manson’s no-trade list.
The 30-year-old can block trades to 12 teams as part of his modified no-trade clause, which gives him at least a little bit of power over where he’ll end up if the Ducks do decide to move him in the coming weeks. Rickard Rakell and Hampus Lindholm are the other big names for the Ducks, who sit third in the Pacific Division but have played a league-high 48 games already.
Jason Botterill Was Finalist For Ducks' GM Job
- While Pat Verbeek eventually landed the Anaheim Ducks general manager job, another assistant GM was apparently close. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that Jason Botterill, AGM of the Seattle Kraken, was a finalist for the Ducks position. It would have been Botterill’s second chance in charge of a front office after his short stint with the Buffalo Sabres, one which did not go well. In three years leading the Sabres, the team finished no higher than sixth in the Atlantic Division and his draft results were certainly mixed. While he did land Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens, other high picks were used on Casey Mittelstadt (8th, 2017), Marcus Davisson (37th, 2017), Mattias Samuelsson (32nd, 2018), and Ryan Johnson (31st, 2019), all players who have either struggled or been unable to quite make their mark at the NHL level just yet.
Anaheim Ducks Hire Pat Verbeek
Official now, the Anaheim Ducks have hired Pat Verbeek as their next general manager. Verbeek leaves the Detroit Red Wings where he has spent the last three years as assistant GM. Ducks’ owners Henry and Susan Samueli released a statement on the hire:
Susan and I are delighted to welcome Pat Verbeek to our community to guide our hockey club as the next General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks. Pat’s outstanding work ethic and vast knowledge of the game as a successful executive and player throughout his 35-plus years in the NHL make him an outstanding fit to lead us forward. He brings a unique pedigree, having vast experience and serving in integral leadership roles for championship teams as both a player and executive at the NHL level.
Verbeek, 57, has a long history of success as a player, scout, and executive, being part of Stanley Cup-winning teams at all three levels. He has been moving through front offices right alongside Steve Yzerman for the last decade-plus but will now get a chance to run an organization of his own.
Replacing Bob Murray, who resigned earlier this year, Verbeek has an interesting challenge ahead of him with the exciting young Ducks’ group. There are core pieces reaching the end of their contracts this season–Rickard Rakell, Hampus Lindholm, and Josh Manson are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents–but the youth of Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale and others have helped the team stay competitive in the Pacific Division. Selling off rentals isn’t something that playoff contenders do very often, but it would also be difficult to watch a player like Lindholm walk without getting anything in return.
With more than six weeks until the deadline, there is plenty of time to make those decisions and Verbeek comes right at the start of the All-Star break, meaning he’ll have a few days to get familiarized with his new staff and organization.
It’s an organization that does have a history of success, despite its relatively short lifetime. Since entering the NHL in 1993, Anaheim has reached the Stanley Cup Final twice, won it once, and gone to three other Conference Finals. The most recently long playoff run came in 2017, when a Randy Carlyle-led group fell in six games to the Nashville Predators in the third round. Currently, the Ducks sit seventh in the Western Conference with a 23-16-9 record, but they have played six more games than a couple of the teams chasing them and could quickly slip out of a Pacific Division playoff spot. Sorting by points percentage would drop them to ninth, making Verbeek’s job even more difficult in the coming weeks.
Of course, unlike some of the other managers that have taken over this season, Verbeek also isn’t really dealing with a cap table bloated with long-term deals. Only Adam Henrique, Jakob Silfverberg, John Gibson, and Cam Fowler are signed through the 2023-24 season, with just the latter two under contract past that. That sort of flexibility will allow Verbeek to put his stamp on the Ducks in short order, even if this case doesn’t require a tear-down.