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Josh Manson

Deadline Notes: Ducks Defensemen, Hagel, Giordano

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Earlier today on TSN’s Insider Trading segment, Anaheim Ducks’ defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson were hot topics. The Athletic writer and Insider for TSN, Pierre LeBrun, reported that Manson was nearing his return from injury and is being watched closely by teams around the league. LeBrun also noted that there have not been any contract talks yet between the Ducks and Manson, as the Ducks have been focusing on negotiations with Lindholm.

Speaking of those negotiations with Lindholm, word continues to be that Anaheim is unwilling to give out big-time term. The Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes the Ducks’ unwillingness to give out term to any of their pending UFAs, and mentions this might be in-line with the trends of Ducks’ GM Pat Verbeek’s previous boss, Detroit Red Wings’ GM Steve Yzerman. Not beginning extension talks just yet with Manson may not be a concern for the Ducks, who currently have many cards to play at the deadline. In fact, Anaheim does leave itself in a preferable position, having both Lindholm and Manson as potential extension candidates and trade chips. This could allow Anaheim to try to negotiate an extension to their liking on one or both, but if that contract does not materialize, there will almost certainly be a strong market for both defensemen.

  • Also during the Insider Trading segment, TSN’s Darren Dreger provided an update on Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Brandon Hagel. Dreger mentions that while Chicago would like to keep Hagel as part of their rebuild, they would not be opposed to moving him. However, the return would have to be at least a first-round draft pick and something else. Hagel has been one of the better producers for the Blackhawks this season, scoring 17 goals along with 14 assists in 51 games entering Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks. While the asking price on Hagel might seem a bit excessive to some, the 23-year-old Hagel is viewed as part of the long-term solution in Chicago, and carries just a $1.5MM cap hit through the 2023-24 season, where he will still be a RFA.
  • During the second-intermission of the Toronto Maple Leafs game, Dreger again gave his thoughts on several key trade deadline topics, including Seattle Kraken defensemen Mark Giordano. Dreger reported that the Kraken would like to explore the trade market for Giordano, but their asking price on the veteran is at least a first-round pick. While this price may be steep for a 38-year-old with a $6.75MM cap hit, Giordano still produces at a high level, putting up 23 points in 52 games this season for the struggling Kraken. Giordano is also a responsible defenseman who can provide veteran leadership that is always valuable on a team looking to make a long run in the postseason. If Seattle is willing to retain some of Giordano’s cap hit, which would seem likely as they will have $36.66M in cap space on trade deadline day, they may be able to sweeten the pot to acquire that first-round pick at least.

Anaheim Ducks Prefer To Re-Sign UFAs

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9:15 pm: In his 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday evening, Elliotte Friedman reiterated the Anaheim Ducks desire to extend Hampus Lindholm if possible. However, he notes that the organization has expressed concern regarding the potential term of a Lindholm extension.

6:41 pm: With the trade deadline soon approaching, and the Anaheim Ducks on the outside looking in of the Western Conference playoff picture, speculation about the Ducks trade chips has started to heat up. Elliott Teaford of The Orange County Register reports that Ducks’ General Manager Pat Verbeek made clear to season ticket holders yesterday that his primary intention was to re-sign his impending unrestricted free agents, including defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, and forward Rickard Rakell.

Verbeek had stated at an event for season-ticket holders that while he is working on extending those players, he would look to trade them if he did not believe he could extend them. Verbeek’s primary concern, he said, would be allowing those players to leave in free agency, not having gotten something back for them, or of course re-signing them. Teaford also added that while Verbeek mentioned having ongoing discussions with Lindholm on an extension, he did not mention any of the Ducks’ other unrestricted free agents by name.

If the Ducks do choose to re-sign the trio of Lindholm, Manson, or Rakell, it could come at a high cost. Lindholm is currently in the final year of a six-year, $31.5MM contract he signed with the Ducks in 2016, carrying a cap hit just north of $5.2MM. Lindholm has been one of the Ducks’ best defensemen the past few seasons, even during some lean years in Anaheim. This season, Lindholm has put up 20 points in 53 games, and is second on the team to Cam Fowler in average time-on-ice at 22:43 per game. Lindholm is expected to received a fairly significant raise over his $5.2M cap hit, however if he is dealt, the price for the 27-year-old could be rather significant as well.

Manson is in the final year of a four year, $16.4MM contract he signed with the Ducks in 2017, a contract which has seen Manson emerge as a sturdy, reliable defender for the Ducks through their rebuild. Manson could expect a similar contract this offseason, however a veteran, right-handed, shutdown defenseman like Manson could certainly be a valuable asset to sell on the trade deadline market.

Rakell has been a name mentioned in recent rumors and by Teaford here as well. The forward could be an intriguing name on the deadline market, as a proven point-producer carrying a cap hit just below $3.8MM. However, he may be a player the Ducks could look to extend at a reasonable cost. Rakell is in the final year of a six-year, $22.8MM contract he signed in the fall of 2016, before he began to truly break-out for Anaheim. However, Rakell’s production has dissipated since his stellar 34 goal, 35 assist 2017-18 season. While Rakell is almost certainly due a raise this time around, he may be a player the Ducks could keep at a fair price for a proven scoring touch.

In addition to this trio, the Ducks unrestricted free agents also include Ryan Getzlaf, Sam Carrick, and Nicolas Deslauriers.

More On Anaheim Ducks Deadline Strategy

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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 Place Josh Manson On IR

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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.

Injury Notes: Stars, Ducks, Golden Knights, Devils

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Dallas Stars digital manager Kyle Shohara reports from team practice that defenseman John Klingberg and center Radek Faksa took the ice today after missing time with an upper-body injury and non-COVID-related illness, respectively. Klingberg missed the team’s last game, a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils, while Faksa missed that game and the night prior against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both would be huge returns to the Stars lineup, especially Klingberg. With the Swedish defenseman reportedly requesting a trade out of Dallas, every game (and every good play) matters for Dallas to recoup as much value as possible if a trade occurs.

A busy night in the NHL yields more injury news:

  • The Anaheim Ducks get two key contributors back tonight versus Montreal, activating center Adam Henrique from injured reserve and defenseman Josh Manson from COVID-19 protocol. Both return to prominent roles in the lineup, with Henrique’s 16 points in 24 games likely to help boost a stagnating Ducks offense as of late. To make room on the active roster, the team reassigned defensemen Jacob Larsson and Greg Pateryn to the taxi squad and Brendan Guhle to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
  • Two gigantic contributors are returning to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup, as wingers Max Pacioretty and Reilly Smith make their returns tonight, per the Las Vegas Sun’s Justin Emerson. Pacioretty’s rarely been healthy this year, but when he has, he’s scored at a torrid pace, netting 12 goals and 21 points in 16 games. Smith, coming off COVID protocol, has a respectable 29 points in 41 games.
  • The New Jersey Devils got some good news with defenseman Ty Smith coming off injured reserve today, but he’s been replaced on the list by center Michael McLeod. Despite Smith’s strong rookie campaign last season, he’s having a serious sophomore slump with poor defensive numbers and just 10 points in 33 games to show for it. Hopefully, a reset can help jumpstart an improvement in play for the 21-year-old. The Devils will miss McLeod and his 11 points and 41 games in a depth role.

Josh Manson Out With Oblique Injury

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The Anaheim Ducks will be without one of their top defensemen for the next six weeks. Josh Manson has been ruled out with an oblique muscle injury suffered on Monday against the Minnesota Wild and has been placed on injured reserve.

Manson, 29, was forced from the game on Monday after just six minutes of ice time but has long been one of the most important players on the ice for Anaheim. Combined with Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm, and Kevin Shattenkirk, he formed an exceptional top-four that was expected to carry most of the defensive responsibility. In his absence, Jani Hakanpaa has been pushed up the depth chart, logging 19 minutes in each of the last two games. Though Hakanpaa has certainly held his own so far, the 28-year-old has just nine games under his belt at the NHL level, a lack of experience that will certainly be tested over the next six weeks.

Anaheim is already without Brendan Guhle, who was given his own six-week recovery timeline in early January after spraining his MCL. Suddenly, the Ducks defensive depth is quickly disappearing with only seven names between the NHL roster and taxi squad. For a team that was already in tough against a West Division that includes several top teams, losing part of the team’s biggest strength will be a challenge.

West Notes: Lindholm, Garland, Josi, Boeser, Toffoli

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While the Anaheim Ducks blueline seems to be getting healthier with the pending returns of Josh Manson, Erik Gudbranson and Cam Fowler soon, the team didn’t get a positive update for the return of Hampus Lindholm. The defenseman, who is second on the team in ice time, has no timetable for a return yet and with just 14 games remaining, it’s legitimately possible that he could miss the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Eric Stephens (subscription required).

Lindholm has missed the last five games after falling awkwardly into the boards while battling for the puck with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl. The upper-body injury is part of the problem, although Stephens added that a back issue is also part of the issue. The 26-year-old has two goals and 22 points through 55 games with 71 blocks, while averaging 23:04 of ATOI.

Regardless, the team expects Manson (upper-body injury) to potentially return as early as today, while Gudbranson (upper-body injury) and Fowler (lower-body injury) are both a week or two behind him.

  • The Arizona Coyotes announced that forward Conor Garland will be out “week-to-week” after suffering a lower-body injury Friday against Calgary. The injury occurred when Garland collided with Flames’ goaltender Cam Talbot. It’s a tough blow for Arizona as Garland leads the team in goals scored with 22.
  • The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Dallas Stars forward Corey Perry. The incident happened at 15:13 of the second periond (video here) in which Josi cross checked Perry in the head after the play was over. Josi received a two-minute minor, although many have suggested that he should have received a five-minute major instead. Perry was a constant target in Saturday’s game after he received a five-game suspension during the Winter Classic after knocking Ryan Ellis out with a dirty hit. Ellis missed 20 games with a concussion.
  • The Vancouver Canucks look to be getting back forward Brock Boeser soon. The 23-year-old forward, who has been out since Feb. 8 with a rib injury, and while he is not expected to play today, Boeser feels that he “is close” to returning, likely later this week, according to Postmedia’s Ben Kuzma. He participated in a game-day skate with the team in full-contact gear. Boeser has 16 goals and 45 points in 56 games and should immediately upgrade the team’s top-six.
  • Sticking with the Canucks, Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre writes that Vancouver is unlikely to be able to retain the services of Tyler Toffoli after this season. The forward was acquired from Los Angeles at the trade deadline for Tim Schaller, prospect Tyler Madden a second-round pick and a conditional fourth-round pick based on whether the Canucks could sign him to an extension. Already dealing with cap issues, Vancouver still has to give out new contracts to goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Chris Tanev. Toffoli, who is currently making $4.6MM, might be too expensive to hold onto, although there is always the possiblity that the team moves out some contracts to make it happen. Toffoli has five goals and eight points in eight games since arriving in Vancouver.

Trade Rumors: Ducks, Senators, DeMelo, Duclair

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When action resumes following the All-Star break, it is the unofficial start of NHL Trade Deadline season. In fact, with a relatively early deadline day of February 24th this year, things should pick up sooner rather than later. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch came prepared to handle the transition from All-Star exit to trade mania, reporting on a number of situations in his latest “Insider Trading” column. Garrioch begins with the further shift in the status quo of the Anaheim Ducks. Anaheim began the season hoping to return to being contenders with a talented mix of veterans and youngsters. However, it has not played out that way on the ice, as the Ducks hold the second-worst record in the Western Conference. Recently, a report came out that the team was willing to use their cap space to take on bad contracts if it meant that they could add prospects and picks in return. Garrioch now reports that the team is taking it one step further, perhaps in response to winning just three of their past 15 games. He hears from multiple league sources that the Ducks are preparing for a full rebuild and are at least willing to listen on just about every player. For a team with so few valuable impending free agents – Michael Del Zotto and Derek Grant lead the way – this shift in the status quo could make for a much bigger deadline in Anaheim. Ondrej Kase, who has previously been rumored to have fallen out of favor with the team, could be one possible casualty, as could defenseman Josh Manson, who has recently been linked to a few other teams. What about Rickard Rakell, one of the best value contracts in the league and a player that any contender would like to get their hands on? Or long-term players like Cam Fowler, Adam Henrique, and Jakob Silfverberg? Franchise faces Ryan Getzlaf and John Gibson and top defender Hampus Lindholm are likely off the table, but nearly anyone else in Anaheim over the age of 24 appears to be a candidate to move at the right price.

  • Garrioch mentions a number of available players, many of whom won’t comes as much of a surprise, including L.A.’s Tyler Toffoli and Alec Martinez, San Jose’s Brenden Dillon, and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider (if the team can’t re-sign him). However, he states definitively that the New Jersey Devils’ impending UFA’s are also up for grabs. This means Andy Greene, Sami Vatanen, and Wayne Simmonds, three players who many were unsure the Devils would part with, could very well be on new teams in a month’s time. As for teams in the mix, Garrioch claims that the Islanders and Jets are leading the search for defense, while the Bruins, Blues, Flames, and Coyotes are the most eager to add forwards.
  • The Ottawa Senators have ten impending UFA’s on the roster, but not all of them will survive the trade deadline. Garrioch reports that GM Pierre Dorion plans to sit down with each one before the deadline and discuss the possibility of an extension before putting them on the block. At this point in their rebuild, the Senators cannot afford to let valuable players walk away as free agents, meaning the likes of Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ron Hainsey, Mark Borowiecki, and Dylan DeMelo and more need to have made a decision on their commitment to Ottawa soon or they could be sent packing.
  • On the DeMelo front in particular, Garrioch reports that the Florid Panthers are the leading suitor for the 26-year-old defenseman, should Ottawa opt to move him. He mentions that that the Carolina Hurricanes are another team with definite interest. Garrioch adds that Florida is also looking for a backup goalie, which could potentially put former Panther Craig Anderson on their radar.
  • As for one player who has made up his mind on his future with Ottawa, All-Star Anthony Duclair tells Sportsnet’s Luke Fox that he hopes to re-sign long-term with the Senators. The 24-year-old has excelled since arriving in Ottawa late last season and wants to continue to play a central role for the team through their rebuild:

I just want to focus and really end the season on a positive note like I did last year, and really make a statement to the management and the coaching staff that I want to be a big part of this rebuild. I’m still a young guy. When the change is gonna happen, when Ottawa’s gonna become a contender, I want to be part of that. So I’m working as hard as I can.

Ducks’ Josh Manson Out 5-10 Weeks With Sprained Knee

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Not much was made of the Anaheim Ducks placing defenseman Josh Manson on injured reserve late last week. At first it seemed like the shutdown defender may only miss a pair of games and the team somewhat nonchalantly added that there would be a later update. It turns out that the recent trade for Erik Gudbranson may have been about more than just adding depth. The team has issued a statement today on their injured players which states that Manson has suffered a left knee sprain and is expected to miss the next five to ten weeks.

Yet, Elliott Teaford of The OC Register adds that GM Bob Murray seemed somewhat relieved about the diagnosis. Murray and others with the Ducks worried that Manson’s condition was much worse. The injury certainly did not look good. Facing the Dallas Stars last Thursday, Manson fell awkwardly while checking Stars forward Jason Dickinson. He had to be helped off the ice and seemed unable to put any weight on his left leg. The concern with that kind of incident is always a tendon injury, either the ACL or Achilles, which takes months to recover from.

Nevertheless, the possibility of a ten-week hiatus for Manson remains daunting for the Ducks. The Anaheim blue line has been stripped of considerable talent over the last few years and no longer has the talent level nor the depth that once the hallmark of the team. Manson has emerged as one of the most important members of the club, posting a career high 22:18 average time on ice last year while leading the team in hits. The year before he even garnered Norris Trophy votes with a 37-point and plus-34 season. He was back at it to begin the 2019-20 campaign, leading the Ducks in hits per game and pacing himself for a career-high in blocked shots prior to his injury. He helped Anaheim get off to a solid start to the year, but the question is how they will fare, especially defensively, while he remains on the shelf. A five-week return could potentially have Manson back by the end of next month, but the ten-week maximum means he has played his last hockey of the 2019 calendar year. Gudbranson will be asked to do much of what the Ducks have leaned on Manson for in his stead, but the likes of Brendan Guhle, Korbinian Holzer, and Josh Mahura may also have to step up.

Anaheim Ducks Sign Swedish Forward Anton Rodin

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The Ducks are importing some scoring help for the coming season. Sportsnet reports that Anaheim has signed Anton Rodin, a former Swedish Hockey League MVP and brief member of the Vancouver Canucks. Rodin finished the 2017-18 season with HC Davos of the Swiss NLA, but will now return to North America to join the Ducks. Contract terms are not yet available.

Rodin, a second-round pick back in 2009, has had trouble making his mark in the NHL. He came over to the U.S. for the 2011-12 season, but found himself playing in the AHL for next two seasons without a callup, prompting the Swede to return to the SHL, the next season, which is where he stayed for another three years. He returned to Vancouver and got into three NHL games, but spent most of his time with the Utica Comets before asking for his release in November of this season.

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