The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed one of their minor league goaltenders, inking Kevin Boyle to a two-year two-way extension worth an average of $675K in the NHL according to Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports. Boyle was scheduled to become a restricted free agent for the second time this summer, but will now reach unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2020.
Boyle, 26, has been excellent for the San Diego Gulls since joining them last season, and posted an impressive .921 save percentage in 35 games this year. Never drafted, Boyle was instead signed out of college in 2016 no long before his 24th birthday. He’s found nothing but success in the minor leagues, and has now been rewarded with another two-year deal.
It does seem unlikely that Boyle will make the NHL, if only because of the solid goaltending tandem ahead of him and prospects pushing him from behind. Still, he’s an excellent option for the Gulls as a starter and could be an emergency replacement if the Ducks were in trouble. Reto Berra, who took that emergency role for the Ducks last season while splitting duties with Boyle in the minor leagues, has now gone back to Switzerland leaving even more opportunity for the younger goaltender.