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Ducks Recall Ville Husso

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The Ducks announced that they have recalled goaltender Ville Husso from the AHL’s San Diego Gulls. They need to open a roster spot to complete the move. Since forwards Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling haven’t played in more than a week due to injuries, it stands to reason one of them will land on injured reserve to facilitate the recall. Husso’s recall was made because Lukáš Dostál will miss tonight’s game against the Canucks with an upper-body injury, but since the team only listed him as day-to-day, an IR placement, at least immediately, seems unlikely.

Husso, 30, was picked up by the Ducks from the Red Wings last year in exchange for future considerations as he finished out the final season of a three-year, $14.25MM contract in the minors. Anaheim then re-upped him on a two-year, $4.4MM extension a few days before free agency opened, a move that stands as one of the more puzzling contracts of the offseason, as he clearly profiled as the Ducks’ No. 3 goalie behind Dostál and Petr Mrázek.

So far, that’s held true. Husso cleared waivers at the beginning of the season and reported to San Diego. His $2.2MM cap hit means the Ducks are still on the hook for $1.05MM against the cap when he’s buried in the minors. For a team operating closer to the cap floor than the ceiling, that’s not much of a concern, but they’ll now be responsible for his full cap hit with him back on the active roster.

While the Finn never recaptured the heights of his breakout season with the Blues in 2021-22, he’s transitioned into being a serviceable third-stringer and has given the Ducks some good hockey since his arrival. He made four NHL appearances for them down the stretch last year, posting a 1-1-1 record with a strong .925 SV% and 2.99 GAA. Husso has also delivered as the starter this season for a San Diego squad still finding its way defensively, posting a .908 SV% and a 6-4-3 record in 13 appearances with three shutouts, tied for the league lead in that regard. Including his nine-game sample for the Gulls last year after the trade, he has five shutouts in 22 games for San Diego.

Husso may be a pricey option for a third-stringer, but he’s arguably the most established one in the league and offers a no-fuss option who’s unlikely to be lost on waivers due to his high cap hit. The 2014 fourth-round pick is now up to 145 career NHL appearances with a 71-46-19 record, seven shutouts, 3.05 GAA, and .901 SV%.

As for Dostál, the Ducks hope their budding 25-year-old star doesn’t miss more than one or two scheduled starts. While the Ducks’ two-way game has improved significantly under head coach Joel Quenneville after years of possession struggles, they’re still in the bottom half of the league in virtually every available defensive metric at 5-on-5. Dostál’s 10.1 goals saved above expected in 17 games (per MoneyPuck) have helped cover up a good portion of those warts, compiling an 11-5-1 record, .904 SV%, and 2.81 GAA in the process. Fresh off signing a five-year, $32.5MM extension, he’ll be in line for the first Vezina votes of his career if he keeps that pace up over a full season.

Poehling (Upper Body) Resumes Skating, Still Out At Least Another Week

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  • Ducks center Ryan Poehling took to the ice today for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury a week and a half ago. However, it will still be a little while before he’s cleared to return as head coach Joel Quenneville told reporters, including Derek Lee of The Hockey News, that the earliest that Poehling could return is next weekend.  The 26-year-old is in his first season with Anaheim and had a goal and five assists in 16 games prior to the injury.

Ducks’ Pavel Mintyukov Potentially Seeking Trade

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In his recent 32 Thoughts blog, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov is upset with being scratched in back-to-back games. So much so, in fact, that Friedman indicated that Mintyukov would like to be moved if the Ducks aren’t going to play him.

Mintyukov, 21, isn’t helping his case too much. The former 10th overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft got off to a decent start to his career during the 2023-24 season, scoring four goals and 28 points in 63 games while averaging 18:51 of ice time per game. He finished 13th in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy.

Still, concerns remained about his defensive game, evidenced by his -20 rating and 88.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Over the next two years, including 18 games during the 2025-26 season, Mintyukov’s defensive play has improved while his offensive contributions have cratered.

Since the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, Mintyukov has scored five goals and 22 points in 86 contests, averaging 17:07 of ice time per game. Additionally, he’s blocked 109 shots and added 91 hits during that time frame. Further, outside of his boxcar stats, his on-ice save percentage at even strength has improved, averaging around 91.0%.

Struggling to break out in any meaningful fashion, it’s unsurprising that other prospects such as Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, and Ian Moore have passed Mintyukov on the organizational depth chart.

That adds to the difficulty of hypothesizing a reasonable return for Mintyukov if the Ducks even made him available. It’s relatively rare for a recent top-10 pick to request a trade in the last year of their entry-level contract. It’s much more common for top prospects to request trades before signing their entry-level contract, such as Isaac Howard, Rutger McGroarty, and Mintyukov’s teammate, Cutter Gauthier, as recent examples.

The closest example to Mintyukov’s situation would be netminder Yaroslav Askarov. Drafted with the 11th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft, Askarov requested a trade from the Nashville Predators in the final year of his entry-level contract after the team brought in Scott Wedgewood as the backup netminder and signed Juuse Saros to a long-term extension.

Despite playing in far fewer games than Mintyukov at the time, the Predators were able to recoup Magnus Chrona, David Edstrom, and a conditional 2025 first-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for Askarov. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to argue at this point that Mintyukov is worth that price tag.

Furthermore, without arbitration rights, Mintyukov has little power in his situation. His General Manager, Pat Verbeek, is one of the most patient front office leaders in the league, and won’t feel pressure to make a move anytime soon. If Mintyukov is moved at any point during the current campaign, Verbeek will need to be blown away by the offer.

Anaheim Ducks To Activate Radko Gudas

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The Anaheim Ducks are expected to welcome back their captain this evening. According to Derek Lee of The Hockey News, the Ducks will activate defenseman Radko Gudas tonight, and he’ll be in the lineup against the Utah Mammoth.

Gudas has hardly played in the last year of this three-year, $12MM contract. Due to a lower-body injury suffered against the Boston Bruins on October 23rd, Gudas has missed Anaheim’s last 11 games.

In the seven games he has played in, it was more of the same for Gudas, tallying two assists with 12 blocked shots and 23 hits while averaging 15:35 of ice time per game. Although his CorsiFor% had shown some improvements from last season, Gudas’ on-ice save percentage at even strength had been significantly lower than his career average.

Regardless, even in the twilight years of his career, the Ducks know what to expect from Gudas. He’s one of the most physical defenseman in NHL history, sitting at 3,081 hits over the course of his 14-year career. That places him with the 10th-most hits in NHL history (since the stat had began to be recorded), and is likely to pass Brooks Orpik this season and potentially Milan Lucic.

The Ducks should also benefit from his leadership upon entering a trying time of the NHL calendar. After winning seven consecutive games at the end of October into early November, Anaheim has lost three straight in regulation. Fortunately, the Ducks’ next six games are at home where they’ve only lost once this season. Currently in second place in the NHL’s Pacific Division, Anaheim’s postseason odds will only climb if they remain in playoff positioning by American Thanksgiving.

Ducks Reassign Sam Colangelo

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The Ducks announced they’ve reassigned winger Sam Colangelo to AHL San Diego. They’re now left with an open roster spot after activating Ryan Strome from injured reserve earlier in the week. Strome didn’t re-enter the lineup immediately after his activation but will do so tonight, per the team’s Aly Lozoff, prompting Colangelo’s demotion so as not to be carrying three extra forwards. Mikael Granlund is also making his return to the lineup tonight – on a line with fellow veterans Strome and Frank Vatrano – after missing eight games with a lower-body injury, although he never landed on IR.

Colangelo, 23, is waiver-exempt until he plays 28 more NHL games, but he was clearly the odd man out anyway. He’d served as a healthy scratch in six straight and hasn’t played since Halloween. The 2020 second-round pick broke camp with the Ducks for the first time this year after working his way into a semi-regular role down the stretch in 2024-25, notching 10 goals and 12 points in 32 games. The 6’2″ winger has been immensely productive since turning pro out of Western Michigan in 2024, putting up 22 goals and 40 points in 40 AHL contests last year as well.

That led to some rightful optimism that he could be an important depth contributor for Anaheim sooner rather than later, but the Ducks’ additions of Granlund and Chris Kreider over the summer pushed him down the depth chart somewhat. He’s also been overshadowed by 2024 No. 3 overall pick Beckett Sennecke snatching a spot in the top nine and rattling off 11 points through his first 16 NHL games, while Nikita Nesterenko, who also entered the season on the bubble like Colangelo, has churned out seven points in 14 games in a bottom-six role. Colangelo’s ice time has been correspondingly limited, averaging 10:12 through seven contests. When dressed, he’s only managed one goal and a -3 rating.

That’s not to say Colangelo won’t be a productive NHL piece someday, but the cards haven’t yet aligned for him to make the jump. He’ll now head back to familiar stomping grounds in San Diego, where, if the demotion sticks, he should expect to be atop their scoring leaderboard at season’s end.

Ducks Not Entering Into Substantive Extension Talks With Leo Carlsson Yet

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The Ducks have been one of the pleasant surprises through the first month and a bit of the season.  After coming up well short of a playoff spot for the past several years, they enter play tonight sitting atop the Pacific Division.

A big reason for that has been the play of center Leo Carlsson.  The third-year player is among the NHL’s top scorers in the early going, recording 11 goals and 15 assists through Anaheim’s first 16 games; his 26 points are tied for the second-most in the league.

The timing for that offensive breakout is certainly ideal for Carlsson.  He’s slated to become a restricted free agent next summer and this type of production will only be sending the price tag upward.  But it doesn’t appear as if the Ducks or Carlsson are in any rush to start substantive discussions on a new deal, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger.  Instead, both sides appear content to push things until at least the second half of the season.

The 20-year-old was the second overall pick in 2023 and made the jump right away to the NHL although his minutes were managed in his rookie year.  As a result, he played in just 55 games, picking up 12 goals and 17 assists.  Last season, he was more productive, tallying 20 goals and 25 helpers in 76 games.  Still, few could have expected this type of offensive jump in the early going.

It’s the size of that jump that makes waiting a prudent move for both sides.  While there’s a natural inclination to think that the eight-year, $80MM extension Utah recently gave Logan Cooley could stand as a reasonable comparison, the Mammoth’s middleman was a lot more productive in his first two seasons, notching 44 and 65 points respectively.  On the other hand, Carlsson’s breakout this season vastly surpasses Cooley’s strong start as he’s doubling him up in points in the early going.    How sustainable this hot start is will go a long way in determining if Carlsson comes in below this price tag or if he has a shot at surpassing it.

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is typically hesitant to hand out long-term contracts to players coming off entry-level contracts and has taken several negotiations deep into the offseason.  Fellow center Mason McTavish is the most recent example of that as it took until late September for him to sign his six-year, $42MM deal.  If those trends continue, it might not matter all that much how significant talks get in the coming months between the Ducks and Carlsson; it could very well be another long-term discussion.

Fortunately for Anaheim, their cap situation won’t play any role in discussions as they have more than $40MM in cap space for next season, per PuckPedia, meaning all options in terms of the length of a deal should be on the table.  But for now, both sides are happy with waiting things out.

Summer Synopsis: Anaheim Ducks

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With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Anaheim Ducks.

The Ducks have been rebuilding for several years and have built one of the top prospect systems in the NHL. They’ve done this by drafting high for several years, with many of those players becoming NHL regulars, and more on the way. The team has supported these young players with veterans, but it has yet to show tangible results in the NHL. However, with plenty of young talent coming up, the Ducks are ready to finally move out of the rebuild and compete for a playoff spot.

Draft

1-10 – C Roger McQueen, Brandon (WHL)
2-45 – C Eric Nilson, Djurgårdens Jr. (J20 Nationell)
2-60 – D Lasse Boelius, Ässät Jr (U20 SM-sarja)
3-72 – F Noah Read, London (OHL)
4-101 – D Drew Schock, U.S. National U18 (NTDP)
4-104 – G Elijah Neuenschwander, HC Fribourg-Gottéron U20 (U20-Elit)
5-136 – D Alexis Mathieu, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
5-159 – LW Émile Guité, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
6-168 – D Anthony Allain-Samaké, Sioux City (USHL)
7-200 – F Brady Turko, Brandon (WHL)

The Ducks chose a lanky center with the tenth overall pick, hoping that his skating, size, and playmaking abilities would translate to the NHL and elevate McQueen to a top-six center. McQueen plays a two-way game and has good hockey sense. He has a strong wrist shot and can deliver accurate passes through traffic to find teammates. He does need to improve his skating, but projects as a reliable NHL center.

With the 45th overall pick, the Ducks selected another center. Nilson sees the ice very well and can play at a good pace, but he also knows when to slow things down to draw in defenders and set up teammates in open space. He’s also a responsible defender and rarely finds himself out of position, paying close attention to the details at both ends of the rink. While he doesn’t possess a lot of speed and isn’t overly flashy, Nilson should be able to develop into a middle-six forward given how high his floor is.

With the latter second-round pick, the Ducks drafted Boelius from Finland. The mobile defenseman has an excellent first pass, is patient with the puck, and works well from the offensive blueline, directing pucks to the net through traffic. Boelius also plays a physical game and isn’t afraid to battle in the corners and in front of the net. His offensive game still needs development to reach the NHL level, but given his all-around play, he could potentially become a top-four defenseman.

In the third round, the Ducks selected London Knights forward Read, a north-south winger who skates with a lot of pace and is a superb forechecker. He is an excellent skater, which helps him in transition—a key strength in his game. Read produces most of his offensive output on the rush and is more of a depth scorer than a top-tier option. Since he is responsible and plays a quick game, he should be able to contribute at the NHL level in a depth role at least.

Trade Acquisitions

F Chris Kreider (from New York)
G Petr Mrazek (from Detroit)
F Ryan Poehling (from Philadelphia)

The Ducks have been bringing in veterans for the past few years and continued to do so this summer, adding veteran forward Kreider to their young forward group. Kreider is coming off a tough final season in New York, as the 34-year-old tallied just 22 goals and eight assists in 68 games. Those numbers represented a steep drop for the former 50-goal scorer and eventually led to him being moved west to Anaheim.

Kreider remains a highly productive NHL player who can be a net-front presence and often scores in close. He still plays a strong transition game despite losing some speed; he remains a threat to score many goals, using his speed and size to reach prime scoring positions. He likely won’t hit 50 again, but he’s still a threat to pot 30 goals, which would be an excellent return for Anaheim over the next two seasons.

Poehling was acquired in the Zegras trade and contributed to an underwhelming return for the young forward. Poehling, a former first-round pick (25th overall in 2017), has moved around the league with Anaheim being his fourth NHL team. The 26-year-old enjoyed two productive seasons in Philadelphia, setting career highs in points in consecutive years. His speed is expected to suit Anaheim well, and he can be a threat in transition, leveraging his underrated passing and subtle skills to create plays and set up teammates.

UFA Signings

F Mikael Granlund (three years, $21MM)
G Ville Husso (two years, $4.4MM)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Ducks dipped their toes into the free agent market, securing one of the top offensive talents with a three-year deal worth $7MM annually. The contract caused sticker shock, especially since just two summers ago, Granlund was considered a salary-cap dump when the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him as part of a package to the San Jose Sharks for Erik Karlsson. Granlund struggled in Pittsburgh but found his form in San Jose, tallying 105 points in 121 games before being traded to Dallas this past February.

Granlund didn’t put up the same numbers in Dallas, but he was still productive, recording seven goals and 14 assists in 31 games before adding five goals and five assists in 18 playoff games. That was enough for Anaheim to pay a hefty price for the 33-year-old on a contract that might not look great in a year or two, considering Granlund’s age.

The Husso contract was another puzzling move, as the Ducks signed a goaltender for multiple years who hasn’t looked like an NHL goalie in quite some time. Husso played well in St. Louis during 2021-22, earning Vezina Trophy consideration. However, he has been average or worse since then, including last year when he was demoted to the AHL at one point and ultimately traded from Detroit to Anaheim. Husso has started the season strong in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, and it will be interesting to see how much NHL time he gets over the next two years.

RFA Re-Signings

G Calle Clang (one year, $775K)
RW Sam Colangelo (two years, $1.7MM)*
G Lukas Dostal (five years, $6.5MM)
D Drew Helleson (two years, $2.2MM)
D Jackson LaCombe (eight years, $72MM)
C Mason McTavish (six years, $42MM)
F Jan Mysak (one year, $775K)
F Nikita Nesterenko (two years, $1.575MM)
C Tim Washe (two years, $1.625MM)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Anaheim was busy this summer as it continued trying to lock down its future stars with long-term contract extensions. They still have a lot of work to do next summer, but this past offseason helped solidify much of their future. The most significant contract extension went to defenseman LaCombe, who signed an eight-year deal worth $9MM annually. While that price tag may raise some eyebrows, LaCombe tends to fly under the radar in Anaheim, but as their top defenseman last season, he excelled in nearly every aspect of the game, finishing the year with 14 goals and 29 assists in 75 games. Although those offensive numbers don’t scream $9MM defenseman, the NHL’s economic climate has shifted, and LaCombe is a complete two-way defenseman. Nearly every statistic saw a significant jump last season, making it understandable why the Ducks felt they had to lock down the 24-year-old before that $9MM AAV started to push north of $10MM if he had another strong season. It’s a gamble for the Ducks, but one they hope will pay off in the coming years with a rising salary cap.

The Ducks also signed McTavish to a new six-year contract. The 22-year-old made a significant leap last year, scoring 22 goals and 30 assists in 76 games. McTavish is evolving into a top-tier offensive player and could very well become the Ducks’ leader in that area if he improves his skating and attention to detail. But even if his skating stays the same, he’s smart enough to play through it and remain effective in the offensive zone; however, his defensive play needs improvement and is an area of concern for both the Ducks and McTavish.

In the crease, the Ducks exchanged Gibson to Detroit and signed their goalie of the future, Dostal, to a five-year extension. The 25-year-old posted relatively modest numbers by traditional standards, with a 3.10 GAA and a .903 SV%, but a closer look at his stats reveals that Dostal’s numbers were dragged down by playing behind a very weak defense. His stats improve when you analyze more advanced metrics, as he finished 17th in goals saved above expected per 60, which is quite impressive considering how poor the Ducks’ defense was last year. The Ducks are betting on Dostal’s ongoing development, and he could become a bargain if the team’s defense improves and he can play behind an average or better unit in their own zone.

Departures

F Justin Bailey (signed in AHL)
G Oscar Dansk (signed in Czechia)
F Robby Fabbri (remains unsigned)
G John Gibson (traded to Detroit)
D Oliver Kylington (signed in Sweden)
RW Brett Leason (signed with Washington, one year $775K)
C Josh Lopina (signed in ECHL)
C Isac Lundeström (signed with Columbus, two years $2.6MM)
F Brock McGinn (remains unsigned)
F Carson Meyer (signed with Buffalo, two years $1.55MM)
F Carey Terrance (traded to New York Rangers)
F Trevor Zegras (traded to Philadelphia)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Ducks finally made a move with Gibson, trading him to the Detroit Red Wings for Mrazek and a couple of draft picks. It was a move fans had been waiting for a while, but Gibson’s poor play in recent years made it seem almost impossible to move him. Thanks to a bounce-back season last year, Anaheim was able to capitalize and send Gibson and his $6.4MM cap hit to Detroit, clearing one of the last remaining players from Anaheim’s previous contention window. With Dostal already the heir apparent, trading Gibson was an easy decision for general manager Pat Verbeek.

Zegras was the second Ducks player traded out who had been with the team long-term. The enigmatic forward remains an incredibly talented, though underperforming, player who needed a fresh start after some injury troubles in recent seasons. The return for Zegras from Philadelphia was underwhelming, to say the least; however, Zegras hadn’t done the Ducks any favors with his play last year. The 24-year-old had just 12 goals and 20 assists in 57 games last season and posted some of the lowest underlying numbers of his career. There are certainly deficits in his game, as he isn’t overly fast or physical, and he turns the puck over way too much, but his skill is high-end, and if he puts it together in his prime, he could be special.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Ducks currently have just under $14.5MM in available cap space, with projects extending to $54.8MM at the NHL Trade Deadline. That’s a substantial amount of room for the rest of the season, which basically means they can add anyone during the season. However, they probably won’t do that because they’ll have some significant extensions to give out next summer to players like Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson. They also need to account for LaCombe’s new contract next season, which means that a large portion of cap space will quickly be used up.

Key Questions

Can they finally compete for a playoff spot?

The Ducks have been a very entertaining team to watch and have started the season strongly. Now, nearly a quarter of the way through the year, it’s clear they’re vying for a playoff spot. They probably can’t maintain their current pace, but even if they finish the rest of the year with a .500 record, they’ll still be in the hunt for a postseason spot.

Which young players will take a step forward?

The Ducks have a bottomless prospect pool with a lot more help on the way. They’ve locked up several young players, and it’s fair to wonder who else will position themselves for a long-term deal. Carlsson, Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke all seem to be on track to become top-six forwards for Anaheim, with each player looking to take the next step in their development as they aim to establish themselves as offensive NHL forwards.

Can the defense actually defend?

Anaheim’s defense has been a significant liability over the last few seasons, allowing high shot volumes, struggling to kill penalties, and being inconsistent in every aspect of the game. With a new coaching staff in place, all eyes will be on the defensive core to see if they can actually tighten things up and support their goaltenders. Anaheim has many issues to address at the back end, and even something as straightforward as reducing high-danger scoring chances would go a long way towards becoming a playoff team.

Photo by Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Ducks Activate Ryan Strome, Place Radko Gudas On Injured Reserve

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The Ducks have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight against Winnipeg.  Patrick Present of The Hockey News relays that Anaheim has activated center Ryan Strome off injured reserve.  To make room for him on the active roster, defenseman Radko Gudas has been placed on IR.

Strome has yet to play this season due to an upper-body injury sustained in practice during the preseason.  In 2024-25, the 32-year-old put up 41 points for the third season in a row after tallying 10 goals and 31 assists in 82 games while averaging over 16 minutes a night of playing time as a middle-six center.

It would be surprising to see Strome have a similar role this season.  Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish are their main two pivots while Mikael Granlund – when healthy – will be anchoring a line as well.  That should push Strome to the wing, a role he might be better suited for given his struggles at the faceoff dot; he won just 41.7% of his draws last season.  Still, his return will be a welcome one to an attack that’s already among the NHL’s best in the early going; they enter play tonight with the second-most goals in the NHL.

As for Gudas, he has been out for a little more than two weeks with a lower-body injury.  Assuming that the placement is back-dated, he’ll be eligible to be activated as soon as he’s cleared to play.  The 35-year-old has played in seven games this season, picking up two assists, 12 blocks, and 23 hits in 15:35 per night of playing time.

Mikael Granlund, Ryan Strome, Radko Gudas Nearing Injury Returns

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The early-season brilliance of the Anaheim Ducks has been one of the defining storylines of this young 2025-26 season so far, and it appears today that they will soon get some reinforcements in the form of veterans returning from injury. Per The Hockey News’ Derek Lee, Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said today that veterans Ryan Strome, Mikael Granlund, and Radko Gudas are each getting very close to returning to the ice from their respective injuries.

Gudas hasn’t played since Oct. 23 due to a lower-body injury, while Granlund has been out since Oct. 25 with his own lower-body injury. Strome hasn’t played yet this season due to an upper-body injury, but Quenneville said he’s “very close to consideration” to play in tomorrow’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. All the Ducks have done despite the absence of those key veterans is win. Powered by a young core including breakout sensation Leo Carlsson, the Ducks have put together a five-game winning streak. Getting back Strome, who scored 41 points last season, alongside Granlund, who has eight points in eight games, should only further bolster what has been the league’s most lethal attack in 2025-26. The return of Gudas is unlikely to help in terms of scoring, but will provide the team with even more physicality on defense as well as useful veteran insulation for the club’s stable of still-developing young blueliners.

Logan Cooley Extension Setting RFA Market

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The Utah Mammoth became the first to cave when they signed pending-restricted free agent and star center Logan Cooley to an eight-year, $80MM contract extension. Mammoth owner Ryan Smith said after that the deal gives both team and player the assurance that Cooley will be able to plant his roots. For teams across the league, the move could have a deeper impact. With fellow young stars Connor Bedard, Leo Carlsson, and Adam Fantilli all on expiring deals of their own – Cooley’s $10MM annual price tag could be the start of negotiations, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

That’s great news for Bedard, who is the only on the list to outscore Cooley through their young careers. Cooley boasts 53 goals and 121 points in 168 career games, including this season, while Bedard has managed 51 goals and 142 points in 161 games. There’s no doubt that Bedard has facen the tougher test as well, looking to buoy a desolate Chicago Blackhawks club while Cooley’s rebranded Mammoth look to make their first playoff push.

The heavier load should earn Bedard a boost when negotiations roll around. His yearly cap hit could match Cooley’s $10MM on a shorter deal, potentially four-to-five years, or could go as high as $12MM on a max-term, eight-year deal per LeBrun, who points out that Bedard holds all of the leverage in negotiations. The 20-year-old centerman is a pillar of Chicago’s nightly lineup, and could even be a candidate for their captaincy on his next deal. With no salary cap concerns in sight, Chicago won’t be pressured to spoil Bedard’s importance by trying to save a few extra bucks.

Negotiations could be a bit tougher for Fantilli, who has elevated his play to a true top-line level but hasn’t yet taken over the top forward role for the Columbus Blue Jackets. That title has to stand with right-winger Kirill Marchenko, whose 10 points in 10 games is double what Fantilli’s five points on the year. Part of that scoring dip comes from Fantilli moved away from centering Marchenko, one season after the two played together more than any other Columbus forward pair. Fantilli scored a career-high 31 goals and 54 points, while shooting at a manageable 16.2 percent, in the elevated role last season. This year, he’s been tasked with commanding the team’s second-line, to mixed results.

Signs of continued growing pains does separate Fantilli from the dominant roles of Cooley and Bedard. With those two rivaling for eight-figure contracts, it seems Fantilli would have better luck pushing for a deal in the realm of $9MM each season. Blackhawks winger Frank Nazar recently signed a surprising seven-year, $46.2MM contract after carrying Team USA to a World Championship Gold alongside Cooley. The deal carries a team-friendly $6.6MM cap hit, but pays Nazar $9.1MM and $8.66MM in salary through the first two years respectively. Those numbers could be significant markers for Fantilli, as he looks to sign his own deal as second-fiddle. Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell shared that Columbus doesn’t plan to negotiate a new deal with Fantilli until after the Olympic break, per LeBrun.

Just like at the 2023 Draft, Carlsson’s fate lies somewhere between Bedard and Fantilli. The Swedish-native has taken on a major role for the Anaheim Ducks, offering both top-end impacts both on and off of the puck. He scored a career-high 45 points in 76 games last season. That’s the lowest personal-best on this list, though it came with a Ducks squad that scored the third-fewest goals in the 2024-25 season. Anaheim was led in scoring by Troy Terry’s 55 points last year, a mark that Carlsson could reasonably clear with some bolstered roles around him. He’s proving as much early on this season, with a team-leading 11 points in nine games while playing alongside Alex Killorn and either Cutter Gauthier or Chris Kreider.

Carlsson appears to have taken a big step forward through the early year. Anaheim won’t have to look far for a comparable deal, after signing Mason McTavish to a six-year, $42MM contract extension in the weeks before the season. The resulting $7MM cap hit is likely a bit cheaper than McTavish could’ve managed on a seven-or-eight-year deal. That should well support Carlsson’s push towards a $9MM contract next summer, especially if he can continue to outscore McTavish through the rest of the year.

The NHL salary cap is presently skyrocketting. It is up $7.5MM this season, and expected to rise another $18MM before the 2027-28 season. That growth has made projecting new contracts a much tougher task – which is where timely extensions like Cooley’s help set the market. He’s been awarded $10MM to man his team’s top-forward role for much of the next decade. That’s set a price tag for the role – one that some 2026 restricted free agents could live up to, while others need to keep trying to play their way into a bigger payday.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

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