Ducks’ Brock McGinn Out For Season Following ACL Surgery, Trevor Zegras Activated
Jan. 22: The Ducks announced later Tuesday that forward Trevor Zegras, who’d missed the last six weeks after undergoing right knee surgery, was activated from injured reserve. McGinn was already on IR and Anaheim had an open roster spot, so there was no corresponding transaction. Zegras suited up in last night’s game against the Panthers, recording a minus-two rating and four shots in 15:48 of ice time. His point totals remain at a sluggish four goals and six assists through 25 appearances.
Jan. 21: Ducks winger Brock McGinn underwent successful ACL reconstruction surgery in Los Angeles last week, the team announced. McGinn has a seven-to-nine-month recovery window as a result, ending his 2024-25 campaign and putting his availability for the start of the 2025-26 regular season in jeopardy.
McGinn, a pending unrestricted free agent, last played on Dec. 23 against the Golden Knights. The 30-year-old left that game in the first period after awkwardly twisting his knee while attempting to throw a check. It didn’t appear he’d miss too much time after skating off under his own power and initially being termed day-to-day by the club, but he’ll now finish the season hurt for the third time in his three seasons in Anaheim.
A second-round pick of the Hurricanes back in 2012, McGinn’s tenure in Southern California has been riddled by injuries. He first missed the final four regular season games of the 2022-23 campaign with an upper-body issue after being acquired from the Penguins at the trade deadline in exchange for defenseman Dmitry Kulikov. McGinn then missed over half of the 2023-24 season due to various injuries, including season-ending back surgery in March.
The 6’0″, 187-lb forward also missed seven games earlier this season with a lower-body issue. It’s unclear if the two are related or if a cumulative/re-aggravated knee issue led to such a major procedure being required.
Understandably, the once productive bottom six piece’s production has taken a hit in Anaheim due to his health and the team’s underwhelming roster. He’s managed only seven goals and 14 points in 65 appearances as a Duck since the 2023 trade, averaging 11:38 per game. His eight points in 26 games this year was on pace to be his best offensive showing since posting 22 points in 64 games with Pittsburgh in 2021-22, however.
While McGinn was already going to need to take a pay cut on his expiring $2.75MM AAV on the open market this summer, the injury likely locks him in as a candidate for a PTO in September. He likely won’t be cleared to resume contact until around then, so any interested teams will likely be wary of giving him a guaranteed contract earlier in the summer.
For the Ducks, McGinn’s continued absence leaves a permanent hole in the bottom six. That opening should mean more playing time for fringe youngsters like Sam Colangelo and Nikita Nesterenko in addition to veteran AHL call-ups like Jansen Harkins.
Anaheim Ducks Reassign Sam Colangelo
According to a team announcement, the Anaheim Ducks have reassigned forward Sam Colangelo to their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. The roster move indicates one of Trevor Zegras or Brock McGinn will be activated from the injured reserve before Anaheim’s contest against the Florida Panthers tomorrow.
There is also a very real chance that this move could be performance-related. Colangelo has been more than impressive in his first full year in the AHL with 13 goals and 22 points in 24 games but that level of performance hasn’t translated to NHL action.
Colangelo has skated in 12 games for the Ducks this season over two separate call-ups. He went scoreless from November 19th to December 9th averaging 10:04 of ice time per game and managed only one in his recent four-game stretch averaging 12:46 of ice time per night.
As much as his AHL performance has given credibility to his being on an NHL roster, Anaheim simply needs more from Colangelo if they’re to keep him in the lineup. The Ducks have the league’s worst offense averaging 2.37 GF/G and need more production across the board.
Still, it won’t hurt Colangelo to return to the Gulls on a full-time basis. There are no expectations they’ll compete for playoff positioning in a tough AHL Pacific Division but Colangelo is still tied for the team lead in scoring with winger Sasha Pastujov.
Anaheim Ducks Close To Signing Artyom Galimov
Originally reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on ’32 Thoughts’ and passed along by Patrick Present of The Hockey News, the Anaheim Ducks are close to signing one of their relatively recent draft picks. According to the report, the Ducks are close to signing Artyom Galimov from the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan and it could come before the end of the KHL season.
Anaheim selected Galimov with the 159th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft and there wasn’t much expected of him at the time. He scored 13 goals and 23 points in 55 games for Ak Bars Kazan during his draft year and stayed relatively consistent over the next four years.
He hasn’t garnered many headlines in the KHL, and his odds of ever making it to North America were becoming increasingly long. In the subsequent four seasons after being drafted in 2020, Galimov scored 25 goals and 37 assists in 202 games for Ak Bars Kazan with another four goals and eight assists in 47 postseason contests. That kind of production hardly warranted an entry-level contract in the NHL.
As indicated by Friedman’s report, Galimov’s stock has dramatically changed this year. He’s scored 22 goals and 41 points in 44 games while managing a +23 rating. He’s tied for eighth across the entire league in goal-scoring and has helped Ak Bars into a comfortable second place in the Eastern Conference.
Depending on the urgency the Ducks have in bringing Galimov to North America, they may allow him to finish the season with Ak Bars and continue with their inevitable playoff run. Still, if Anaheim is confident Galimov can continue scoring goals in the NHL, they could certainly use an addition like him immediately.
Anaheim Ducks Recall Sam Colangelo
Sam Colangelo is receiving another opportunity to prove his worth at the NHL level. The Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve recalled Colangelo from their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Colangelo has already accrued eight games with Anaheim this season thanks to a lengthier call-up in mid-November. He was given a consistent role in the team’s bottom six and picked up 14 hits and 10 shots on goal but failed to find the scoresheet.
The Ducks organization isn’t viewing Colangelo’s lack of production in the NHL as an indication of his talent level. The former 36th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft has been flat-out electric at the AHL level scoring 13 goals and 22 points in 24 games during his rookie campaign and is leading the Gulls in scoring.
While Colangelo may not be a top contender for the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award, which is given annually to the AHL’s most outstanding rookie, he is certainly in the running and could potentially earn a spot on the All-Rookie Team by the end of the season.
Unfortunately for Colangelo, unless another roster move is made before the team’s upcoming matchup against the St. Louis Blues tomorrow night, it’s unlikely he’ll crack the lineup given he’s the 14th forward on the active roster. Still, should Anaheim desire more offense in their bottom six, they could swap out Ross Johnston or Jansen Harkins on the team’s fourth line.
Ducks Sign Frank Vatrano To Three-Year Extension
In an announcement from himself and his young daughter, Frank Vatrano is committing to Orange County for another three seasons. In a quick follow-up from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Vatrano’s three-year pact will pay him $18MM in total but carries an uncommon method of deferred salary.
LeBrun shares that Vatrano will earn a base salary of $3MM each year of the deal with $9MM deferred. From 2035, Vatrano will earn $900K annually from the Ducks until 2044. LeBrun asserts that Vatrano plans to live outside of California in retirement giving him the flexibility to earn his annual disbursement in a tax-free state. Additionally, the creativity of the deferred salary brings Vatrano’s cap hit down to $4.67MM (instead of $6MM) which provides cost-savings to Anaheim.
Being primarily used in Major League Baseball, this is the most creative use of deferred salary in recent memory in the National Hockey League and may be a sign of things to come. There are increasing concerns that teams within states without an income tax have a competitive advantage over other teams, particularly in comparison to the Canadian market in recent years. The use of deferred salary by Anaheim may be a way to show players, particularly unrestricted free agents, that there are creative ways to dodge financial impediments.
For Vatrano’s part, it’s a healthy raise on his modest $3.65MM salary for the last three years. After a disappointing year with the New York Rangers, the Ducks signed Vatrano to a three-year, $10.95MM contract as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022.
Subsequently, he’s enjoyed the two most productive seasons of his career. Vatrano scored 22 goals and 41 points in 81 games for Anaheim during the 2022-23 season finishing tied for third on the team in goal-scoring. Vatrano followed up that performance with the best season of his career scoring 37 goals and 60 points in 82 games last year shattering his previous record of 24 goals in 2018-19 with the Florida Panthers. 
Vatrano’s goal-scoring output has dissipated slightly this year with nine goals and 20 points in 37 games but he’s still proving to be a physical, offensive threat in the Ducks’ top-six. Unsurprisingly, the defensive side of Vatrano’s game is improving under head coach Greg Cronin‘s hard-nosed system, with the veteran sniper managing the best 5-on-5 on-ice save percentage since his time with the Panthers.
The extension reflects Vatrano’s earnest commitment to a rebuilding organization. It also removes an important trade candidate from consideration as the deadline approaches. Vatrano’s style of play would be an asset to almost any contending team’s middle-six, but they will now have to seek such an advantage elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Anaheim Ducks Plan To Shop Brian Dumoulin At Deadline
Despite enjoying a three-game winning streak, the Anaheim Ducks are still expected to be deadline sellers for the seventh consecutive season. They own a fair amount of expiring assets such as Robby Fabbri, Frank Vatrano, and Brock McGinn, and The Fourth Period is adding defenseman Brian Dumoulin to that mix.
It’ll be the second time in Dumoulin’s career he will head into the trade deadline on an expiring contract. His six-year, $24.6MM agreement with the Pittsburgh Penguins expired after the 2022-23 season, but the team held on to him for their playoff push down the stretch despite missing out by one point.
This time, Dumoulin’s two-year, $6.3MM contract originally signed with the Seattle Kraken will end after this campaign. His showing with the Ducks this season proves that last year’s campaign was somewhat of an apparition on the defensive side of the puck.
He scored a career-high six goals with the Kraken last year but failed to total more than 100 blocked shots in a full campaign since the 2016-17 season. It was also the first time since the 2015-16 season that Dumoulin didn’t average more than 20 minutes of ice time per night. Much of that has changed in Orange County.
Dumoulin has tallied eight assists in 37 games for the Ducks this season averaging 19:47 of ice time per night. He’s a left-handed shot defenseman who can play on both sides of a defensive pairing and has been a useful option next to Anaheim’s younger defensemen. Blocking shots has also come back into focus for Dumoulin who’s expected to reach 135 on the year if he continues his current pace.
His career history will also make him an attractive choice for many contending teams. Dumoulin is a two-time Stanley Cup champion from his time with the Penguins and holds an impressive 91.9% on-ice save percentage 5on5 throughout his eight trips to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Given his cost-effective salary and ability to play on both sides of the blue line, he should have several suitors at the trade deadline. Dumoulin has a 10-team no-trade clause in his contract meaning Anaheim can discuss his availability with the 21 teams off his list. The Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets are all legitimate contenders who could use more defensive depth on their blue line.
Prospect Will Francis Has Relapse Of His Leukemia
- The University of Minnesota-Duluth announced (Twitter link) that Ducks prospect Will Francis had a relapse of his leukemia which is why he has been limited to just three games so far this season. Francis was initially diagnosed with it in 2020 and had a relapse in August 2023, leading to a bone marrow transplant back in April. Francis is hoping to return to the team next month. PHR wishes Francis well in his continued battle.
Ducks Recall Nikita Nesterenko
The Ducks announced they’ve recalled forward Nikita Nesterenko from AHL San Diego. Since there were two open spots on the active roster, no corresponding move was required.
Nesterenko, 23, comes up from the minors for the first time this season after winger Brock McGinn landed on injured reserve last weekend. The New York native gives Anaheim an extra forward for their two-game road swing through Canada in case another injury strikes their group up front.
Nesterenko has played in 12 NHL games, all with the Ducks in the previous two seasons. The Boston College product has two goals and a -3 rating, averaging 12:51 per game. While a natural center, he’s been deployed almost exclusively at left wing in his brief NHL looks, losing all three of his faceoffs. He’s tended to positively impact the Ducks’ poor possession game in his small NHL sample, helping Anaheim control 44.4% of shot attempts at 5-on-5 compared to only 41.4% without him.
A sixth-round pick by the Wild back in 2019, Nesterenko arrived in Orange County at the 2023 trade deadline when Anaheim sent John Klingberg to Minnesota. Nesterenko, who was wrapping up his 34-point junior season with BC, signed his entry-level deal a few weeks later and joined the Ducks for the stretch run. The 6’2″, 183-lb forward has spent most of his time in San Diego since turning pro, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in 99 appearances for the AHL club. He has 12 points and a -9 rating through 29 games this season, ranking seventh on the team in scoring.
Nesterenko gives the Ducks a decent enough bottom-six option to insert into the lineup if another injury outside of McGinn’s or Trevor Zegras‘ arises over the next couple of days. Nesterenko, who will remain waiver-exempt regardless of how long his recall lasts, will presumably be returned to San Diego when Anaheim returns home from its trip. He’ll be a restricted free agent again next summer, this time with arbitration eligibility, after spending a couple of weeks on the closed market last July before inking a two-way pact.
Ducks Reassign Calle Clang
Dec. 30: Clang is headed back to San Diego today after backing up Dostál in yesterday’s 5-3 win over the Oilers, the team announced. Gibson should be ready to go from his illness tomorrow against the Devils.
Dec. 28: The Anaheim Ducks have recalled goaltender Calle Clang from the minor leagues. He is expected to back up Ducks starter Lukáš Dostál, with veteran John Gibson still out day-to-day with illness. The move was first reported by Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune, and seconded by NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz. In a corresponding move, Anaheim has also promoted Vyacheslav Buteyets from the ECHL to the AHL to fill Clang’s vacancy.
Clang doesn’t seem likely to make his NHL debut on this recall, but he nonetheless makes the move with an impressive resume. He’s served as the San Diego Gulls’ starting goalie this year, posting a team-leading seven wins and .896 save percentage in 19 appearances. Clang won out the starting role as a rookie last season, playing just well enough to win out starts over Tomas Suchanek and Alex Stalock – despite Suchanek posting a .910 in 29 games to Clang’s .897 in 32 games.
It was nonetheless an exciting performance that showed Clang was able of translating his strong play over from Sweden. He stood tall for Rogle BK through parts of four seasons prior to moving to the AHL, ultimately totalling a 22-15-0 record and .906 in 43 games with the pro squad. Those numbers helped Clang earn a third-round draft selection from the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2020. He stands Pittsburgh’s fourth-highest drafted goalie since 2000, though the club shipped him to Anaheim along with Zach Aston-Reese, Dominik Simon, and a second-round pick used on Tristan Luneau in their 2022 acquisition of Rickard Rakell. Two years later, Clang now stands as the top goalie on Anaheim’s call-up chart – helped along by Suchanek suffering a long-term injury before the year started. Clang will try to prove his place on this call-up – if he’s able to step into any ice time.
Anaheim Ducks Place Brock McGinn On Injured Reserve
The Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve placed forward Brock McGinn on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury before a matchup this afternoon against the Edmonton Oilers. The roster move marks the second time the Ducks have had to move McGinn to the injured reserve this season.
McGinn missed seven games during his previous injured reserve placement from mid-November to early December. He was similarly sidelined with a lower-body injury and will miss even more game action under his current designation.
It’s par for the course for McGinn throughout his career. He’s consistently been rostered in the NHL for the last eight seasons between the Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Ducks but hasn’t managed a full 82-game season since 2018-19.
Still, when healthy, he’s provided quality depth scoring to a snake-bitten Anaheim offense. He’s scored four goals and eight points in 26 games for the Ducks this season averaging 11:43 of ice time per game. McGinn won’t break any scoring records for Anaheim this season but it’s better than nothing for an offense in the league’s basement with a 2.38 GF/G average.
He primarily played on the team’s fourth line alongside Isac Lundeström and Brett Leason, meaning the injury designation should give Ross Johnston and/or Jansen Harkins an extended look in the Ducks lineup. McGinn’s placement on the injured reserve will likely be retroactive to December 23rd meaning he’ll be eligible to return on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.