The Anaheim Ducks are the most watched team in the NHL. General manager Pat Verbeek believes his team will be a playoff team this season. Many people rolled their eyes. It was difficult enough to jump 21 points in the standings last year. Do it again, and the odds are stacked against Anaheim given the competition in the Western Conference.
Verbeek’s belief has carried over to the locker room, however, and the Anaheim Ducks have been one of the surprising teams this season. New head coach Joel Quenneville has a good mix of veterans and young players all firing on all cylinders. However, like any good general manager, he is always looking for ways to improve the club and prepare it for the future, especially when it comes to signing players he believes will be part of the core going forward.
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We’ve seen recently that when it comes to restricted free agents Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale (both now with the Philadelphia Flyers), these negotiations drag on for too long. The same was true for Mason McTavish last season, who missed part of training camp before re-signing with the club.
So after re-signing Jackson LaCombe to an eight-year, $9 million AAV contract in the final year of his entry-level contract, Pat Verbeek will once again be patient when it comes to extending RFA players. These RFAs include Cutter Gauthier, Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov, Ian Moore and Olen Zellweger.
During an interview with Victory+ TV on Wednesday night during the Ducks’ game against the Boston Bruins, Verbeek was asked if any negotiations were ongoing.
“No, they’re not. Right now, we’re kind of delaying the negotiations,” Verbeek said. “So, I think, for everyone, it’s just to see where the market settles down and see if anything else slips through. But right now, we’re just on pause and I really don’t want to get stuck because I want guys to continue to play well and not think about their contracts.”
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Some players play better knowing they have to play for something, while other players play hard knowing it’s settled. But it’s clear that it does impact players when contract negotiations are the first thing discussed rather than on-ice action. So Verbeek is there. Clearly, Lacombe is fulfilling his new contract.
But as NHLRumors.com noted, the negotiation process between Gauthier or Carlson and the Ducks has not yet begun. As Verbeek mentioned, let’s see where the market is for these players once they become RFA on July 1st. The salary cap is rising. But what’s interesting is that Lacombe was signed right after Luke Hughes signed with the Devils.
When Verbeek talks about the market, he’s talking about Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks and what he’s going to get. Bedard is also an RFA this summer, and Verbeek may slow down negotiations with Carlson so Bedard can set the market. But then again, Karlsson could be the first signing and Bedard could pass him.
The Ducks will once again have a ton of cap space next season, so Gauthier and Karlsson could be eight-figure players. It all depends on the length and number of RFA years they purchase compared to UFA years. Is it mid-range or long-term, or are they building a bridge between one of the players? There are plenty of options on the table for both players.
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And, of course, Oren Zellweger. His name had been in rumors all summer, but he has returned to form this season under Quenneville. Again, he could get a transition deal. Lacombe appears to be the highest-paid player on defense and everyone will be below that level.
But what will happen to Pavel Mintyukov? The report comes from Elliott Friedman of 32 Thoughts, who says Mintyukov is not happy with the streak of healthy scratches and wants a change of scenery so he can play. As Friedman said, “Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek isn’t going to rush into anything — something that requires close attention.”
Interestingly, the Anaheim Ducks are a defense factory that produces NHL players for other teams in the league. The problem is, the players they sent out in the past didn’t get a good return. The two best trades that come to mind are Sami Vatanen for Adam Henrique and Gauthier for Drysdale.
Pat Verbeek once again has time to process it all. Let teams come to him. Let’s see if Verbeek remains patient with his RFA, or if in fact he extends it before the end of the season, especially if they keep up this pace.
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