Free agency is just a few weeks away and while the Anaheim Ducks aren’t poised to be a contender next season, it remains to be seen whether the team could be active in pursuing free agents, in an effort to upgrade their roster.
The Ducks do have a huge amount of cap space this offseason, but also have about six notable restricted free agents in need of new contracts. Here’s a look at everyone under contract for next season, as well as the RFAs:
Forwards (14): Trevor Zegras, Max Comtois, Adam Henrique, Rickard Rakell, Troy Terry, Jakob Silfverberg, Max Jones, Isac Lundestrom, Alexander Volkov, Sam Steel, Danton Heinen, Sonny Milano, Derek Grant, Nicolas Deslauriers
Defense (7): Jamie Drysdale, Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler, Josh Manson, Haydn Fleury, Kevin Shattenkirk, Jacob Larsson
Goalies (2): John Gibson, Anthony Stolarz
That’s the list of players who’ll have a roster spot, if no trades are made this offseason and every RFA is brought back. It also doesn’t include prospects who could push for a spot, like Josh Mahura, or unrestricted free agents who could return, like Ryan Getzlaf.
As you can see, the roster is very overcrowded as is, with a full 23-man roster basically ready to go. Someone will be taken in the expansion draft as well but regardless, the Ducks don’t have many open roster spots.
I’d love to see the Ducks create roster space by dealing some of their current roster players who carry value, especially some of the key players I mentioned in yesterday’s article.
Now, I don’t see the Ducks signing anyone to a long-term deal in free agency, but there is an alternative. If the Ducks traded some players of value in exchange for future assets, they’d create roster space to sign some free agents to one or two-year deals, let them build some value in Anaheim, then be able to flip those players for picks at the deadline. After all, building up a base of prospects and draft picks should be the top priority for Anaheim.
However, it’s also important to consider that anyone signed can’t come in and take spots away from younger players who need the ice time to continue developing. As a result, while the idea of signing free agents to short-term deals and then retaining salary and flipping them for picks sounds like a good idea, there just isn’t enough room to start adding players via free agency, unless multiple players are moved out for picks and/or prospects first. Perhaps we do see some players shipped out before then but right now, Anaheim's roster is likely too crowded to go after anyone on the open market.
As a result, it seems unlikely that the Ducks will be overly active in free agency this year.
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How active do you expect the Ducks to be in free agency this year?
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