Coming off another disappointing season, it’s clear the Anaheim Ducks don’t have a strong enough team to compete and should instead focus on building for the future.
While the Ducks passed up on the opportunity to make any major deals at the trade deadline, the offseason is another chance for the team to recoup future assets for current players. Here are three key players the Ducks may look to move sooner than later, in order to kickstart a rebuild.
HAMPUS LINDHOLM
Lindholm is probably a bit of a longshot to be dealt in the offseason, based on his age and how large of a role he plays with Anaheim. However, if the Ducks truly commit to a rebuild, few players on their roster would provide as big of a return as Lindholm would.
The defender was out for a majority of the season due to an injury, playing in just 18 games. However, Lindholm is still just 27 years old and can play over 22 minutes per night against top players on opposing teams. His contract will expire at the end of next season and carries a $5.2 million AAV.
Lindholm will still be in his prime when it comes time to sign an extension but the Ducks need to determine whether he fits with their timeline for competing. Anaheim realistically isn’t going to be overly competitive in the next few years and by the time they are, Lindholm could be in his 30s. Dealing him now would bring back a pretty huge return, but I do think it’s a fairly unlikely move to make.
JOSH MANSON
Josh Manson also spent quite a bit of time this season injured, playing in just 23 games. He’s spent his entire career with the Ducks thus far but it could be time for the team and player to part ways.
Manson also has just one year remaining on his deal at a $4.1 million AAV. Considering he’s turning 30 years old in October, it simply doesn’t make sense to re-sign Manson and the Ducks should instead look to make room for younger players, while adding key assets at the same time.
Dealing Manson before the expansion draft would be ideal, so the Ducks have an extra spot to use on another defender. That said, he does have a 12-team no-trade list, which could make finding a trading partner somewhat more difficult. While he wouldn’t bring the same return as a Lindholm deal would, it seems like a pretty realistic move to make at this stage, rather than re-signing Manson.
RICKARD RAKELL
It was pretty surprising to see that Rakell wasn’t moved at the trade deadline, as everything was aligning for him to be the first major player on the Ducks dealt this season.
Rakell is 28 years old and also has a single year left on his deal, worth $3.8 million. He’s coming off a fairly disappointing year offensively, where he scored just nine goals and 28 points in 52 games. That said, he’s pretty consistently good for a pace of about 50-55 points per 82 and has scored at a pace of more than 35 goals per 82 previously in his career.
It's likely that we see Rakell dealt before the end of his contract and he’s probably the only forward who the Ducks would be looking to move that could bring back valuable assets. It just wouldn’t make sense for Anaheim to re-sign him to a long-term deal, given he’ll be 29 years old by the time his next contract begins.
SUMMARY
As mentioned when speaking about Manson, if any of these players are going to be moved, prior to the expansion draft would be the best time to do it, to free up some protection slots. Obviously though, that’s easier said than done, considering many teams probably want to wait until after the expansion draft to acquire players, to preserve their current protection slots.
A key for all three of these players is that they’re all on expiring contracts which are desirable for the market right now, given that most teams aren’t looking to take on term. The Ducks shouldn’t have any problem retaining salary on the deals either, making each player a very attractive option for potential contenders.
It’s difficult to predict a timeline for any of these deals, but it shouldn’t be shocking to see one or multiple of the players listed above moved ahead of next season.
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Which player do you think is most likely to be traded in the offseason?
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