Now that pretty much every notable free agent has chosen a new home, teams now have to turn to the trade market if they want to improve their roster. So far this offseason, the Ducks have added Chris Kreider (trade from NYR), Ryan Poehling (trade from PHI), Petr Mrazek (trade from DET), and Mikael Granlund (free agent). They have said farewell to Trevor Zegras (trade to PHI), John Gibson (trade to DET), Isac Lundestrom (signed with CBJ), Brett Leason (free agent), Brock McGinn (free agent), and Robby Fabbri (free agent). Overall, I would say that the forward group has improved and the goaltending has gotten worse (but Gibson needed to be traded).
At the moment, the Ducks have about $29 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), which is the most in the league. The Ducks do still have to sign Lukas Dostal, Mason McTavish, Drew Helleson, and Sam Colangelo. I would estimate that group would eat up around half of the available cap room, meaning the Ducks should have around $15 million to play with. While I do believe the team is better than last season, there is still plenty of room for improvement. I think adding one more impact forward would go a long way in filling out the roster.
I came up with 6 names that are theoretically available this offseason who make sense for the Ducks (I left out Marco Rossi because I don’t believe Pat Verbeek would be interested in a 5’9″ center, even though he is a very good player):
Jason Robertson
After Dallas’ season ended, Robertson’s name surprisingly started to pop up in trade rumors. The soon-to-be 26 year-old winger has averaged 37 goals and 87 points over the last 4 seasons, making him one of the most productive forwards in the league. At 6’3″ and 205 lbs, Robertson boasts above average size, although he isn’t a physically imposing type of player. He is also known to be one of the slower players in the league, but the fact that he has been so productive despite the lack of speed emphasizes the quality of his offensive instincts.
So why would Dallas trade a player of this ilk? It’s not clear at the moment, but an educated guess is that his long-term fit on the team was affected by last season’s acquisition of Mikko Rantanen, who signed an enormous contract with the Stars. Robertson has 1 year remaining on his contract before he becomes a restricted free agent, but he’s due a substantial raise on his next contract. Dallas might not be comfortable having 2 wingers on huge long-term deals. And if that’s how they feel, then it makes sense to capitalize on Robertson’s value this summer.
Robertson would give an obvious, immediate boost to Anaheim’s firepower. He isn’t a perfect fit into the lineup as the Ducks are already flush with left-shot forwards, but players like Robertson aren’t available very often. He is someone you make fit, even if it means having to move some other pieces around for it to happen.
Rickard Rakell
Ducks fans will recognize this name. Rakell was drafted by Anaheim in 2010 and he spent the majority of his career with the Ducks until he was traded to Pittsburgh at the 2022 trade deadline. He has always been a productive player, but he had a career year last season. The 32-year-old winger put up 35 goals and 35 assists playing next to Sidney Crosby. Rakell is a skilled forward with decent speed, good hands, and a good shot. At 6’1″ and 200 lbs, he isn’t huge, but he is strong enough to protect the puck and get into the mix.
The Penguins are in the midst of a rebuild, and moving Rakell while his value is high could net them some quality assets. Rakell has 3 years left on his contract at a very manageable $5 million cap hit. While I’m sure Pittsburgh would love to cash in on Rakell, there is no reason for them to rush a trade. They can afford to be patient and wait to get exactly what they want.
Rakell would be an excellent fit for the Ducks. He is a right-shot forward who can play either wing, and he is on a palatable contract that can easily fit into Anaheim’s structure. Rakell can play anywhere and he would be a good complement to any of Anaheim’s centers.
Bryan Rust
Moving on to another Pittsburgh winger, Bryan Rust is in a similar boat to Rakell. Rust was drafted in 2010 by the Penguins and he has spent his entire career there. Rust has been a consistent producer with Pittsburgh, and like Rakell, he set a career high in goals (31) and points (34) last year. The 33-year-old winger is on the smaller side at 5’11” and 190 lbs, but he is a quick forward who knows where to go to score goals.
You can pretty much copy and paste the 2nd and 3rd paragraphs from Rakell’s section here. The only difference is Rust’s cap hit is $5.125 million, instead of $5 million. Because Rust is smaller and a year older than Rakell, Rust’s acquisition cost could be a bit less than Rakell’s, but they are comparable players in a lot of ways.
Martin Necas
Necas was drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes in 2017, but he was traded to Colorado last season in the Mikko Rantanen deal. He is a 6’2″ 200 lbs winger with elite speed, a good shot, and great puck skills. The 26-year-old forward finally realized his offensive potential last season. Prior to last year, Necas’ career high was 53 points, but he exploded for 27 goals and 83 points. He loves having the puck on his stick and skating it up the ice, making him a great transition player, too.
The long-term fit between Necas and Colorado is unclear at the moment. He has 1 year left on his contract before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. After last season, he is certainly looking for a large raise on his current deal that pays him $6.5 million per season. If Colorado feels uneasy about the contract he wants, then it would make sense to move him for more long-term pieces.
I have always thought that Necas reminded me of a souped-up version of Troy Terry. Both are tall, lean wingers who have good hands and like carrying the puck, but Necas is stronger and faster than Terry is. Necas’ next contract will also be much more expensive than Terry’s current deal ($7 million per year). The timing of his new deal also isn’t perfect for Anaheim, given they are expected to give large raises to Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, and Jackson LaCombe next summer. I think Necas would make the Ducks better, but I am skeptical of how he fits into the contract structure of the team moving forward.
Evan Rodrigues
Rodrigues is fresh off his second consecutive Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. The soon-to-be 32 year-old winger doesn’t have the offensive pedigree as the names I’ve already discussed, but he has proven to be a useful cog in a winning machine. Rodrigues had 15 goals and 17 assists last regular season, but he added 2 goals and 13 assists in 21 playoff games for the Panthers. He is on the smaller side at 5’11” 180 lbs, but his skating ability, skill, and tenacity allow him to be a good complementary piece in a team’s top 9 forward group.
Even though Rodrigues has been an important piece to the Panthers, he is probably a luxury for them at this point. At the moment, Florida is over the salary cap, but moving the last 2 years of Rodrigues’ $3 million cap hit should alleviate their problem. Out of all of Florida’s top 9 forwards, Rodrigues is certainly the most replaceable, and they have young Mackie Samoskevich ready to take Rodrigues’ spot for half the price.
Rodrigues doesn’t bring the firepower that the Ducks still need, but he would still be a nice addition to the forward group, especially as a right-shot winger. Also, given Florida’s cap situation, he should not be costly to acquire. Anaheim should aim higher, but Rodrigues would be a decent consolation prize if nothing else pans out.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
Similar to Rodrigues, Pageau is more of a role player than a primary scorer, but Pageau’s skillset is sorely needed on the Ducks. The 32-year-old forward is coming off a relatively productive season with the Islanders, scoring 14 goals and 28 assists. Pageau is only 5’11” 180 lbs, but he works hard, is reliable defensively, and can chip in some offense as well. One of Pageau’s standout abilities is his proficiency in the faceoff circle (I wrote more about that here), where he won nearly 60% of draws last season.
The Islanders are turning over a new leaf as an organization, and Pageau likely isn’t part of their long-term plans. He has 1 year left on his contract at a $5 million cap hit. The Islanders are pretty tight to the salary cap ceiling, so moving Pageau’s money would give them some breathing room.
With the signing of Mikael Granlund, I have been thinking that Ryan Strome is now a redundant player on the Ducks. I believe swapping Strome for Pageau (not necessarily in the same trade) would smooth out Anaheim’s forward group. Pageau is more suited to a defensive, PK role than Strome is, but we also wouldn’t be sacrificing much offense either. Moving Strome would also open up more money next offseason when the Ducks really need it.
All Mighty Hockey Talk 
Leave a reply to marilynbarmash Cancel reply