Earlier this week, the Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson. With this, the 21-year-old center will be staying put in Anaheim. 

However, agreeing to pay Carlsson’s new $18 million cap hit has made things very tight for the Ducks. According to puckpedia.com, they have about $9 million of cap space left.

With Cutter Gauthier being a restricted free agent and due for a big payday, Anaheim is going to need to free up cap space. Because of this, let’s look at three Ducks who could be traded due to the Ducks’ salary cap issues. 

Frank Vatrano stands out as a potential trade candidate for the Ducks. The 32-year-old winger has a $4.57 million cap hit through 2027-28 and fell down Anaheim’s depth chart last season. He was also scratched throughout the Ducks’ playoff run this spring. 

Yet, finding a trade partner for Vatrano could be tricky. The 32-year-old forward struggled this season, recording five goals, four assists, and a minus-15 rating in 50 games. However, he also posted at least 21 goals and 41 points in his three previous seasons before 2025-26. 

Vatrano’s contract is also unique, as he has $9 million of deferred salary. His contract will pay him $900,000 per year for 10 years starting in 2035. Would another team be willing to pay him in that manner after the season he just had? 

Alex Killorn is another Ducks player who could be traded as part of a salary-dump move. The 36-year-old winger is entering the final season of his contract and has a $6.25 million cap hit. 

Killorn’s offense has dropped since his prime years with the Tampa Bay Lightning, though. In 82 games last season with Anaheim, he recorded 15 goals and 33 points. The two-time Stanley Cup champion followed that up by posting four goals and nine points in 12 playoff games this spring. 

Finding a team willing to take on Killorn’s $6.25 million cap hit could be tough for the Ducks. Yet, his playoff experience could still help him generate some interest. 

Out of this trio, Chris Kreider could get the Ducks the best return in a trade. The 35-year-old winger had a solid bounce-back season with Anaheim in 2025-26, posting 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games.

With this, he could be a nice pickup for a team looking for another winger in their top six. 

The Ducks would likely prefer to keep Kreider, but he also has a $6.5 million cap hit until the end of next season. With this, if they have trouble finding new homes for players like Vatrano and Killorn, Kreider could be the one Anaheim parts ways with to free up more cap space. 

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