Why Luneau's Surprising Contract With The Ducks Is Quickly Looking Like A Steal

The Anaheim Ducks shocked the hockey world, not for the first time, when they signed Tristan Luneau to a six-year, $43.2-million contract with just 14 NHL games under his belt. 

Opinions on the contract were divided, with some praising GM Pat Verbeek's willingness to get in front of things and show faith in a young defender. At the same time, some criticized the Ducks for handing such a large contract to a player who has proven virtually nothing in the big leagues.

After five games, the Ducks' gamble appears to be paying off. 

There's been no initiation period for Luneau, as he's been thrown onto the top pairing with Jackson LaCombe and is playing major minutes. Through the first three games, Luneau had logged 26:58, 26:36, and 21:33 of ice time. In a 5-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, Luneau played just 14:22 of ice time, bringing his average down to 22:38.

That time on ice ranks second on the Ducks, behind only his partner, LaCombe. 

What makes Luneau's ascension even more interesting isn't that he's just logging heavy minutes, but that he's been impactful. He and LaCombe are excellent puck movers and have been instrumental in creating rush offense for the Ducks. After retrievals, neither is afraid to jump into the play and look to score. 

While it's only translated into one assist so far, Luneau will likely start racking up points soon. 

As a team, the Ducks have struggled analytically at 5-on-5, but they are trending in the right direction lately. In their first three games, five of their nine goals came on the man advantage, and they failed to score an even-strength goal in two games.

To further promote Luneau's play, the Ducks have faced three challenging teams so far: the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Edmonton Oilers. 

Despite that, the Ducks have posted a 47.45 percent Corsi For percentage and a 53.86 percent expected goals percentage with Luneau on the ice at 5-on-5, according to NaturalStatTrick.com. The Ducks are also even on the score sheet, scoring three and allowing three. 

Luneau hasn't shied away from the penalty kill either, racking up 11:33 of ice time. With Luneau, the Ducks have given up just one power-play goal. 

The 22-year-old has also found some time on the second power-play unit as the Ducks run Luneau and Mintyukov together. With his fairly heavy shot — a 78th-percentile hardest shot speed, and an 89th-percentile average shot speed, according to NHL EDGE — Luneau will challenge goaltenders.

But right now, the importance is how Luneau looks at 5-on-5. He's checked off those boxes. His skating allows him to challenge forwards on the rush, jump into the play, and help the Ducks break out of their own zone efficiently. 

What immediately stood out as an overpayment could soon look like a steal very soon. With the roster turnover the Ducks faced, especially on the backend, Luneau's emergence is helping the Ducks mitigate those losses and remain competitive.

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