How The Offseason Stacks Up for Ducks RFA Isac Lundestrom
The Anaheim Ducks head into the 2024 offseason with seven RFAs in need of new contracts. Pat Verbeek has an interesting history with RFAs in his tenure as Ducks GM. How will Isac Lundestrom fare this summer?
2023-24 was Ducks' center Isac Lundestrom's fourth full-time season in the NHL. He was forced to miss the team's first 36 games of the regular season due to a torn Achilles tendon suffered during off-ice training in the summer of 2023.
At the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Lundestrom's two-year contract carrying an AAV of $1.8 million expired. He is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights. If the Ducks intend to retain his rights, they must offer him a qualifying offer before July 1. If they do not, he will become an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team that offers him a contract.
The Ducks have seven RFAs they will need to make decisions on before July 1.
Lundestrom (23rd overall in 2018) has played a total of 258 games for the Ducks over the last six seasons. In that time, he's scored 31 goals and 38 assists.
Because of his work ethic and attention to detail on the defensive side of the puck, Lundestrom was given a great deal of responsibility in the NHL at a young age. His strong skating and angling prowess allow him to keep attackers away from the middle of the ice and force them to move the puck.
He has shown to be skillful when separating puck carrier from puck and transitioning up ice for a rush opportunity. He protects the puck well when transporting it out of the defensive zone, into the neutral zone, and gaining the offensive blueline.
Where Lundestrom has struggled in his career has been creating truly dangerous chances from the opportunities he generates. He hasn't shown the capability to challenge the middle of the offensive zone and distribute the puck to the players on his line who do. He keeps plays along the wall and on the perimeter of the offensive zone.
Lundestrom was given a role at a young age to become a shutdown forward and before the 2023-24 season, was consistently matched up against the opposing team's top line night in and night out. When matched up against the NHL's top centers like Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Nathan MacKinnon, most of Lundestrom's ice time was spent in the defensive zone. It has been difficult to develop offensively in that environment.
Lundestrom would require Pat Verbeek to extend a $1.8 million qualifying offer. Of all the RFAs in the Ducks organization, Lundestrom's QO is the most expensive. Verbeek hasn't been hesitant to let RFAs hit unrestricted free agency if he didn't feel they were worth the price of their qualifying offer. Sam Steel, Max Comtois, and Sonny Milano were notable RFAs who didn't receive QOs from Pat Verbeek and were allowed to become unrestricted free agents.
Lundestrom is currently in Czechia representing Sweden at the World Championships. He has four points in seven games centering Sweden's third line and averaging roughly 14 minutes per game. His team has been dominant, having gone 7-0 thus far and have outscored opponents 35-9.
In an environment where he finds himself on a line with two high-energy yet responsible forechecking wingers, Lundestrom can hopefully remain a quality bottom-six defensive forward and have the ability to round out some of his offensive deficiencies. We'll know soon if that opportunity will be in Anaheim.