Ducks Place Nick Jensen on Waivers

When Nick Jensen signed a two-year, $4.5 million deal with the Ducks this past summer, the expectation was that he would bring veteran guidance to a relatively young blue line that had lost Radko Gudas, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba.

"I want to be somewhere where I'm wanted," Jensen said during training camp. "That is the majority of why I'm here. I think (the Ducks) reached out to me and they showed that they had interest in me, and I want to be where people want me."

Jensen avoided serious injury after a collision into the boards during a training camp scrimmage forced him to leave the ice. Despite injuries to right-handed defensemen Ian Moore and Drew Helleson, Jensen was unable to establish himself in the lineup. Rookie Noah Warren appears to have nailed down a regular spot in the lineup and left-hander Travis Mitchell playing his off-side on the right was even preferred to the natural-sided Jensen.

"He hasn't played in a long time there last year, going back to that," head coach Joel Quenneville said, referring to the torn meniscus which prematurely ended Jensen's 2025-26 season. "Coming into camp, didn't play much. Get him playing, I think that's gonna help his game."

If Jensen clears waivers, he would be reassigned to the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. Per PuckPedia, his buried cap hit would be $1.025 million, giving the Ducks $1.225 million in cap relief.

Placing Jensen on waivers also opens up a roster spot for Pavel Mintyukov's activation from injured reserve. The Russian defenseman has missed the past four games with a lower-body injury. Quenneville said after Saturday's practice that Mintyukov is good to go for Sunday's game.

The Ducks will have eight defensemen on their active roster following Mintyukov's activation from injured reserve. Moore participated fully in Saturday's practice and could return in mid-November. Warren's emergence has turned the blue line into a competitive logjam, with plenty of spots up for grabs.