The Ducks have signed one of their pending RFAs to a multi-year deal, but probably not the one that fans were expecting.
On Wednesday, Anaheim announced it had signed winger Nikita Nesterenko to a two-year, one-way contract. The AAV for his deal is $787,500. Nesterenko would have been an RFA on June 30 if tendered a qualifying offer, but a deal was made prior to the deadline. It’s a nice reward for the 23-year-old, who appeared in 20 games this past season, collecting six points while playing primarily in a bottom-6 role. His speed and tenacity on the forecheck were two attributes highlighted by former head Greg Cronin during the forward’s time up with the big club. Ducks senior advisor Scott Niedermayer is said to be a big fan of Nesterenko’s game as well.
Nesterenko appeared in 48 AHL games this past season, totaling 34 points and demonstrating that he was one of the San Diego Gulls’ best players. Nesterenko noted earlier this season how difficult the transition from playing top-6 minutes in the minors to playing limited minutes in the NHL can be.
“In college, I was a top-6 guy and right now, I'm a bottom-6 guy. Just trying to change my game a little bit and adapt. It’s hard to just step into this league and be a top-6 guy and just score goals like in the past. So, just trying to simplify my game. I'm trying to play harder. Just little things, like winning battles, winning the walls. It's the little things.
“You don't get as much ice time as you do in college, so I'm trying to build that trust with the coaches and then, hopefully, you build the trust and then you can start getting some more freedom and making more plays. But, for now, just keeping it simple and just sticking to little things like winning battles, winning walls, shots on net, stuff like that, just simplifying it down.”
With the Ducks’ 2025-26 lineup consisting of mostly the same forward group, Nesterenko will have another training camp battle on his hands, much like last season. But a bottom-6 spot could be available for the taking, especially if the Ducks do not tender qualifying offers to either Isac Lundeström and Brett Leason and the likes of pending UFAs Brock McGinn and Robby Fabbri unlikely to return.
Featured image caption: Apr 9, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks center Nikita Nesterenko (62) handles the puck during the first period against the Calgary Flames at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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