Dumoulin "Excited About the Opportunity" with the Ducks, but Doesn't Expect to Become an Immediate Leader
Newly acquired Ducks defenseman Brian Dumoulin views winning as his main priority
Dumoulin "Excited About the Opportunity" with the Ducks, but Doesn't Expect to Become an Immediate LeaderAfter a quiet first day of free agency on July 1, the Ducks acquired defenseman Brian Dumoulin from the Seattle Kraken on July 2 in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.
Dumoulin (32), a Biddeford, Maine native, took part in a phone interview with Travis Lazarczyk on the Portland Press Harald and reacted to his trade from Seattle to Anaheim.
"I’m excited about the opportunity. They’re a young up-and-coming team,” Dumoulin said. "I know Greg Cronin, the coach. He recruited me when he coached Northeastern before I went to (Boston College).”
Dumoulin won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, playing primarily alongside Kris Letang on the team's top pair.
In the summer of 2023, Dumoulin signed a two-year contract with the Seattle Kraken as an unrestricted free agent, carrying an AAV of $3.15 million and a 10-team no-trade list.
The adjustment to Seattle didn't seem as seamless as anticipated. He played 80 games in 2023-24 while averaging 17 minutes per game on the team's third pairing, his lowest TOI average and role of his career.
Dumoulin and his representation reportedly approached general manager Ron Francis and the Seattle Kraken management requesting a trade before the 2024 NHL Draft, preferably to an East Coast team.
Francis communicated the desire to keep Dumoulin on the Kraken roster, but after signing defenseman Brandon Montour on July 1 to a seven-year, $50 million contract, Seattle decided to oblige Dumoulin's trade request.
There haven't been indications Anaheim was on Dumoulin's not-trade list, so it's unclear if he waived it to join the Ducks. Though he brings a Stanley Cup pedigree and has a history of leadership, wearing an "A" for the Penguins from 2019 to 2023, he doesn't expect to become an immediate leader in the Ducks' locker room.
"Obviously it’s a lot more complicated than that. I’m not going in there to be another coach," Dumoulin stated. "I want to get to know the group. I want to go about my business and see how it goes.”
Dumoulin's priorities circulate around winning and returning to the greatest summit in the sport, hoisting the Stanley Cup.
“I can’t say I’m going to go in there and change the culture if I don’t know what the culture is," Dumoulin continued. "My biggest priority is winning. That’s what I’ve wanted to do my whole career and I’d love to see that with Anaheim. We want this to be a team that makes the playoffs, a team that wins the Stanley Cup.”
While the playoffs seem like a lofty goal for the Ducks outlook in 2024-25 and the Stanley Cup a pipe dream, Dumoulin's approach remains unwaivered.
The stylistic fit between Dumoulin and the current Ducks' lineup is undeniable. He will likely provide a steady and stable environment in one of the team's top-four pairings alongside a talented, young, and more offensively inclined defenseman like Olen Zellweger or Pavel Mintyukov.
In all certainty, Dumoulin will play on the team's top penalty kill unit, a unit that ranked 31st in the NHL, killing at a 72.4% rate.
If the Ducks don't make the strides they hope to and wind up selling again at the 2025 trade deadline, Dumoulin could likely be traded to a contending team. He has one year remaining on his contract that will expire when he's 33 years old.
“I love putting in the work. I love the regular season," Dumoulin conclued. "I love the offseason. I’m not satisfied with my career. I’m not just going to fade out.”