'They Took the Bat off Their Shoulder, They Swung, and Even the Best Hitters Strike Out': Was Free Agency a Missed Opportunity for the Ducks or a Blessing in Disguise?
It could be easy to view free agency as a disappointment for the Anaheim Ducks. They set out to acquire at least a top-six winger and a top-four defenseman but left the early days of NHL free agency empty-handed. However, it wasn't for a lack of trying.
"What we're looking to do and what's going to really happen are two different things," Verbeek said with a chuckle at the Ducks "Summer Flock Party" fan event on June 30 when asked about his free agency plans. "What I'd like to be able to do is add a top-six forward and top-four defenseman."
July 1, day one of free agency, came and went, ending in the majority of the significant names on the market having signed brand-new contracts elsewhere.
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While the entire list of who the Ducks had in their sights when free agency opened is uncertain, it's been reported they made sizable offers to the two highest profile wingers on the market, Jonathan Marchessault and Steven Stamkos.
"They made larger and more lucrative offers to both Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault. More term and more dollars," PHWA president Frank Seravalli reported on his "DFO Rundown" podcast. "Both players just weren’t ready for that. That's ok. They didn’t get the top six forward and top four defenseman that they were looking for. They took the bat off their shoulder, they swung, and even the best hitters strike out."
Steven Stamkos (34) hit the free agency market after his 11th season as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning, a season in which he scored 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games. He signed a four-year contract with the Nashville Predators that carries an AAV of $8 million.
Jonathan Marchessault (33) set a career-high in goals (42) in 2023-24, just a season after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy for his performance in the 2023 playoffs, leading the Vegas Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup. Marchessault signed a five-year contract with the Predators that carries an AAV of $5.5 million.
According to Seravalli's report, the Ducks had offered Stamkos at least a five-year contract with an AAV higher than $8 million and Marchessault at least a six-year contract with an AAV higher than $5.5 million.
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While one of the two forwards would have been a welcome addition and would have been instrumental to insulating and elevating the young core set to play significant roles in the 2024-25 season and beyond for the Ducks, Stamkos or Marchessault would have been likely exiting their mid-30s by the time the team was seasoned enough to make an extended run deep into the playoffs.
Either or both of those contracts had the potential to age poorly despite the ample cap space the Ducks possess and the likelihood of the continued annual increase of the salary cap ceiling.
A secondary criticism of the Ducks free agency period may be a lack of a "Plan B" to secure players in the next tier of the free agency market. Tyler Bertuzzi (Chicago Blackhawks), Sean Monahan (Columbus Blue Jackets), Teuvo Teravainen (Blackhawks), and Tyler Toffoli (San Jose Sharks) all signed with teams in a similar situation to the Ducks; teams looking to turn the corner on their respective rebuilds in the near future.
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The counter would be that the Ducks had made similar moves on each of the previous two July 1sts. Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano were signed in 2022 while Alex Killorn and Radko Gudas were brought in during the summer of 2023. With the majority of their future core in place, those "nibbling around the edges" moves that would have required significant commitments had already been made by the Ducks.
The Ducks took a different route when it came to their "Plan B." In the two-day stretch from July 2 to July 3, the Ducks made two low-risk trades with the Seattle Kraken and Detroit Red Wings as, in total, they parted with goaltending prospect Gage Alexander and a 2026 fourth-round puck to acquire defenseman Brian Dumoulin (32), forward Robby Fabbri (28), and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Dumoulin ($3.15 million AAV) and Fabbri ($4 million AAV) each have one year remaining on their contracts before they're set to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2025.
Dumoulin will likely provide a role as a steady and reliable partner for one of the Ducks young blueliners like Pavel Mintyukov or Olen Zellweger while Fabbri will look to provide some depth scoring the team greatly lacked in the 2023-24 season.
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The Ducks still have just over $22.6 million in cap space for next season, one of the better prospect pools (if not, the best) in the NHL, and another nine draft picks in the 2025 Draft. Six teams are currently projected to exceed the $88 million cap ceiling for next season while another three teams are within $1 million of it.
With players like Martin Necas, Nikolaj Ehlers, Mitch Marner, and Patrik Laine still circulating rumor mills around the league, the Ducks have plenty of arrows left in their quiver should they choose to continue improving their team via trade.
As the league-wide date for submission of final rosters draws nearer, opposing teams will almost certainly need to part with significant pieces whether through trade or with the use of waivers.
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The Ducks will have the third claim to players placed on waivers before the start of the season and are in a prime spot to pounce on an opportunity should it present itself.
While the most notable and cheapest route (in terms of assets out the door) to improving the roster has passed, it had the capacity to hamstring potential in the long term and impede progression in the short term.
Opening night for the 2024-25 season is still roughly three months away. A lot can change in regards to the landscape of the Ducks roster and the league as a whole in that time.
Even with the most minimal of moves, the Ducks are set to take strides toward contention in the upcoming season simply by remaining healthy and letting their young stars seize control of their remarkable potential.
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