Armed with nearly $39 million in cap space, Pat Verbeek is poised to strike. Discover which Central Division stars could bolster Anaheim's young core this summer.
As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks.
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades.
Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future.
After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league.
I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Central Division, which features three bona fide cup contenders, a couple of teams on the rise, and a couple potentially looking to reset a bit.
Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.
(Alphabetical Order)
Colorado Avalanche
The Avs recently saw their spectacular season come to an unspectacular end, as the Presidents’ Trophy-winning club was swept in the Western Conference Final by the Vegas Golden Knights after dispatching the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild in nine total games through the first two rounds.
They only have a projected $2.29 million in cap space heading into the offseason, with just four NHL defensemen under contract. They’re likely going to have to subtract from their forward group to add to their blueline.
As one of the worst defensive teams in the NHL, it may benefit the Ducks to look for two-way, 200-foot forwards to fill gaps in their young core’s game. Artturi Lehkonen (30), Ross Colton (29), and Nicolas Roy (29) all have one year remaining on their current contracts and could fit that bill.
Lehkonen has an AAV of $4.5 million (12-team NTC), Colton has a $4 million AAV, and Roy’s is $3 million.
Another potential target Colorado could look to offload is Valeri Nichushkin (31), who is coming off his least productive season since 2020-21. He has four years remaining on his contract at a $6.125 million AAV.
The Avs will be forced to move some money out this summer if they intend to keep their contending window as open as possible. They’ll have a new general manager at the helm, as Chris McFarland is on his way to the Nashville Predators organization.
Dallas Stars
The Stars continue as one of the Western Conference’s elite clubs year after year, but haven’t been able to get over the hump and hoist the Stanley Cup. They enter the 2026 offseason with $10.1 million in projected cap space, but they’ll likely have to clear more space to fit in RFA winger Jason Robertson’s potential extension, which could result in a top-heavy depth chart.
Robertson (26) has been at the center of trade discussion and speculation for the last two summers now, remains without a contract, and is one year from UFA eligibility. If he's made available via trade, the Ducks have the pieces to acquire the Arcadia, CA native, despite his potential addition not necessarily filling a need for the Ducks.
If an extension is inked between the Stars and Robertson, other pieces in Dallas could entice Anaheim. Mavrik Bourque (24) broke out a bit in his second full season in the NHL and could fit nicely with the Ducks as a middle-six center. He’s an RFA this summer, and due to the Stars’ cap sheet, this is a perfect offer sheet scenario if a trade cannot be agreed upon.
Elsewhere in Dallas, Tyler Seguin (34) is in his mid-30s, expensive ($9.85 million AAV), has one year remaining on his deal, and is often injured, but when he’s on the ice, he’s remained productive. Verbeek values experience, and Seguin may require a valuable asset or two attached if the Stars intend to move on.
Lastly, an Ilya Lyubushkin (32) reunion could make sense, as he had chemistry with a rookie Pavel Mintyukov in 2023-24 before the former was traded. He has one year remaining on his contract with a $3.35 million AAV.
Similarly to Colorado, the Stars have difficult waters to navigate, as they push forward and accumulate as many “kicks at the can” as possible with their window wide open and their core in their primes.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues have been one of the most active and discussed teams in the NHL from the days leading up to the 2026 trade deadline to the present. They had the second-worst record in the NHL at the deadline, but finished strong and only missed the playoffs by four points.
Reports suggest the Blues will remain active as they look to stay competitive while making some changes to their core. Three of the biggest names who continue to appear on trade boards and in discussions are Robert Thomas (26), Jordan Kyrou (28), and Colton Parayko (33).
All three players would be immediate fits and impact contributors on the Ducks’ roster. Thomas is consistently one of the NHL’s top play creators and offers a premium two-way skillset, even killing penalties. Kyrou’s production took a bit of a dip in 2025-26, but he had three straight 30-plus-goal seasons prior, and he remains a forward who can make plays at high speeds and tilts the ice considerably. Thomas and Kyrou have matching contracts, with five years remaining at an $8.125 million AAV (full NTC).
Parayko could be the coveted ideal right-shot defense partner for the Ducks’ emerging star defenseman, Jackson LaCombe (25). He’s in the latter stages of his career, but the Canadian Olympian and Stanley Cup winner in 2019 is an immediate stylistic fit and is on an increasingly reasonable contract, with four years remaining at a $6.5 million AAV (full NTC).
At the trade deadline, a deal was agreed upon between the Sabres and Blues to send Parayko to Buffalo, but the defenseman was unwilling to waive his NTC. Reports have since come out that he was willing to waive for Anaheim or the Los Angeles Kings and that his preference may be for the Alberta native to remain in the Western Conference.
The Blues have built a quality prospect and young player pool despite not picking near the top of the draft. They can add significantly to that pipeline by moving on from some excellent players at every position who are firmly in their primes.