The Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks] just had their most successful season in nine years come to an end after a 4-2 series loss to the Vegas Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/vegas-golden-knights] in the second round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs. They’ve taken a colossal step toward becoming a perennial Stanley Cup contender, and have arguably opened that contending window in 2025-26 and beyond. One player who was once projected to be a key depth piece during the early stages of the Ducks’ build is veteran winger Frank Vatrano. Vatrano (32) entered the 2025-26 season coming off back-to-back-to-back 20-goal seasons, including a 37-goal, 60-point campaign in 2023-24 that earned him an All-Star appearance. Revisiting the Ducks Acquisition of John Carlson [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/players/revisiting-the-ducks-acquisition-of-john-carlson] Lack of Adjustments Proved Costly for Ducks against Golden Knights [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/lack-of-adjustments-proved-costly-for-ducks-against-golden-knights] With a high-energy approach and a lethal release, Vatrano’s usage increased year after year during his first three seasons with the Ducks, and he signed a three-year contract extension on Jan 5, 2025, worth $18 million in real dollars. Still, due to a percentage of it being deferred, his AAV settled at $4.57 million. The Ducks hired head coach Joel Quenneville ahead of the 2025-26 season, and he brought with him a mostly-new coaching staff, along with all-new play styles and systems. Due to how Quenneville elected to divvy up usage and how he prefers his lineups to be constructed, Vatrano found his role diminished and eventually eliminated down the stretch of the regular season. Vatrano averaged 16:41 TOI per game in 2022-23, 18:21 in 2023-24, and 17:33 in 2024-25, and featured heavily on both special teams units. He experienced difficulty carving a role for himself on the 2025-26 Ducks’ depth chart, sustained a shoulder injury in Dec, and left the team for a period of time due to personal reasons. He finished the year averaging just 11:49 TOI/G in 50 games played, scored just nine points (5-4=9), and was scratched for every game of the Ducks’ 12-game playoff run to the second round. It’s understandable to question his future with the Anaheim Ducks. Vatrano has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.57 million. However, he is owed $900,000 per year for ten years, starting in 2035. That number will not impact his NHL club’s cap sheet, but will have to be honored in real dollars. On the surface, due to his production and contract, he appears somewhat immovable for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. However, Verbeek was able to move center Ryan Strome at the 2026 trade deadline. Strome experienced similar struggles as Vatrano, only producing nine points (3-6=9) in 33 games and had a year and a half remaining on his contract that carried a $5 million cap hit. The Ducks didn’t have to retain on Strome’s contract and acquired a seventh-round pick in exchange. The 2026 NHL free agency class is notoriously thin, and combined with the dramatically rising salary cap ceiling ($95.5 million to $104 million), teams may find themselves interested in or in need of the services of a forward like Vatrano. If the contract is too much for teams to stomach and the Ducks intend to spend to the salary cap ceiling, as they may have to, given contract projections for RFAs like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger, along with the potential to add to the roster, buying out Vatrano’s contract presents itself as an option for Verbeek. If Vatrano’s contract is bought out, his cap hit will decrease to $571,189 for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons. They will also incur a $2 million cap hit for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 seasons. Perhaps the least likely scenario, given all that’s transpired over the course of the 2025-26 season, is the hope that he re-finds his scoring touch and is afforded a role on the Ducks’ depth chart in 2026-27, rendering last season a “one-off.” Vatrano’s talent as a depth scorer and energy forechecker remains, but a longer leash than the coaching staff is willing to give out may be necessary to achieve that goal. The summer of 2026 will likely prove a pivotal one for the future of the Ducks franchise, as they have some aspects of their roster to iron out, some holes to fill, and a cap sheet that may require some navigating if they’re to maximize their potential and begin contending for Stanley Cups as soon as next season. Part of that navigation might include an important decision on what to do with Frank Vatrano. Takeaways from the Ducks' 5-1 Loss to the Golden Knights, Vegas wins Series 4-2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/takeaways-from-the-ducks-5-1-loss-to-the-golden-knights-vegas-wins-series-4-2] Takeaways from the Ducks' 3-2 Overtime Loss to the Golden Knights, Vegas Leads Series 3-2 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/game-day/takeaways-from-the-ducks-3-2-overtime-loss-to-the-golden-knights-vegas-leads-series-3-2] Olen Zellweger Has Given Ducks A Boost [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/olen-zellweger-has-given-ducks-a-boost] Ducks GM Pat Verbeek Finalist for General Manager of the Year [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-gm-pat-verbeek-finalist-for-general-manager-of-the-year]
