The Ducks have signed Herman Träff, the prospect to a three-year entry level contract beginning in 2026-27. Träff will join the San Diego Gulls in the AHL for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. Träff was acquired by the Ducks last season when they sent Brian Dumoulin to the New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/ducks-trade-brian-dumoulin-to-the-new-jersey-devils] at the trade deadline. Playing for HV71 in the SHL at the time, Träff finished out the 2024-25 season with HV71 before signing a one-year deal with Oskarshamn in the HockeyAllsvenskan this past summer. “I just feel like I’m gonna be at the place now (where I need to) play much, get more ice time and do my thing,” Träff said at Ducks development camp this past July. “I think it’s going to be good, in Oskarshamn, to do that. We will see. It feels good, and I’m ready for it.” “He’s a big kid who has some nice skill,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said of Träff in his 2025 post-trade deadline conference call [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/latest-news/pat-verbeek-speaks-following-trade-deadline]. “He has hockey sense. He plays with an edge and he’s a big kid. And I like that. He’s got an aggressive attitude when it comes to his physical game. Another piece that we can kind of look at to add to this team in the future.” With Oskarshamn, Träff was able to utilize his shot more than he had before, becoming a power play weapon on the left flank and reaching the 20-goal mark for the first time in his juniors career. Träff describes himself as a power forward who likes to shoot the puck and throw the body around. At 6-foot-3, he can certainly use his size to his advantage. The next step in his development, Träff says, is to be more direct when attacking. “Sometimes, I can circle around (the offensive zone) a bit (too) much. I know the hockey they play here (in North America), it’s more against the net.” The AHL is just the right place to hone in on that, with the style of play often being chaotic and resulting in several goalmouth scrambles every game. It will likely be a couple of seasons in the minors for Träff before he's ready to make the transition to the NHL, but his development path looks promising.
