The Anaheim Ducks started the 2023-24 season rather well. However, everything quickly came crashing down for this young team. And by the end of the season, they didn't come close to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Ducks headed into NHL Free Agency with more than enough money and roster space to make some moves. And yet, they didn't.
Anaheim had an extremely quiet NHL Free Agency period. In fact, they were the only team to refrain from signing an external free agent on July 1. They eventually did bring in an external free agent, but most of their notable moves came through trade.
It does take two to tango, to be fair. The Ducks could have had interest in signing players, but the interest simply wasn't mutual. Whatever the case may be, Anaheim has likely made its moves for the summer. And it's now time to grade them for their NHL Free Agency activity.
Ducks trade for Brian Dumoulin, Robby Fabbri
The Ducks made their most notable additions on the trade front. First, they made a trade for veteran defenseman Brian Dumoulin. Dumoulin was traded by the Seattle Kraken after one season in the Pacific Northwest. Seattle acquired a 2026 fourth-round pick in exchange for the veteran rearguard. Dumoulin had requested a move out of Seattle before the deal went through.
Dumoulin spent years with the Pittsburgh Penguins before joining the Kraken last summer. The veteran rearguard played less of a role in Seattle than he did in Pittsburgh in 2022-23. With the Kraken, he scored a career-high six goals and 16 points in 80 games.
After that, Anaheim made another move. They traded for forward Robby Fabbri and a conditional 2025 fourth-round pick from the Detroit Red Wings. The Red Wings received prospect goalie Gage Alexander in the deal. Fabbri comes to Anaheim after spending four and a half years in Hockeytown.
Fabbri had struggled with injury issues while donning the Winged Wheel. And he did miss some time with injuries in 2023-24. When healthy, though, he made an impact on Detroit. Fabbri scored 18 goals and 32 points in 68 games. These totals represent his highest totals since his rookie year in 2015-16.
Anaheim focuses on its own
In NHL Free Agency, the Ducks signed just one external free agent. Forward Jansen Harkins signed a two-year contract with Anaheim this summer. Harkins played 45 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, providing four assists. The 27-year-old Cleveland native has also skated for the Winnipeg Jets.
Beyond that, the Ducks stuck to extending their own restricted free agents. Defenseman Jackson LaCombe signed a two-year contract with Anaheim after his first full season in the league. Urho Vaakanainen re-signed on a one-year deal, as well. Up front, they agreed to deals with forwards Brett Leason and Isac Lundestrom to keep them in the fold.
Grading Ducks in NHL Free Agency
The Ducks were never going to sign someone such as Steven Stamkos or Jonathan Marchessault. Even though they had the cap space to do so, it wouldn't sense for them or those players. Still, it's a bit confusing that Anaheim signed just one external free agent. And it was a player that likely won't see the ice much unless the team has multiple players out with injury.
The Ducks do well to keep their own in the fold. LaCombe, specifically, is a good piece for this team to have. He is one of a few promising young defensemen who made an immediate impact on the roster last year. And their moves for Fabbri and Dumoulin certainly improve the lineup to some extent.
However, the Ducks could have done more to give their young stars better support. In the end, they simply didn't do this. Anaheim is not locked into any potentially bad contract thanks to NHL Free Agency this year. But it was a wholly uninspiring offseason from the Ducks in 2024.
GRADE: C-
Follow Us
Subscribe
