The Anaheim Ducks have not made a ton of moves through NHL Free Agency to this point. In fact, most of their notable moves have come through trades, such as trading for forward Robby Fabbri. However, they have done well to sign internal free agents. And they did it again on Monday with defenseman Jackson LaCombe.
LaCombe and the Ducks have signed a two-year contract, Anaheim announced. The team did not disclose many details about the agreement. That said, the 23-year-old rearguard is reportedly set to make $925,000 per season, according to PuckPedia. He will be a restricted free agent once again at the end of this deal.
The Ducks drafted LaCombe in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft. In 2023-24, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota native played his first full season in the NHL. He scored two goals and 17 points through 71 games for Anaheim this past year. He averaged nearly 20 minutes per game, giving him the third-highest average time on ice per game among Ducks defensemen.
Jackson LaCombe is part of promising Ducks blueline
If there is one thing the Ducks have done well over the last few seasons, it's stock their blueline with promising prospects. LaCombe was drafted in 2019 in the second round. Two years later, they drafted Olen Zellweger in the second round as well. In 2022, they drafted Pavel Mintyukov from the Saginaw Spirit with the 10th overall pick.
In 2023-24, all three defenders made the NHL. LaCombe averaged a bit more time on ice than the others. But all three made an impact in their own right. Mintyukov made most of his impact on the offensive end of the ice, recording one offensive goal above replacement this past season. Zellweger played less than 30 games, but showed some promise during that time.
LaCombe is more of a defensive defenseman, though. He had little impact on the offensive end of the ice, recording -3.8 offensive goals above replacement in 2023-24. But he was one of their better defensive rearguard. The Minnesota native recorded 2.2 defensive goals above replacement, ranking third among Ducks defenseman this past season.
The Ducks have a very solid mix of young players and veterans. LaCombe, Mintyukov, and Zellweger represent the younger players. Meanwhile, the veterans consist of Cam Fowler and Radko Gudas. Trade acquisition Brian Dumoulin also figures to play a major role for this team. Though the Ducks are not expected to make a playoff push, it will certainly be interesting see how younger defenders like Jackson LaCombe progress during the 2024-25 season.
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