2026-27<\/p>\n
Upper Limit: $104MM Chris Kreider<\/a> remains on Anaheim\u2019s books for now, pending waiver clearance.\u00a0 For the purpose of this article, we\u2019ll operate as if his deal has been terminated<\/a> as planned.<\/p>\n Gauthier\u2019s case is certainly notable, given that he reportedly turned down<\/a> $13MM for four years last month.\u00a0 On a five-year pact like a certain teammate signed that we\u2019ll get to in a bit, he may be looking for a couple million more than that.\u00a0 On a max-term pact, his deal could land around where said teammate\u2019s did price-wise.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (RFA): D Drew Helleson<\/a> ($1.1MM), F Tim Washe<\/a> ($812,500)<\/p>\n It should be noted that Anaheim has a couple of other players on expiring entry-level deals who could factor into their roster planning.\u00a0 However, they could opt to carry a shorter roster to help facilitate affording Gauthier\u2019s next deal so for this piece, we\u2019ll assume they\u2019re not full-timers.<\/p>\n Washe came up midseason in 2025-26 and never looked back, securing a spot on the fourth line the rest of the way.\u00a0 Assuming he retains that role this season, doubling his current price tag seems rather likely, if not a bit more than that.<\/p>\n Helleson played a big role early on last season but saw his role and ice time wane as the year went on.\u00a0 That makes him a likely candidate for another short-term pact but with arbitration rights, that still could approach the $3MM mark.\u00a0 If Anaheim\u2019s hesitant to go that high, he could be a non-tender risk although, with the state of their back end, losing another rearguard wouldn\u2019t be ideal.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (UFA): G Laurent Brossoit<\/a> ($1.1MM), G Ville Husso<\/a> ($2.2MM), F Alex Killorn<\/a> ($6.25MM), F Nikita Nesterenko<\/a> ($837,500)<\/p>\n Killorn will be 37 in a few weeks and is ideally more of a third liner than a second liner at this stage of his career.\u00a0 He might be going year-to-year at this point with a price tag at least $2MM lower than his current one.\u00a0 Nesterenko hasn\u2019t played a lot with Anaheim (he has been more of a minor leaguer) but having a contract below the league minimum could help secure him a full-time slot this fall.\u00a0 He needs 19 NHL games to remain RFA-eligible and shouldn\u2019t cost much more than the minimum next season.<\/p>\n Husso receiving this contract last year was a head-scratcher as it was a premium for a third-string netminder.\u00a0 Then Petr Mrazek<\/a> missed most of the year with injury so it worked out a little better from a role perspective.\u00a0 Performance-wise, however, he hasn\u2019t done well.\u00a0 He should be a third-stringer moving forward with a cap hit around half of his current one.\u00a0 Brossoit signed in free agency after dealing with some injuries the last few years.\u00a0 If he can secure the backup spot, he could land something more in Husso\u2019s current range next time out.\u00a0 Otherwise, if he remains a veteran depth piece, he\u2019ll stay in this price range.<\/p>\n Notably, Anaheim can (and almost certainly will) waive one of these two goalies, opening up a bit more cap space than is currently shown.\u00a0 Brossoit\u2019s full contract would come off the books if they demoted him while $1.225MM of Husso\u2019s would be cleared if he went down.\u00a0 Something to keep in mind with Gauthier still unsigned.<\/p>\n 2027-28<\/p>\n Projected Upper Limit: $113.5MM Gauthier\u2019s next deal will obviously cut into this space considerably.\u00a0 Still, there\u2019s enough room for them to retain their RFAs, keeping the core group together.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (RFA): D Tyson Hinds<\/a> ($900K), D Ian Moore<\/a> ($1.15MM), F Beckett Sennecke<\/a> ($953,333 + $1MM in \u2018A\u2019 bonuses, $2.1MM in \u2018B\u2019 bonuses)<\/p>\n Moore saw his role fluctuate a lot over his first (mostly) full NHL season but he held his own overall to earn this bridge deal in June.\u00a0 Doubling this price tag should be doable if he has a similar showing the next two seasons but if he can lock down a higher role on the depth chart, the cost will only go up further.\u00a0 Hinds received a one-way commitment this summer, a vote of confidence for a player who has just six NHL games under his belt.\u00a0 The limited track record will affect his next contract but if he can hold down a spot on the third pairing, he should check in around the $2MM mark on his next deal.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (UFA): F Mikael Granlund<\/a> ($7MM), F James Hamblin<\/a> ($875K), D Nick Jensen<\/a> ($2.25MM), F Frank Vatrano<\/a> ($4,571,189)<\/p>\n Granlund was counted on to play big minutes last season and responded well when healthy, producing close to a 60-point pace while playing a big role defensively as well.\u00a0 While he\u2019s undersized for a center, his track record is strong enough that he could still pick up a multi-year deal and at least a small raise two years from now when he\u2019ll be 36.\u00a0 Vatrano had a year to forget both on and off the ice last season.\u00a0 There are a lot of deferrals in his deal ($3MM per season) which helps keep the cap hit down but he will need to get back to being a reliable scorer if he wants any shot at a contract of this magnitude again.\u00a0 Hamblin could have an inside shot at a reserve spot this season and will be below the minimum cap hit next year.\u00a0 He\u2019s likely to remain around the minimum salary moving forward, however.<\/p>\n Jensen came over in free agency to try to help stabilize a back end that lost several key pieces.\u00a0 His effectiveness waned last season but he will still likely be asked to take on a bigger workload than he had in Ottawa.\u00a0 If he rebounds, he could land at least a small raise, though likely on a one-year pact as he\u2019ll be heading for his age-38 season when his next contract starts.<\/p>\n 2028-29<\/p>\n Forecasted Upper Limit: $123MM Obviously, Sennecke is the big one here.\u00a0 His next deal should probably cover all of the projected cap increase and then some, which could squeeze someone like Granlund off the roster.\u00a0 Having someone like Roger McQueen<\/a> ready to step in down the middle could help on that front.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (RFA): None<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (UFA): F Jeff Malott <\/a>($1.85MM)<\/p>\n Verbeek prioritized fourth-line toughness this summer in free agency and while someone else\u2019s contract drew the most attention, this was a bit on the pricey side for someone who, at 30, has fewer than 80 NHL games under his belt.\u00a0 They feel he can be a legitimate full-timer on that fourth line.\u00a0 If not, he could drop closer to the minimum salary which is where Malott had typically been until now.<\/p>\n 2029-30<\/p>\n Forecasted Upper Limit: $133.5MM (8.5% increase) With no big expirings to contend with in the 2029 summer, this should be an opportunity for Anaheim to try to add a core piece back to their group.\u00a0 With the expirings still to come, this might be their only chance for a bit to do so.<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (RFA): None<\/p>\n Expiring Contracts (UFA): G Lukas Dostal<\/a> ($6.5MM), F A.J. Greer<\/a> ($4.25MM), F Ryan Poehling<\/a> ($3.75MM), F Troy Terry<\/a> ($7MM)<\/p>\n Terry hasn\u2019t quite gotten back to being a dynamic scorer like he was when he had 37 goals in 2021-22 but he has managed at least 54 points in five straight years now.\u00a0 That streak may be in jeopardy given that he\u2019ll be LTIR-bound to start this season but he has shown himself to be a capable top-six producer.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be going into his age-33 year on his next contract and should be in a position to add a couple million or so more to his current price on a multi-year agreement.<\/p>\n Greer\u2019s contract was a stunner, given that his previous career high in goals before last season was six.\u00a0 Clearly, Verbeek feels his breakout performance is repeatable.\u00a0 If not, this will be an anchor deal for them more than it already is, given their current cap situation.\u00a0 Poehling had a career year last season as well, building off a solid final year in Philadelphia.\u00a0 This is a little below the going rate for a third-line center so if Poehling can hold down that role during this deal, Anaheim should do well with it.\u00a0 He\u2019ll only be 31 when this contract ends so if he\u2019s still a solid third-line option at that time, he could bump up a bit closer to the $5MM mark.<\/p>\n Dostal is coming off a tough year but has shown enough for the Ducks to think he can bounce back.\u00a0 Now the unquestioned starter, he\u2019s in for consistently high workloads for the duration of this contract.\u00a0 If he can handle it and be even a league-average starter, there\u2019s a chance for a long-term deal at a price tag closer to $8MM.\u00a0 If he rebounds and is an above-average starter, the price point could tick closer to $10MM.<\/p>\n Signed For 2030-31 And Beyond<\/p>\n For that season, there will be a new CBA in place so trying to forecast the cap and cap space basically becomes a guessing game.\u00a0 Accordingly, we\u2019ll go back to the old Deep Dive format for players signed beyond the 2030-31 campaign.<\/p>\n While Terry will need a raise, there\u2019s enough coming off the books to pay for that if Greer isn\u2019t re-signed while the expected cap increase will help as well.<\/p>\n F Leo Carlsson<\/a> ($18MM through 2030-31) The Carlsson contract made huge headlines, not just because it was an offer sheet from Philadelphia but for just how outrageously above market value it was.\u00a0 It has certainly been a market mover for several top players and will continue to be used as a benchmark, though some teams will reject it as a viable comparable for some of their pending free agents if the match isn\u2019t close.\u00a0 It\u2019s possible that Carlsson could be worth that money by the end of this deal and if that\u2019s the case, the price tag will jump even higher for someone who will hit the open market at 26.<\/p>\n LaCombe was a rare instance where a deal got done a year early and boy, did that ever work out well for the Ducks as this contract would have cost much more this summer.\u00a0 He has blossomed into a top-pairing defender and still has some runway to develop.\u00a0 He\u2019ll be 33 when this contract is up, young enough to still command a longer-term pact with a notable raise.\u00a0 Mintyukov\u2019s deal came under the threat of an offer sheet which is an important qualifier for an otherwise way-above-market contract given his performance thus far.\u00a0 He should have a chance to play a more prominent offensive role moving forward, however, giving him a chance to live up to the deal at some point.\u00a0 While this contract gets him to unrestricted free agency at 27, he\u2019ll need to be a full-timer on the second pairing at a minimum to land this money again.<\/p>\n Outlook<\/p>\n Salary cap outlooks can change in a hurry.\u00a0 A few months ago, it looked like Anaheim had ample space to re-sign their core players and maybe even add one.\u00a0 Now, with some pricey deals on their books and some unnecessary fourth-line spending, they were facing a crunch before the Kreider contract termination.\u00a0 Still, if they can get through this cleanly, the Ducks should still be in reasonable shape most years cap-wise, but their window to add has shrunk.<\/p>\n Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.\u00a0 Teams that 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Current Cap Charge: $88,426,605
Cap Space: $15,573,395
Potential Bonuses: $3.1MM (around $1MM could be reached)
Dead Cap: None
Still To Sign: F Cutter Gauthier<\/a><\/p>\n
Current Cap Charge: $74,374,939 (14 players signed)
Cap Space: $39,125,061
Potential Bonuses: $3.1MM (around $1MM could be reached)
Dead Cap: None yet, but there could be some carryover bonus charges<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/beckett-sennecke-ducks-200x300.jpg\")
<\/a>Sennecke had a solid rookie year, notching 60 points and finishing third in Calder Trophy voting.\u00a0 He looks like he\u2019ll be a core piece for the long haul, justifying the third overall pick used to take him.\u00a0 That\u2019s the good news.\u00a0 The bad news for Anaheim is that the big swing the market has taken \u2013 especially on Anaheim\u2019s roster \u2013 is going to position Sennecke to potentially push for similar money.\u00a0 Perhaps he doesn\u2019t wind up with as much as Gauthier ultimately receives but he should have a case to come in close to that.\u00a0 That deal probably won\u2019t be a max-term agreement, setting him up to reach UFA eligibility in his prime as well, where the cost will probably jump higher.\u00a0 This is one GM Pat Verbeek will have to keep in mind when planning his moves over the next couple of years.\u00a0 Bonus-wise, he should reach his A ones but the B ones are highly unlikely to be hit.<\/p>\n
Current Cap Charge: $57.55MM (8 players signed)
Cap Space: $65.45MM
Potential Bonuses: None
Dead Cap: None<\/p>\n
Current Cap Charge: $55.7MM (7 players signed)
Cap Space: $77.8MM
Potential Bonuses: None
Dead Cap: None<\/p>\n
D Jackson LaCombe<\/a> ($9MM through 2033-34)
D Pavel Mintyukov<\/a> ($7.2MM through 2030-31)<\/p>\n