Ducks News and Notes: Recent Signings, Team Schedule, and San Diego Gulls

Despite being a couple of months into the offseason, the Anaheim Ducks have not slowed down. Numerous players have been signed or re-signed, a schedule has been set for this season, and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate is preparing for this season, as well. Let’s take a look at some happenings around the organization.

Recent Signings: Carlsson, Mintyukov, Hinds, and Nordmark

In perhaps the biggest news of the offseason, the team announced that they matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, and that he will be staying in Anaheim for the next five years. The young forward is now the highest-paid player in the league, and this contract made a significant dent in the team’s salary cap.

They still need to sign Cutter Gauthier before the season, and have a limited amount of cap space to do so. With his similarly skilled teammate making such a hefty sum, Gauthier is not going to settle for less than he is worth. Likely, the Ducks will need to offload a player to make more cap space. While nothing is set in stone, names like Frank Vatrano, Chris Kreider, and Alex Killorn have been thrown around as potential trade candidates.

The team also locked down defenseman Pavel Mintyukov to a five-year contract worth $7.2 million annually after he was rumored to be offer-sheeted. He had a career-high eight goals last season, as well as highs in game-winning goals (two), blocked shots (112), and games played (73). He totalled 22 points.

Fellow defenseman Tyson Hinds will be making his full-time NHL debut this season, as he was signed to a two-year, one-way contract extension. He played six regular-season games and nine playoff games, tallying his first NHL point with an assist. Per the NHL, he is “the second player in Ducks history to earn his first career point in the postseason.”

Finally, the team recently signed Marcus Nordmark to a three-year, entry-level contract. The winger was selected in the first round of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. He will likely be playing with the Gulls in the AHL, but has officially made the jump into the professional organization.

2026-27 Schedule Release

The Ducks made waves with their unique and creative season schedule release. The team re-created Pokemon-style cards depicting some of their opponents, adding clever and witty quips about each rival’s weaknesses. An independent artist designed each card.

In what was likely a last-minute edition based on the Carlsson offer sheet, mascots Wild Wing and Gritty went to a video game-style battle, with Wild Wing coming out on top. It stood out as one of the best schedule releases across the league.

Some highlights of the schedule include the season opener on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 2 and the home opener versus the Florida Panthers on Oct. 4. The annual “Freeway Faceoff” against the Los Angeles Kings starts with a back-to-back series on Nov. 27 and 28, and continues on March 1 and April 6, in the final regular-season home game.

The San Diego Gulls Prepare for This Season

After a disappointing first-round playoff exit, the Gulls are looking to reset and retool their team for success. They have a talented roster of players, but need to find the right combination of lineups and leadership to make a deeper run into the Calder Cup Playoffs this season.

Their first move toward success was to extend the contract of the team’s general manager (GM), Rick Paterson. He is entering his third season as GM of the Gulls and his 22nd season in the Ducks organization. He has also served as director of professional scouting, director of player personnel, and professional scout. During his time as Gulls’ GM, he has helped the team increase their points year over year, leading them to their first playoff appearance since 2021-22.

“Rick has established an identity in San Diego that reflects our own in Anaheim and built a successful pipeline for development,” said Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. “We are happy to see him continue to be part of the Anaheim Ducks family, one he has been a part of for more than two decades.”

One of Paterson’s first moves after his contract extension was naming Dave Manson as head coach. He served as an assistant coach last season, and this promotion marks his first professional head coaching role. Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy have been named assistant coaches for the club, as well.

Under Manson’s leadership last season, the Gulls’ penalty kill was ranked eighth among the league at 83.5%, and they were the second-least penalized team in the AHL. He brings over 20 years of coaching experience, spanning across the AHL, NHL, and Western Hockey League (WHL). He served as assistant coach for both the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders, and has helped develop players such as Ryan Poehling, Cole Caufield, Leon Draisaitl, and Josh Morrissey.

Verbeek stood behind Manson’s promotion as well, stating, “After helping lead the Gulls to the playoffs last season, it was clear Dave made a big impact behind the bench…he will help strengthen the standard of excellence and development we have established in San Diego as head coach.” The Gulls open their season on Oct. 3 against the San Jose Barracuda.

As the offseason rolls on and we inch closer to the 2026-27 campaign, pieces will continue to move and fall into place as teams get set for another go at the Stanley Cup. The Hockey Writers covers it all, so keep us in mind as your go-to source this summer.