Despite the Anaheim Ducks’ season reaching its conclusion, things are still happening for the team and franchise. Even in the offseason, hockey never truly stops, and there are things to look forward to as the summer continues. The NHL Draft is upcoming, as is free agency. Let’s take a look at what’s going on in Anaheim despite the season’s end.
Men’s World Championship
Forward Mikael Granlund and prospect defenseman Stian Solberg each participated with their home nations (Finland and Norway, respectively) in the 2026 IIHF Men’s World Championship (WC). Granlund had an impressive showing in Finland’s gold-medal performance. He served as an alternate captain, netting one goal and tallying five assists for six points in seven games.
Solberg and Team Norway secured the bronze medal in overtime against Team Canada. Notably, Canada was relegated to the bronze medal game after losing to Granlund and the Finns. This was Norway’s first-ever medal at the WC. Across 10 games in the competition, Solberg had one goal and one assist as well as a plus-5 rating.
Free Agency
The NHL free agency period begins on July 1. The Ducks have seven unrestricted free agents (UFAs): John Carlson, Jacob Trouba, Petr Mrazek, Radko Gudas, Ross Johnston, Jansen Harkins, and Jeffrey Viel. These players could receive offers from any team and opt to leave Anaheim altogether. However, general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek is known to make aggressive deals for players he really desires on his squad, as he did to acquire Carlson at the trade deadline. Will he remain a Duck in the long term, or could he opt to go back east?
The team has five restricted free agents (RFAs) who currently play in the NHL: Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Ian Moore. A handful of players from the pipeline are RFAs as well: Sasha Pastujov, Jaxsen Wiebe, Tyson Hinds, Vyacheslav Buteyets, Jeremie Biakabutuka, Jan Mysak, and Calle Clang. The latter group has mainly been playing with the team’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. Verbeek will more than likely strike up long-term deals with Carlsson and Gauthier after their impressive seasons.
The team will also more than likely be looking across the league’s free agents to see who they could add to their roster for next season. Some high-performing players will be UFAs in July. Alex Tuch, Rasmus Andersson, Darren Raddysh, Anthony Mantha, and Boone Jenner will all be available, just to name a few. What’s more, the salary cap is rising by another $8.5 million next season (to $104 million), so GMs can make even more aggressive and competitive deals. If history repeats itself, expect some jaw-dropping moves from Verbeek and crew this summer.
Hometown Remix Jerseys
Rumors have begun circulating about the NHL and Fanatics releasing an alternate jersey collection for each team next season, which has been dubbed “Hometown Remix”. The rumor started with a post online, but was further validated by a patent filed by Fanatics. Fans have begun to speculate about their team’s jersey designs and how they will integrate their hometowns and roots into the design.
The general consensus appears to be that Anaheim will draw on their original Mighty Ducks film route and create a piece in green, yellow, and purple as a nod to the fictional team’s colors. Anaheim could also opt for their plum and jade scheme in tribute to their classic colors. While it is all rumors and speculation right now, it will be interesting to see what each team goes with for the final collection.
Keep your eye on The Hockey Writers all offseason long for all things Ducks, NHL, and beyond.
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