With the NHL trade deadline less than a week away, the Anaheim Ducks will surely be at the forefront of the action. With two of the longest-tenured Ducks still scheduled to hit free agency this summer, general manager Pat Verbeek will have some big decisions to make.
Terry Hits Big 5-0, Notches 100th Career Point
Troy Terry continues to build on his breakout campaign. With his goal against the New Jersey Devils on March 12, he reached the 50-point mark and became the first Ducks player to reach that mark since Rickard Rakell and Ryan Getzlaf during the 2017-18 season.
Terry also grabbed his 100th career NHL point on Tuesday, March 15 against the New York Rangers, collecting the primary assist on Max Comtois’ goal. With an All-Star appearance under his belt as well, Terry has been the Ducks’ best player this season without a doubt.
Pair of Ducks Return from Injury
On March 12, Josh Manson returned from a month-long layoff against the Devils after spending time on injured reserve with a broken finger.
Isac Lundestrom also returned to the lineup after missing a pair of games with an upper-body injury. With Getzlaf currently out due to injury, getting Lundestrom back in the lineup means that the Ducks replenish their center depth just a bit. Lundestrom has also played a key role on the penalty kill this season and his return will bolster the special teams unit as well.
Manson Dealt to Avs
Speaking of Manson, the defenseman was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday in exchange for prospect Drew Helleson and a 2023 second-round pick.
Manson, who is set to hit free agency this summer as an unrestricted free agent, adds depth to an already strong Avalanche blue line. Manson’s agent, Ross Gurney, told The Athletic’s Eric Stephens that there had been no contract talks between Manson’s camp and the Ducks since Verbeek took over as general manager on Feb. 3. (from, ‘Stephens: Ducks’ trade of Josh Manson to Avalanche is Pat Verbeek’s first big move — and he’s probably not done yet’, The Athletic, 03/14/22)
Josh Manson, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) 
Drew Helleson, formerly of Boston College (Boston College Athletics)
Helleson was drafted by the Avalanche in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft and spent the last three seasons playing collegiate hockey with Boston College. He will forgo his senior season after signing an entry-level deal with the Ducks yesterday morning.
Related: Ducks Prospect Helleson Ready for Next Step of Hockey Journey
Helleson will likely join the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League (AHL) for the remainder of the season on an amateur tryout.
Comtois Ends Goalscoring Drought
As previously mentioned, Comtois scored in Tuesday night’s game, ending a 16-game streak without scoring a goal. His goal on Tuesday was just his third of the season during a campaign in which last season’s top goalscorer has struggled mightily.
The goal may prove to be a spark for Comtois, who performed well against the Rangers and set up a great scoring chance for Terry with a spin-o-rama pass. Comtois has been the subject of some trade rumors lately, but performances like Tuesday night’s could be enough to dissuade Verbeek from dealing him away.
What Will Ducks Do with Lindholm and Rakell?
With Manson shipped out, the Ducks still carry two premier unrestricted free agents in need of extensions. Rakell and Hampus Lindholm have been the subject of many trade rumors this season, and while it appears unlikely that they will continue to wear the webbed “D” past the trade deadline, they still remain with the team for now.
The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun wrote earlier this week that Verbeek and Lindholm’s camp have not discussed contract extension terms in over a week (from, ‘LeBrun: Jakob Chychrun’s injury complicates deadline plans, latest on Ben Chiarot, Tomas Hertl and more’, The Athletic, 03/13/22) and that term continues to be the deciding factor in getting a deal done. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman tweeted yesterday morning that talks between Verbeek and Lindholm did not result in an extension and that the Ducks are now planning to trade Lindholm. He was held out of Friday’s game against the Florida Panthers while the Ducks focused on finding a trade destination for him.
Hampus Lindholm, Anaheim Ducks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) 
Rickard Rakell, Anaheim Ducks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Rakell is currently out with a lower-body injury, though there is speculation that the team is simply holding him out for the time being to avoid injury while they locate a trade partner for the Swede. He appears to be the least likely to sign an extension—according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic—and the market for scoring wingers should fetch a fair return for Rakell.
Former Duck Holland Calls It a Career
Peter Holland officially hung up his skates on Wednesday, March 16, announcing his retirement via a series of tweets on his Twitter account. Holland was drafted 15th overall by the Ducks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and last played in the NHL during the 2017-18 season for the New York Rangers. Since then, he has played in the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and was playing for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden this season prior to his retirement.
Holland never really got his footing with the Ducks and was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013, a deal that netted the Ducks two draft picks, which they eventually used to select Marcus Pettersson and Ondrej Kase. Holland carved out a role as a depth forward for the Maple Leafs, playing 174 games for the team before bouncing around the league.
It’s a big weekend for the Ducks as they’re likely to see more than a few notable names depart the team in a number of deals as Verbeek continues to gather returns for his expiring assets. It’s also a bittersweet period for the Ducks’ fanbase as a trio of homegrown names is leaving after making their mark over the last several seasons.
