NHL free agency: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek has plenty of money to spend

Free agent frenzy?

It’s been more like a free agent snooze-fest for the Ducks over the past few summers. Significant signings have been few and far between, with defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk’s three-year, $11.7 million contract two years ago as the only one that stands out in any way, shape or form.

Last year, then-Ducks general manager Bob Murray didn’t add to the roster in a meaningful way, content to allow young players such as right wing Troy Terry, center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale to assume greater roles. It worked, but only to a certain point.

Now, there’s a new regime in place, a new era to begin in the wake of Ryan Getzlaf’s retirement, a bunch of roster spots to fill and plenty of money available to pay free agents. As of Monday, the Ducks had only 14 of 23 roster spots filled and just 30 of 50 contracts signed.

The Ducks also had nearly $40 million in available salary cap space.

The signing window opens Wednesday at 9 a.m. PT.

Pat Verbeek, who took over for Murray as GM, wants a bigger, stronger and faster lineup. He said as much back in April, after the Ducks missed the playoffs for a franchise-record fourth consecutive season. His draft picks last week – 6-foot-1 and up – certainly fit the bill.

This is Verbeek’s first attempt to mold the Ducks into a perennial contender, as they once were when they advanced to the playoffs for six consecutive seasons and reached the Western Conference finals twice in a three-year span in the last decade. He’s got the money, how will he spend it?

Verbeek could sign Evgeni Malkin since the veteran Pittsburgh Penguins center reportedly will test the open market as an unrestricted free agent Wednesday. Or Verbeek could sign P.K. Subban or Phil Kessel or Claude Giroux or Alexander Radulov if they become free agents, too.

Such marquee players would come at a high cost and wouldn’t necessarily fit into Verbeek’s plans. There’s no guarantee their performance in 2022-23 would match their lofty salaries – and more to the point, their lengthy contracts – making them high-risk gambles as players in their mid-30s.

The Ducks need scorers but think in terms of players in their mid- to late-20s. Verbeek might be more interested in a player such as Andrew Copp, for instance. Copp, 27, had 21 goals and 32 assists in 72 games last season for the New York Rangers, and he made $3.64 million.

The Ducks also need reliable defensemen after Verbeek traded Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins and Josh Manson to the Colorado Avalanche before the deadline on March 21. Lindholm then signed an eight-year, $52 million extension with the Bruins, avoiding free agency.

It’s possible Manson could re-sign with the Ducks as an unrestricted free agent. He has close family ties to Orange County and the Ducks sorely missed his physical play and his menacing presence as witnessed by the mugging Terry took from Jay Beagle of the Arizona Coyotes on April 1.

What’s more, Manson, 30, could assume Getzlaf’s role as team captain.

Trades also are a possibility. The Ducks have a deep prospect pool and a collection of draft picks in 2023, including three in the second round, when a draft class led by Connor Bedard is expected to make NHL scouts and executives go weak in the knees after a ho-hum one last week.

In addition, the Ducks also have a number of their own players who need new contracts, including restricted free agents Simon Benoit, Isac Lundestrom and Urho Vaakanainen. They didn’t extend qualifying offers to Sonny Milano or Sam Steel on Monday, making them unrestricted free agents.

None of the Ducks’ unrestricted free agents, those free to sign with any of the NHL’s other teams, would seem to fall into the must-have category. They include depth players such as Zach Aston-Reese, Vinni Lettieri, Gerry Mayhew, Buddy Robinson, Dominik Simon and Andrej Sustr.

So, buckle up.

It could be a busy free agency for the Ducks for the first time in a long time.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON HIRED

The Ducks hired Craig Johnson, a former Ducks and Kings player, as an assistant coach. Johnson spent the past four seasons as an assistant with the Kings’ AHL team in Ontario. The Ducks also hired Jim Johnson as their director of player development. The Johnsons aren’t related.