The Ducks and defenseman Drew Helleson have agreed to a two-year contract extension, the team shared in a news release on Friday.
Helleson, 24, returned on a deal that will pay him an annual average value of $1.1 million.
He spent the first month or last season in the minors but came up to play 56 NHL games. He had a +6 rating and 13 points manning the right side of the Ducks’ third pairing overwhelmingly, playing over 16 minutes per game.
The Farmington, Minn., native was a friend of Jackson LaCombe growing up and their reunion with the Ducks has been fruitful. Former coach Greg Cronin said that Helleson’s arrival boosted the confidence and morale of LaCombe, who enjoyed a breakout season that saw him turn around his shaky rookie campaign 180 degrees to become the Ducks’ top blue-liner.
Now, Helleson and LaCombe will be part of a group that added Chris Kreider via trade, Mikael Granlund through free agency and Joel Quenneville from the coaching market. Thus far, their defense has remained unchanged from the end of last season.
Helleson’s re-signing comes one day after the Ducks committed $32.5 million over five years to lock up Lukáš Dostál, their uncontested No. 1 goalie following his stellar 2024-25 and the trade of John Gibson to Detroit.
Among restricted free agents without contracts are a pair of former Western Michigan standouts, Sam Colangelo and Tim Washe, and 2021’s No. 3 overall pick, Mason McTavish. Since Dostál had arbitration rights and McTavish did not, it seemed logical that the Ducks would attend to Dostál’s deal first.
Even with the signings of the past two days, the Ducks and Chicago Blackhawks have the most cap space of any NHL team, over $21 million, per PuckPedia. That should protect them against offer sheets for McTavish and enable them to not only retain their remaining RFAs, but also explore opportunities to add talent.
Related Posts:
- Ducks sign prospects Calle Clang, Jan Myšák to 1-year, two-way deals News The Ducks have signed prospect goalie Calle Clang and center Jan Myšák to one-year, two-way contract extensions, the club announced in a news release on Tuesday. Clang, 23, has 68 games of experience with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, where he will compete for starts among a crowded group of…
- Ducks sign goaltender Lukas Dostal to 5-year deal News Ducks goalie Lukáš Dostál’s career has taken him from the Czech Republic to Finland to the U.S., but he’ll be sticking around Southern California for at least five more years after agreeing to a contract extension worth $32.5 million. Dostál, 25, announced his own signing via Ducks social media channels…
- Hollywood BFFs Drew Barrymore & Cameron Diaz Reunite in Style [PHOTOS] Entertainment Who says friendships in Hollywood donât last? Cameron Diaz & Drew Barrymore continue to prove the skeptics wrong. The two stars, whoâve been best friends for decades, reunited on Saturday, July 12, at the Avaline x Stella McCartney event in Los Angeles. The celebration marked the launch of Diazâs new…
- Mya Lesnar, Drew Moss’s Girlfriend: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know Sports Mya Lesnar is the girlfriend of San Francisco 49ers rookie guard Drew Moss. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mya Lesnar (@mya.lesnar) The two up-and-coming athletes are one of the most beloved new couples in sports. Here is everything you need to know about Drew Moss’s…
- Maxim Cover Girl Competition Spotlight: Anya Angjeli, Tien Stacks, Drew Ahrens, Berlin Wilson & Nona Javakhidze News Maxim Cover Girl prides itself on consistently providing opportunities for all models. This week’s Friday Feature showcases a range of talent hailing from all across the globe. The Maxim Cover Girl competition platform currently has 3 modeling competitions open for registration—join these beautiful models in their quest for a championship…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)