Ducks Acquire Husso From The Red Wings; Zegras Suspended

Photo: Detroit News

By Michael Walters

The Anaheim Ducks announced today they acquired goalie Ville Husso from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for “future considerations”. Husso will report to the San Diego Gulls.

Husso only appeared in nine games from Detroit and had a record of 1-5-2. He posted a 3.69 GAA and a .866 SV%. He also played 13 games in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins and had a record of 8-4-0 in 13 games. He posted a 2.70 GAA and a .912%.

Analysis:

The Ducks needed to sign a goalie due to the injuries that have plagued them at the goalie position. Before the season started, Tomas Suchanek had surgery on a torn ACL and will miss the entire season. Calle Clang recently suffered a lower-body injury and is listed as month-to-month. It’s unclear when he will return. John Gibson is listed as day-to-day with an upper body injury. Oscar Dansk had to be recalled to Anaheim, leaving San Diego with just Vyachselav Buteyets as their sole goalie.

From a depth standpoint this move makes sense, but from a financial one it’s questionable. Husso was signed to a three-year, $14.25 million deal with a $4.75 AAV. Due to his lackluster play this season, he was waived and sent to the AHL as no team claimed him. Since he will be playing in San Diego, his cap hit will be $3.6 million. General Manager Pat Verbeek did his pal Steve Yzerman a favor by taking that cap space off Detroit’s hands ahead of the trade deadline. He is a UFA at the end of the season and Anaheim currently has about $16 million in cap space per Puck Pedia.

There has been speculation that this move signals a Gibson trade could be imminent, but it doesn’t sound like that is the case. Gibson is expected back soon and the Gulls need depth at goalie. Dansk and Husso will be between the pipes in San Diego and Buteyets will eventually be sent back to Tulsa.

The bad news is the Ducks traded away our favorite player “future considerations”. We thank him for his time in Anaheim.

Trevor Zegras Suspended

In other news, the NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Zegras today three games for his hit on Michael Rasmussen last night in the 5-4 overtime loss to the Red Wings. Zegras hit Rasmussen late and high making contact with his head. Rasmussen was injured from the hit and did not finish the contest.

Also last night, Ben Chiarot took a run at Frank Vatrano hitting him up high after the buzzer of the second period apparently as a result of the hit by Zegras earlier. Chiarot might have confused “77” with “11” by going after the wrong player. He was given a roughing penalty on the play and it was not reviewed.

This is the second time this season a Ducks player was on the receiving end of a cheap shot. Pavel Mintyukov was punched in the face while laying on the ice defenseless by Brayden Pachal in Anaheim’s last contest against Calgary. There was no penalty called on the play and it was not reviewed. It would be beneficial for the league to start taking a long look at plays like these with the unnecessary head contact.

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February 24th, 2025