CONNECT!
  • PODCAST
  • ITUNES

SIGN UP FOR
OUR NEWS LETTER

MAKE A DONATION

DONATE

Ducks Trade Deadline Moves

Photo: Canadian Press

By Michael Walters

The NHL trade deadline was quiet in the morning, especially for the Anaheim Ducks. The team’s trades(only two) weren’t announced until after the deadline passed.

First, the Ducks traded Ben Hutton to Toronto for a 2022 5th round draft pick.

On January 10th, 2021, the Ducks had signed Ben Hutton to a professional tryout(PTO) contract. Hutton filled in mainly as a bottom pairing defenseman. He started out playing well for the Ducks, but then his play declined as the season progressed. He had five total points on the season(one goal + four assists). His on ice rating is -13.

Hutton was a UFA at the end of the season and wasn’t a long term plan for the Ducks. The fact that Anaheim picked him up on a PTO and then got a 5th round draft pick is a win.

Second, the Ducks traded Jani Hakanpaa and a 6th round draft pick to Carolina for Haydn Fleury.

Hakanpaa played in 42 games for Anaheim this season recording one assist and a 0 on ice rating. He stepped up for the team when Hampus Lindholm went down with injury. According to General Manager Bob Murray, it appears Lindholm may be out for the rest of the season.

The Ducks picked up Fleury, who has one goal in 35 games and a -6 on ice rating with Carolina this season. He did have 14 total points(4 G + 10 A) in 45 games last season in Carolina. He is a bottom pairing defensemen with some offensive upside.

Hakanpaa was a UFA at the end of the season and Fleury is a (RFA) in 2022-23. So if Fleury doesn’t work out next season, then the Ducks still own his rights if they need to trade him. The Ducks also gave up a low draft pick, but Fleury is also four years younger than Hakanpaa. Fleury is a risk, but he could work out for Anaheim so I give the edge to Anaheim in this trade.

Big Name Players Remain

There was plenty of talk about Rickard Rakell, Josh Manson, Adam Henrique, and Jakob Silfverberg, but all of them remain Ducks. Anaheim could have gotten some value out of trading Rakell and Manson(i. e. the Anthony Mantha trade). The asking price appeared to be a first round draft pick + more for each player, but General Manager Bob Manager stated he had trouble getting 1st round picks as part of the returns. This could have been part of the reason Anaheim was in talks with Carolina about Manson, but instead did a smaller trade.

There was mention that the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ducks were still talking about Nicolas Deslauriers this morning according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports Midwest. It’s unclear what happened after yesterday’s news that a deal was done according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, but the deal was never completed.

Lastly, Ryan Getzlaf‘s name came up today multiple times. We heard last night that he was willing to be moved from a source. General Manager Bob Murray confirmed that he had spoke with Getzlaf about being traded and said the captain only wanted to be moved if the Ducks could get a significant as a return.

There were also a couple of reports that the Vegas Golden Knights had inquired about him, which could have worked out since Getzlaf wouldn’t have been too far from California and his family. We also heard that Colorado was very interested in the Captain from a second source. He could have had a chance at a cup run with either team and then returned to the Ducks next season or retire if he wanted. There were also reports that Montreal had inquired per Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. All three teams didn’t have much cap space so that could have be an issue since a team can only retain 50% of a player’s salary in a trade.

Overall it was a very uneventful day for the Anaheim Ducks. The frustrating part is that the Ducks had the potential to do some big moves, but in the end they didn’t. We discussed the possibility of today being lackluster on the podcast and it turned out that was the case. The Ducks will now have to turn to the offseason and the draft in order to improve this team.

For more trade deadline discussion listen to our hockey podcast by clicking below or visit us at PodomaticRumble, Spreaker, or YouTube.

Support us by becoming a DucksNPucks patron! Members can win game tickets, Ducks gear, and more!

Want to start your sports media career? Then Join The Puck Network!

DucksNPucks is part of The Puck Network, which covers the entire NHL. There are openings to cover your favorite team(s) and earn school credits! If you are interested, then apply by filling out the form here: Join Our Team. What are you waiting for? Start your sports media career TODAY!

April 12th, 2021

PICK A TEAM

chigago blackhawks

Chi-Town Hawks

anaheim ducks

Ducks N Pucks

boston bruins

Bruin Strong

carolina hurricanes

Carolina Caniacs

colorado avalanche

Denver Avs

arizona coyotes

Coyotes Howl

Buffalo sabres

Sabres Den

columbus blue jackets

Blue Jacket Army

dallas stars

Shootout Stars

calgary flames

Fierce Flames

detroit red wings

Red Wings Town

new york islanders

Long island Pucks

minnesota wild

Rink Wild

edmonton oilers

Ice Oilers

florida panthers

Roaring Panthers

new york rangers

Fighting Rangers

nashville predators

Preds N Pucks

los angeles kings

LA Royalty

montreal canadiens

Hockey Habs

new jersey devils

Puck Devils

st.louis blues

Break Away Blues

san jose sharks

Bay Sharks

ottawa senators

Slap Shot Sens

philadelphia flyers

Furious Flyers

winnipeg jets

High Flying Jets

vancouver canucks

Canucks N Pucks

tampa bay lightning

Bay Bolts

pittsburgh

Pens N Pucks

toronto maple Leafs

Just Leafs

washington capitals

Capital Pucks