Latest news with #MikaelGranlund
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
With Mikael Granlund aboard, how might the Anaheim Ducks' depth chart look?
Teemu Selänne helped sell free-agent forward Mikael Granlund on the Anaheim Ducks and what they had to offer. It was natural for Granlund to seek out his countryman's advice. After all, Selänne is the 'Finnish Flash,' not only a face worthy to be on the Ducks' Mount Rushmore but also an unofficial ambassador for the franchise. The Beloved One. Advertisement Why wouldn't someone listen to him? 'He's obviously really close to the team and he knows what kind of players they have and what he thinks the future (looks) like,' Granlund said. 'I heard only good things about the team. That was a big part of that as well.' The Ducks introduced Granlund on Monday, a few days after he signed a three-year contract worth $21 million. But the 33-year-old isn't new to Anaheim. He's been a regular opponent after spending virtually all of his 13-year career in the Western Conference, suiting up for the Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. He also had a 21-game stint with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2023 that didn't work out after he arrived as a playoff-push trade-deadline acquisition. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade, which reversed a downward trend in his career. With the Sharks, Granlund played a ton as their de-facto No. 1 center while Logan Couture was sidelined due to injury. Granlund, traded to Dallas this February in another move to a contending team, saw his point-per-game average drop from 0.87 to 0.68, in part because of a reduced role on a better team. Granlund still had 21 points in 31 regular-season games, in line with his career 82-game average. 'A couple years ago, I made some changes,' Granlund said. 'How I wanted to prepare for the seasons, and a lot of things were happening in my life. I kind of got a clean slate in San Jose and I really put everything to be a better player. That really paid off. I've been playing my best hockey of my life for the last two years and I really feel my best years are ahead of me. 'That's what excites me the most. I've been healthy. I've been playing my best hockey and I have a feeling that I can get even better. I can do more. Obviously, the timing in San Jose was great. I got an opportunity and all that. For me, as a person and as a player, I feel like I've been growing so much for the last couple years. I'm really excited about the timing in Anaheim right now.' Advertisement When it became apparent that the Stars couldn't re-sign him, Granlund found Anaheim appealing. The Ducks, in his view, are on the rise, and familial considerations — such as direct flights from Helsinki to Los Angeles — played a role in his decision-making. There also was Selänne's appeal to him, but new coach Joel Quenneville also was an attraction. 'He knows what winning takes,' Granlund said. 'We're trying to get to that habit for winning. That was a big thing.' Granlund has been Pat Verbeek's only signing so far in free agency, but the general manager has been busy this summer, hiring Quenneville, trading for Chris Kreider and trading away Trevor Zegras and John Gibson. What might the Ducks look like on opening night? Here's a look at their possible depth chart: Under former coach Greg Cronin, the Ducks rode the line of Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome and Troy Terry while moving around other pieces on the other lines. It was clearly the trio that Cronin trusted more than others. There was reason for that. Per Natural Stat Trick, Vatrano-Strome-Terry spent 725 minutes together at five-on-five and had positive metrics in Corsi-for, Fenwick and shots for/against while nearly breaking even in goals for/against and high-danger chances produced/allowed. But will they stay together under Quenneville? Or will he (or new assistant coach Jay Woodcroft) change things up, especially since they're now incorporating Granlund? In San Jose, Granlund played with a series of wingers but spent more of his time with Fabian Zetterlund – now in Ottawa – and William Eklund. But in Dallas, Granlund spent more time on the wing than at center, and he played mostly with Roope Hintz and Mikko Rantanen in an all-Finn line that scorched for a time during the postseason. Perhaps that's the beauty of Granlund. It didn't matter who he played with. The veteran produced a high level of secondary offense whether he was the middle or on the wing — and with numerous linemates. And when asked if he had a preference, Granlund simply said, 'No. Not at all.' Advertisement 'I told him I can play a lot of different roles,' Granlund said of his brief conversation with Quenneville. 'All I care about is winning and try to do whatever I can for the team. I don't care where I play (or) what it is but I can do a lot of things and hopefully I can try to bring something good to the table.' The fourth line will get a different look, after the Ducks moved on from Isac Lundeström and Brett Leason. Often-injured forwards Robby Fabbri and Brock McGinn also weren't retained, and that might provide opportunity for Nikita Nesterenko and Sam Colangelo to win jobs out of camp and stick with Anaheim as regulars. Nesterenko's skating and forechecking are his best attributes. Colangelo had 10 goals in 32 games as he showed a proficiency to successfully tip pucks and finish around the net. Ryan Poehling effectively takes Lundeström's place. The 26-year-old Minnesota native isn't a complete non-factor offensively, plus he can be very useful with his terrific skating and reputation as an ace penalty-killer. Beckett Sennecke is listed here, since he figures to get a long look in camp. Had he been born a month earlier, the 19-year-old would be eligible to play in the AHL. It's possible that Sennecke could follow a similar path to Mason McTavish in 2021-22: start in Anaheim and, if the big league is a little too much for him, get sent to the AHL for a conditioning loan and then join Team Canada for the World Juniors. From there, the Ducks could decide which path is best for the remainder of his season. No Ducks pairing shared more ice time last season than Jackson LaCombe and Radko Gudas. — more than 935 minutes in five-on-five situations, Brian Dumoulin and Drew Helleson were a distant second, and that third defense pair was broken up by Dumoulin's departure at the trade deadline. That trade allowed Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov to get back in the lineup together. Before that, they often rotated in and out of the lineup. Neither Zellweger nor Mintyukov was crazy about that arrangement, which — along with LaCombe's meteoric rise during the season — seemed to stunt their development. Gudas and Trouba are entering the final year of their contracts. How the season plays out for the Ducks could affect either's long-term future, unless the club desires an extension. Stian Solberg and Tristan Luneau will be among the most interesting prospects to watch (along with back-to-back first-round picks Sennecke and Roger McQueen). The hard-hitting Solberg made an instant impact when he got into AHL games after his SHL season ended and is bound to become a fan favorite. Luneau was one of the top-scoring AHL defensemen, as his 52 points in 59 games led San Diego. Both could leave a great impression with strong training camps. Advertisement With the Gibson era now concluded after his trade to the Detroit Red Wings, the net is there for Lukáš Dostál to seize. Dostál, a restricted free agent, still hasn't signed to a new deal and has filed for salary arbitration. If the Ducks improve their possession game and take some stress off defending in their own zone, a truer idea of Dostál's ceiling as a No. 1 may emerge. Statistically, Petr Mrázek was not good last season. Most of his work came with the Chicago Blackhawks before he was moved to the Red Wings for a season-ending stint that included only five starts. MoneyPuck had Mrázek as one of the league's worst goalies in 2024-25, as only three netminders were worse than his 14 more goals allowed than expected. It's a downgrade from the Dostál-Gibson tandem, but Mrázek has had stretches of solid-to-good play in the past and can step in to give Dostál week-long breathers. On the other hand, Verbeek tapped into the Detroit pipeline for Ville Husso in February and found someone who not only gave the Gulls a huge lift in their bid to move into Calder Cup playoff position but impressed enough in three Ducks starts (he stopped 124 of 134 shots) to earn a two-year contract. Husso's $2.2 million AAV will raise eyebrows, but the Ducks wanted to be three-deep in what they feel are NHL-level goalies — even if Husso is targeted to start out with the Gulls and give them a strong lead in net. (Photo of Mikael Granlund: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Mikael Granlund shocks NHL fans with blunt Ducks comments after surprise free agency move
Anaheim Ducks made a surprising move by signing veteran forward Mikael Granlund (Image via AP) The Anaheim Ducks pulled off one of the more surprising free-agent moves of the offseason by signing veteran forward Mikael Granlund—without much warning or prior buzz. While the 32-year-old wasn't heavily linked to Anaheim in the lead-up to free agency, the team moved quickly to bring him in, signaling a shift in their mindset: from rebuilding to chasing wins. Mikael Granlund praises Anaheim's new direction under Joel Quenneville 's leadership Mikael Granlund's comments following his signing raised eyebrows across the league, not because of drama, but because of what they revealed about the Ducks' internal ambitions. Speaking to the media, Granlund emphasized that Anaheim is no longer just developing young talent—it's preparing to win now. "I haven't played a game with the team yet, so I'm sure understanding about that will be way better when the season actually starts,' Granlund said. 'But I've talked to people and I think they took a really big step last year with some of the new players that are coming in. With Coach Q coming in, I really feel like it's like, 'OK, now we are taking the next step and it's not about just growing players and learning. It's about starting to win some hockey games. So that's really encouraging and that's why I'm really excited about it.'" The mention of Joel Quenneville—returning to the NHL bench after years away—was particularly striking. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 월 2만원으로 아이들의 한끼 선물하기 굿네이버스 더 알아보기 Undo His hiring adds veteran gravitas to a locker room filled with promising talent like Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Lukas Dostal. Granlund's 2024–25 season with the Dallas Stars was limited to just 31 games, but he still managed to produce 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists). Anaheim is betting that, if he can stay healthy, he'll be a valuable middle-six contributor who can mentor younger teammates while delivering reliable offense. Also Read: Toronto Maple Leafs accused of downgrading as Nino Niederreiter pitched as Mitch Marner's replacement His signing may have flown under the radar, but if Anaheim continues to make bold moves like this—and Granlund lives up to his veteran pedigree—this could go down as one of the smartest pickups of the offseason. Anaheim isn't just talking about turning a corner. With Granlund and Quenneville onboard, they're sprinting toward it. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NHL Insider Reveals Big Update on Ducks' Mason McTavish
NHL Insider Reveals Big Update on Ducks' Mason McTavish originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Anaheim Ducks entered the offseason looking to make some big changes to the roster. While the team has added some nice pieces, they also missed out on adding any of the big three free agents on the market. Advertisement Despite being armed with a lot of cap space, Anaheim wasn't able to close the deal. The Ducks did sign Mikael Granlund, who should help provide some needed offensive spark to this team. But the Ducks also have a few restricted free agents of their own to still deal with. Both Mason McTavish and Lukas Dostal remain on the open market, and there have been all sorts of rumors that Anaheim could let other teams go after them. The two players have been key figures for Anaheim, so the timing is a little weird. But according to NHL insider Jeff Marek, both McTavish and Dostal could be subject to getting offer sheets from teams. Advertisement If the Ducks were to let either player walk, it would be terrible asset management. But in all likelihood, both players will be back with Anaheim since they can match any offer that comes in. Dostal is likely to be the starting goalie for the Ducks this season after the team traded away John Gibson. The goalie proved himself last year, and Anaheim has been excited to see what he could do as the full-time starter. As for McTavish, it seems strange that Anaheim would give up on him so soon. The former third overall pick scored 22 goals and 30 assists for the Ducks this past season. McTavish has been subject to rumors, but the Ducks do value him. However, this is a strange situation, and it will be interesting to see how Anaheim plays this moving forward. Advertisement Related: Nikolaj Ehlers Breaks Silence After Massive Hurricanes Signing Related: Hurricanes Predicted to Land Another Star After K'Andre Miller Trade This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
05-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
NHL free-agency report cards: Grading every team's early offseason moves
Four days into NHL free agency, the list of impact players remaining on the market is … not lengthy. Has your favorite team gotten the help it needed? The Athletic asked its NHL staff this week for their assessments of the early moves. The analysis is subjective to each beat, not based on a scale, and factors in a team's ability to make moves under the salary cap. Trades and re-signings since the season ended are also considered. Here are the grades our writers assigned for the work done so far. All that salary cap space and the Ducks … still have all that cap space. Not that they had a prime shot at Mitch Marner — and it's obvious that he had Vegas on his mind from when he was set to leave Toronto — but coming away with a 33-year-old Mikael Granlund has to be underwhelming given the possibilities. Granlund is a fine player and can help, but the next thing should be improving from within and re-signing RFAs Lukáš Dostál and Mason McTavish. — Eric Stephens Advertisement There was a purpose behind their signings. Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Mikey Eyssimont and Viktor Arvidsson are hard on pucks and opponents. The identity of the 2025-26 Bruins is clear. But there is a shortage of offensive skill. The Bruins did not improve their middle-six forwards. — Fluto Shinzawa The Sabres did well to fill two needs when they traded JJ Peterka to Utah for right-handed defenseman Michael Kesselring and winger Josh Doan. But replacing Peterka's scoring won't be easy. The depth additions of Justin Danforth, Alex Lyon and Conor Timmins were worthwhile additions, but there is still more work to do to bring this grade up. — Matthew Fairburn The Flames didn't overspend again, which is good as they continue their rebuild/retool. But they still have Connor Zary left on their docket to re-sign. And the biggest question mark is what they'll do with Rasmus Andersson. They are prepared to start the season with him on their roster, but they risk missing out on a window of opportunity if they don't, considering the UFA class on defensemen. A C- is as good as we can do, because we can't write 'incomplete' just yet. — Julian McKenzie The Hurricanes have swung big this offseason, orchestrating a sign-and-trade for defenseman K'Andre Miller and then landing one of the biggest free agents on the market by inking Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million deal. The moves bolster Carolina both up front and on the back end, though the Hurricanes must still figure out who is going to center their second line. Still, both of the team's major moves have the potential to be home runs and solidify Carolina's spot as a Cup contender. — Cory Lavalette What the Blackhawks did this offseason seems to make sense within the context of their long-term rebuild, but it'd be hard to say job well done and hand out a favorable grade for a team that ultimately did very little and is sitting on $20-plus million in cap space. Re-signing Ryan Donato was imperative and they accomplished that. André Burakovsky is intriguing if he can return to form. Overall, the lack of moves creates a path for the young players. — Scott Powers Advertisement Colorado didn't do a ton in free agency, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The Avalanche signed Parker Kelly to a four-year extension while watching Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren walk on the open market. The biggest signing was adding veteran Brent Burns to the blue line. He's 40, but with a base salary of only $1 million (according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman), he could be an incredible value. Burns' offense has regressed over the last couple of years, but playing on a fast-skating transition team such as Colorado could revive it a bit. — Jesse Granger The Blue Jackets had grand plans to transform their lineup on both ends of the ice, but their attempts to add a top-six scoring winger and a top-four right-side defender never materialized. To cut their losses, they circled back and signed their own blueliner, Ivan Provorov, to a massive seven-year, $59.5 million deal to keep him off the market. The Jackets added three bottom-six forwards in centers Charlie Coyle and Isac Lundestrom, and winger Miles Wood. But they take over for three veterans who were allowed to depart — Justin Danforth, Sean Kuraly and James van Riemsdyk. — Aaron Portzline Dallas lost a couple of pieces, led by Mikael Granlund, but that was inevitable after adding Mikko Rantanen on a big ticket at the deadline. Jim Nill gets high marks for heavily discounted contracts for Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, however, and basically balancing the cap books. There's another million or so to shed, with Matt Dumba the likely casualty, but they have young defensemen coming such as Lian Bichsel and a bit of flexibility to make it work. The big question: How do they take a step forward with a similar cast that has stalled out in Round 3 the past three years? Perhaps another deadline swing? — James Mirtle It's hard to quibble with anything the Red Wings did, and in adding John Gibson, James van Riemsdyk and Mason Appleton, they probably improved the overall roster. The middling grade, though, is because while those moves should help, they're also not major needle-movers. In a weak market, that's not totally unexpected, but for a team trying to snap a nine-year playoff drought, it's also not particularly exciting. — Max Bultman The Oilers didn't have much cap space after re-signing Trent Frederic and Evan Bouchard. They were sensible in their approach by bringing in speedy scoring option Andrew Mangiapane and the versatile Curtis Lazar, who could fill needs on the PK and as a right-handed faceoff guy. It's hard to foresee those two players offsetting all the losses the Oilers incurred so far this offseason, and neither is a sure-fire top-six forward. — Daniel Nugent-Bowman Advertisement How can you possibly criticize bringing back one of the most dominant teams in NHL history? No one thought when GM Bill Zito said he would be able to bring his big three UFAs back that it was possible, but he pulled it off in dramatic fashion in signing Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand in the four days before July 1. — James Mirtle I get it. Many have already given the Kings' offseason an F and many more probably feel this meager grade is way too generous. Let a game or two be played first before concluding that Cody Ceci (or Ken Holland) and Brian Dumoulin (or Luc Robitaille) have permanently destroyed the franchise. The fourth line is instantly better, and Corey Perry is the net-front nuisance/occupant/finisher they need. But, no, they don't have Mitch Marner or Bowen Byram. — Eric Stephens The Wild had hoped to sign Brock Nelson in free agency, but he re-signed in Colorado. They wanted to sign Brock Boeser, but when it became clear he had other options, they pivoted to Vladimir Tarasenko on a one-year bet that his career can be reinvigorated. Nico Sturm should help their penalty-kill and faceoff needs, but this was not the July 1 'Christmas' fans expected after four years of buyout shackles limiting their every move. — Michael Russo The Canadiens weren't very active in free agency; they got their work done via trades (acquiring Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc). Staying out of this free-agent market could be given a good grade on its own, but two sneaky signings addressed needed depth. Veteran goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen will serve as a mentor and tandem partner for top goalie prospect Jacob Fowler in the AHL, and Sammy Blais is the perfect extra forward/fourth-line energy guy/AHL veteran. The Canadiens didn't sign anyone who moves the needle a whole lot, but they filled needs. Still, the loss of Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia left holes that were not filled. — Arpon Basu Nick Perbix is an effective signing of a much-needed right-shot defenseman at a good price, to lift the grade a bit. But trading for Nicolas Hague and giving him a deal well beyond reasonable expectation? Doing nothing to address the worst center group in the league? More size and physicality on defense were needed, but it's far from enough. — Joe Rexrode Tom Fitzgerald didn't make any huge splashes, but he shored up the forward group in a way that should really help if the team can stay healthy. Bringing back Cody Glass made sense, and Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown will both bolster a forward group that lacked depth in the playoffs. — Peter Baugh As much as the Noah Dobson trade can be rationalized, that ticks off some points from the Islanders' grade. But otherwise, management gets credit for taking the team in a new direction. The team drafted well for a change, made some savvy short-term signings such as Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov, and extended players such as Adam Boqvist, Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman to cost-effective deals. — Shayna Goldman The K'Andre Miller trade is risky, especially considering he's going to a division rival, but the Rangers signed a strong player in Vladislav Gavrikov, took care of Will Cuylle's second contract and added a depth winger in Taylor Raddysh. Plus, they did well on the Miller return, adding good draft capital and young defenseman Scott Morrow. — Peter Baugh Advertisement The Senators weren't expected to be big players in free agency. So their small moves, adding Lars Eller and re-signing Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins, aren't too surprising. Trading for Jordan Spence could prove to be a solid move, too. Ottawa still could use another scorer on its top line, though. — Julian McKenzie The Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras without having to give up much. They plugged a couple more holes in free agency, with depth center Christian Dvorak and goalie Dan Vladar. At the draft, they selected five players in the top 50, including potential top-line center Porter Martone. While they still don't have a No. 1 center (Zegras will get a shot at it, but there are no guarantees he's the long-term solution), and Vladar's career stats are pretty meh, Daniel Briere has managed to improve the current team while maintaining flexibility for the 2026 offseason. — Kevin Kurz Kyle Dubas didn't sign anyone to long-term money and he made a couple of sensible, cheap additions. Thus, he did fine. The Penguins aren't in a place to be aggressive during this time of year. The real test will come when Dubas makes some trades this summer. And they are coming. — Josh Yohe At this time in their evolution, it might be hard to distinguish if the Sharks are more in the filling-out-the-roster stage than a building-it-back-up stage, but they've wisely made useful additions with their vast amount of cap space without taking on or handing out max-term contracts on middling players. That way, San Jose isn't restricted for the future as it tries to build a team around future leader Macklin Celebrini. — Eric Stephens The Kraken weren't able to use their cap space to land an impact game-breaking piece, which remains this club's greatest need. But they did sign Ryan Lindgren to a four-year contract with a $4.5 million cap hit. Lindgren is only 27, but his black-and-blue style of defensive hockey has resulted in a steady flow of injuries and his five-on-five form fell off last season. Meanwhile, the club's three RFAs — Kaapo Kakko, Tye Kartye and Ryker Evans — remain unsigned. Locking up Kakko and Evans long-term could improve this grade, but to this point, Seattle's offseason hasn't moved the needle. — Thomas Drance The Blues tried to do everything imaginable. They went after Noah Dobson, but he wanted to play in the East. They entertained the idea of trading Jordan Kyrou but didn't find a good enough deal. They added young right-shot defenseman Logan Mailloux in a trade for Zack Bolduc. They added reliable vets Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad in free agency. They put Nick Leddy on waivers and removed his $4 million cap hit when he was picked up by San Jose. This grade would be an A if there wasn't concern about Bolduc's bright future, but you've got to give to get. — Jeremy Rutherford The Lightning made three low-key moves to round out the forward depth, including extending Yanni Gourde and signing Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier. Those kinds of contracts help balance the book around Tampa Bay's core players. The Pelletier contract is the exact buy-low deal this team needs to find, considering its budget. But management didn't sign a Nick Perbix replacement (or just a seventh defenseman). And the team hasn't been able to land any needle-movers, either. Had management been able to move out some salary, maybe the Lightning could have done more. — Shayna Goldman Advertisement It's difficult to fully grade even the early offseason because the Leafs have clearly gotten worse in the wake of Mitch Marner's departure, with no major additions as of yet and the same look on defense. At this point, it's Marner, Pontus Holmberg and Max Pacioretty (for now) out and Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli and Michael Pezzetta in. Roy and Maccelli both could be shrewd additions, but that's still a significant downgrade in talent. The Leafs did well on the Matthew Knies and John Tavares contract extensions and a sharp trade for a top-six forward could push this grade higher. — Jonas Siegel Acquiring JJ Peterka without giving up the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft was a home run. He's another dynamic young star to add to Utah's impressive collection of rush-attacking forwards. The Mammoth did solid work filling out depth roles by signing Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev and Vitek Vanecek at reasonable prices. — Harman Dayal To this point in the offseason, the Canucks have yet to address their significant needs at center. They even lost a center-capable forward in unrestricted free agency when Pius Suter signed in St. Louis. That's a gaping hole in the lineup, one the club will need to address over the rest of the summer or in-season. Vancouver paid a modest price for Evander Kane, which gives the team a different element in its top six. The Canucks also extended Conor Garland, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko, doubling down on their core. There is still work to be done in this lineup. — Thomas Drance The Golden Knights' biggest need this offseason was scoring on the wing, and they signed the third-highest scoring winger in the NHL since 2016. Mitch Marner gives Vegas an elite, play-driving winger to go with its already deep group of centers. Alex Pietrangelo announcing he's out for the foreseeable future is troubling on the blue line, but there's not a lot the team could've done on that front, so they earned the highest grade in free agency. — Jesse Granger The Capitals needed a third-line center and, if possible, some top-six skill. That hasn't changed, though they made a run at Nikolaj Ehlers for the latter. Anthony Beauvillier is useful and Declan Chisholm adds quality depth on the blue line, but they're not needle-movers. — Sean Gentille The Jets landed Jonathan Toews, creating the potential for a homecoming story that resonates with fans for a long time. They added Gustav Nyquist, Tanner Pearson and Cole Koepke, too, and there isn't an albatross contract among them: one-year term in all cases. Nikolaj Ehlers' departure will hurt, while the new additions come with enough question marks to cause concern, such as whether Winnipeg will be slow this year. A special season from Toews would change everything. — Murat Ates (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Chase Stevens / Las Vegas Review-Journal / Tribune News Service, Ezra Shaw, Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
Reuters
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Stars lose Mikael Granlund to Ducks on 3-year deal
July 1 - The Anaheim Ducks signed forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract on Tuesday, with financial terms undisclosed. "He's what I consider a hard worker," Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. "He goes to the hard areas, something that we needed more of. Not afraid to be a net-front presence guy. He's a guy that hangs onto pucks in the corners for more puck possessions, so he's a very smart hockey player." Granlund, 33, started 2024-25 with the San Jose Sharks, racking up 45 points (15 goals, 30 assists) over 52 games before he was traded to the playoff-bound Dallas Stars on Feb. 1. With Dallas, he scored 21 points (seven goals, 14 assists) over 31 games in the regular season, adding five goals and five assists over 18 playoff games. Granlund has been productive since being selected ninth overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2010 NHL Draft. Over 13 seasons with the Wild (2012-19), Nashville Predators (2019-23), Pittsburgh Penguins (2023), Sharks (2023-25) and Stars, he has scored 610 points (179 goals, 431 assists). --Field Level Media
