Free agent center Mikael Granlund has signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks, worth $7 million annually. This acquisition marks a strategic move for the Ducks, who are looking to strengthen their roster and aim for the playoffs in the 2025-26 season.
Granlund, coming from the Dallas Stars, where his team faced challenges with the salary cap, found a lucrative opportunity with the Ducks. Although other important centers like Sam Bennett, Matt Duchene, Brock Nelson, and John Tavares remained on their teams, and Jonathan Toews signed with the Winnipeg Jets, the need to acquire quality players in the center of the field of play boosted Granlund’s value.
Granlund, with the ability to play in several positions, achieved the most significant agreement of his career. In his last season, he scored 22 goals and added 66 points, demonstrating his value as a high-performing player.
In Dallas, Granlund was part of a group of Finnish players nicknamed “The Finnish Mafia”, which included Miro Heiskanen, Roope Hintz, Esa Lindell, and Mikko Rantanen. This group was key to the Stars reaching the Western Conference final for the third consecutive season.
Granlund’s versatility and reliability in the game made him a desired target, so much so that the Stars wanted to keep him, but couldn’t due to financial constraints.
The Anaheim Ducks, after seven seasons without qualifying for the postseason, have built their team through the draft and the acquisition of young talents like Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Lukas Dostal, Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe, and Mason McTavish, who were joined by Cutter Gauthier and Drew Helleson through trades.
The team, which achieved 80 points in the season, generating expectations for growth. This led General Manager Pat Verbeek to hire Joel Quenneville as coach, who previously won three Stanley Cup titles with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Verbeek also acquired winger Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers and traded Trevor Zegras and goaltender John Gibson, freeing up more than $35.9 million in salary cap space. This allowed the Ducks to sign Granlund, strengthening their offense and aiming to compete for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
