ANAHEIM, Calif. — Tristan Luneau has barely had time to build an NHL game log, but the Ducks have made a major long-term wager on the 22-year-old defenseman. Anaheim signed Luneau to a six-year extension worth $43.2 million Thursday, putting a premium on his recovery, his upside and the larger role waiting for him on a rebuilt blue line.
Key takeaways
- Luneau’s new contract carries a $7.2 million average annual value through six seasons.
- The 2022 second-round pick has played 14 NHL games, including one appearance last season.
- His development was interrupted by a viral infection suffered while he was training with Canada’s national junior team.
- Anaheim is counting on Luneau, Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov as the foundation of its defense.
- The Ducks begin the regular season Friday in Vegas before hosting Florida on Sunday.
A long wait for Luneau’s full-time arrival
Luneau entered the Ducks’ system with high-end junior credentials. He was named the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s top defenseman in 2022-23, then earned an opening-night roster spot in Anaheim after training camp the following fall.
That first NHL push was cut short during the winter. Luneau contracted a viral illness while practicing with Canada’s world junior group and did not return for the remainder of the season. Anaheim subsequently kept him primarily with the San Diego Gulls for much of the past two years, taking a cautious path as he worked back to full health.
The organization’s patience did not change its projection. The Ducks believe Luneau can become an above-average NHL defenseman, and the extension arrives before he has had the chance to establish himself over a full schedule.
He is expected to step into a meaningful role this season after Anaheim lost four experienced defensemen from last year’s group: Jacob Trouba, captain Radko Gudas, John Carlson and Olen Zellweger. The departures leave a young group with substantial minutes available and little room for a slow transition.
Verbeek locks down another young Duck
General manager Pat Verbeek moved quickly on Luneau after an expensive and difficult offseason of restricted free-agent business. Anaheim spent months without an agreement with center Leo Carlsson before Philadelphia signed the young center to a $90 million offer sheet. The Ducks matched the deal, which briefly made Carlsson the NHL’s highest-paid player.
Mintyukov also received a major commitment once other clubs began showing interest in the Russian defenseman following the Carlsson situation. He signed a five-year deal valued at $36 million.
Last month, Anaheim extended scorer Cutter Gauthier for six years and $81 million. The cap pressure created by those commitments, however, left the club in a position where it waived Chris Kreider, a 22-goal scorer, thinning its forward depth.
Luneau now joins LaCombe and Mintyukov at the center of Anaheim’s defensive plans. LaCombe agreed to an eight-year, $72 million extension a year ago, giving the Ducks three young blue-liners under long-term control.
The Ducks ended a seven-season playoff drought last spring and reached the second round under coach Joel Quenneville. Their first test of the new campaign comes Friday against the Golden Knights in Las Vegas, followed by Sunday’s home opener against the Panthers.
