Anaheim Ducks 20 Best Contracts in the Salary Cap Era
What are the Anaheim Mighty Ducks best 20 contracts signed since 2005? You may recognize some of the write-ups below if you’ve visited my past lists, except this one has been updated for more recent deals signed, and new report cards have been added, including the team report card below. These are all league-wide ranks, not letter grades. Anaheim ranked 31 in average year, which means on average they were signed a long time ago. The more recent, the higher the rank. That’s because they won the Stanley Cup in 2007, and many of these deals were involved in hoisting that trophy. This also ranks low in total term, thanks in large part to Teemu Selanne. They also ranked high in hits per 60 minutes, which tracks what we know of Anaheim from the Getzlaf era.
This was originally published in my 2020 book Hunting Bargains in a Salary Cap World, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The general rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other (with a few exceptions). The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here. One thing you won't find here are entry level contracts because they all come from the same cookie cutter and require less skill at the negotiating table.
Updated: June 13, 2024 to adjust for $88M cap. Order remains the same as there are currently no active deals on the list.
1. Scott Niedermayer
Adjusted Cap Hit: $50.9M, $12.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $39.2M, $9.8M (avg)
% Earned: 77%
“Scott Niedermayer is one of the top defensemen in the game today whose skating, puck-moving ability and leadership qualities make him a great addition to our team”
When Scotty f**king Niedermayer emerged from the 2005 lockout as an unrestricted free agent, Lou Lamoriello made every effort to retain his future Hall of Fame defenseman. Maybe what he should have done was add his brother Rob instead, then use that as bait to lure Scott back. That was the strategy deployed by Brian Burke, who landed the big fish after Lou Lamoriello had reportedly offered a more lucrative deal. Chris Pronger had signed a similar contract in Edmonton one day earlier, and the two would become teammates one year later.
The words Anaheim Mighty Ducks do not get engraved on the Stanley Cup without Scotty, the eventual playoff MVP. It’s very difficult to win the Cup in free agency, but this was one example. The contract did take a downturn after winning the championship, which can be forgiven considering he very nearly retired, sitting out until December the following season. Regardless of how he performed after the championship, the investment paid the ultimate dividend. Despite coming close to retirement following the Cup, Scotty still returned for one more year following this deal.
2- Adam Banks: Won a district Pee Wee hockey championship
2. Corey Perry
Adjusted Cap Hit: $39.1M, $7.8M (avg)
Value Returned: $48.9M, $9.8M (avg)
% Earned: 125%
"I really wanted to stay in Anaheim, it's a great place to play hockey"
Both Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf were due to have their entry level contracts expire in July 2008, but Getzlaf had agreed to an extension back in November. Perry had not yet reached his ceiling, scoring 54 PTS that season, going unsigned until July 1st as a restricted free agent. Brian Burke would eventually agree to give Corey the same terms as Ryan, despite one being a center who had just scored 82 PTS. In retrospect Perry should never have been paid the same as Getzlaf, but both would prove to be bargains nonetheless.
This deal ranked above its twin because Perry was voted league MVP in 2011 after a 50-goal season with 98 PTS. Anytime you can get a Hart Trophy winner, that’s a worthy investment, even if he stole the award from Daniel Sedin. The stat line is strong with 366 GP, 342 PTS, 1248 shots, averaging over 20 min per game of ice time. Perry’s next contract can be found on the Anaheim Mighty Ducks worst contracts list which was eventually bought out.
3. Ryan Getzlaf
Adjusted Cap Hit: $39.1M, $7.8M (avg)
Value Returned: $52.6M, $10.5M (avg)
% Earned: 135%
“This is a place that I want to play. I love being here.”
Ryan Getzlaf scored 58 PTS in 2007, adding 17 more in the playoffs on the way to winning the Stanley Cup. The center inked this 5-year extension in November the following season right as he was in the process of breaking out to the next level offensively. He finished that season with 82 PTS, and unquestionably would have been more expensive had Burke waited until July like with Perry.
If you did not count the Hart trophy, Getzlaf would have ranked more valuable than Perry. The big center scored 342 PTS in 340 GP, also adding 777 shots, 772 hits, and 2635 face off wins. That’s a nice haul for that money and one of the most physically dominant centers in the NHL. Two of these seasons were limited by injuries, but he was still fantastic on a per game basis (82 PTS per 82 GP).
Ryan became captain of the Mighty Ducks when Neidermayer retired in 2010. The dynamic duo of Perry-Getzlaf would agree to similar contracts when these were finished, but the value disparity between them grew larger, as Ryan remained dominant longer.
4. Teemu Selanne
Adjusted Cap Hit: $7.4M, $7.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $10.1M, $10.1M (avg)
% Earned: 136%
"This is a player who wanted to stay. He made some concessions financially to do that and we're grateful"
It’s hard to find historical comparables of players over the age of 30 who scored anywhere near 90 PTS before becoming a free agent. The price of retaining Teemu Selanne that summer should have been much more expensive, but at this stage of his career, Teemu really loved living in the OC and it’s unclear if he had any interest in listening to offers from other teams.
Selanne signed a one-year contract for 79 cents on the dollar, and would go on to score 109 PTS (including playoffs) as they won the Stanley Cup. They needed this guy to climb that mountain. Teemu played for 9 years after the 2005 lockout and 7 of them were on 1-year deals, most of those at below market price. At a certain point, Mighty Ducks management had to realize they were getting him back every year regardless of how much they offered.
5. John Gibson
Adjusted Cap Hit: $8.15M, $2.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $16.7M, $5.6M (avg)
% Earned: 205%
“Obviously, he had to offer it and I had to accept it. I think it shows he wants me to be here for a long time and I want to be here for a while and help the team win.”
Gibson had only accumulated 26 GP of NHL experience when he signed this extension, agreeing to the same terms as Robin Lehner one year earlier in Ottawa. Gibson then proceeded to post a .920 SV% in the final year of his ELC over 40 games. Had he simply waited until his ELC expired to sign a new deal, he could have solicited more dough.
Johnny had some injury issues, but put up fantastic numbers when healthy, finishing the contract with 53 Goals Saved Above Average and a .922 SV%. In year three he was the runaway favourite to win the Vezina trophy before the Mighty Ducks season collapsed. He got a big contract when this one expired, but the jury is still out on whether that’s a good investment.
6. Cam Fowler
Adjusted Cap Hit: $25.3M, $5.1M (avg)
Value Returned: $34.2M, $6.8M (avg)
% Earned: 135%
"It was more than a fair offer, and I was completely happy with it. Talking about it with my agent and my family, we knew that this was the best decision for me. We made sure all the pieces fit together, and they absolutely did.”
Cam Fowler had a sensational rookie season as an 18-year-old, scoring 40 PTS, but fell down to 29 PTS the following campaign, after which Murray locked him into a cheap extension. This treaty was forged one day after John Carlson had inked an equivalent contract, but both were cousins of the Erik Johnson ticket from earlier in the summer.
It proved to be an astute buy-low decision with Fowler’s output rebounding. Over the final 2 years they got a 40-point defenseman playing nearly 25 minutes per game. The good news for Cam was that the deal walked him to unrestricted free agency, so Bob Murray offered a generous salary and 7-year term to entice Fowler to return. Another team might have offered more money if he went to July 1st, but who wants to leave Anaheim, right?
7. Teemu Selanne
Adjusted Cap Hit: $2.0M, $2.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $9.2M, $9.2M (avg)
% Earned: 453%
"I signed Teemu because I think he makes us a better hockey team. We're anticipating he'll play on our top six. Certainly, I'm counting on him for top-six ice time and the power play.”
Teemu Selanne had one of the worst seasons of his career in 2004, scoring just 32 PTS in 78 GP for the Colorado Avalanche, hobbled by a chronic knee issue. While other NHLers were moonlighting in Europe, Teemu spent the work stoppage rehabilitating from reconstructive knee surgery. The Finnish Flash was 35-years-old when the new CBA was signed, so there was incredible risk against inking him to a long-term ticket. Having previously played 6 seasons with the Mighty Ducks, returning to the OC was a comfortable fit. Brian Burke was able to sign him on a 1-year term at a very team friendly price.
Teemu emerged from the lockout as a new man who had been shot out of a cannon. The Flash scored 40 goals and 90 PTS for $1M exactly. That’s one of the best bargains on one-year contracts in the salary cap era. Even adjusting for cap inflation, that is the 2nd cheapest price any team has ever paid on a non-entry level contract in the salary cap era for a season of 90 or more PTS (Tage Thompson took #1 in 2023). His next contract was more expensive, but ranked higher on this list because it produced a Stanley Cup win. Nominally though, this was the bigger bargain.
8. Sami Vatanen
Adjusted Cap Hit: $3.3M, $1.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $12.1M, $6.0M (avg)
% Earned: 362%
“I’ve never been scared about mistakes. Everyone makes them. You use them to learn.”
Sami Vatanen had only accumulated 56 games of NHL experience (scoring at a 33-point pace) when this was signed, allowing Bob Murray to secure his signature on a discounted bridge deal. Sami’s offensive upside was on full display in the AHL, where he had scored 52 PTS in 56 GP. But his days of commuting back and forth to Norfolk ended with his ELC, as Vatanen would start flaunting that upside in the NHL.
In 138 GP he scored 75 PTS from the blueline (45 PTS per 82 GP), averaging over 21 minutes per game. It’s hard to get this much offense from a defenseman for such a low-price tag. Vatanen re-signed for a fair wage, but was traded to New Jersey in year one of that deal for Adam Henrique, as the exodus of good young defensemen from the Mighty Ducks roster continued.
9. Andy McDonald
Adjusted Cap Hit: $17.6M, $5.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $20.7M, $6.9M (avg)
% Earned: 118%
“If you had asked me a month ago, I wouldn’t have paid that much. It would be a different number, but my instructions from ownership are quite clear. They want to pay what’s fair.”
Andy McDonald should have been an unrestricted free agent when his contract expired on July 1st 2006 at age 28 (after an 85-point season), but provisions in the new CBA obstructed his path to the open market. Brian Burke seemed prepared to lowball Andy into a smaller deal, but said that ownership wanted “fair” pay.
It’s entirely plausible that Burke was simply saying that as a negotiating tactic, because the terms they finally agreed to were below market value. A week earlier Henrik Sedin had signed for more money following a 75-point season. Burke made it seem like ownership was forcing him to pay a fair wage, when Andy was actually taking a team friendly deal.
It would pay off for both sides, as McDonald got his name engraved on the Stanley Cup. His production slowed the following season, likely just a Stanley Cup hangover, when he was traded to the St. Louis Blues for Doug Weight, where he re-discovered his scoring touch. A broken leg would cost him half of the final season, but Andy was still able to get an $18.8M commitment from the Blues.
10. Nick Bonino
Adjusted Cap Hit: $7.3M, $2.4M (avg)
Value Returned: $11.6M, $3.9M (avg)
% Earned: 160%
“I’m 25 so it’s a great deal for me. I’m obviously happy to stay with this team, with all the guys here.”
The Mighty Ducks saved themselves some money by extending Nick Bonino in November of what would turn out to be the best season of his career, scoring 22 goals and 49 PTS. But before he could even play a game on this contract, Bob Murray traded him to the Canucks as part of the Ryan Kesler deal. After one mediocre season, the Canucks flipped him to the Penguins for Brandon Sutter.
It was in Pittsburgh where the magic happened, as Bonino played a significant supporting role helping the Pens win 2 Stanley Cups, scoring 25 PTS in 45 GP over those two playoff runs. Ergo: Nick made this list for what he accomplished on another team, but it was signed by Anaheim, so here it is. His next contract would become an overpayment for the Nashville Predators.
11- Charlie Conway: One of the Ducks best players, scored a Pee Wee championship winning goal, though some may argue he provided greater value as a coach than player.
11. Chris Kunitz
Adjusted Cap Hit: $3.8M, $1.9M (avg)
Value Returned: $12.0M, $6.0M (avg)
% Earned: 315%
“He’s one of our Swiss army knives. He’s good enough to play on the top line and tough enough to play on the fourth line. And he can do almost anything in between.”
Chris Kunitz came to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in 2003/04 as an undrafted college free agent. When the league resumed following the work stoppage, Anaheim actually lost Kunitz via a waiver claim to the Atlanta Thrashers Winnipeg Jets. Thankfully, he only played 2 games in Atlanta Winnipeg before he was waived again and re-claimed by Anaheim. Catastrophe averted.
Chris would heat up and finish that season with 41 PTS in 69 GP to earn himself a decent (but cheap) 2-year bridge deal. He would score 110 regular season PTS over these 2 seasons, also chipping in 6 playoff PTS in Anaheim’s Cup run and got his name carved into the trophy.
12. Troy Terry
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.6M, $1.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $17.0M, $5.7M (avg)
% Earned: 367%
“When they sent me down, it hurt me, but I’m proud of the way I responded down there. I did my job down there. It was part of the growing pains, I guess.”
Troy Terry signed this contract after scoring 15 PTS in 47 games during the 2019/20 season, which would pace for 26 PTS in 82 GP. My algorithm priced his stat line at $1.2M, so if anything he received a slight wage premium relative to his performance. He exploded onto the scene in 2021/22 with an outstanding breakout campaign, scoring 67 PTS in 75 GP, which carries an expected free agent value of $7.2M. That’s quite a discount! Not only did he produce, the winger was not power play dependent for his production, earning an 82% grade in his even strength PTS/60m, versus only 43% on his PP PTS/60m.
13. Jonas Hiller
Adjusted Cap Hit: $4.1M, $2.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $9.5M, $4.7M (avg)
% Earned: 233%
“Jonas really likes living in Anaheim”
Jonas Hiller only played 29 games in North America on his entry level contract (after signing as an undrafted free agent), and played outstanding in his 23 game NHL stint with a .927 SV%. He overtook Ilya Bryzgalov on the Mighty Ducks goaltending depth chart, leading Burke to trade the enigmatic Russian to Arizona Salt Lake City. Burke then signed Hiller to a 2-year bridge deal similar to what Bryzgalov had signed 2 years earlier.
Jonas would soon overtake J.S Giguere on that same depth chart, prompting management to trade Jiggy to the Leafs. Hiller provided the team with 105 games of above average goaltending for well below the average price of a starting goalie, finishing the deal with 25 Goals Saved Above Average. The Swiss netminder also recorded an impressive .943 SV% in 13 playoff games, even better than his .918 regular season mark. His next contract would produce a lower save percentage for triple the price.
14. Frederik Andersen
Adjusted Cap Hit: $3.1M, $1.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $7.5M, $3.7M (avg)
% Earned: 245%
“Every tine we get another Danish player on one of the teams over here, it’s pretty huge and a proud moment for Denmark.”
Frederik Andersen had only played a single game in the NHL when Bob Murray secured his autograph on this 2-year bridge deal. The Danish goaltender had only arrived in North America one year earlier, and had been outstanding in the AHL, where he posted a .929 SV%. Neither he or the team had any guarantee that he would become a really good goalie, but the price and term were low risk.
That risk would produce a big reward. The Mighty Ducks got a legit #1 goalie at a substantial discount. Freddy had a win-loss record of 57-21 with a 2.34 GAA and .916 SV%. But as John Gibson started to emerge as their goalie of the future, Murray shipped Freddy to the Leafs for a fantastic return (1st and 2nd round draft picks) that produced Sam Steel and Max Comtois.
15. Rickard Rakell
Adjusted Cap Hit: $25.7M, $4.3M (avg)
Value Returned: $34.7M, $5.8M (avg)
% Earned: 135%
"The injury held this up a little bit. Everybody can understand we wanted to be totally comfortable that Ricky was going to be OK going forward."
Rickard Rakell went unsigned into the 2016/17 season, in part because of multiple knee surgeries. The Swede had scored 43 PTS in the final year of his ELC and was due a salary in the $4M range. It could have benefited both sides to do a bridge deal, but Bob Murray decided to gamble by locking him in for 6-years at the price of a 45-point player, buying 2 years of unrestricted free agency. Victor Rask had signed an almost identical contract a few months earlier, and this could easily have taken a downward turn like what happened with Rask.
The bet paid off, as Ricky climbed up to 51 PTS in year one, and 69 PTS in year two. There was some regression in year three, after the team’s offense struggled to score goals. His agent is Claude Lemieux, so it brings me pleasure to know that Rakell left money on the table.
16. Samuel Pahlsson
Adjusted Cap Hit: $2.4M, $1.2M (avg)
Value Returned: $4.6M, $2.3M (avg)
% Earned: 196%
Samuel Pahlsson’s value was not in point production, but rather his role as a shut-down center helping Anaheim win the Stanley Cup. He had accumulated 4 seasons of tenure prior to the 2005 lockout, and realistically should have been worth a slightly higher salary, but the summer 2005 cap crunch after the salary was first imposed forced several depth players to sign below-market contracts for the team to be cap compliant (hint: you can find over 50 deals signed that offseason on one of my best contract lists for that reason).
17. Teemu Selanne
Adjusted Cap Hit: $6.7M, $6.7M (avg)
Value Returned: $9.2M, $9.2M (avg)
% Earned: 137%
When my best NHL contracts book was published in 2020, I joked in the Anaheim preamble that there could have been a few more Teemu Selanne deals on the Ducks list, but there was only so much Teemu tire pumping available in my arsenal. Of his 7 one-year deals signed post 2005 lockout, this was the last season that he produced at an elite level, producing at a 90-point pace, which is uncanny considering most of that was done after his 40th birthday.
18. Kyle Palmieri
Adjusted Cap Hit: $5.9M, $2.0M (avg)
Value Returned: $11.4M, $3.8M (avg)
% Earned: 193%
Kyle Palmieri played his first “full” season during the lockout shortened 2013 campaign, scoring at a 41-point pace, which was worth very close to what he received on his next contract. He stayed near that level for the first two seasons, before breaking out in to bargain territory in the last year, scoring at nearly a 60-point pace, which carried an expected free agent value more than triple his cap hit. In addition to points, he was also an above average hitter, and solid even strength producer.
19. Teemu Selanne
Adjusted Cap Hit: $5.5M, $5.5M (avg)
Value Returned: $7.7M , $7.7M (avg)
% Earned: 140%
Following the aforementioned final 90-point pace season, Teemu returned at age 41 to see his production drop below 70 PTS per 82 GP. That mostly came at the expense of his even strength production, as he was still an elite producer on the power play. His career would extend another 2 years after this expired, but by that point most of his “flash” had fizzled out and he was merely an average point producer, nowhere near the elite tier.
20. Ryan Getzlaf
Adjusted Cap Hit: $78.7M, $9.8M (avg)
Value Returned: $62.6M, $7.8M (avg)
% Earned: 80%
“I’ve always envisioned myself playing for one team, especially this organization. It’s been great to me. It’s nice to be settled in and knowing that I’m going to be here for a long time.”
While the Corey Perry version of this contract soon became a huge liability and a future buyout, the Ryan Getzlaf version aged more gracefully. In year one he finished 2nd in Hart trophy voting after scoring 87 PTS, coming in 6th on the MVP ballot in year two and 20th in year three. Anaheim did get 3 years of one of the best players in the league and 5 years of quality production.
This did take a turn for the worse in year five, but the success on the front half (including multiple trips to the Conference finals) more than justifies any over-payment near the end. Had this been a 5-year deal, it might have ranked in the top 5 Anaheim contracts. For such a physical player with that many miles on his odometer, the Mighty Ducks were mighty lucky that Getzlaf aged as well as he did, and did not become another Corey Perry fiasco.