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Anaheim Ducks Rumor Rundown: Free Agent Calvin de Haan

By Ed Stein

ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 11: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks battles for position against Calvin de Haan #44 of the New York Islanders during the game on October 11, 2017 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - OCTOBER 11: Rickard Rakell #67 of the Anaheim Ducks battles for position against Calvin de Haan #44 of the New York Islanders during the game on October 11, 2017 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Debora Robinson/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Our Rumor Rundown series earlier in the month was quite popular. There is still plenty of rumor and speculation out there so why not keep the party going? Today’s rumor concerns the Anaheim Ducks signing unrestricted free agent defenseman Calvin de Haan.

One of the things you have to love about Anaheim Ducks General Manager Bob Murray is his ability to keep quiet. 99% of the time, fans don’t know a deal is happening until it goes through. That’s why it’s always best to take Ducks trade and free agent chatter with a grain of salt. I thought it might be fun, however, to break down some of the rumors about the Ducks floating around cyberspace.

Previous articles in this series included rumors about free agents Joe Thornton, Jack Johnson. Additionally, we also covered two possible trades with Edmonton and another trade with Carolina for Jeff Skinner.

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First Time UFA

Twenty-seven-year-old Calvin de Haan is a veteran of 304 NHL games, all with the New York Islanders. NYI selected him 12th overall in the 2009 Entry Draft and he made his cup of coffee debut with the big club in December of 2011. He didn’t make it back to the NHL for almost two years  (November 30, 2013) and hasn’t looked back.

De Haan played through his entry-level contract, followed by a three-year bridge contract. Last summer, the best agreement that he and the Isles could make was for one-year, $3.3M. The contract ended and an extension couldn’t be reached. He is free to sign with any team, no strings attached. It’s probably one of the many reasons why Garth Snow is no longer the NYI General Manager.

Career in a Glimpse

No one ever confused DeHaan with a point-scorer during his time on Long Island. The best year he’s had was 2016-17 with 25 points, which is nine higher than any other total. For his career, de Haan has scored a total of 81 points. Last year he played in only 33 games due to a shoulder injury he received and the subsequent surgery to fix it.

The peripheral stats tell a better story about what de Haan could do for a team like the Anaheim Ducks. He plays the way a defensive oriented defenseman should play. His career Corsi (50.4) and Fenwick (51.5) are better than 50 and he played on teams in New York that had awful goaltending. Those numbers could look much better with John Gibson as his backstop.

Additionally, anybody who could be at +26 in over 300 games with the Islanders is worthy of attention. Lastly, the 6’1”, 190lb defenseman has averaged just under two hits per game and over two blocked shots per game over his career. If Bob Murray needs a stay at home banger in front of Gibson, Calvin de Haan is a good choice.

The Bad Part

It had to be coming. He made $3.3M last year, so he’s got to be looking for a significant raise. Hampus Lindholm makes a little over $5.2M per season. It’s hard to fathom paying de Haan more than one of the better all-around defensemen in the League. In addition, de Haan has played in over 72 games in a season just once. He is somewhat injury prone.

Do the Anaheim Ducks want to spend the little money they have available on him? On the other hand, if his circumstances force him into a pay cut situation, by all means, Murray should listen.

Next: 6 Anaheim Ducks summer predictions

There a more rumors all the time so we will keep the Rumor Rundown going through the summer.

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