The Anaheim Ducks took a major step in their rebuild by inking RFA Lukas Dostal to a five-year, $32.5 million contract on Thursday. The team got it right by signing their starting goalie for the foreseeable future.
The deal was a foregone conclusion when the Ducks traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. The Ducks acquired Petr Mrazek in the Gibson deal, but that was likely part of the deal with Detroit. The Ducks had to take Mrazek’s contract in order for the math to work on the Red Wings’ side.
As for Ville Husso, he’s also insurance for the Ducks. Dostal can’t play every game. So, the team will need someone competent to back him up.
With Dostal now officially in the fold, the Ducks have one of the biggest question marks of this offseason crossed off the board. Anaheim has its starting netminder secured, while the crease now looks like a strength rather than a focus of concern.
The deal also looks good for Anaheim. The Ducks get a solid starting goalie who’s just entering his prime years. At 25, Dostal still has room to grow, along with the team. Most importantly, the cap hit is perfectly reasonable.
Other goalies similar to Dostal got much more lucrative deals. For instance, the Boston Bruins gave Jeremy Swayman $8 million AAV over eight years. The Dallas Stars gave Jake Oettinger $8.25 million AAV on his new eight-year deal.
So, getting Dostal at $6.5 million looks like a steal at this point. If Dostal turns into a bona fide number-one goalie, the deal could look like larceny as it ages.
Ducks could carry three goalies this season
Dostal’s signing now leaves the Ducks with three goalies on their roster. Given the amount of cap space the team still has, there’s a good chance it carries three goalies this upcoming season.
Mrazek is in the final year of his current deal, which carries a $4.25 million cap hit. He could end up on waivers. With his cap hit, it’s doubtful anyone does the Ducks a favor and picks him up. So, he could end up in the AHL, despite the lack of cap relief for Anaheim.
Ville Husso signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract this offseason. That situation means the Ducks could deploy him as Dostal’s backup. He’ll be a solid backup and could get around 30 starts this year.
Still, the Ducks, cap space permitting, could carry three goalies this upcoming season. The team has space at the moment and would be on the hook for Mrazek’s final year. He’ll be off the books next summer. So, there’s no reason why the Ducks couldn’t carry three goalies this year.
Please bear in mind that having Mrazek or Husso on the books could also come in handy at the trade deadline. There could be teams desperately looking for a goalie leading up to the deadline. So, that could allow the Ducks to cash in on someone else’s misfortunes.