Grading the Anaheim Ducks NHL trade deadline moves

For the first time in years, the Anaheim Ducks entered the trade deadline as buyers, and not like the Bob Murray era of shuffling deck chairs just to claim he did something kind of deadline, but as actual buyers. Before the puck drops Friday night at Honda Center, the Ducks sit second in the Pacific Division with 71 points and are right behind the Vegas Golden Knights (72 points) for first place. Here is a breakdown of the moves GM Pat Verbeek made at the deadline.

John Carlson acquired from the Washington Capitals

Grade: A

This trade dropped in the middle of the night (depending on which time zone you reside in) and caught most fans off guard, as they woke up the morning of deadline day.

The possibility of the Verbeek acquiring another right-shot defenseman was rumored, but the defense seemed like the least area of concern. However, Carlson will provide a significant upgrade to the blue line for the Ducks. In 55 games for the Capitals, Carlson has 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists) and has averaged 22:52 in ice time. For comparison, Jackson LaCombe was the leading scorer from the blue line for the Ducks with 41 points (6 goals, 35 assists) in 61 games.

The acquisition cost of a conditional first-round pick and a third-round pick is on par with what playoff bound teams pay for rentals, as Carlson will be a UFA in the summer. Carlson will also balance out the handedness on the blue line, as Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas are the only other right-shot defenseman. Ideally, Carlson will bump up to the top pair with LaCombe and knock Trouba down onto the second pair with Olen Zellweger. With the ability to create offense, Carlson will logically slide into quarterbacking one of the power play units for the Ducks as well.

The problem with the trade though, is how the defense pairings will look now. The young Ducks blue liner, Ian Moore, has bounced from either third pair defenseman or fourth line winger, depending upon injuries to the rest of the lineup. The Moore as a winger experiment should have been shelved, but with another move Verbeek made at the deadline, the likelihood of that trend ending is unlikely.

Both Trouba and Gudas are also pending UFAs this summer, so it will be interesting to see what Verbeek decides to do after this season ends. The possibility of all three veteran defenseman (Carlson included) resigning with the Ducks seems unlikely, as franchise forwards Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier will be in need of new contracts, as well as the aforementioned Moore, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger. A deep playoff run though, might convince Carlson to stick around and sign an extension.

Ryan Strome traded to the Calgary Flames

Grade: D

Towards the end of trade deadline day, Strome was traded to the Calgary Flames for a 7th round pick.

The writing was on the wall though, for the possibility of a Strome trade, all season. Between injuries and healthy scratches, Strome only played in 33 games for the Ducks and notched just 9 points (3 goals, 6 assists). Early in the season and when healthy, Strome was utilized as the third line center. But with Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling better equipped to handle the role of center, Strome was bumped to the wing, as a depth option.

However, with so many playoff bound teams in need of center help, the 7th round pick seems like an extremely low value. Strome may have been snubbed of ice time in Anaheim this year, but he did put up three consecutive seasons of 41 points prior to 2025-26. As a veteran utility option, Strome should have garnered more interest. With his 5 million cap hit off the books though, Verbeek has created more space to sign the impending Ducks RFAs.

Overall thoughts

Verbeek made a swing for a big trade, just not the one fans anticipated. The bottom six forward group for the Ducks, could have used an injection of another scoring threat. However, with Troy Terry and Mikael Granlund currently sidelined with injuries, fans have yet to see the team at full power. Maybe Verbeek wants to see the whole team on the ice, before he decides if another additional forward is necessary and addresses that issue in the offseason.

Before the Ducks continue their homestand against the Montreal Canadians though, here is Strome's last point as an Anaheim Duck.