With the Chicago Blackhawks shaky off season, and no other teams in the West challenging the Blackhawks for supremacy, the Anaheim Ducks decided to make their move. Ryan Kesler, the former Selke Trophy winner for best defensive forward, reportedly signed a six-year, $41.25 extension to stay with the Ducks. The move means that the Anaheim core of Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler do not have to be resigned until the 2020-2021 season.
Kesler will cost $5 million against the cap this year, as he is in the final year of a contract he signed with Vancouver. The contract he just signed will begin next year, with $6.875 million against the cap in each of the six years. His cap hit will be noticeably lower than that of Getzlaf and Perry, who are both top 10 in the league in cap hits.
The move came after what has been a successful offseason so far for Anaheim. Kevin Bieksa, Kesler’s former teammate at Vancouver, was acquired after trading a second round pick to Vancouver. Bieksa played 20 minutes a game last year, and could be on the top line with Cam Fowler. He has a career 879 penalty minutes, and his style of play suits the gritty Anaheim Ducks well.
Carl Hagelin was also brought in to Anaheim in a trade. The 26-year-old winger had been lost in the shuffle with the New York Rangers, playing only 15 minutes a game last year. Despite the lack of minutes, Hagelin posted an 18+/- and finished with 35 points. Hagelin should see his role increased with Anaheim and a new contract soon. Jakob Silfverberg, Getzlaf, Perry, and Kesler were the only forwards that outscored him last season.
Kesler should be the biggest beneficiary of the Hagelin move. Last year, Kesler had to struggle will less than stellar linemates. The job as a second line forward was a revolving door, with no forwards besides the four mentioned above logging more than 14 minutes. With Hagelin, Kesler can finally get his scoring back on track after only scoring 47 points and 20 goals last year.
During the post season last year, Kesler proved what he can do when he is at his best. He scored 13 points in 16 post-season games, including four against Chicago. He was also playing against the other teams top lines due to how physical he plays. He frequently faced off against Jonathan Toews and still managed to score three goals against the former Selke winner.
With Kesler locked up, the Ducks look like they will be a Cup contender again next year. They could be the grittiest team in the league, notching 60 hits in a single post-season game against Chicago. Another interesting stat is that all active players with Selke Trophies have won a Stanley Cup except Kesler. Could that change next year?