The Anaheim Ducks signed two restricted free agents to new contracts this week, extending both Lukas Dostal and Drew Helleson.
Dostal’s new deal is for five years and carries a $6.5 million cap hit. The 25-year-old netminder has spent the last two seasons as a full-time member of the team’s roster, playing 98 games over that time. This past season, Dostal managed a .903 save percentage across 54 games.
With John Gibson being traded away earlier this offseason, the expectation was that Dostal would get the chance to be the team’s clear-cut starter, and the new contract confirms this. The netminder has already shown the ability to post steady results over a large workload, and with Dostal still only in his mid-20s, he’ll be a key piece in helping the team work their way back to playoff contention.
There’s some risk in almost any long-term goalie extension. Dostal, however, seems to be a well-calculated bet. He’s just entering his prime.
Meanwhile, Helleson’s extension is for two years, and carries a $1.1 million cap hit. The defender emerged as a regular part of the team’s blue line this season, playing 56 games with the team. Helleson averaged 16:21 per game last season, but could have the opportunity to grow his role on an aging right side, which also features Jacob Trouba and Radko Gudas. The coming season will be an especially important one for Helleson, as he looks to establish himself as a part of the team’s long-term plans.
