The Anaheim Ducks announced today that they’ve signed forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract, which carries a $7 million cap hit.
Following the likes of Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Brock Boeser, and others all coming off the board, Granlund was one of the best forwards to hit free agency in a thin market. The forward is 33 years old and split this past season between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, registering 22 goals and 66 points across 83 games.
At a $7M cap hit, Granlund’s deal is a bit more expensive than I had projected for the forward on a three-year deal, at HockeyComparables.com. Still, considering how much cap space the Ducks have at their disposal, overpaying a bit on a relatively short-term deal isn’t going to hurt them.
At his best, Granlund can be a very productive top-six forward and is able to play either at center or on the wing. The past two seasons have represented a resurgence for the forward, where Granlund has scored at an 82-game rate of 68 points over 152 NHL games. At the same time, the forward has also shown some inconsistency in his production over his career, which has fluctuated a lot based on where he’s been playing.
Ultimately, Granlund is still a clear upgrade to the team’s forward group and does help the Ducks on a short-term basis. Bringing in Granlund also buys the team a bit of time, while the likes of Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier continue to develop.
While the team’s options were pretty limited in free agency to begin with, though, if Granlund is the biggest addition this summer, it remains to be seen as to how much of a step the team is able to take next season. He’s certainly a nice addition, but is unlikely to be a game-changer on his own.
