On June 30, Pat Verbeek claimed he wanted to add significant pieces to his roster when free agency opened on July 1, most notably a top-six right-shot winger and a top-four right-shot defenseman.
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The big swings were taken, but contact was elusive. The Ducks reportedly offered Steven Stamkos (four years, $8 million AAV) and Jonathan Marchessault (five years, $5.5 million) larger contracts in terms of both dollars and length than what they ultimately signed for with the Nashville Predators.
The biggest right-shot names on the defenseman market all signed sizable contracts with teams closer to contention than the Ducks on July 1 as well. Brett Pesce signed a six-year, $5.5 million AAV contract with the New Jersey Devils. Matt Roy signed a six-year, $5.75 million AAV contract with the Washington Capitals. Brandon Montour signed a seven-year, $7 million AAV contract with the Seattle Kraken.
Verbeek and the Ducks pivoted on July 2, trading for two-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who has one year remaining on his two-year contract with an AAV of $3.15 million.
Though Dumoulin isn’t a right-shot, the stylistic fit in Anaheim, both from a system and roster perspective, is undeniable.
“I’m looking at him being a really good mentor to our young guys,” Verbeek stated at training camp on Friday. “We can kind of plop him with some our offensive defensemen, and he’ll be kind of the steady stay-at-home guy. I hear nothing but great things about his character, the person he is, and I think he’s going to be awesome for our young guys.”
Though sporting a 6-foot-4, 214-pound frame, Dumoulin is anything but immobile on the blueline. He uses his anticipation, explosion, and reach to pinch and eliminate potential breakouts. He displays effective gaps against the rush and kills plays along the wall regularly and efficiently.
So far in camp, Dumoulin has been paired with Olen Zellweger, whose 26 games in 2023-24 barely keep him from rookie eligibility in 2024-25. Zellweger played the majority of his NHL minutes in his rookie season alongside Cam Fowler.
Dumoulin represents a more traditional fit for a defender like Zellweger, who likes to push the tempo, cover ample amounts of ice, and involve himself offensively.
“He’s such a dynamic skater and can make a play out of nothing,” Dumoulin said of playing with Zellweger. “He’s a fun player to watch, and it’s been good just to communicate with him and talk with him and read, playing with him, what type of partner he is.”
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“He’s playing his off-side, so I just wanted to let him know that if he ever gets stuck on the left, that I’m fine on the right,” Dumoulin continued. “It’s just constant communication to feel each other out. If I’m going to go D-to-D with him, whether he likes it on his forehand or on his backhand. It’s just these little game situations that once you get into the game, you look good because it comes easy.”
Dumoulin expresses the importance of communication and connecting with the individuals in the locker room as people as much as players, a similar sentiment head coach Greg Cronin greatly values.
“He just demonstrates professionalism when you talk to him,” Cronin said of Dumoulin on Thursday. “Somebody like him who’s won two (Stanley) Cups and is so excited to contribute here, it’s really nice to hear.”
Though not a right-shot, Dumoulin checks every other box the Ducks value, desire, and were lacking on their blueline as they aim to play more competitive hockey for a longer period of time in 2024-25.
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