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The Anaheim Ducks have locked down talented young blue-liner Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension valued at $43.2 million US, despite him having played only 14 games in the NHL.
The organization made the announcement on Thursday regarding the 22-year-old defenseman, who has dealt with several physical setbacks in his early career.
Now fully recovered and prepared to take on a permanent spot in the lineup, he committed to a multi-year agreement with the franchise that selected him in the second round of the 2022 draft.
Luneau earned the title of the QMJHL’s premier defenseman for the 2022-23 campaign, securing a spot on Anaheim’s opening roster the following autumn. However, during a practice session with the Canadian national junior squad that winter, a viral illness sidelined him for the remainder of that season.
Over the last two seasons, Anaheim was highly cautious with Luneau’s rehabilitation, placing him with their AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, for the bulk of that period. Nevertheless, the front office remained fully confident in his potential to become an elite defender, demonstrating their faith through a major contract extension despite him appearing in only a single game for the parent club last year.
This season, Luneau is slated to handle heavy minutes for a Ducks squad that saw substantial changes over the summer, losing four experienced defensemen—captain Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, and Olen Zellweger—from what was already an underperforming defensive unit.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek acted swiftly to secure Luneau’s signature after facing major difficulties with restricted free agents during the off-season.
Verbeek struggled for months to negotiate a contract with center Leo Carlsson, who subsequently accepted a $90 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, temporarily rendering him the highest-paid athlete in the NHL until Anaheim decided to match the terms.
While Carlsson ranks among the sport’s premier young talents at center, his contract far exceeds his projected market value as an RFA. A similar situation occurred with defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who landed a five-year, $36 million contract from Verbeek after rival franchises started showing interest in the Russian blueliner following Carlsson’s astronomical offer sheet.
Last month, Verbeek additionally finalized a six-year, $81 million extension with offensive star Cutter Gauthier. However, the subsequent salary cap difficulties stemming from these aggressive summer signings compelled the Ducks to place 22-goal scorer Chris Kreider on waivers, a move that hurt the team’s depth.
Alongside Jackson LaCombe and Mintyukov, Luneau is set to form the foundation of Anaheim’s defensive future. The highly regarded LaCombe committed to his own lucrative eight-year, $72 million extension just last year.
Last spring, the Ducks snapped a seven-year postseason drought by progressing to the second round under the guidance of head coach Joel Quenneville. Anaheim is scheduled to kick off their regular season on Friday in Las Vegas, followed by their home opener against Florida this Sunday.
