The Anaheim Ducks have reportedly signed Jakob Silfverberg to a five-year contract extension. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the deal is worth $26.25 million and will carry an annual cap hit of $5.25 million.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1098385446638219264
In 51 games this season, Silfverberg has scored 16 goals and 24 points. He’s scored 109 goals and 233 points in 470 NHL games including 99 goals as a member of the Ducks alone.
This deal is a big one for the Ducks as it now means that Silfverberg is off the table for trade talks as the trade deadline quickly approaches. The Ducks seemed very keen on retaining Silfverberg throughout the entire negotiation process and trading him to recoup assets never seemed like their preferred plan of action.
This extension didn’t exactly come down to the wire but it certainly pushed the envelope far enough that Silfverberg’s name being floated in numerous trade discussions seemed appropriate and accurate. He’ll be able to rest easy knowing his name is securely off of trade bait boards now.
The 28-year-old Silfverberg has been a core member of the Ducks since being acquired in 2013 in a deal that saw Bobby Ryan shipped off to the Ottawa Senators. At the time, the teal was a strange one was Ryan was a perennial 30-goal scorer who had reached the 30-goal mark in each of his first four seasons before scoring 11 goals and 30 points in 46 games in 2012-13.
Following the trade, however, Ryan’s game would gradually fall off to the point where he’s become a cap liability more than an effective player. On the flip side, the Ducks have been keen on keeping Silfverberg in their long-term plans and he’s rewarded them with solid offensive totals including two 20-plus goal seasons and excellent play with and without the puck.
Ducks Primed to Retool
The Ducks are a team that seemed destined to be rebuilding and locking up Silfverberg to a deal that will keep him under contract through his age 33 season is an interesting one given the fact that they are already paying big contracts to significantly older players.
Ryan Kesler is 34 years old, Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry are both 33 years old, Adam Henrique is 29 years old and Silfverberg is 28 years old. All five players will be under contract until at least the 2020-21 season and will account for roughly $35 million of their salary cap alone. This is something the Ducks will have to consider moving forward.
Whether or not retaining Silfverberg was the right move as opposed to recouping assets isn’t clear. What is clear, however, is that the Ducks seem to be aiming at a quick retool than a full rebuild with this new long-term commitment to a player who is very much in his prime.
What happens next for the Ducks is anybody’s guess but it’ll be interesting to see how active they are as the trade deadline approaches.