3 Ducks Players Who Won’t Be Back Next Season

The Anaheim Ducks made four trades in the week leading up to the trade deadline, moving out three pending UFAs, swapping AHL players, and bringing in another younger forward. This should give younger players a shot for the remainder of the season, but there are going to be some changes in the offseason again. Not everyone was moved at the deadline, and whether more trades are made in the offseason or players aren't re-signed, these three Ducks aren't likely to be back next season.

Jakob Silfverberg

There was likely zero interest in Jakob Silfverberg at the deadline and the 33-year-old's game has really fallen off. After recording 39-plus points in six consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2020 while scoring at least 20 goals in four of those seasons, the veteran can hardly crack 10 goals and reach 20 points. With a large cap hit and his game declining a lot, the Ducks are best to move on from the pending UFA after the season and go a younger route.

Frank Vatrano

While Frank Vatrano is having a career year, this deadline was the time to trade him. There's no indication that he will be able to replicate it next season, thus lowering the price of what the Ducks could have gotten this season. Now that the trade deadline has passed, the next logical place to move Vatrano is the offseason. This way there isn't much more time for him to lose any value and the team acquiring him can have him for the entire season. Sometimes the offseason is easier to make trades and Vatrano's cap hit isn't outrageous by any means.

Gustav Lindstrom

Gustav Lindstrom was a waiver claim earlier in the season when the Ducks were really hurting for bodies on the back-end. Since picking him up, the team has gotten a little bit healthier and young defensemen have graduated to the NHL and assumed roles on the team. While Lindstrom is a RFA after the season, I don't see much room for him and the Ducks will likely not qualify him, sending him to free agency as a UFA.