Mintyukov Secured.
Anaheim Ducks Secure Pavel Mintyukov with Five-Year Extension, Solidifying Blue Line and Managing Cap.
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Key Points
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With Olen Zellweger shipped out, Mintyukov steps into a true second-pair role behind Jackson LaCombe, giving him a stable runway to grow into Anaheim's blue line.
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Multiple teams had circled Mintyukov and at least one had an offer sheet ready to go before Anaheim moved to re-sign him, effectively taking him off the market.
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Mintyukov has been a significant power-play presence, finishing among the Ducks' top players for PP ice time (third behind LaCombe and Zellweger), highlighting his growing role on special teams.
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Cap space implications are tight: matching Leo Carlsson's five-year, $90 million offer sheet would require about $18 million of the Ducks' cap hit, leaving under $10 million for Cutter Gauthier and other moves.
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Leo Carlsson’s deal: the Flyers reportedly tendered a record five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Anaheim’s center, a development that shaped Ducks’ cap planning surrounding Mintyukov's extension.
The Anaheim Ducks locked up defenseman Pavel Mintyukov on a five-year, $36 million extension before a rival team could swoop in with an offer sheet, according to The Score and Yahoo Sports. The deal pays Mintyukov $7.2 million per season and includes a $3 million signing bonus.
Mintyukov, 22, has played 204 NHL games and is now one of Anaheim's core pieces on the blue line. The signing effectively ended what could have been a bidding war, with at least one team ready to file an offer sheet before the Ducks acted, per Yahoo Sports.
Offer Sheet Threat Forced Anaheim's Hand
Multiple teams had circled Mintyukov this offseason. At least one club had an offer sheet prepared and ready to submit, according to The Score. An offer sheet lets another team sign a restricted free agent, forcing the original team to either match the deal or accept draft pick compensation.
Anaheim moved quickly once it learned an offer sheet was coming. The Ducks matched what the market was offering — $7.2 million per year — and kept their young defenseman in-house. The Sporting Tribune noted the extension came with a $3 million signing bonus, a sign of how much Anaheim valued locking him up fast.
Mintyukov Steps Into a Bigger Blue-Line Role
With Olen Zellweger traded away, Mintyukov moves up to the second defensive pair behind Jackson LaCombe. That is a real opportunity for a player still developing at the NHL level. He has also been a key power-play piece, ranking third on the Ducks in power-play ice time last season, behind only LaCombe and Zellweger.
His new contract sits close to the five-year, $37 million deal Brandt Clarke signed recently. That benchmark helped set the price for Mintyukov's extension, according to The New York Times. The Ducks are betting that a stable role and a fair deal will help him grow into a true top-four defenseman.
Leo Carlsson's $90 Million Offer Sheet Tightens Cap Math
Anaheim's cap situation is complicated. The Philadelphia Flyers reportedly sent a record five-year, $90 million offer sheet to Ducks center Leo Carlsson, per The New York Times. If Anaheim matches it, that deal alone would carry an $18 million cap hit per season — a massive chunk of any team's budget.
That leaves the Ducks with under $10 million in cap space to sign forward Cutter Gauthier and fill other roster spots, according to Yahoo Sports. Mintyukov's $7.2 million deal had to fit inside those tight limits. Anaheim structured the contract carefully to stay flexible while still keeping Mintyukov off the market.
Anaheim Bets Big on Young Core, Cap Discipline
The Mintyukov deal is part of a broader plan. Anaheim is building around young talent and trying to lock in key pieces before they become expensive free agents. Signing Mintyukov now avoids a messy offer-sheet process and gives the team cost certainty for five years, per NHL.com.
The Ducks are balancing a lot at once — a potential $18 million Carlsson match, an unresolved Gauthier contract, and now Mintyukov's extension. Each move shapes what Anaheim can do next. For now, the Ducks have secured one of their top defensive prospects and sent a clear message: their rebuild is entering a new phase.
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