Ducks sign NCAA standout to entry-level contract

Another Minnesota Golden Gopher is turning pro after a crushing loss in the NCAA championship. Jackson LaCombe has signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Anaheim Ducks, ending any speculation that he could test free agency later this summer.

The contract will begin immediately, meaning LaCombe is eligible to play in the Ducks’ final two games and will burn the first year of the deal in 2022-23.

LaCombe, 22, was a second-round pick in 2019 and developed into the most consistent two-way defenseman in the country, racking up points and playing big minutes for the University of Minnesota.

In four years at the NCAA level, he registered 99 points, including a 35-point senior campaign. Had he decided to wait, he could have become an unrestricted free agent in August, allowing him to sign with any team in the league.

Few organizations can give more opportunity to young defensemen though, as Anaheim goes through a complete rebuild. Kevin Shattenkirk, Nathan Beaulieu, Michael Del Zotto, Andrej Sustr and Scott Harrington are all pending unrestricted free agents, leaving plenty of spots to fill with players like LaCombe.

He’ll also be reunited with some familiar faces from the US junior program. In 2021, LaCombe was part of the team that took home gold at the World Juniors, a group led by Trevor Zegras, who had 18 points in seven games and included recent Ducks call-up Drew Helleson.