The Anaheim Ducks have claimed defenseman Lassi Thomson off waivers from the Ottawa Senators, the club announced Sunday morning.
Thomson, 23, played two scoreless games with the Senators during the 2022–23 regular season. He spent most of the year with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, collecting seven goals and 33 points in 56 games.
The Senators originally selected Thomson in the first round (No. 19 overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft. The 6-foot right-handed defenseman subsequently appeared in 18 NHL games with the Senators, collecting five assists.
Over his AHL career with Belleville, Thomson has racked up 18 goals and 72 games in 135 games.
Thomson is under contract through the end of the 2023–24 season at an $863,333 NHL cap hit. He’s entering the final year of the entry-level deal he signed with the Senators back in 2019.
The Ducks are widely projected to be one of the worst teams in the NHL in 2023–24, but that also means they have plenty of spots open for a player like Thomson on defense. Beyond the likes of Radko Gudas, Cam Fowler, Robert Hagg, and Ilya Lyubushkin, the Ducks are extremely light on experienced NHL defensemen.
Thomson will most likely compete with Jackson LaCombe, Urho Vaakanainen, Colton White, Drew Helleson, and Trevor Carrick for playing time with the Ducks this year. Once he signs with the team, Jamie Drysdale will also be in that mix. Top prospects Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov are more likely to return to junior.
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek still has plenty of work to do before the 2023–24 season starts. In addition to Drysdale, top forward Trevor Zegras remains unsigned as a restricted free agent. Unlike Drysdale, Zegras is eligible to sign an offer sheet.
Anaheim will open its 2023–24 regular season against the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 14.
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