Ducks Sign Mikael Granlund to 3-Year Deal

The ninth overall pick at the 2010 NHL Draft, Granlund has played 13 seasons in the NHL for five different teams. He split the 2024-25 season between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars, recording 66 points in 83 regular-season games due to changing teams. He also appeared in all 18 of Dallas’ playoff games, managing another 10 points to help the Stars reach the Western Conference Final.

Granlund Revitalized Career in Last 2 Seasons

Despite spending most of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons with the NHL’s worst team in San Jose, Granlund had some of the best individual production of his career in that time. He posted back-to-back 60-point seasons, and his 66 points this past season were his most since 2018. A year and a half after joining the Sharks as part of the return package in the Erik Karlsson trade, he proved to be worth a first-round pick to a contending team and was traded to the Stars.

While in Dallas, Granlund offered many of the same qualities he did in San Jose as a crafty puck mover who played a smart but tough style. He earned some time on the Stars’ top line as well as roles on the power play and penalty kill. Joining a new team midseason can be difficult, but he handled it tremendously well and was a valuable veteran during a long playoff run. Now, he’ll look to do more of the same with the Ducks.

Ducks Gain an Experienced and Versatile Player

Granlund has played over 900 regular-season NHL games and 77 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and his experience and veteran leadership are highly important. They made it difficult for the Sharks to part ways with him and gave the Stars all the more reason to trade for him. That experience also reflects in his versatility — he is capable of playing both center and wing, and is strong on both offense and defense. Anaheim wants to utilize all of that over the next three seasons.

After a few rough seasons, the Ducks improved significantly in 2024-25, jumping from 59 to 80 points. Most of their moves over the last two offseasons are indicative of a team ready to move out of a rebuild and seriously contend for a Western Conference playoff spot for the first time in years. They have signed a number of notable free agents and been in contention for several others, and adding Granlund is yet another example of that. They have plenty of good young forwards, and Granlund provides a veteran for them to play alongside and learn from. He could take some time to determine his best linemates and exact positioning, but once he and the team figure that out, he could be a critical part of the Ducks’ first playoff appearance since 2018.