Ducks sign Nikita Nesterenko to two-year extension

Nesterenko had previously been on a one-year, $874,125 contract with the Ducks, and was set to be a restricted free agent this summer. At 22 and coming off of his second NHL contract, he was eligible for arbitration, so the Ducks manage to avoid that situation with this extension. There’s no reports of any signing or performance bonuses, or no-trade or no-move clauses on this contract.

Nesterenko does see a decrease in pay with the new deal by $86,625. It’s the second consecutive time his annual salary has been decreased.

Nesterenko is coming off of a season spent between the NHL and the AHL, but more so in the AHL with the Ducks’ minor league affiliate, the San Diego Gulls. He had 13 goals and 21 assists for 34 points in 50 games with the Gulls.

Nesterenko did get into 20 games with the Ducks in the NHL, where he four goals and two assists for six points.

Nesterenko is one of two signings that the Ducks have made so far this summer, as they also signed Lucas Pettersson to an entry-level contract earlier in June. Their big offseason move thus far has been the acquisition of Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers, also getting a 2025 fourth round pick in exchange for Carey Terrance and a 2025 third round pick.

The Ducks will look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2017-18, the third-longest drought in the league, when they get into action next season. They did make some improvement in 2024-25, finishing with a 35-37-10 record that ties their best points percentage during this drought, although they were still 16 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.