Former Rangers forward off trade market after signing 3-year contract extension with Ducks
Frank Vatrano won’t be coming back to the New York Rangers — or heading to any other NHL team — any time soon. The 30-year-old forward, whose name was prominent on many trade boards, signed a three-year, $18 million contract extension with the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.
Vatrano could’ve been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, which is why he was included in so many trade rumors. Now, he’s locked up with the Ducks and appears quite happy about that.
“Ever since my family and I got here three years ago, fans, teammates and staff welcomed us with open arms,” Vatrano said in a video posted on the Ducks’ social media. “It’s something that we’ll be forever grateful for. I see how bright our future is here. We’re making turns in the right direction to build a winning culture and ultimately bring a Stanley Cup here to Anaheim.
“With that being said, I couldn’t be happier to say that I signed a three-year extension to stay on here in Anaheim. I’m excited to help this team grow and be part of the future here.”
There was plenty of speculation last season that the Ducks would move Vatrano ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. The Rangers were believed to be very interested in a reunion at the time, but instead acquired Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets to try and fill a hole on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider.
Though the Rangers went on to win the Presidents’ Trophy and get within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final, Roslovic was no Vatrano. Roslovic had three goals and eight points in 19 games with the Rangers and another two goals and eight points in 16 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He ended the postseason on the fourth line.
Vatrano scored an NHL career-high 37 goals and had 60 points for the first time last season. He played in the NHL All-Star Game and averaged a career-high 18:21 TOI for a Ducks team that finished well out of the playoff hunt again.
The rebuilding Ducks (16-18-4) are again seventh in the Pacific Division, though they entered Sunday with a better record than the Rangers before New York defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2 to improve to 18-20-1. The Ducks host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night.
Related: Top Rangers prospect Gabe Perreault leads United States into gold medal game at 2025 World Juniors
Frank Vatrano won’t have reunion with Rangers any time soon
While a reunion with Vatrano made sense for the Rangers last season, it didn’t this season since the Blueshirts have dropped like a stone in the standings. They’re next-to-last in the Metropolitan Division and had lost 16 of their previous 21 games before Sunday’s win in Chicago.
Vatrano had excellent chemistry with Zibanejad and Kreider after he was acquired ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. He scored eight goals and had 13 points in 22 games after the trade with the Florida Panthers. Vatrano then helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final with 13 points (five goals, eight assists) in 20 postseason games.
A UFA at the end of that 2021-22 season, Vatrano signed a three-year contract with the Ducks. And despite fairly consistent trade rumors, Vatrano has scored 68 goals in 200 games with the Ducks.
“Frank is an important member of our team and is committed to the organization moving forward,” Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek said. “He is a hard-nosed, competitive player with a gift for scoring goals. We couldn’t be happier for Frank to sign for three more years.”
Vatrano hasn’t scored at the same pace this season. He has nine goals and 20 points in 37 games, though he still figured to be highly sought after by contenders ahead of the trade deadline.
Now, that won’t be the case.
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