Anaheim Ducks In Advanced Trade Talks To Shed Salary

The Anaheim Ducks have gone from one of the best set ups under the salary cap, to an absolute disaster situation, all in the span of two months. The Philadelphia Flyers inked Leo Carlsson to an $18 million AAV offer sheet, and now the Ducks are stuck paying their former top pick the most money in the NHL. This has really jammed up general manager Pat Verbeek, who is trying to re-sign Cutter Gauthier to a long-term contract extension, and now Verbeek is trying to trade off some salary to make everything work under the cap.

The Ducks have just $9 million in cap space, and Gauthier, the 41-goal scorer, is currently asking for around $15 million AAV per season. Yes, the math doesn't add up, and with the Ducks needing veteran defenceman, Verbeek's roster is essentially in shambles.

Anaheim continues to discuss trading one of their veteran wingers, including both Chris Kreider and Alex Killorn, and don't be surprised to see one, if not both moved before the start of the regular season. Verbeek has no choice but to move some money off the books, and with the blueline being one of the thinnest in the entire league, expect to see a forward moved at some point before the end of September.

Kreider's reportedly been on the radar of the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens, so it will be interesting to see what avenue Verbeek heads down. Killorn wouldn't mind heading back to the Tampa Bay Lightning, so it will be interesting to see how trade talks pan out.

For now, the Ducks are in a financial crisis, they need to re-sign one of the best young wingers in the game, there's potential another offer sheet is coming, their blueline is terrible, and they have no choice but to make a trade involving one of their veteran forwards. 

The Flyers really did a number one the Ducks this summer.