Ducks Reportedly Almost Traded Frank Vatrano
Anaheim Fielded Calls On Him
Word first broke back in July that Vatrano's name was out there in trade talks, with Anaheim reportedly willing to attach a pick to make a deal happen.
Elliotte Friedman: Re Ducks cap issues: I've heard that Frank Vatrano is out there, 'cause that was another guy I wondered about, but it sounds like he's staying - 32 Thoughts (9/10)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) September 13, 2026
That lines up with what Elliotte Friedman has now confirmed: teams did call about Vatrano, and Anaheim was willing to listen given how tight the cap situation had become after matching Carlsson's offer sheet and re-signing Pavel Mintyukov.
Friedman Says He's Staying
The latest word changes the outlook, though.
Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Ducks are now set on keeping both Vatrano and Alex Killorn, even after they moved on from Chris Kreider by placing him on waivers for contract termination, who then signed with Montreal.
Vatrano would have actually been the easier of the two to move given his manageable cap hit, but Anaheim went a different direction, choosing to eat the bigger money attached to Kreider's deal instead.
Vatrano had a really rough season last year, recording an abysmal five goals and nine points across 50 games played.
Prior to that, the 32-year-old had put up 80 goals and 146 total points over 244 games played in the last three seasons.
