Anaheim Ducks Facing Conundrum With Lindholm, Inevitable Trade
By Ryan Ritchie
Anaheim Ducks are Facing a Conundrum in Order to Re-Sign Restricted Free Agent Defenseman Hampus Lindholm. An Inevitable Trade is on the Horizon that Likely Includes Cam Fowler, But GM Bob Murray Will Need to Shed More Salary if He Hopes to Add an Impact Player
Based on reports, the Anaheim Ducks and RFA defenseman Hampus Lindholm are believed to be close on a new deal. Elliotte Friedman said on Saturday that the two sides were roughly $700,000 dollars apart on the annual figure, but that gap is continually narrowing.
Even if they manage to hammer out a deal tomorrow, it’s not as though the Ducks could afford put Lindholm in the lineup. As it stands following the Mason Raymond demotion, Anaheim has $1,318,000 dollars in cap space.
What is Lindholm Worth?
Many are pointing at two notable contracts from the summer as comparables. Colorado signed Tyson Barrie to a $5.5 million dollar/year cap hit, while Columbus inked Seth Jones to a $5.4 million dollar cap hit.
The annual average value (AAV) for Lindholm will depend on the term. If he’s signing a max-term deal, his cap hit will be a bit lower. If he signs a short bridge contract, that cap number rises. Instead, don’t be surprised if the two sides compromise and meet somewhere in the middle.
This is purely speculation, but it wouldn’t surprising to see something in the range of five years with a $5.25 million dollar cap hit.