According to the latest NHL trade rumors, the Anaheim Ducks are progressing in their extension talks with soon to be free agent forward Jakob Silfverberg.
The Anaheim Ducks postseason streak is in danger. Though they’ve made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last six years, as of Feb. 2, they sit outside of a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Ducks future is uncertain, but according to the latest NHL trade rumors, they’re trying to make it a bit more certain.
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported on Saturday that extension talks between soon to be free agent forward Jakob Silfverberg and the team are going well. The 28-year-old forward is seventh on the Ducks with 19 points in 42 games and leads the team with 12 goals. He’s due for a pay raise after his current contract has been worth $3.75 million annually over the last four years.
Contract talks are progressing between the camp for pending UFA winger Jakob Silfverberg and the Ducks. We’ll see where that goes. Anaheim really wants to keep him but needs resolution before Feb 25 obviously
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 2, 2019
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The Ducks are hoping to get things done with him. However, it’s fair to question why they’re so interested in keeping him around long-term. The Ducks need to retool and get younger. Signing a forward who will be turning 30 next year isn’t a good way to do that.
Silfverberg’s point totals have been going down over the past two seasons. In 2016-17, he set career highs with 49 points and 23 goals. Those numbers fell to 20 goals and 40 points in 2017-18 and have further decreased this season.
If it’s a short-term deal, such as three or four years, an extension would make more sense for both parties. But it would still be risky, as the Ducks won’t have much salary cap space going into the summer.
Anaheim would be wise to listen to offers for him. Instead of relying on guys like Silfverberg, they need to get guys like Daniel Sprong and Ondrej Kase (who’s currently injured) more playing time. The Ducks might not want to retool, but the sooner they start, the better. Moving on from Silfverberg would be a good way to start it.
For updated NHL trade rumors, be sure to check out our Rumors page.