ANAHEIM, Calif. – While league eyes were trained on tomorrow’s trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks locked down its center depth signing Ryan Poehling to a four-year contract extension on Thursday.
With his display of defensive aptitude and dash of offensive playmaking ability, Poehling’s elevation of the Ducks’ bottom-six forwards earned the 27-year-old a pay raise with a four-year, $15 million extension–good for a $3.75 million cap hit per season through 2030.
Poehling was set to be a free agent this summer in the second year of a two-year, $1.9 million per season deal signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. Poehling was acquired from Philadelphia as part of the Trevor Zegras trade last June.
“For me, the biggest thing was term,” Poehling said on Ducks social media to Ducks Stream’s Alexis Downie. “I’ve been everywhere. I’ve been to a lot of different places. For myself, I just wanted some sense of stability. I really enjoyed the area, and I think that everyone in the Anaheim organization has treated me so well. I enjoy that part, and I just enjoy where the team is headed.”
Ryan Poehling broke down why he signed a four-year extension with us! #FlyTogether | @DucksStream pic.twitter.com/Jkmcs1h3Lz
— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 6, 2026
Giving that quote on a video call on the water in Newport Harbor speaks to the fact of how well Poehling has meshed into the team in Orange County after stops with Montreal, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
“The amount of young talent (we have), It’s so much fun to watch, and also be a part of a be around,” Poehling said. “I thought it was a perfect fit for me.”
Poehling leads Anaheim forwards in penalty killing minutes per game and is second among team forwards in overall penalty killing minutes, just seven minutes behind Alex Killorn with seven fewer games played. Anaheim's penalty kill has jumped up to a 77.3% success rate, 23rd in the NHL--an improvement from a 74.2% rate last season, 29th in the NHL.
Poehling is 10th on the team in scoring with seven goals and 17 assists–14 of his helpers have been primary assists.
Poehling has netted two goals in the five games since the Olympic break, including a goal off the forecheck last night against the New York Islanders and a highlight goal immediately following a penalty kill on U.S. Olympic gold medal goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets.
Ducks take the lead for the first time tonight. After killing a Jets power play, Ryan Poehling takes on the entire Winnipeg line-up and flutters this one over Hellebuyck's glove.
— Zach Cavanagh (@ZachCav) February 28, 2026
4-3 Anaheim. Late 3rd. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/kJqriFU2mU
Anaheim still has six pending unrestricted free agents on the roster--captain Radko Gudas, defenseman Jacob Trouba, injured back-up goalie Petr Mrazek and forwards Ross Johnston, Jeffrey Viel and Jansen Harkins. More importantly, the Ducks will have to do business with five key restricted free agents on their roster this summer--Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore.