ANAHEIM, Calif. – Under threat of a second offer sheet in just three days for another restricted free agent, the Anaheim Ducks have retained one of their young core pieces.
Pavel Mintyukov inked a new five-year, $7.2 million-per-season on Sunday, as Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek handles a suddenly tense offseason.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli initially reported the deal, and Mintyukov’s agent Dan Milstein confirmed the signing before the Ducks' official announcement.
The 22-year-old Russian blueliner reportedly had at least two offer sheets presented to him with reportedly one prepped to be signed. However, Mintyukov’s preference was to remain in Anaheim, and the extension reports blew in swiftly.
The deal comes with a $3 million signing bonus for the 2022 No. 10 overall pick, Verbeek’s first-ever draft pick at the helm with the Ducks. Verbeek has not handed out signing bonuses during his tenure. Mintyukov will be an unrestricted free agent at the deal's end in 2031.
Minyukov’s reported offer sheet would have been the second offer sheet the Ducks have sustained this weekend, with the Philadelphia Flyers tendering a five-year deal to Leo Carlsson with an NHL-high $18 million per season on Friday. Anaheim would receive four first-round picks in compensation if it does not match the Flyers’ deal within the seven-day deadline.
Carlsson’s deal is heavily laden with signing bonuses, with $85.3 million of the contract’s total $90 million worth coming in signing bonuses. If the Ducks match the deal, Carlsson will immediately be due a $19.95 million signing bonus–the proverbial poison pill of this offer sheet.
With Mintyukov’s contract and Carlsson’s offer sheet deal on the books, Anaheim has $10 million in cap space with RFAs Cutter Gauthier and Tyson Hinds still to sign. Teams can also be 10% over the salary cap during the offseason, which equates to another $10.4 million this summer.
Anaheim entered the offseason with five restricted free agents to take care of on its NHL roster: Carlsson, Mintyukov, Gauthier, Hinds and Ian Moore
Moore got done cleanly and well ahead of time, with a two-year, $1.15 million-per-year deal signed on June 25. The Ducks have yet to decide on Carlsson’s offer sheet, but Mintyukov was signed to head off an offer sheet.
Hinds is eligible for an offer sheet, but it’s unlikely for a player with so little NHL time to his name. Gauthier is ineligible for offer sheets, which means there’s more time to dial that in. That time might be needed, as Verbeek navigates these choppy offseason waters.
Mintyukov’s time in Anaheim is defined by similar ups and downs.
Making his debut in the 2023-24 season, Mintyukov showed off dynamic offensive ability from the backend with four goals and what remain career-highs of 24 assists and 28 points. That offensive output came with some defensive missteps with a minus-20 rating.
His sophomore campaign was heavily affected by a logjam on the left side of Anaheim’s blue line. With veterans Cam Fowler and Brian Dumoulin still in the mix, Mintyukov rotated with Jackson LaCombe and Olen Zellweger, and following Fowler’s trade to St. Louis, it was Mintyukov swapping with Zellweger. Dumoulin was traded at the deadline to finally settle down the movement within the defensive corps.
Then-coach Greg Cronin wanted Mintyukov to focus on his off-puck defense, and the Russian would end up out of the line-up following any mistake. Mintyukov ended up playing 68 games with five goals and 19 points.
There was hope for a renewed offensive burst in year three with Joel Quenneville now behind the bench, but questions of Mintyukov’s playing time arrived early. After back-to-back healthy scratches in November, there was report that Mintyukov would like to be moved if he wasn’t going to play.
Mintyukov was immediately put back into the line-up and registered two goals and three points in his next five games. It was a spark of the offensive rebirth some were looking for, but this new Ducks coaching staff also looked for what the last one did: improved focus on the defensive side of the puck.
Mintyukov split time on pairs with Radko Gudas, Drew Helleson and Ian Moore until the trade deadline, when Anaheim acquired veteran John Carlson from Washington. Mintyukov was then stapled to Carlson’s hip, where his defensive metrics showed massive improvements.
With Carlson, Mintyukov five-on-five analytics had a nearly seven-point improvement in shot attempt share (51.61% with Carlson vs. 44.95% without) and a nearly 20-point improvement in expected goal share (52.48% vs. 32.51%). On the defensive side at five-on-five, Mintyukov saw a seven-point decrease in shot attempts per 60 minutes (53.9 vs. 60.98) and a half-goal decrease in expected goals against per 60 (2.51 vs. 3.02).
In terms of complete game, this was the best year of Mintyukov’s career with career-best analytic numbers to add to a career-high eight goals (22 goals).
However, Carlson is now in Tampa Bay, and Mintyukov now has a big pay day to his name, higher than many had projected.
With Zellweger traded to Buffalo–with a new three-year, $3.1 million deal–and a changeover in the Ducks defensive corps–Gudas, Trouba and Carlson all departed–there is no more threat to Mintyukov’s playing time. His career is firmly in his own hands, and Anaheim’s blueline will be completely dictated by its young pieces.
Mintyukov will have to chart his own path and round out his game as a full-time NHL defenseman.