ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Not many players will have as good a day as Frank Vatrano had on Sunday.
Vatrano agreed to a three-year contract extension through the 2027-28 season with Anaheim and then had two goals and an assist in the Ducks' 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“I always say I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for the guys in this room. They push me every day to be my best,” Vatrano said after the game. “This is one of the best rooms I’ve ever been a part of. I’m excited for the change here and trying to build that winning culture.”
The 30-year-old forward is in his third season with Anaheim. He has 70 goals and 54 assists in 201 games for the Ducks, including 11 goals and 12 assists this season.
A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that the contract will pay Vatrano $3 million in each of the next three seasons, and he will make another $9 million in deferred salary beginning in 2035.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the Ducks don't announce the financial details of their contracts.
Vatrano has been a dependable top-six forward since joining Anaheim as a free agent in 2022, scoring the most goals on the roster since he arrived at the club. While he led the Ducks last season with 37 goals and 60 points, general manager Pat Verbeek declined offers to trade him to a contender, preferring to keep Vatrano as a key part of his rebuild in Anaheim.
“We’re excited to have Frank in the sense that he wants to be here,” Verbeek said before the game. “We value his goal-scoring ability, and I think that that’s going to be important as we as we start to become a lot more competitive in the next two years.”
The Ducks and Vatrano agreed to the deferred salary structure of his contract to keep Vatrano's cap number low. He also is likely to reap tax benefits based on where he lives in 2035, because California's comparatively large state income tax is sometimes a factor in athletes' contract decisions.
Deferred salaries are allowed under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, but have rarely been used until this season.
Carolina signed Seth Jarvis and Jacob Slavin to extensions during the offseason that included payments deferred until 2032 and ’33, respectively. During the first month of the season, Toronto signed Jake McCabe to a five-year extension that has deferred money until 2031.
“I think my experience as a former player is players don’t realize when you retire, those checks that you’ve been getting for the last 10 years suddenly stop," Verbeek said. "This allowed Frank to be able to have a situation where he’s going to provide for his family and and take care of them the next 10 years after that. The more we talked about it and the more the other side understood it, it became a win.”
Anaheim also is planning ahead to have salary cap room when its large group of young talent enters free agency and the Ducks push against the limits of the cap, as they intend to do.
The Ducks have numerous top talents still on their entry-level contracts, including four forwards chosen in the top five of various NHL drafts — Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish and Beckett Sennecke — along with promising defensemen Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe.
“I think you’ve got to look at the bigger picture. For me, it’s money that can help set up my family for the future. But at the end of the day, it also helps the team out,” Vatrano said. “We have a young team. The guys are going to be due for big contract in the future and I understood that. I wanted to be a part of it.”
Vatrano — who has 171 goals and 123 assists in 602 career NHL appearances — would have become a restricted free agent this summer at the conclusion of his three-year, $10.95 million deal with the Ducks. An undrafted free agent from western Massachusetts, he began his NHL career with the Boston Bruins and made stops with the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers before signing with Anaheim as a free agent.
“He’s an elite skater and he’s always had a good shot, but he’s converting that now to being a reliable goal scorer. I think anybody gets over 25 goals in the NHL can be considered a goal scorer in today’s generation,” coach Greg Cronin said of Vatrano. “I think he’s going to be another 25-plus goal scorer this year. I think he’s going to get them in bunches.
“I’m sure the contract is going to take some weight off his head as far as where his next stop is, because he’s going to be with us for another three years, which is awesome for us.”
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) shoots the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Strome, third from left, celebrates scoring against the Edmonton Oilers with right wing Frank Vatrano (77) and center Jansen Harkins (38) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Anaheim, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) looks to pass the puck after breaking away with a Tampa Bay Lightning empty net during the third period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Anaheim Ducks right wing Frank Vatrano (77) controls the puck against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Raul Romero Jr.)
