Ducks Sign Defenseman Tristan Luneau to Historic Six-Year, $43.2 Million Contract

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year contract extension worth $43.2 million, averaging $7.2 million per year. The deal, announced Thursday, is the largest contract awarded to an NHL player with only 14 career games of experience.

General Manager Pat Verbeek stated that securing Luneau long-term was a priority, viewing him as a key defenseman for the team's future. "Getting the deal done before the season started was a key part of our planning for now and the future," Verbeek said in a statement.

Luneau, 22, was a second-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He is entering the final season of his three-year, $2.85 million entry-level contract. In his professional career, Luneau has recorded two goals and four points in 14 NHL games. In 135 games with the AHL's San Diego Gulls, he posted 19 goals and 95 points, overcoming injuries.

He is expected to start the upcoming season on the Ducks' top defensive pairing alongside Jackson LaCombe. The Ducks organization has a history of committing significant long-term contracts to its young talent. Last season, LaCombe received an eight-year, $72 million extension, which was the largest in franchise history at the time.

This record was later surpassed by a five-year, $90 million deal for Leo Carlsson, 21, which carries an annual average value of $18 million. Winger Cutter Gauthier is also set to begin the first year of a six-year, $81 million contract.