ANAHEIM — The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Tristan Luneau to a six-year, $43.2 million contract extension, securing the young blueliner Thursday morning as the club moves quickly to lock up its restricted free agents.
General manager Pat Verbeek said at the beginning of training camp the Ducks would react quicker with players approaching restricted free agency, and the team has done just that by tying down Tim Washe and now Luneau. Luneau has played just 14 NHL games over three seasons, appearing in only one NHL game last season — the regular-season finale against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena, where he scored a goal to help the Ducks enter the postseason on a high note — while Washe spent the second half of last season in the NHL and was an essential part of the team's playoff performance. "My agent called me not too long ago, saying that (the Ducks) wanted to move forward with an extension," Luneau said. "I said I want to be part of this group, and I'm ready to get things going, too."
The extension carries risk, investing $43.2 million in a player who has played in less than 20 NHL games. When Jackson LaCombe signed his big-money extension prior to the 2025-26 season, he had already shown signs of becoming one of the league's top defensemen and has now appeared in over 200 NHL games. Anaheim is hoping to get ahead of the curve by signing Luneau before his breakout has occurred. The opportunity is significant following the exoduses of Jacob Trouba, Radko Gudas and John Carlson, in addition to current injuries to Drew Helleson and Ian Moore, with recent practice line combinations projecting Luneau alongside LaCombe on the top defensive pair to start the season.
Luneau has made the Ducks' opening night roster twice before, only to have his NHL season cut short by both injury and a demotion. With two successful AHL seasons under his belt, both the organization and player feel he is ready to take the next step and play big minutes in all situations. "It's a lot of trust," he said. "(I've) got to live up to the expectations and trust that they put in you, and I'm ready to do that."