One potential trade chip appears to be off the market heading into Monday's deadline, with multiple reports saying forward Jakob Silfverberg and the Anaheim Ducks have reached agreement on a five-year extension.
The 28-year-old's new deal carries an annual average value of over $5 million, according to reports.
The Ducks had indicated for months that they wanted to work out a new contract for the pending unrestricted free agent. Silfverberg is in the final year of a deal that carries a cap hit of $3.75 million.
Anaheim has collapsed after a promising start to the season, leading to the firing of coach Randy Carlyle earlier this month. But Silfverberg has still been productive, with 16 goals and 24 points in 51 games. He had 40 points in 77 games last season and career highs of 23 goals and 49 points in 79 games the season before.
Silfverberg was widely mentioned as a trade asset because the team has quite a few contracts that will be nearly impossible to move. Ryan Getzlaf, 33, carries a cap hit of $8.25 million and his deal goes until 2020-21, but he is still productive. Ryan Kesler, 34, ($6.875 million through 2022) and Corey Perry, 33, ($8.625 million through 2021) are a different story, in part due to injuries.
Signing Silfverberg indicates that he and 25-year-old Rickard Rakell will be building blocks. But Anaheim has already been active on the trade market, dealing the likes of Luke Schenn, Andrew Cogliano and Pontus Aberg. With general manager Bob Murray, who had no previous NHL coaching experience, now behind the bench to likely evaluate the team down the stretch, more deals could be coming at the deadline.