Anaheim Ducks sign Drew Helleson to an ELC
Once the dust had settled on the Josh Manson deal, the follow up task for Pat Verbeek was to get Drew Helleson signed to his ELC. Helleson just finished his junior season and if he had returned for his senior year, he could have become a UFA in the summer of 2023. All signs pointed towards him being ready and willing to leave the college game though, and the Ducks announced today that he has indeed signed a three year entry-level contract with a 925k AAV.
Pat Verbeek had the following to say on Helleson per Eric Stephens of the Athletic “He’s a defenseman that can play physical. I consider him a very smart player in the sense that he moves pucks real well. He’s kind of a first-pass defenseman. This year I’ve seen more offense out of him than I have in a couple of prior seasons. … His game has really progressed well over the last year and a half”
Verbeek also noted that he planned to have him join the Gulls once he was signed.
Per Capfriendly the deal begins in the 22-23 season, which means the Ducks will need to sign him to an ATO for the rest of the season to play games with the Gulls: