Three days before the NHL's trade deadline, the Ducks dealt forward Ondrej Kase to the Boston Bruins on Friday in exchange for forward David Backes, prospect Axel Andersson and a first-round draft pick in 2020.
Kase, a 24-year-old winger with a team-friendly contract (his deal doesn't expire until the end of next season and is worth only $2.6 million in annual average value) had 23 points (seven goals, 16 assists) on a Ducks team that started the season on a short hot streak but has faded ever since under first-year coach Dallas Eakins.
The Ducks currently sit second-to-last in the Western Conference with 55 points, 13 back of a playoff spot with only 22 games remaining. Boston, meanwhile, is leading the NHL with 88 points and will add Kase to one of the league's most productive offensive rosters.
In return, the Ducks received future assets in the draft pick (though it will likely come late in the first round given Boston's position in the standings) and Andersson, a 20-year-old Swedish prospect playing his first season in North America this year with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's Moncton Wildcats, where he has 22 points in 41 games. The 6-foot, 185-pound defenseman was drafted in the second round in 2018.
The Ducks also agreed to take Backes, a 35-year-old forward who has scored only three points (one goal, two assists) in 16 games during an injury-plagued season. The 14-year veteran has more than 500 career points but also has another season remaining on a contract worth $6 million in annual average value. Boston reportedly agreed to retain 25% of his salary.
Unlike their Southland counterparts, the Kings, who have been extremely active this month in turning over their roster and turning the page on a past generation of players, the Ducks had previously been quiet leading up to the trade deadline. They've already infused a stream of young talent into their NHL roster, but have yet to see it pay off.
After finishing third-to-last in the Western Conference with 80 points last season, the Ducks are on pace for even fewer points and a lower finish in the standings this year, almost certain to miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2000-01 and 2001-02.
