Ducks ship Erik Gudbranson and his $4M salary to Ottawa

On the eve of the coronavirus-delayed free-agent signing period, the Ducks on Thursday traded defenseman Erik Gudbranson and his $4-million salary cap hit for the 2020-21 season to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft.

Free agency opens at 9 a.m. (PDT) Friday, and the Ducks aren’t expected to be significant players because they lack significant cap space. By trading Gudbranson and his hefty salary, the Ducks dropped about $5 million below the $81.5-million cap, according to the website capfriendly.com.

Gudbranson, 28, played in 44 games with the Ducks, scoring four goals and adding five assists after an Oct. 25, 2019, trade from the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is an Ottawa native who has played in 518 games in the NHL with the Ducks, Penguins, Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks.

“We want to thank Erik,” Ducks general manager Bob Murray said in a statement. “He did a good job for us. He’s a character player and will do well in Ottawa. For us, this was about having additional financial flexibility going forward. We will continue to aggressively look at ways to improve our team, both in the short and long term.”

Murray was unavailable for further comment. He is now likely to seek help on defense as well as at forward. Last year, he made a run at signing defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who ended up with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Murray could try again or with Tampa Bay forward Tyler Johnson via a trade.

Tyson Barrie, a defenseman with the Toronto Maple Leafs, could be another option for Murray.

The Ducks have three significant unrestricted free agents on their roster, including backup goaltender Ryan Miller. They are believed to be interested in re-signing Miller, 40, but could turn his role over to Anthony Stolarz of the San Diego Gulls of the AHL if they cannot re-sign Miller.

Michael Del Zotto and Matt Irwin, two veteran defensemen, are the Ducks’ other unrestricted free agents. Several players on their minor-league roster, including right wing Kiefer Sherwood, did not receive qualifying offers by Thursday’s deadline and will become unrestricted free agents.

The Ducks also have five players on loan to European teams, whose seasons are underway. Axel Andersson and Isac Lundestrom are playing in their native Sweden; Hunter Drew and Roman Durny are playing in the Czech Republic; and Lukas Dostal is playing in Finland.