5 worst contracts signed in Anaheim Ducks franchise history feat. Ryan Kesler

Since joining the league in 1993, the Anaheim Ducks have had a history of ups and downs. After winning their only Stanley Cup in 2007, the club has fallen on hard times. In particular, the painful rebuild the team is going through has kept the fanbase hoping for imminent success.

Along the way, some questionable contract signings have further fueled the Anaheim Ducks’ lack of success. Here's a look at the five worst contracts in the Ducks' history.

5 worst contracts signed in Anaheim Ducks franchise history

#5: John Gibson

Gibson signed an eight-year contract worth $51.2 million in 2018. Now, this contract is bad, not because Gibson hasn’t lived up to it. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Gibson has played very well for a mediocre team.

The issue with this contract is that the club signed it right after its last winning season. In the 2018 offseason, the Ducks were coming off a second-place finish in the Pacific Division. It was a successful season despite getting swept in the first round.

NHL: Minnesota Wild at Anaheim Ducks - Source: Imagn

The club was also one year removed from a Conference Finals appearance. However, the Duck hit the wall in 2019, finishing sixth in their division. The club hasn’t made the playoffs since.

So, the Ducks are stuck with Gibson’s untradable contract, hampering the club’s ability to improve their rebuild. Unless the Ducks can work something out with a team that’s willing to take on Gibson’s contract, the Ducks will be stuck with Gibson till 2027.

#4: Jason Blake

Blake had a good season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2008–09, scoring 25 goals and 63 points in 78 games. The Leafs traded Blake to the Anaheim Ducks the following season, as the Leafs were quickly falling out of contention.

Blake had a positive impact upon arriving in Anaheim, registering 15 points in 26 games. The issue was that Blake had signed a five-year, $20 million deal with the Leafs in 2007. So now, the Ducks were on the hook for the remainder of the deal.

Unfortunately, Blake was never an impact player again. In his first full season with the Ducks, he scored 16 goals in 76 games. The following year, he managed seven goals in 45 games. Blake was done after the 2011–12 season.

#3: Scott Niedermayer

As a Hall of Famer, Scott Niedermayer was regarded as one of the best defensemen of his generation. In fact, he is consistently ranked among the best blueliners of all time. He won three Cups with the New Jersey Devils, playing a pivotal role in each Cup run.

By 2005, Niedermayer decided to test the free agent market. The Anaheim Ducks, needing veteran leadership, signed Niedermayer to a four-year, $28 million contract. The deal did pay off, as the Ducks won the Cup in 2007.

NHL: Washington Capitals at Anaheim Ducks - Source: Imagn

However, Niedermayer was no longer the top-pairing defenseman he had been in New Jersey. While the contract itself wasn’t awful, the Ducks overpaid Niedermayer, especially as his overall play began to decline.

Niedermayer notched 48 points in his final season in 2009-10 but was a minus-9. That stat was indicative of Niedermayer’s overall decline, making the contract a financial burden on the team.

#2: Corey Perry

Perry was part of the heart and soul of the Ducks 2007 championship team. Individually, he would take home the Hart Trophy in 2011 following a 50-goal, 98-point season. While his offensive output fell in the next two seasons, the Ducks bet on Perry, giving him an eight-year, $69 million deal.

NHL: Stanley Cup Final-Florida Panthers at Edmonton Oilers - Source: Imagn

Unfortunately, declining play prompted the Anaheim Ducks to buy out Perry’s contract in 2019.

In particular, the buyout was a cap-clearing move as the Ducks entered a rebuild. Since the buyout, Perry has bounced around the league, making the Stanley Cup Final four seasons in a row with four different teams.

#1: Ryan Kesler

Kesler was the Vancouver Canucks’ first-round pick in 2003. He enjoyed success in Vancouver, registering back-to-back 70-plus-point seasons in 2009–10 and 2010–11.

By 2014, the contending Ducks wanted to add leadership, scoring, and defensive responsibility. Kesler fit the bill, and so the Ducks pulled the trigger.

Additionally, Kesler was on an expiring contract, so the Canucks traded Kesler before letting him walk away in free agency.

The Anaheim Ducks bet high on Kesler, signing him to a six-year, $41.25 million deal in the 2015 offseason.

NHL: Anaheim Ducks at Minnesota Wild - Source: Imagn

Kesler performed well enough during the first half of the contract. However, a hip injury caused Kesler to miss significant portions of the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons. When he did play, his effectiveness was gone.

Kesler underwent major hip surgery in 2020. He missed the entire 2019–20 season and did not return to the NHL following the COVID pandemic shutdown.