Ducks hand out a $7.2 million AAV contract to a player with just 14 NHL games

It is hard to imagine a more surprising contract situation in the NHL right now than the one involving Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tristan Luneau.

According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, Luneau has agreed to a shocking six-year contract with the Ducks carrying an average annual value of $7.2 million. If the report is accurate, the deal would be one of the most remarkable long-term bets in recent NHL history — particularly because Luneau has played just 14 NHL games in his career.

In fact, the contract would constitute the largest deal in NHL history for a player with only 14 games under his belt, making Luneau's situation an extraordinary one even by the standards of today's NHL.

That number of games is what makes this story so fascinating.

Luneau was selected by Anaheim in the second round, 53rd overall, at the 2022 NHL Draft after establishing himself as one of the better young defensemen in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. With the Gatineau Olympiques in his draft year, he produced 83 points in just 65 games and was subsequently named the QMJHL's Defenseman of the Year.

But his professional career has been anything but a straight line to NHL stardom.

The 22-year-old has appeared in only seven games during the 2023-24 season, six games in 2024-25 and one game last season. In those 14 NHL appearances, Luneau has recorded two goals and two assists for four points.

Most of his development has taken place with the San Diego Gulls in the American Hockey League.

And that is where the Ducks have seen the potential that apparently convinced them to make such an enormous commitment.

During the 2025-26 season, Luneau posted 10 goals and 31 assists for 41 points in 69 AHL games, establishing a new career high in goals while leading San Diego defensemen in points, assists and shots. NHL.com also identified him as one of Anaheim's top prospects entering this season, noting that the Ducks expected him to have a legitimate opportunity to become a regular NHL defenseman.

That opportunity has arrived in a very big way.

The Ducks have undergone significant changes on defense, losing veterans and established NHL players while increasingly turning the blue line over to younger players. NHL.com specifically pointed to Luneau as a player expected to make an impact this season after Anaheim lost four defensemen from its previous group.

Now, if Friedman's report is correct, the Ducks are not simply giving Luneau an opportunity to establish himself.

They are betting $43.2 million that he will become a major part of their future.

That's a staggering amount of money for a player whose NHL résumé still consists of only 14 games. At the same time, Anaheim clearly isn't paying Luneau for what he has accomplished at the NHL level so far. This contract would be an enormous bet on what the organization believes he is capable of becoming.

And perhaps that is the most fascinating part of the entire story.

Luneau has barely begun his NHL career, yet the Ducks are reportedly treating him like a player who has already established himself as a long-term piece of their defense corps. The pressure that comes with a $7.2 million annual salary will be significant, but so will the opportunity.

After spending much of his young career waiting for his chance, Tristan Luneau has suddenly received the biggest vote of confidence imaginable.

Now comes the difficult part: proving the Ducks right.