Mikael Granlund signs a surprising three year deal with a new team

This just in, the Anaheim Ducks have signed free agent forward Mikael Granlund to a three year contract worth $7 million per season.

Wow... $7 million is quite a salary for Granlund. It's clear now why he elected to test the open market as I imagine there's no way the Dallas Stars would be able to match those demands.

From the team's press release statement:

The Ducks announced today that the club has signed forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract through the 2027-28 NHL season.

Granlund, 33 (2/26/92), has scored 179-431=610 points with 277 penalty minutes (PIM) in 902 career games with Dallas (2025), San Jose (2023-25), Pittsburgh (2023), Nashville (2019-23) and Minnesota (2012-19). He has also tallied 16-26=42 points in 77 career Stanley Cup Playoff contests.

The 5-10, 185-pound forward combined for 22-44=66 points with 28 PIM and an even rating in 83 regular-season games between Dallas and San Jose. Prior to his acquisition by Dallas on Feb. 1, 2025, he earned 15-30=45 points in 52 games with San Jose in 2024-25, pacing the Sharks in points and assists, co-leading in power-play goals (PPG, 5) and ranking third in goals while leading all club forwards in TOI/game (20:51). He scored 7-14=21 points with a +8 rating in 31 games with Dallas following his acquisition. He helped the Stars to the 2025 Western Conference Final, earning 5-5=10 points and three PPG in 18 postseason games, ranking third in goals and tied for fourth in points among Dallas leaders.

Granlund has scored 60 or more points in three of the last four seasons and five times in his career. Granlund set single-season career bests in points (69), goals (26) and plus/minus (+23) in 2016-17 with Minnesota while tallying a career-high 53 assists in 2021-22 with Nashville. He is one of five Finnish-born skaters to record 30 assists in 10 different seasons, joining Jari Kurri (13), Teemu Selanne (12), Saku Koivu (12) and Mikko Koivu (11).

A native of Oulu, Finland, Granlund ranks fourth in points and second in assists among all active Finnish players in the NHL. All-time, he ranks 11th among Finnish NHLers in points and eighth in assists. He represented Finland at the 2025 NHL 4 Nations Face-Off where he led his country in points (3-1=4) and goals in three tournament games.

Granlund has represented his country at numerous international tournaments, earning a bronze medal at the 2014 Olympics where he was named to the tournament All-Star Team. He also earned gold medals at the 2011 and 2022 World Championships, silver at the 2016 World Championship and bronze at back-to-back U-18 World Championships (2009 and 2010). He also appeared at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.