NHL teams
ESPN.com news services 9y

Kevin Bieksa agrees to two-year extension with Ducks

NHL, Anaheim Ducks

Defenseman Kevin Bieksa on Wednesday agreed to a two-year extension with the Anaheim Ducks, a source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

The extension has a $4 million average per season, the source said. Bieksa, who has one season remaining on his current contract, for $2.5 million in 2015-16, was acquired by the Ducks on Tuesday in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. The Ducks sent a 2016 second-round pick to Vancouver in the trade.

Bieksa, 34, has spent his entire 10-year NHL career in Vancouver, compiling 56 goals and 185 assists in 597 games while developing a reputation as a tough-nosed, physical defenseman. After struggling with injuries last season, he was scheduled to make $2.5 million with a $4.6 million cap hit in the 2015-16 season, after which he would have become an unrestricted free agent.

Bieksa knew he was likely on the move this summer and appeared to be headed to the San Jose Sharks in a trade last week before the draft, but the deal fell apart.

A source told ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun that a disagreement over the year in which the Canucks would receive a second-round pick scuttled the deal. The Sharks wanted to send a second-rounder from 2016, but Vancouver wanted a second-rounder for 2015.

Bieksa waived his no-trade clause to accept the Ducks deal, which reunites him with longtime Canucks teammate Ryan Kesler, who welcomed Bieksa with a tweet Tuesday.

Bieksa and Kesler were teammates in Vancouver for nine seasons -- and one season before that with the AHL's Manitoba Moose back in 2004. Kesler was traded to Anaheim last summer, scoring 47 points last season as the Ducks' second-line center and a defensive standout.

"Looking forward to playing with Kes again," Bieksa said Tuesday. "It's funny, when he left last year, I still felt like we had a couple of years left. Felt like we'd cross paths again at some point. I've been talking to him throughout the process. He's given me nothing but great reviews about the team, the players, the city, the fans, and we've been talking throughout the whole season. He's very happy. His family is very happy there."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

^ Back to Top ^