Ducks General Manager Pat Verbeek Agrees To Multiyear Contract Extension

General head Pat Verbeek has agreed to a multiyear statement extension pinch nan Ducks.

Mike Stapleton has besides received a promotion to elder vice president and subordinate wide manager, nan Ducks announced Friday.

Verbeek took complete nan Ducks’ beforehand agency successful February 2022, 3 months aft Bob Murray resigned amid allegations of workplace misconduct. Verbeek has presided complete nan bulk of Anaheim’s lengthy rebuilding task while assembling overmuch of nan existent team, which is yet connected nan brink of ending nan franchise’s seven-year playoff drought.

Led by first-year coach Joel Quenneville, nan Ducks (42-32-5) are presently successful 3rd spot successful nan Pacific Division, but conscionable 1 constituent retired of first spot pinch 3 games near successful nan regular season. The Ducks could clinch a playoff spot this weekend.

“Pat has done precisely arsenic we hoped, having turned nan Ducks into what we judge are perennial contenders for nan adjacent decade,” Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli said successful a statement. “We are beyond excited to spot nan squad proceed processing into what is already an exciting, winning squad fresh to return nan adjacent step.”

After respective years of precocious draught picks opening earlier Verbeek’s tenure, nan Ducks person assembled 1 of nan NHL’s astir enviable collections of young talent led by halfway Leo Carlsson, goal-scoring guardant Cutter Gauthier, promising rookie Beckett Sennecke and U.S. Olympic defenseman Jackson LaCombe.

Verbeek’s waste and acquisition pinch Philadelphia to get Gauthier successful January 2024 has been wide praised, but his determination to vessel halfway Trevor Zegras to nan Flyers past summertime has received disapproval while Zegras thrives successful Philadelphia. Verbeek besides parted ways pinch Ducks mainstays Cam Fowler and John Gibson successful caller years, clearing payroll room and playing clip for nan Ducks’ young talent.

Most recently, Verbeek swung a deadline woody for longtime Washington defenseman John Carlson, who has scored 12 points successful 13 games during Anaheim’s playoff charge.

Last summer, Verbeek besides persuaded Samueli to return nan consequence of hiring Quenneville, Verbeek’s erstwhile NHL teammate and a three-time Stanley Cup-winning coach who had been retired of nan convention for astir 4 years aft being banned for his inaction successful nan Chicago Blackhawks’ intersexual battle ungraded successful 2010. Quenneville has instantly turned nan young squad into a playoff contender, and he became nan 2nd coach successful NHL history to triumph 1,000 games this season.

Verbeek became a front-office executive astatine Tampa Bay and Detroit aft nan conclusion of his 20-year playing career, which included 2 Stanley Cup championships.

Stapleton was nan Ducks’ head of subordinate unit and adjunct wide head nether Verbeek pursuing respective years arsenic an Anaheim scout. He played 14 NHL seasons.

Beacham writes for nan Associated Press.