The Anaheim Ducks have made a big bet on Tristan Luneau, locking up the defenseman on a six-year contract extension that runs from 2027-28 through 2032-33 with an average annual value of $7.2 million.
It’s a striking commitment for a player who has barely gotten his feet wet in the NHL. Luneau has appeared in just 14 games so far, including only one contest during the 2025-26 season. Even so, Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek made clear the organization sees a long-term fit.
“Signing Tristan to a long-term contract was a priority as we see him as a top-four defenseman for years to come,” Verbeek said in a release. “Getting the deal done before the season started was a key part of our planning for now and the future.”
The Ducks are banking on the player Luneau has been in the minors, where he’s shown plenty more offense. Last season with the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate, he scored 10 goals and added 31 assists for 41 points in 70 regular-season games. That marked his second straight year above the 40-point mark, and it helped the Gulls grab a playoff spot after finishing seventh in the Pacific Division.
Luneau also got into both of San Diego’s first-round playoff games, though the Gulls were swept by the Colorado Eagles.
For Anaheim, the caution has been about development. Luneau spent almost all of last season in the AHL as the organization wanted him to keep growing and fully find his game after previous injuries. The Victoriaville, Que. native played only seven games in his rookie season between the NHL and AHL.
His numbers in the minors have been strong. In 135 regular-season AHL games, Luneau has 19 goals and 76 assists for 95 points.
In the NHL, he has two goals and four points in 14 games. He was also named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2024-25 after being selected as the 2023 QMJHL Defenseman of the Year.
Luneau is expected to be in Anaheim’s lineup for its season opener after being recalled from San Diego on Wednesday. The Ducks open Friday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.
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Ducks Blue Line Suddenly Has An Opening Night Battle To Watch
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The blue line shuffle is the part worth watching most closely, because the Ducks now have more competition for those spots than they did a day ago. With Drew Helleson unavailable and the club making room elsewhere on the roster, the door is open for one of the recalled defensemen to claim a real early-season role while Anaheim waits for the lineup to settle. [Read more 🡒]
A.J. Greer Suddenly Looks Like A Bigger Ducks Story Than Expected
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His presence in contact gear does not settle everything just yet, but it does give Anaheim a more encouraging picture as opening night approaches. The Ducks have been sorting through the usual early-season roster decisions, and Greers progress adds another layer to the picture while the club continues to monitor how its depth pieces fit around the start of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Just Made A Massive Tristan Luneau Bet
The Ducks have made their belief in Tristan Luneau impossible to miss, locking up the young defenseman on a long-term extension before he has had much NHL runway at all. Anaheim moved quickly to secure one of its most intriguing blue-line pieces, signaling that it sees real upside in a player whose pro sample is still just a handful of games.
It is an aggressive bet on projection, and one that says plenty about how the organization views its future on defense. The deal gives Luneau security and the Ducks certainty, but it also puts a spotlight on just how much faith they are placing in a player they want to build around before the season even begins. [Read more 🡒]