The Anaheim Ducks got a real return on their April signing of undrafted forward Tim Washe. In his first full pro season, he split time between San Diego and Anaheim, and by the end of the year he had carved out a role that looked increasingly secure.
Washe began the season with the Gulls and immediately stepped into a useful spot as their third line center, filling the opening created by Nathan Gaucher’s early-season injury. He handled power play and penalty kill minutes, earned a spot as San Diego’s representative at the AHL All-Star Game, scored in his first game of the season, and put together a seven-game point streak in November.
His rise continued in January when Anaheim called him up for the first time. After a month back in San Diego during the Olympic break, he returned to the Ducks in late February and stayed with the big club the rest of the way. Across 36 AHL games, Washe produced 14 goals and 27 points, finishing eighth on the Gulls in goals and 10th in points despite playing only half a season there.
In Anaheim, he appeared in 39 games and posted two goals and five points. Most of that work came as the team’s fourth line center, with penalty-kill usage mixed in. He scored his first NHL goal in his fourth game of the season against Los Angeles in mid-January.
The clearest sign of trust came in the faceoff circle. Washe took 388 draws, fifth-most on the team, and won 58% of them among Ducks players with at least 100 faceoffs. That ranked first on the club, and among NHL players with at least 100 draws, he finished 13th overall.
He carried that same value into the playoffs. Washe played in all 12 postseason games and picked up one assist, coming against Edmonton in Game 3 of the first-round series.
He again centered Anaheim’s fourth line and again handled penalty-kill duty. His faceoff work stayed strong, too, as he led the Ducks with a 59.2% win rate in the playoffs.
Last summer, the expectations for Washe were simple: improve as the season wore on, and become a more reliable defensive presence who could help in the circle. He checked both boxes. The Ducks gave him real responsibility late in the year and into the playoffs, and he handled it.
Anaheim’s roster is still very much a work in progress, but Washe looks like a steady fit as the team’s fourth line center. The next step is offense. He’s already shown he can finish at the NCAA and AHL levels, and the Ducks would love to see a little more of that show up in the NHL.
Washe has one year left on his current contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer. Barring a complete collapse, he should be back. The deal won’t be long term, but it should come with a raise from the $813,000 he’ll make this coming year.
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