The Anaheim Ducks added a familiar face from Southern California at the start of NHL free agency, signing 29-year-old winger Jeff Malott to a three-year contract after his time with the Los Angeles Kings. For a team still shaping its roster, Malott arrives as a depth piece with a clear job description: bring size, edge and reliable minutes to the bottom six.
Malott’s path to Anaheim started at Cornell University in the 2016-17 season, where he made an immediate impression. His first college goal came in a hat trick performance, which earned him ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week honors. He wrapped up that freshman year with six goals and nine points in 30 games.
His sophomore season followed a similar script. Malott scored in the opener and finished with six goals and 17 points in 28 games, while also landing on the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team. Even with injuries interrupting both the start and finish of his junior year, he still managed 14 points in 27 games, with 12 of those points coming over the final 16 contests.
By his senior season, Malott had become one of the leaders at Cornell. He was named one of three team captains and was a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward award.
He posted 13 points in 39 games and was the only collegiate player in the country who was not on the ice for a goal against their team. He finished with a plus-15 rating.
After college, Malott signed with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose in 2020. He spent time with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades in 2021 to get ready for the AHL, then broke through with Manitoba. He scored 14 goals and finished with 20 points, leading the Moose in goals and ranking second among AHL rookies in that category.
The Jets rewarded him with a two-way contract in 2021, though his NHL exposure was limited to one game without a point. Most of his production came in Manitoba, where he piled up 137 points in 203 games over three seasons. Then, in 2024, he hit free agency again and signed a two-year deal with the Kings.
His first year in the Kings organization came mostly in the AHL with the Ontario Reign, where he served as an alternate captain and produced 23 goals and 28 assists in 61 games. He also appeared in 12 games for Los Angeles and recorded one assist. In 2025-26, he spent the full season in the NHL, playing 58 games, scoring nine points and finishing second on the team with 166 hits.
For the Ducks, Malott fits the mold of a 6-foot-5, 205-pound bottom-six forward who can add physicality and defensive value on the fourth line. With Ross Johnston and Jeffrey Viel gone, there’s room for that kind of role, and Malott could slide into it quickly if he adjusts to Joel Quenneville’s system and finds chemistry with the group.
He may end up alongside Tim Washe or AJ Greer, two forwards who also bring depth and a physical presence. And as Anaheim’s offseason moves continue to take shape, Malott stands as one of the club’s early free-agent additions, joining Greer and Nick Jensen as the three players signed at the start of free agency.
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