Anaheim Ducks Tender Seven RFAs, Let Four Players Walk

As the clock struck 2 PM PST on June 29, NHL teams had a critical deadline to submit qualifying offers for their pending restricted free agents (RFAs). Those players who do not receive a qualifying offer by this deadline face the prospect of becoming unrestricted free agents (UFAs) on July 1 at 9 AM PST if they remain unsigned.

The Anaheim Ducks, facing the decision for 11 pending RFAs, opted to tender qualifying offers to seven players while allowing four to go without.

Among those who received qualifying offers are goaltender Vyacheslav Buteyets, center Leo Carlsson, goaltender Calle Clang, left winger Cutter Gauthier, defenseman Tyson Hinds, defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, and left winger Sasha Pastujov. The decisions to qualify NHL roster players like Carlsson, Gauthier, Mintyukov, and Hinds were largely expected, as were the offers for AHL roster players Buteyets and Pastujov.

Clang, however, came as a surprise. At 24, he recently signed a two-year contract with Rogle BK in the SHL, the same club he played for before making his North American debut with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. The Ducks appear to have extended a qualifying offer to Clang to retain his rights, potentially setting the stage for his return to North America should he find success in Sweden.

Conversely, the Ducks decided against tendering qualifying offers to defenseman Jeremie Biakabutuka, defenseman Kyle Masters, center Jan Mysak, and right winger Jaxsen Wiebe. Biakabutuka, 24, was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in a deal that sent long-time Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler to St. Louis. He played just 11 games in the AHL and 75 in the ECHL with the Tulsa Oilers during his tenure with Anaheim.

Masters, also 23, was brought in just days before the deadline during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, in a trade that involved the signing rights to defenseman John Carlson. His signing rights have since reverted back to the Hurricanes in exchange for the rights to AHL center Noah Philp.

Similarly, Mysak, 24, joined the Ducks two years ago from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Jacob Perreault. Like Clang, he has signed a two-year contract to play in the SHL for HV71, contributing significantly during his 138 games with the Gulls in the Ducks organization.

Lastly, Jaxsen Wiebe, who signed an entry-level contract as an undrafted free agent in March 2023, experienced a turbulent time, moving between the AHL and ECHL during his stint with the Ducks.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.