The Anaheim Ducks have signed winger Jeff Malott, the brother of UFC welterweight fighter Mike Malott, to a new free-agent contract.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman broke the news, with Jeff Malott getting three years at $1.85 million per season.
Fighting Runs in the Family
Mike Malott is one of the best UFC welterweights in the world right now, as he is ranked No. 11 in the Meta UFC Rankings.
His brother, Jeff Malott, is a low-scoring winger with an edge who will surely bring his fisticuffs to Anaheim’s lineup, something they need with former captain Radko Gudas being traded to the Florida Panthers and signing a six-year deal with them.
After playing just 13 NHL games before this season for the Winnipeg Jets and Los Angeles Kings, Jeff Malott broke out this past season with 58 games played, including scoring 3 goals and 9 points. He also had 55 penalty minutes, including three fights this past season, something that Anaheim needs in its lineup as the team needs protection for all of its young and talented stars.
In Anaheim, Malott will only be required to chip in the occasional point, as his value comes with being a big, strong winger who plays a physical game and who will have no problem at all dropping the gloves.
Anaheim Ducks Making Big Moves
On the first day of NHL free agency, the Ducks have been very busy.
In addition to signing Jeff Malott, the Ducks also signed forward AJ Greer to a four-year contract after acquiring him in the trade with Florida for Gudas, and they also inked defenseman Nick Jensen to a two-year contract.
The Ducks did lose veteran defender Jacob Trouba in free agency, as he signed a big-money deal with the rival San Jose Sharks. But overall, the Ducks have done well on the first day of free agency.
The Ducks were one of the league’s breakout teams this past season, and with so many young and talented players looking to take an even bigger leap forward next year, look for them to once again be one of the top teams in the NHL Western Conference.
The Pacific Division is a bloodbath, with top contenders like the Vegas Golden Knights and Edmonton Oilers also in the same division as the Ducks. But Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek has done a nice job of adding depth to his team’s roster as they look to make an even deeper run in this year’s playoffs.
The Ducks could still make some more moves this offseason, as the team has plenty of cap space. That could come in the form of trade or free agency, but don’t expect Verbeek to be done just yet. He is one of the busiest general managers in the NHL, and he is always looking to upgrade his team everywhere on the ice, so look for the Ducks to continue to make moves around the edges.
They are one of the teams on the rise in the NHL, and look for them to take an even bigger step forward next year.
Ducks Sign Brother of UFC Star Mike Malott