Ducks sign starting goaltender to a new five-year deal

It’s a major dedication to the Geese’ new undisputed No. 1, one that can see him depend $6.5M in opposition to the cap by the 2029-30 marketing campaign. The 25-year-old was an arbitration-eligible RFA and selected to file for it earlier this month. As a substitute of going to a listening to, although, he lands a well-compensated deal that eats up the rest of his RFA years — after which some.

Anaheim now has one of many costlier goalie rooms within the league this season. The Geese are one of many few groups anticipated to hold three netminders, rostering veteran backups Petr Mrazek ($4.25M) and Ville Husso ($2.2M) at comparatively steep cap hits for his or her projected workload. 

Mrazek was acquired when the Geese sent longtime starter John Gibson to Detroit on the draft, paving the best way for Dostal to imagine the crease, whereas Husso completed final yr in Anaheim as their third-stringer however landed an unexpectedly large new contract from them a couple of weeks in the past.

The contract comes after Dostal, lengthy touted as one of many league’s brightest younger goalies, transformed his linear growth path right into a breakout season in 2024-25. The 2018 third-round decide shouldered the vast majority of the workload for the primary time, making 49 begins and 5 reduction appearances for 54 whole showings. He posted a 23-23-7 document, a .903 SV%, and a 3.10 GAA.

These numbers could look near common at first, however must be considered within the context of Anaheim’s porous protection. The younger Czech managed to save lots of 14.3 targets above anticipated, per MoneyPuck, sixteenth within the league. He completed twelfth in year-end All-Star voting amongst goaltenders because of this.

Dostal now turns into the eleventh highest-paid goalie within the league for 2025-26, roughly in step with these ranks. He lands extra yearly than latest long-term extensions handed out to starters like Joey Daccord, Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, however Dostal’s age benefit over them and corresponding room for progress possible drove up his market worth — notably on an Anaheim workforce that can want robust goaltending to make a playoff push subsequent season with one of many league’s youthful defenses.

Dostal can be 30 when the contract expires, making him an unrestricted free agent. Anaheim nonetheless has some notable RFAs to re-sign, particularly 2021 No. 3 total decide Mason McTavish.