Report: Ducks Looking to Trade Star Defenseman

The Anaheim Ducks are reportedly interested in trading their star defenseman this season.

Apr 13, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler (4) and LA Kings right wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) battle for the puck in the second period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Anaheim Ducks are in the middle of a rebuilding process, and that means difficult decisions must be made. There are a ton of positives for the organization entering the 2024-2025 season, and most of the optimism is focused on their young core of players. Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, Pavel Mintyukov, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish represent the future and a promising one at that.

While the Ducks' core comes into their own, they have a few veterans that are unlikely to be part of the organization for much longer. One of those players is long-tenured defenseman Cam Fowler. According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, the Ducks and Fowler have had many discussions regarding the blueliner's future and all signs point towards a trade being facilitated this season. On Friedman's 32 Thoughts podcast, he shared some insight on the situation.

“I believe the Ducks are willing to talk about it, I believe the player is willing to talk about it,” he said. “I don’t think anyone will be surprised if sometime this season Cam Fowler is elsewhere and from what I’ve been told, it is a positive working environment with him and the Ducks about getting this done and finding him a new place to play.”

If the Ducks do move on from Fowler, it will be a huge turning point for the franchise. The Ducks drafted Fowler with the 10th pick of the 2010 NHL Draft and he's played his entire career in Anaheim. Over his career, he's been one of the most productive defensive players in team history. Over 974 games, he's collected 96 goals and 453 points.

He is also, along with goaltender John Gibson, one of the last remaining faces from the "old" Ducks' regime. The duo began their careers playing with franchise legend Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and they are the last pieces tying the current team to the Stanley Cup-winning past. Fowler has 62 games of postseason experience and has 33 points in those appearances.

Despite playing 14 seasons in the NHL, Fowler is only 32 years old. He's a perennial 35-40 point scorer on the back end, can run a power play, and contribute just as much on the penalty kill. With two seasons left on his current deal, the interest in Fowler is going to skyrocket as the season progresses, giving the Ducks and Fowler plenty of options to make a deal happen.

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