Ducks get Mathieu Perreault from Capitals
The Ducks Sunday acquired center Mathieu Perreault from the Washington Capitals, reuniting him with Coach Bruce Boudreau.
Perreault, 25, will earn $1.1 million this season and can become a free agent at season’s end. The Ducks sent minor league left wing John Mitchell and a fourth-round pick in the 2014 NHL entry draft to Washington.
Perreault will help the Ducks in faceoffs and in team speed, enhancing their depth at the position. He has won 51.2% of them since the 2011-12 season.
“I know Bruce likes defensive-type players, which I believe I can be … he seems pretty excited,” Perreault said in a conference call with reporters.
Perreault said he’ll arrive in Anaheim in time to skate with the team Tuesday before it departs for its Wednesday regular-season opener in Colorado.
“I’ve always been a guy who brings a lot of energy,” said Perreault, whose defensive and penalty-killing strengths are needed by a team that gave up four power-play goals and 39 shots in Saturday’s exhibition finale against San Jose. “That energy side of me will always be there.”
Ducks General Manager Bob Murray has described Perreault as a “feisty competitor. Having played under Bruce was also a factor … that’s another positive.”
Perreault has played 159 career NHL games, 11 in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
He debuted in the league under Boudreau in 2009-10, scoring 16 goals and 14 assists in the 2011-12 season. He played in 39 games last season with six goals and 11 assists.
— Lance Pugmire
Kings release Garon
Goalie Mathieu Garon moved on and some promising youngsters — left wing Tanner Pearson, center Linden Vey and right wing Tyler Toffoli — did the same Sunday.
But not all Kings’ roster moves are created equal.
Garon was released from his training camp tryout, meaning goalie Ben Scrivens will be the backup to starter Jonathan Quick. The Kings had wanted to explore more options in regard to the backup spot, leading to Garon’s invitation to camp.
Kings Coach Darryl Sutter‘s preference is to give his No. 1 goalie a heavy workload and he probably will not depart from his usual pattern. So get ready to see plenty of Quick this season.
Garon, 35, who has played for six NHL teams (including the Kings from 2005-2007), did not do enough to supplant Scrivens at No. 2.
Unlike Garon, the kids almost certainly will be back in Los Angeles at some point this season.
They were sent back to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Manchester, N.H. Garon presumably will try to land a job with another organization.
All the moves were part of a significant “moving day” in the NHL, with teams scrambling to get to the 23-man roster limit and below the $64.3-million salary cap by Monday.
The Kings got there by also putting defenseman Jeff Schultz on waivers. Team have until 9 a.m. Monday to claim Schultz, and there was a large group of veterans put on waivers, league-wide.
Schultz signed as a free agent with the Kings in July, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $700,000, after the Washington Capitals bought him out.
Sutter essentially foreshadowed the waiver move Thursday after practice when he was asked about the progress of Schultz and defenseman Keaton Ellerby. He said that it was “not easy” for Schultz to adjust to the style of play in the Western Conference.
Making significant leaps forward in camp were Pearson and center Nick Shore, who was sent down to Manchester earlier. Toffoli struggled early on and got better in the latter stages of camp, and Sutter has praised Shore’s progress.
— Lisa Dillman
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