Ducks, Montour agree on a contract
Two-year deal is worth $6.77 million to the smooth-skating, 24-year-old defenseman.
Ducks defenseman Brandon Montour didn’t have to go out of his way to avoid an arbitration hearing.
Montour lives and trains in Toronto in the summer, which was where he and his representation met Tuesday with the Ducks’ management to work out a two-year contract worth $6.77 million.
“I’m right down the street,” Montour said. “I took a quick Uber to the office there to meet.”
The deal conveniently came together just before the restricted free agent’s scheduled arbitration hearing. Montour will be paid $3.25 million next season and $3.52 million in 2019-20. The smooth-skating 24year-old will remain part of a terrific young defense anchored long-term by Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, who are signed through at least 202122.
“I’ve told plenty of people that I love it in Anaheim,” Montour said. “How could you not? The staff and my teammates, everything is unbelievable.
“I want to be a Duck for a long time and that’s what I’m going to strive to do. For the most part, I think these guys are on board as well.”
Montour said he didn’t push for a longer-term contract. He was second among Ducks defensemen with nine goals last season, including five on the power play, and was tied with Fowler with 32 points. Montour averaged nearly 26 minutes per game in the postseason.
“But for the most part, for me, a younger player, I didn’t know what exactly I am right now,” Montour said. “I know my strengths and I believe in myself in helping this team and [can] be a contributor to my team as of now.
“I think we all agreed with a shorter term and getting better as we keep going on. I’ve only played [128] games. It was one of those things where I think the shorter term was best fit for both of us. As we go on in the next year or two, we’ll keep chatting about, hopefully, a longer term, like the rest of my Dcorps there.”
The signing leaves Ondrej Kase and Nick Ritchie as the Ducks’ remaining unsigned restricted free agents.