The Anaheim Ducks have announced that their captain and the heart and soul of the franchise, Ryan Getzlaf, has been signed to a max 8-year deal.

From the Ducks website:

“We are very happy to have Ryan committed to this franchise long-term,” said Ducks Executive Vice President/General Manager Bob Murray. “He has often expressed his interest to stay in Anaheim for his entire career, a goal we share. He is a leader, a proven winner, and possesses a skill set that’s hard to find. This is a great day for the Ducks.”

Ryan Getzlaf:

“I’m extremely thankful to the Samuelis, Michael Schulman, Bob Murray and the entire Ducks organization for the opportunity to remain in Anaheim for the long-term,” said Getzlaf. “This is a wonderful day for my family, as Anaheim has become our home. The fans here have treated me very well, and I look forward to being part of a winning hockey team and contributing to the Orange County community for years to come.”

A resurgent Getzlaf has guided the Ducks to a 16-3-3 start and the second best record in hockey. His 27 points(9g 18a) in 22 games leads the team and is good enough to tie for ninth in the NHL is overall scoring. He has clearly put his struggles from a year ago behind him and is back to being his old dominant self.

For the Ducks organization to go ahead and lock Getz up like this proves that the ownership is committed to the long-term success of the franchise. Per club policy, no financial terms of the deal were disclosed, but capgeek.com has his salary being $8.25 million per season. Yikes!

I like the signing. Many people on Twitter are up in arms about the monetary terms. Consider this though, Getzlaf is the type of player the Ducks can build around. He is a cornerstone franchise player. Over time the money will be well worth it.

Now I expect the Corey Perry AND Bobby Ryan rumors to pick up some serious steam.

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