Ducks, Reportedly Exploring Trade Options For Cam Fowler

Fowler, 32, has been a staple on the Anaheim blue line ever since they made him the 12th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He hit the NHL full-time the following season, stepping into a top-four role on a team in the throes of playoff contention.

While never cementing himself as a true star defender, he's been remarkably consistent across a 974-game NHL career that's spanned 14 seasons. He's averaged over 20 minutes per game in every year of his career thus far, and his offensive production never varies too much from his career average of 0.47 points per game.

Fowler has only received Norris Trophy consideration once. It was in 2017 after he scored a career-high 11 goals, averaged another career-high 24:51 per game, and played a pivotal role in the Ducks advancing to the Western Conference Final. That performance spurned Fowler's big payday - an eight-year, $52MM extension he signed immediately upon becoming eligible in the 2017 offseason that kicked in for the 2018-19 campaign.

He's now entering the final two seasons of that deal, which carries a $6.5MM cap hit. The past two campaigns have been difficult for the club, especially in their own end. That's led to some pretty eye-popping numbers for Fowler, who's posted a combined -59 rating in 163 games since the start of 2022-23.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek will likely need to retain a small amount of Fowler's remaining salary to move him. Only nine teams have the cap space for Fowler's full $6.5MM hit.

Fowler largely has control over where he ends up as talks advance. The defender has a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a list of four teams to which he'd be willing to accept a trade. However, Friedman reports he's willing to give the Ducks more teams to work with outside of the list, which he already submitted to the team over the summer.

Where will Cam Fowler end up?

Source: Pro Hockey Rumors
Ducks, Cam Fowler Reportedly Exploring Trade Options