Anaheim Ducks sign Lukas Dostal to two-year contract

The Anaheim Ducks have signed goaltender prospect Lukas Dostal to a two-year contract. The deal is two-way for the first year, carrying an NHL salary of $775,000 and $325,000 in the AHL. The second year of the contract is one-way and carries an NHL salary of $850,000, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic.

Dostal split the 2022-23 season between the NHL and AHL, playing 19 games for the Ducks and 34 games for the San Diego Gulls. In the NHL, he put up a record of 4-10-3 on a rebuilding team with a 3.78 GAA and .901 SV%. In the AHL, he was the starter for a weak Gulls team that only won 20 games this past season. He ended up with a 11-21-0 record with a 2.97 GAA and .912 SV%.

Dostal is regarded as one of the top goaltending prospects in the NHL. He is seen as a potential future starter for the Ducks. At 23 years old, the Brno, Czech Republic native is still very young for a goalie and already has a wealth of professional experience under his belt. He played for the Ilves Tampere in Finland for three seasons following being selected in the third-round of the 2018 NHL Draft by the Ducks. He excelled in the SM-liiga, notching a .928 SV% in his last full season with the Tampere.

Dostal made the jump to North American hockey halfway through the 2020-21 season and has since spent most of his playing time with the Gulls. Over the last three seasons he has played 98 AHL games as well as 23 games with the big club in Anaheim. He has a chance to be the backup in Anaheim this year but will likely spend some more time in the AHL, honing his skills. The Ducks expect Dostal to be a full-time NHLer by the 2024-25 season.