Benoit-Olivier Groulx signs one-year, $775,000 deal with Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks have signed forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx to a one-year, $775,000 contract for 2023-24.

Groulx was originally drafted 54th overall by Anaheim in 2018 and has spent his entire pro career with the franchise. The 23-year-old has three points in 20 games Groulx played in two NHL games this year, but failed to nab a point. He spent the rest of the season with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, scoring 18 goals and 39 points in 63 games.

Groulx has 90 points in 145 career AHL games with the Gulls with 104 penalty minutes. A strong, rugged forward, Groulx is a solid two-way skater that has the ability to play a bottom-six role in the NHL. The France-born Canadian hasn’t broken through just yet, but after coming off of his best season in the AHL, Groulx could get a few more games this coming year.

The Ducks finished dead last in 2022-23 and landed Leo Carlsson with the second overall pick last month. The Ducks have $29.873 million in projected cap space, with Troy Terry, Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale all requiring new deals as RFAs.