The Ducks have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Brett Festerling to a two-year contract. The two-way contract pays $525,000 each year Festerling is in the NHL.
Festerling was described by head coach Randy Carlyle as “the surprise of training camp” a year ago, when he leaped past fellow rookies Brendan Mikkelson and Brian Salcido to become the Ducks’ first defenseman recalled from the AHL (back when Francois Beauchemin tore his ACL in November).Festerling doesn’t have much offensively (five assists in 40 regular-season games last season) but he earned the trust of the former Norris Trophy-winning coach to spell an injured James Wisniewski in the second round of the playoffs against the Detroit Red Wings.
Come training camp Festerling will be on the bubble again. The Ducks are fairly set with their top four (Scott Niedermayer, Ryan Whitney, Wisniewski, Nick Boynton), and top five if you include Luca Sbisa. That leaves Festerling in a group with Sheldon Brookbank, Mikkelson, Salcido and Steve McCarthy competing for two roster spots.
