Ducks re-sign McGrattan.

Brian McGrattan, who thrived as an enforcer after arriving in Syracuse in a mid-season trade, re-signed with the Ducks today on a one-year contract worth $600,000 in the NHL and $105,000 in the AHL.

Much like the Ducks’ other free-agent acquisitions this week — Andrew Gordon, Bryan Rodney and, possibly, J-F Jacques — McGrattan is a safe bet to start the 2011-12 season in Syracuse. He had six goals, four assists and 56 penalty minutes in 20 games for the Crunch last season after being acquired from the Boston Bruins. The 29-year-old also had 13 shots in a single game March 12, a franchise record.

Should Jacques fail to land an NHL roster spot, the Ducks could turn to McGrattan for extra fourth-line muscle in a pinch. He’s played 182 career NHL games with Ottawa, Phoenix and Calgary, collecting three goals and 14 points with 395 penalty minutes. He most recently played with Calgary in 2009-10, notching one goal, four points and 86 PIM in 34 games.

McGrattan told the Syracuse Post-Dispatch that his “goal is to make Anaheim. If I don’t, I’ll be in Syracuse. Playing for (Crunch head coach) Mark Holick again, that’s a big reason I’d want to play in Syracuse, if I’m sent there. It’s a win-win. If I make the team (Anaheim), I make the team. If I don’t make the team, I know I’ll have every opportunity to get back up there. I can see myself being an extra guy up top. You never know. A lot can happen. That’s why you have to be ready. If I’m not there, at least I know I’ve given everything I had.”

One other interesting wrinkle to the story out of Syracuse: McGrattan and Ray Emery are good friends, having played in the Ottawa Senators’ organization together from 2002-08. McGrattan told the P-D that “at last word Emery told him he didn’t have much cooking in terms of signing with a team.”

Ducks make minor swap with Bruins. Update.

As first reported by CSNNE.com, the Ducks have acquired enforcer Brian McGrattan from the Boston Bruins. Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos wrote on his Twitter account Sunday that the Ducks will also receive minor-league defenseman Sean Zimmerman in exchange for minor-league forwards David Laliberte and Stefan Chaput.

Update: The team confirmed the trade after the Ducks’ 3-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche.

McGrattan has the most NHL experience among the four players involved. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound forward has 395 penalty minutes in 182 NHL games for the Senators, Coyotes and Flames. He’s spent the entire season with the Providence Bruins, Boston’s AHL affiliate, recording four goals, five points and 97 penalty minutes in 39 games. McGrattan has never appeared in an NHL playoff game.

Zimmerman, 23, has four assists and no goals in 30 games between Providence and Rochester.

Both players’ contracts expire at the end of this season, according to CapGeek.com.

Laliberte had five goals and nine points in 29 games for Syracuse, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate. Chaput had three goals and seven points in 27 games.

Chaput was originally acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Ryan Carter trade. Laliberte was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in the Danny Syvret trade.