Ville Husso’s inclusion on the Ducks’ opening night roster was a short one. He was placed on waivers just one day after the Ducks’ opening night roster announcement.
After clearing waivers, Husso was reassigned to the San Diego Gulls in the AHL. The Finnish netminder picked right back up where he left off from last season, when he was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last February.
A late-season injury to John Gibson last year provided an opportunity for Husso to return to the NHL. He had been playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the AHL prior to his acquisition by Anaheim after struggling to perform at the NHL level for the Red Wings.
Husso’s tenure with the Red Wings was a forgettable one, but his strong play with the Gulls upon arriving in the Ducks’ organization (7-2-0 record and .907 SV%) carried over to his NHL spot starts at the end of 2024-25. In four appearances (three starts), he had a .925 SV% and 2.99 goals against average.
An unrestricted free agent this past offseason, Husso had the chance to pursue a job elsewhere. Ultimately, he chose to re-sign with Anaheim, penning a two-year deal with a $2.2 million AAV.
“I really enjoyed my time last year, couple months here,” Husso said. “There is good people around the team, both (in Anaheim) and in San Diego. I saw it as a good spot for myself to just get better and get my game in a good spot.”
Due to injuries for both Lukáš Dostál and Petr Mrázek, Husso has been thrust into the starting role. Dostál’s injury came during the final week of November and after Husso was recalled and got his first start of season on Black Friday, Mrázek suffered an injury of his own on the last day of November.
In six appearances (five starts) since being recalled, Husso has a 4-2-0 record. One of those losses came when Husso relieved the injured Mrázek during a tie game with the Chicago Blackhawks. The only logged shot that Husso faced in that game was a partial breakaway against Connor Bedard, who used his magic hands to beat the Finnish goaltender in close. The cruel nature of the game reared its head on that one.
Husso’s only other loss was the Ducks’ shambolic performance against the Utah Mammoth on Dec. 3, when they lost 7-0. Aside from that, he has held down the fort. The latest masterpiece was a 45-save performance against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. A late holding the stick penalty and subsequent power play goal against could have been the mark on an otherwise stellar night, but the Ducks tied the game with 0.1 seconds remaining in the third. The result was decided in the shootout, where Husso stopped all three Penguins shooters.
“Team effort. Probably not our best, but good teams get those two points even when it’s an okay game,” Husso said to media after the game. “It’s been so much fun to be around these guys. Every day, it’s like learning something new. Fun group to be a part of and shows that we never give up.”
Vyacheslav Buteyets has been the backup goaltender with both Dostál and Mrázek on the shelf. The 2022 sixth-round pick made his debut during the 7-0 defeat to Utah, relieving Husso after the first two periods. Dostál traveled with the team for their five-game road trip and participated in Tuesday’s morning skate. He is on track with the initial two to three-week timeline that was given by head coach Joel Quenneville.
When Dostál returns, Buteyets will be reassigned to the AHL and Husso will serve as the backup. A set of understandable moves. But Mrázek’s return, whenever that may be, could create a conundrum.
Husso has demonstrated thus far that he can be an NHL-quality goaltender again. Mrázek had some early inconsistencies to start the season, but rebounded with a strong performance against the Vegas Golden Knights before suffering a trio of hard-luck losses in his next three starts.
It wouldn’t be out of the question for the Ducks to carry three goaltenders when everyone is healthy, but a currently full 23-man roster means that a move (like waiving Nikita Nesterenko or Jansen Harkins or sending Ian Moore down) will have to be made. Would the Ducks be able to sneak Husso through waivers because of his comparatively high salary and the extra year on his deal? They’ve already done it once, but that was before teams like the Winnipeg Jets lost their bonafide No. 1 goaltender to injury.
A scenario like this is something that Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek likely won’t have to think about for at least another couple of weeks, until Mrázek begins skating again. For now, it’s Husso’s net.
“Just got to keep working, keep grinding and be ready whenever,” Husso said.
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