New Ducks forward Mikael Granlund: ‘My best years are ahead of me’

Mikael Granlund was a coveted forward in the NHL free-agent market, coming down to the wire with the Dallas Stars in extension talks and also being pursued by other teams, including the Vancouver Canucks.

Yet Granlund, 33, opted to join the Ducks for three seasons, catapulting himself to the top of a list of free-agent signings that hasn’t had a lot of pop or sizzle since Scott Niedermayer’s arrival in 2005.

That timeline may be fitting since the Ducks turned back the clock with the hire of coach Joel Quenneville, who will be 67 when the puck drops on the season opener and won Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 with the Chicago Blackhawks.

“After things didn’t work out in Dallas and they didn’t have any room for me, I had to go in a different direction, and Anaheim suited me well,” Granlund said via teleconference from his native Finland. “The team is going in the right direction with all the young talent and the good veterans they have. With Coach Q coming to the team, he knows what winning takes and we’re trying to (establish) those habits.”

Another consecrated figure from the past and a fellow Finn, Ducks legend Teemu Selänne, helped sway Granlund to come to Katella Avenue.

“As an organization, he said only good things about how well they take care of you and about the team, how much talent there is, how it’s going in the right direction and all that stuff,” Granlund said.

Rick Dhaliwal of the Donnie & Dhali podcast reported that Granlund received an offer that was greater in terms of total dollars – $24 million over four years rather than $21 million across three from the Ducks – but that Granlund turned it down.

That pact suited both team and player nicely, general manager Pat Verbeek had shared Tuesday at the Ducks’ practice facility in Irvine.

“Term is probably more valuable and more important than the money,” Verbeek said. “It’s something that really works for us, and I’m glad that it really worked for him. Both of us are coming out ahead.”

Granlund said he felt Southern California was a fantastic place to settle, more so since there were direct flights from LAX to Helsinki, a couple hours from the Päijät-Häme region where his two sons and ex-wife live most of the year.

“It was only a little bit before free agency started when we knew it wasn’t going to happen in Dallas. Everything fell into place pretty quickly,” Granlund said. “I was thinking about what would be the best option for me not only as a hockey player but as a dad. Anaheim picked up pretty quickly and I’m more than happy with my decision.”

Granlund and his ex-wife Emmi divorced two years ago but have maintained a co-parenting relationship, she told the Finnish publication Ilta Sanomat.

For Granlund’s part, that resolution ended a period of tumult not only away from the ice but at the rink, where he struggled during a 2022-23 campaign split between Nashville and Pittsburgh. After being dealt to San Jose in the Erik Karlsson trade, he put up a 60-point season for the Sharks and a 66-point effort last year split between the Bay Area and the Lone Star State.

“A couple of years ago, I made some changes in how I wanted to prepare for the season. A lot of things were happening in my life, so I kind of got a clean slate in San Jose,” said Granlund, who was traded Feb. 1 to Dallas along with defenseman Cody Ceci, who has since joined the Kings, in exchange for a first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick. “I really put everything into being a better player and that really paid off. I’ve been playing the best hockey of my life for the past two years and I really feel my best years are ahead of me.”

Granlund’s contributions have covered a broad spectrum, as he has become known for his detail-oriented game as much as his lacrosse-style goal in 2011 for Finland against Russia. He also played in rebuilding situations like San Jose’s and for short-list Cup contenders like Dallas after developing a high level of trust in Nashville and Minnesota previously. Capable of playing all three forward positions and in all situations, Granlund has also worn letters at the professional and international level.

“[In terms of leadership ability], you either have it or you don’t. You can learn and kind of grow into it, but for me, I’ve always been trying to do the right things and the little details to kind of set an example,” Granlund said. “I never really think about it, you try to set the right example, you try to make everyone else better and help everyone, but the example you show every day is, by far, the most important thing.”

Having played most of the past two seasons in the division and all of them within the Western Conference, Granlund said he was aware of the strides the Ducks had made last year under former coach Greg Cronin and was excited about where they could go under Quenneville.

“There’s a lot of talent. They play really fast hockey. It was kind of fun to watch,” Granlund said. “With the talent they have, it’s only going to get better, and they have some really steady veterans, so I think it’s a good mix.”