<p>A peculiar contract has just been confirmed in the NHL.</p>



<p>On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/anaheim-ducks/line-combinations">Anaheim Ducks</a> announced they have signed forward Frank Vatrano to a three-year, $18 million contract extension. However, this isn’t your typical deal. </p>



<p>Per <em>TSN’s</em> Pierre LeBrun, the base salary of the contract will be $3 million a year, with the remaining $9 million being in deferred salary. That amount of money will start being paid to Vatrano at a rate of $900,000 a year…starting in 2035.</p>



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Frank Vatrano’s 3-year, $18M extension is an interesting one. He will get paid $3M a year in base salary but then $9M in deferred salary. Starting 10 years from now in 2035, will make $900,000 a year for 10 years, and his plan is to live outside of California (and its tax system)…</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="133"></div>— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) <a href="https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1875994285079753199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>



<p>The 30-year-old, who expects to live outside of California when he retires, will be outside of the state’s tax system, which will see Vatrano receive closer to the full amount of the remaining salary.</p>



<p>With the deferred salary, the AAV of the contract is only $4.57 million, giving the Ducks a $1.43 million break from what the “traditional” cap hit would be. With the salary cap expected to rise in the coming years, the space left from Vatrano’s contract could lead to Anahaim having room to make moves to make them a contender.</p>



<p>The contract terms are unique, as they show that teams in the Golden State can sign players to contracts that help sneak around the state’s tax issue.</p>



<p>Vatrano is in the final season of his three-year contract that he signed with the Ducks in July 2022. The deal carries a cap hit of $3.65 million.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="148"></div>



<p><a href="https://x.com/AnaheimDucks/status/1875993348164731277?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1875993348164731277%7Ctwgr%5Ecd8956ef5d327eb248410d9bffc782d11ea26333%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nhl.com%2Fnews%2Ffrank-vatrano-signs-3-year-contract-with-anaheim-ducks">In a video posted on X</a>, the Massachusetts native says he’s excited to see what the future holds with the team.</p>



<p>“Ever since my family and I got here three years ago, fans, teammates and staff welcomed us with open arms,” Vatrano said. “It’s something that we’ll be forever grateful for. I see how bright our future is here. We’re making turns in the right direction to build a winning culture and ultimately bring a Stanley Cup here to Anaheim…I’m excited to help this team grow and be part of the future here.”</p>



<p>Through 37 games this season, Vatrano has scored nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points. He is coming off a career-best season, scoring 37 goals and 60 points during the 2023-24 campaign.</p>



<p>In 601 NHL appearances, Vatrano has scored 169 goals and 122 assists for 291 points. He’s also posted 16 points in 34 Stanley Cup Playoff games.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="152"></div>



<p>The Ducks (16-18-4) are seventh in the Pacific Division, eight points out of the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.</p>



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