Lukas Dostal is cashing in.
The goaltender and the Anaheim Ducks put pen to paper on a five-year contract Thursday, the team announced.
The deal carries an average annual value of $6.5 million, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported.
"I love to play in front of you and love to live in this community. We are a team on the rise," Dostal said in a video released by the team. "Can't wait to see you soon in the Honda Center."
The 25-year-old netminder has enjoyed two breakout seasons with the Ducks and will continue to shoulder starter duties given John Gibson's trade to the Detroit Red Wings. In 54 games last season, the Brno, Czechia native recorded a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average with one shutout.
“Lukas has proven he is a No. 1 goaltender and we are so pleased to get this deal done,” general manager Pat Verbeek said in a statement. “He is just entering the prime of his career with his best hockey ahead of him.”
Dostal was selected in the third round, 85th overall, by the Ducks at the 2018 NHL Draft.
Dostal is excited about the future with a young team that includes forwards Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier and Mason McTavish; defencemen Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Jackson LaCombe, and Beckett Sennecke, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft.
“That was one of the reasons that I was willing to sign a long-term deal — because it’s always about trusting the process,” he said. “And I really trust the process that’s going on in Anaheim right now.”
— with files from the Associated Press
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