Meet New Ducks Forward Jeff Malott – Hockey Writers – Anaheim Ducks

At the start of NHL Free Agency, the Anaheim Ducks made several purchases from their team, including 29-year-old winger Jeff Malott. He was signed to a three-year contract and joins the team from the Los Angeles Kings. Let’s take a look at the forward’s career and where he will fit in for the Ducks.

College Work

Malott began his senior hockey career with Cornell University in the 2016-17 season. He excelled on the rebound, his first goal of the meet led to a hat trick and he was named the ECAC Hockey Rookie of the Week for the feat. He finished his rookie season with six goals and nine points in 30 games.

He had a successful sophomore season, too. He scored a goal early in the season and finished the season with six goals and 17 points in 28 games. He was named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team for his performance on the ice, as well. Despite starting and finishing his junior season injured, Malott still managed to score 14 points in 27 games, 12 of those points coming in the final 16 games of the season.

In his senior season, he was named one of three team captains and was named an ECAC Hockey Best Defensive Forward finalist. He threw 13 points in 39 games and is the only player of the team in the country who did not score a goal when they faced their team. He finished with a plus-15 rating.

Job Duty

In 2020, Malott signed a contract with the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Manitoba Moose, an affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets. He played with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades in 2021 in preparation for the AHL. He shined for Moose, tallying 14 goals and 20 points. His total goals led the team and was the second-highest performance among AHL rookies.

In 2021, the Jets signed him to a two-way contract. He played only one game at the NHL level and did not register a point. However, in Manitoba, he collected 137 points in 203 games over three seasons. In 2024, as a free agent, Malott signed a two-year contract with the Kings.

He spent his first season in the Kings organization mainly playing in the AHL, serving as co-captain of the Ontario Reign. He had 23 goals and 28 assists in 61 games for the Reign. The defender played 12 games for the Kings that season, not getting a single assist. In 2025-26, he joined the NHL full-time, playing 58 games and scoring nine points. He ranks second on the team with 166 hits.

Malott to the Ducks

Malott is a 6-foot-5, 205 pound bottom-6 forward. His size, defensive mind, and physicality will be an asset to the Ducks’ fourth line, especially with the departures of Ross Johnston and Jeffrey Viel. Supported by players with attacking skills and a well-organized training system, Johnston and Viel were able to achieve high numbers of goals and assists during their time with the club.

Malott can play a similar role and, hopefully, see similar results if he can easily and quickly adapt to head coach Joel Quenneville’s system and integrate with the team. He’ll likely be teammates with players like junior forward Tim Washe or newcomer AJ Greer, who also bring depth and physical defense to the frontcourt core.

He is yet another piece of the Ducks’ puzzle as their roster is shaped this offseason. He joins AJ Greer and Nick Jensen as one of three players signed early in free agency, and will be a bottom-six pitcher to watch as the season begins in the fall.