This page may contain affiliate links. If you click a link and sign up, make a deposit, place a wager, or make a trade, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Helleson (lower body) was activated from injured reserve ahead of Tuesday's matchup against the Flames, per the NHL Media Site.
Helleson is set to make his season debut in Tuesday's clash after sustaining a lower-body injury in the preseason. The 25-year-old blueliner is expected to take on a larger role this season following the departure of Jacob Trouba, which leaves room for Helleson to occupy a top-four pairing. He posted two goals, 15 points, 39 shots on net, 63 hits and 79 blocked shots across 60 regular-season games in the 2025-26 campaign. Helleson is a solid stash in deep fantasy leagues given the Ducks' lack of experience on the blue line.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Might return Saturday
Rotowire
Helleson (lower body) hopes to return at the end of Anaheim's upcoming road trip, per Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune on Wednesday.
Helleson isn't expected to play Wednesday versus Edmonton or Friday in Winnipeg, but it sounds like he might be an option for Saturday's game in Calgary. Helleson hasn't played this campaign due to the injury. The 25-year-old is likely to serve on the third pairing once he's healthy, possibly at the expense of Noah Warren.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Lands on injured reserve
Rotowire
Helleson was placed on injured reserve Wednesday.
Helleson should be expected to miss at least the next two games, though it certainly could be longer. In 60 regular-season tilts last year, the 25-year-old blueliner notched two goals and 13 assists. If he can avoid an extended stint on the shelf, Helleson could reach the 20-point threshold for the first time in his career.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Could be ready for Opening Night
Rotowire
Helleson (lower body) will be out for at least one week, but he could be available for the start of the regular season, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Helleson will miss the rest of the preseason after he logged only 9:08 of ice time in Sunday's 6-2 win over San Jose. He produced two goals, 15 points, 39 shots on net, 79 blocked shots and 63 hits in 60 appearances for the Ducks during the 2025-26 regular season.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: No longer dealing with injury
Rotowire
Helleson (undisclosed) isn't listed as injured on the Ducks' training camp roster.
Helleson missed the end of Anaheim's postseason run due to an undisclosed injury, but he should be fully healthy for the start of training camp ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Across 60 regular-season appearances last year, he recorded two goals, 13 assists, 79 blocked shots, 63 hits and 20 PIM while averaging 16:58 of ice time.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Missing out Thursday
Rotowire
Helleson (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup versus Vegas in Game 6 on Thursday, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Helleson will be sidelined for his third consecutive contest, having been out of action for Games 4 and 5. Even when healthy, Helleson doesn't offer enough fantasy upside given his offensive limitations. As such, few fantasy managers will be anxiously awaiting his return to the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Remains unavailable
Rotowire
Helleson (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup for Game 5 versus Vegas on Tuesday, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.
Helleson is stuck in a 61-game goal drought dating back to Oct. 23 versus the Bruins, a lengthy stretch without finding the back of the net. During his slump, the blueliner recorded only 34 shots, so fantasy managers probably shouldn't be expecting much from him offensively even if he does return to action.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Considered day-to-day
Rotowire
Helleson (undisclosed) won't be an option for Game 4 against Vegas on Sunday, according to Derek Lee of The Hockey News.
Helleson is dealing with a day-to-day injury and will miss at least one game. He has contributed one assist, five shots on net and nine hits in eight appearances this postseason. Radko Gudas (lower body) will be a game-time decision for Sunday's Game 4 matchup against the Golden Knights. If Gudas can't play, Ian Moore or Olen Zellweger could replace Helleson in the lineup.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Bags pair of apples
Rotowire
Helleson notched two assists and two hits in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Sharks.
Helleson has gotten in the lineup twice in the last three games, as Pavel Mintyukov (lower body) and Radko Gudas (lower body) are both battling injuries. The 25-year-old Helleson is still limited to third-pairing minutes, so he's unlikely to be a major force on offense. He's earned 14 points, 36 shots on net, 59 hits, 75 blocked shots, 20 PIM and a minus-6 rating over 55 outings this season.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Losing playing time
Rotowire
Helleson has been scratched in eight of the Ducks' 13 games since the Olympic break after sitting out Friday's 4-1 win over the Mammoth.
Helleson's drop in playing time is partly a product of the arrival of John Carlson in a trade from the Capitals. The Ducks have occasionally gone to seven defensemen in the lineup, but that's not what they're currently doing, though Helleson has yet to sit more than four games in a row at any time this season. The 24-year-old has 12 points, 35 shots on net, 57 hits, 73 blocked shots and a minus-7 rating over 53 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Ends drought Monday
Rotowire
Helleson registered an assist, two PIM and a plus-2 rating in Monday's 5-3 win over the Rangers.
Helleson snapped a 25-game point drought when he set up the first of Cutter Gauthier's two goals in the contest. The 24-year-old Helleson was scratched six times during the slump, but the Ducks have often opted to dress seven defensemen during their current rough patch of injuries. He's now at 10 points, 31 shots on net, 46 hits, 63 blocked shots, 14 PIM and a minus-10 rating over 43 appearances this season.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Stuck in skid
Rotowire
Helleson's point drought reached 12 games in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Blackhawks.
The Ducks saw 14 different skaters get on the scoresheet, but Helleson was one of the four who didn't. He has gone minus-2 with nine shots on net, 24 blocked shots and eight hits during his 12-game slump. On the year, he's at nine points, 27 shots on net, 30 hits, 43 blocked shots and a minus-2 rating across 29 appearances. With his physicality also trending down, his fantasy appeal is heavily limited.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Nets second goal of season
Rotowire
Helleson scored a goal on two shots and blocked two shots in Thursday's 7-5 win over the Bruins.
Helleson has two goals and a helper through seven appearances this season. The defenseman has been steady enough to move up to the top pairing alongside Jackson LaCombe after beginning the season on the third pairing. Helleson has some sneaky offense -- he put up 13 points in 56 regular-season games for the Ducks in 2024-25. This year, he's added 10 shots on net, six blocked shots, five hits and a minus-3 rating, but he should get better over time as he adjusts to a larger role. Helleson is in line for bigger minutes as long as Radko Gudas (lower body) is unavailable.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Finds twine Tuesday
Rotowire
Helleson scored a goal on three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 4-3 win over the Penguins.
Helleson gave the Ducks a 3-2 lead midway through the second period on a set-up from Chris Kreider. The goal was Helleson's first point in three games, and he's added five shots on net, two blocked shots, one hit and a minus-1 rating this season. The Ducks are carrying just six blueliners early in the year, so the 24-year-old doesn't appear to have a reason to worry about his playing time. It wouldn't be surprising to see the Ducks for their five-game road trip, which begins Sunday in Chicago.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Pens two-year deal
Rotowire
Helleson signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with Anaheim on Friday.
Helleson established himself on the Anaheim blue line in 2024-25, playing 56 regular-season games. The 24-year-old, who was selected in the second round, 47th overall, in 2019 by Colorado, generated four goals, nine assists, 47 PIM, 99 hits and 73 blocked shots. He is slated to play on the third unit, alongside Olen Zellweger.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Posts helper Monday
Rotowire
Helleson logged an assist and six PIM in Monday's 3-2 win over the Oilers.
Helleson ended a five-game point drought when he set up Cutter Gauthier's second goal of the game. The 24-year-old Helleson has been a regular in the Ducks' lineup since late January, and he's put together a decent first full NHL campaign. He's up to 13 points, 56 shots on net, 89 hits, 67 blocked shots, 43 PIM and a plus-10 rating over 51 appearances in a bottom-four role.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Gathers assist in win
Rotowire
Helleson notched an assist, two shots on goal, four hits and a plus-2 rating in Wednesday's 6-2 win over the Bruins.
Helleson has a pair of helpers over his last three games, an improvement on the four-game point drought that preceded this stretch. The 24-year-old defenseman is holding steady in a third-pairing role in the late stages of the campaign. He's up to 12 points, 48 shots on net, 81 hits, 60 blocked shots, 33 PIM and a plus-8 rating through 45 contests.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Pair of points in loss
Rotowire
Helleson scored a goal on two shots, added an assist, logged two hits, blocked three shots and went plus-2 in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Ducks.
Helleson has three points over his last two contests after going 13 games without getting on the scoresheet. The 23-year-old's path to playing time is clear following the trade that sent Brian Dumoulin to the Devils, though Helleson has seen less time in the press box than Pavel Mintyukov or Olen Zellweger this season. Overall, Helleson has 10 points, 42 shots on net, 66 hits, 52 blocked shots, 31 PIM and a plus-2 rating across 38 appearances.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Gets on scoresheet with goal
Rotowire
Helleson scored a goal on three shots, added five hits and blocked three shots in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Islanders.
Helleson snapped a 13-game point drought with his second-period tally. The 23-year-old has been a regular in the Ducks' lineup since Jan. 23 -- he was scratched four times in five games before that, but his recent lack of offense has yet to cost him playing time. For the season, Helleson has eight points, 40 shots on net, 64 hits, 49 blocked shots, 31 PIM and an even plus-minus rating through 37 appearances in a third-pairing role.
... See More... See Less
Ducks' Drew Helleson: Solid contributions to victory
Rotowire
Helleson held a plus-2 rating and blocked two shots in Thursday's 5-2 victory over the Canucks.
Helleson hasn't recorded a point in nine games, but showings like this one display the value he has. The 23-year-old's game currently isn't flashy, but there's certainly room to grow for the rookie. However, with the Ducks fully healthy on defense, Helleson yields little value to fantasy managers this season.
