Ducks' 21-year-old phenom named rising trade candidate after Olympic stardom

Anaheim prospect Damian Clara's impressive play for Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics could make him a trade target.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 7:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Anaheim Ducks prospect Damian Clara, a 21-year-old goaltender, put on an impressive showing while playing for host nation Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. His performance has led to speculation that he could become a trade candidate as the NHL's March 6 deadline approaches, with the Ducks potentially looking to acquire a star player and needing to sacrifice a good prospect to do so.

Why it matters

The Ducks have a young rising star in net with Lukas Dostal, and Clara's Olympic performance may have increased his trade value to the point where the Ducks could leverage him to acquire a high-impact player to help their push towards Western Conference contention.

The details

Clara faced 146 shots in just four games for Italy at the Olympics and managed a .911 save percentage, which was viewed as impressive given Italy was overmatched against powerhouses like Sweden and Finland. While Clara has not been the subject of trade talks so far, the Ducks may find themselves in a position to acquire a star player, and trading a good prospect like Clara could be necessary to make that happen.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics took place in Milan, Italy.
  • The NHL trade deadline is on March 6, 2026.

The players

Damian Clara

A 21-year-old goaltender prospect for the Anaheim Ducks who put on an impressive performance while playing for host nation Italy at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Lukas Dostal

The Ducks' young rising star who is currently entrenched as their No. 1 goaltender.

Matt Larkin

A writer for Daily Faceoff who believes Clara could be a logical trade candidate for the Ducks as the NHL's deadline approaches.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The host Italian team had no chance at a deep run but still hung around in games longer than pretty much anyone expected. A big reason why? The inspired play of Ducks prospect Clara. He faced 146 shots in just four games and managed a .911 save percentage, which was pretty miraculous given he shared a group with mighty Sweden and Finland and surprise Group B winner Slovakia.”

— Matt Larkin, Writer

“As they continue their ascension into a Western Conference contender in the coming years, they may find themselves in a position to acquire a star player, and doing so may require sacrificing a good prospect. Could that be Clara? This could be Anaheim's version of the Florida Panthers trading Devon Levi to the Buffalo Sabres to get Sam Reinhart.”

— Matt Larkin, Writer

What’s next

The Ducks will need to evaluate whether to keep Clara as a long-term backup or explore trading him to acquire a star player ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline.

The takeaway

Damian Clara's impressive performance at the 2026 Winter Olympics has put him on the radar as a potential trade candidate for the Anaheim Ducks, who may look to leverage the young goaltender's rising value to acquire a high-impact player and bolster their push towards Western Conference contention.