The Ducks signed right wing Herman Traff to a three-year entry-level contract beginning in the 2026-27 NHL season. Traff will join the San Diego Gulls, Anaheim's primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League, for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on an amateur tryout (ATO).
Traff, 20 (12/31/05), scored 23-18=41 points in 51 games with Oskarshamn of HockeyAllsvenskan in Sweden's second division this season, leading the league in power play goals (12), while ranking fifth in goals and tied for eighth in scoring. His 23 goals were two shy of the Allsvenskan single-season record for goals by a player 20 or younger (Jonathan Dahlen, 25 in 2017-18). Traff also led Oskarshamn in goals, ranked second in points and third in assists. In three 2026 HockeyAllsvenskan playoff contests, Traff tallied three assists (0-3=3) while helping the club advance to the Quarterfinal round.
The 6-3, 216-pound forward appeared in 25 Swedish Hockey League (SHL) games with HV71 in 2024-25, scoring 3-4=7 points with 29 penalty minutes (PIM). Among players 19 and younger in the SHL, Traff ranked tied for 10th in points per game (.28). He also scored 3-3=6 points in nine games on loan at Nybro of the HockeyAllsvenskan last season.
The Växjö, Sweden native appeared in 68 career HockeyAllsvenskan contests with Oskarshamn, Nybro and Vasteras, recording earned 27-23=50 points and 67 PIM. Originally selected by New Jersey in the third round (91st overall) of the 2024 NHL Draft, Traff scored 25-18=43 points in 60 career Sweden junior league contests. Traff represented Sweden at the 2025 World Junior Championship, scoring two goals in seven tournament games.
