Four years into his pro career, Nic Kerdiles was seeing that there wasn’t a lot of progress being made toward becoming a fixture for his hometown NHL team.



A good part of it was a continual spate of bad luck as concussions and other injuries kept him from the ice. Some of it was offensive numbers that were decent but not eye-popping in the American Hockey League. Some of it was a Ducks roster through additions and subtractions that still kept the left wing blocked at many turns. Some of it was inconsequential minutes in the few games he got with them.



So the 24-year-old sought a change and got one June 30 when the Ducks made a trade with Winnipeg that set him on his way toward a desired new opportunity. And then Kerdiles gave Chase De Leo a call. The two have known each other for years through the Southern California youth hockey circles and became closer since both turned pro.



“It’s kind of funny because I got the call from David [McNab]...