Teemu Selanne thinks his future could be decided over the next few days.
That’s what he told the OC Register following Anaheim’s 3-2 loss in Tampa. The Finnish Flash explained how the Ducks’ current eight-game road trip -- which ends Thursday in Carolina -- will play a key role in deciding if he waives his no-trade clause.
“We all knew that this trip is going to be do or die,” Selanne said. “So far we have played so well here that I don’t even have to think about any other options.”
“I know it’s my call. This road trip has helped me a lot.”
While it’s true the Ducks have played well on the trip (4-2-1 thus far), failing to get a point in Carolina could be devastating. Anaheim’s in the unenviable of having to leapfrog five teams just to get into a playoff spot, meaning regulation losses are killer. For example: Should L.A. beat Colorado tonight and Anaheim lose outright in Carolina on Thursday, the Ducks would find themselves eight points out of the playoffs with 21 games left.
At that point, would Selanne start thinking about waiving his NTC for Monday’s deadline?
“You know what, I really believe that we’re going to make it,” he said, deflecting the question. “Like I said earlier, it would be selfish to even think about other options right now.”
But there’s also this, from The Register:
When asked directly if he plans to be with the Ducks for the remainder of the season, Selanne coyly said, “Right now, yeah.”
The wildcard here is what Selanne could fetch Ducks GM Bob Murray on the open market. With Tuomo Ruutu re-upping in Carolina, there’s a real lack of impact forwards available and given the prices teams are currently paying for defensemen...well, just imagine what some GMs would be willing to pay for a point-a-game scorer with over 100 playoff games and a Stanley Cup on his resume.