GM’s quiet as trade deadline approaches
The trade market isn’t overflowing with top-flight talent that could be available but there are possibilities. Washington’s Mike Ribeiro, who knows the conference after several years with Dallas, tops the list if he doesn’t sign a contract extension.
Dallas center Derek Roy can also become an unrestricted free agent in July but the Stars might hold onto him, especially with three consecutive games against the Ducks beginning Monday night. Toronto seems playoff-bound and could keep Tyler Bozak.
Buffalo appears ready to ship off more talent. The Sabres would rather deal Drew Stafford than captain Jason Pominville but Stafford has been a major disappointment.
Both Pominville and Stafford are also right wings, which the Ducks are already loaded at, and still have term left on their contracts that likely wouldn’t fit in their salary structure.
There have been quiet rumblings about Andy McDonald’s future in St. Louis but the potential free agent and former Ducks Cup-winning center is also injury prone and the Blues wouldn’t be keen on dealing him away to a potential playoff opponent.
There is also what the Ducks have to use in a deal. They do have their first-round pick in the June draft and a second-round selection that could be at the higher end since it was obtained from the New York Islanders for defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky.
Draft picks figure to be the preferred option than using one of their promising youngsters, who’ll also come in handy in upcoming years to mesh their low salaries with the $23 million spent between Getzlaf, Perry and Ryan.
But the Ducks aren’t stockpiled with selections, which makes the likelihood of an adding talent a tougher task.
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