MIGHTY DUCK NOTEBOOK / ROBYN NORWOOD : Hebert Full of Incentive Now

Guy Hebert got his assignment for the next three seasons this month when he signed a new contract with the Mighty Ducks.

Take them to the playoffs.

Bonuses are at the heart of Hebert’s new deal, with the Ducks willing to open the bank doors wide if their goaltender can get them to the postseason.

“Basically, if he maxes out on the bonuses, we’ll be in the playoffs,” said General Manager Jack Ferreira, who compares a top-notch goalie to a dominating pitcher in baseball--a player who can keep a team rolling in good times and almost single-handedly halt a losing streak.

Hebert will make at least $800,000 this season, at least $900,000 next season and at least $950,000 the next. But if the team reaches the postseason or he meets other high-performance standards, his salary next season could jump to $1.3 million.

They don’t throw money around at Disney Sports Enterprises, but President Tony Tavares said, “I’d be happy to write that check.”

The deal is complicated--”I’ve had to read it through a couple of times,” Hebert said--and bonuses are triggered by a variety of accomplishments, both for the team’s performance and his own.

For example, if the team has a winning record, Hebert’s check gets bigger. Ditto if he is in the top five in the NHL in goals-against average or save percentage. It doesn’t take much calculating to figure if Hebert has stats like those, the Ducks are doing pretty well.

“This is an interesting contract,” Hebert said. “I don’t really like having incentives because of the opportunity to get too fixated, thinking, ‘I need five more wins.’ But this is more team-oriented.”

That’s an important distinction, because as Coach Ron Wilson noted, “It’s scary when you pay people for scoring 50 goals and it doesn’t matter if they’re minus 50 [on the plus-minus scale.]”

Hebert cites a different case in point. Last season, he got angry at his teammates for blowing a 4-1 lead against San Jose, even though they won, 5-4. “I was livid,” he said, because it is not the way a good team plays.

As his grumbling continued later that night at dinner, Hebert’s girlfriend, Sarah--who became his wife this summer--made a point. His teammates had actually made him money, because he got a bonus for winning a one-goal game.

Hebert made $535,500 last season and originally was seeking a contract that would pay him on par with the NHL’s other starting goalies, who averaged $1.2 million.

But he admits it’s hard to gauge what you’re worth--especially when his buddy Curtis Joseph is sitting at home without a contract after being traded to Edmonton in one of the many befuddling moves of Coach/General Manager Mike Keenan.

“I can say I’m as good as Bill Ranford, statistically, and he signed for $3 million,” Hebert said. “But he’s also won Stanley Cups.

“Everybody wants to make as much money as possible, there’s no question about it. But I’m the happiest kid on the block. This is a great place to play, I’m playing all the time and I’m making more money than I ever imagined.”

Duck Notes

The uncertainty created by the NHL’s new entry-level salary system has led the Ducks and the agent for No. 4 overall pick Chad Kilger to take a wait-and-see approach. “We’re resolved to wait until the others determine what the market is,” agent Larry Kelly said after meeting with GM Jack Ferreira on Wednesday, adding that talks are “very civilized” and he expects to have a deal by the end of the month. Though unsigned, Kilger is in camp and playing well after the Ducks made an irrevocable three-year, $2.3-million offer, which is $250,000 under the $850,000-a-year cap and doesn’t yet include any negotiated performance bonuses. Such bonuses are the remaining route for top rookies to earn the seven-figure salaries they have in recent years, but Kelly said he is “not asking for the moon” in bonuses. . . . Defenseman David Karpa, who underwent surgery on his improperly healed right wrist last May, is playing at about 85% after having the cast removed a few weeks ago. He is expected to be 100% by the start of the season Oct. 9 at Winnipeg. . . . The Ducks open their nine-game exhibition schedule Sunday at Dallas. The first home exhibition is Sept. 20 against Washington.