They May Have to Wing It Without Kariya

Team president Tony Tavares doesn’t believe all-star left wing Paul Kariya will be signed to a new contract in time to join the Ducks when they leave Monday for two games against the Vancouver Canucks in Tokyo.

“There’s nothing to indicate he will [start the season with the team],” Tavares said. “I’d have to be crazy not to worry about that.”

No meetings are scheduled between team officials and Kariya and his agent, Don Baizley. The sides haven’t met since a week before training camp opened, when Tavares and General Manager Jack Ferreira visited with Kariya and Baizley in Kariya’s hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

The Ducks have made Kariya two offers, an initial contract worth $25 million over five years and a second deal believed to be about $7 million per season. The length of the second offer is not known.

Conventional wisdom suggests Kariya, one of a number of restricted free agents who have not re-signed with their teams, is waiting for either Philadelphia’s Eric Lindros or Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr to sign an extension.

Once either Lindros or Jagr signs, then Kariya and the others will sign new deals. Or so the theory goes.

“There’s not a lot I can do about it at this point,” Tavares said of waiting. “I just think it’s going to take some time, unfortunately. How much time, I don’t know.”

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Wednesday at 1 p.m. marked the deadline for teams to submit their lists of protected players for Sunday’s waiver draft. Teams can protect 18 skaters and two goalies. The list of unprotected players will be made available Friday.

The Ducks, who pick 28th overall, selected Kevin Todd in last season’s wavier draft.

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The Ducks lost to the Phoenix Coyotes, 4-2, in an exhibition at the Pond in which five all-stars did not play. Missing for the Ducks were Kariya and goalie Guy Hebert (coach’s decision). Absent for the Coyotes: left wing Keith Tkachuk and defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky (contract disputes) and Jeremy Roenick (coach’s decision).

Ted Drury and Matt Cullen scored for the Ducks (2-2-1). Darrin Shannon had two goals and Brad Isbister and Scott Levins also scored for the Coyotes (4-3).