For Once, Jobs Are on the Line at Camp

The theme of past Mighty Duck training camps has centered primarily on injuries and contract squabbles. Job security for veterans was pretty much a non-story.

Got NHL experience? Congratulations, you’re a Duck.

That has changed after Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager, beefed up the roster with a series of off-season moves. In fact, bona fide fights are looming for spots on the second, third and fourth lines.

“Obviously, it’s the most competition we’ve had for jobs since I’ve been here,” said Craig Hartsburg, entering his third season as Duck coach. “For us as coaches there are some changes to make and some options to look at.”

You can all but bet the mortgage that left wing Paul Kariya, center Steve Rucchin and right wing Teemu Selanne will play together again. But the addition of centers Andy McDonald and German Titov and wingers Dan Bylsma, Jim Cummins, Jonas Ronnqvist and Petr Tenkrat through free-agent signings and the draft means the other lines remain to be determined.

The second line could very well be comprised of Marty McInnis, Titov and Mike Leclerc. Ronnqvist, Matt Cullen and Ladislav Kohn could be teamed on a third line. Bylsma, McDonald and Cummins could form the fourth line.

Nothing is set in stone, however.

“We’re evaluating them every day,” Hartsburg said. “We’re not just waiting to see them in the exhibition games. . . . Everybody has been kind of watching the young guys closely at first. [But] a healthy Marty McInnis is going to be a big plus for us. We feel he can be a pretty versatile guy for us.”

McInnis underwent off-season abdominal surgery after scoring only 10 goals and 28 points in 62 games last season.

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Hartsburg isn’t certain how he’ll split up the goaltending duties for the first three exhibition games.

Expect to see a good deal of Dominic Roussel, Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Gregg Naumenko in exhibitions Saturday at San Jose, Sunday against the Kings at Staples Center and Monday against Phoenix at the Arrowhead Pond.

Hartsburg then plans to give Guy Hebert a steady workload in the final five exhibitions. Hebert is trying to rebound from a 28-31-9 record and a 2.51 goals-against average last season.

“We have to make sure we get Guy ready for the season,” Hartsburg said. “We have to make sure he’s sharp and ready to go.”

Roussel and Giguere are locked in a battle for the backup spot. Naumenko is probably ticketed for Cincinnati, the Ducks’ top minor-league affiliate.

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Defenseman Ruslan Salei (strained hip) and winger Kevin Sawyer (strained back) did not participate in workouts for a fifth consecutive day. Hartsburg doesn’t expect Salei to practice until next week at the earliest.