Roussel’s Future in Doubt After Giguere Recalled

The Ducks on Sunday recalled goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere from Cincinnati of the American Hockey League. Giguere is 12-7-2 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage in 23 games for Cincinnati. He also is 0-2 in two starts for the Ducks.

Giguere, 23, was selected last month to play in the AHL All-Star game.

The move leaves Dominic Roussel’s future with the Ducks up in the air. The club assigned him to Cincinnati, but he must first clear waivers before he can play. A team official would not say whether Roussel had cleared waivers.

Roussel has been Guy Hebert’s backup for the last 2 1/2 seasons, but is only 2-5-2 with a 2.85 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage in 13 appearances this season. Roussel was in net for the Ducks’ 3-2 overtime victory Wednesday against the Florida Panthers, making 23 saves.

Neither Roussel nor Pierre Gauthier, team president and general manager, were immediately available for comment. Giguere is expected to join the Ducks today. Cincinnati’s next game is Friday.

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Officially, the Ducks say Paul Kariya will be sidelined for another seven to 10 days because of a broken bone in his right foot. Kariya says there is no timetable for his return, however.

Kariya, injured when he blocked a shot in the Ducks’ victory Dec. 17 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, is still on crutches. Recently, he has begun putting weight on his foot while wearing a “moon boot,” which protects and supports it.

“We keep X-raying it to make sure everything is OK,” said Kariya, who had a team-leading 12 goals and 32 points when he was injured. “I don’t have a timetable right now, but every day it feels better.”

Kariya has broken different bones in his foot three times in as many seasons while blocking shots.

“I don’t think this break is as bad as last year’s,” he said.