Major Deal Called Unlikely

As the clock ticks toward the NHL’s witching hour, Mighty Duck General Manager Bryan Murray is being realistic. Whatever deal he might manage by today’s noon trade deadline probably will be a minor one, if there’s one at all.

The Ducks’ rapid rise in the Western Conference has them looking at their first playoff berth since 1999. That doesn’t mean that Murray is ready to upend what he built in one off-season.

Murray would like to find a physical player, or two, to score some goals while being a pain around the net. That is something that probably will have to wait until the off-season.

Still, the Ducks are not bad off. They are in seventh place in the Western Conference and only a collapse will keep them out of the playoffs.

“We know where we are right now,” Murray said. “Other teams can make bigger moves for the short term and pay a bigger price. Teams like Dallas, Detroit, Ottawa, that may feel they are on the bubble to win it all. We aren’t going to pay a huge price unless it’s to bring in a guy who is going to be here for a few years.”

The Ducks already landed such an impact player, acquiring defenseman Sandis Ozolinsh from Florida in a January trade. And that deal came cheap.

Center Matt Cullen and defenseman Pavel Trnka were no longer in the big picture, and Ozolinsh, an exceptional offensive defenseman, is signed through 2004-05.

Murray has been poking around. The Ducks reportedly offered draft picks for Ottawa left wing Magnus Arvedson and were turned down.

They also reportedly made a play for Buffalo’s Vaclav Varada, who was traded to Ottawa instead, and inquired about St. Louis’ Shjon Podein.

Murray said he expected two players out because of concussions, center Andy McDonald and left wing Kevin Sawyer, to return before the season ended. McDonald would boost the offense and Sawyer would make the Ducks tougher.