Ducks Yet to Net Giguere

The Mighty Ducks will open training camp Thursday and it is increasingly likely that they will be without goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Duck officials and Giguere, a restricted free agent, have reached an impasse, said Duck General Manager Bryan Murray. Giguere, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP last season, is believed to be seeking a deal that would make him one of the highest-paid goalies in the NHL. He made $900,000 last season, the second year of a two-year, $1.6-million contract.

“You have to do fair contracts, for the player and the organization,” Murray said. “We offered a very, very fair contract, in my opinion.”

Winger Petr Sykora led the Ducks with 34 goals last season, and Murray said he was confident that a deal with Sykora was close. He was less optimistic about Giguere’s situation.

Negotiations continue, but the sides were $3 million apart as of Monday, according to a hockey source. The Ducks are believed to have offered a deal worth $4 million a season.

“Hopefully, we will come to terms,” said Robert Sauve, Giguere’s agent. “Right now, there is enough of a difference to not have a deal.”

Giguere’s negotiations may be influenced by those of Dallas goalie Marty Turco, who also remains unsigned. The goalies are comparable in age and ability. Turco, 28, had a 1.72 goals-against average last season. Giguere, 26, had the third-longest shutout streak in NHL history at 237 minutes 7 seconds during the regular season and went 217:54 without allowing a goal in the playoffs.

Sources in Dallas said Turco was asking for about $4.5 million a season, whereas the Stars are offering slightly more than $3 million.

A year ago, Montreal’s Jose Theodore, 27, cashed in on his Hart Trophy season. He signed a five-year, $26.5-million contract. Then his numbers on the ice also went up considerably. His 2.11 goals-against average of 2001-02 climbed to 2.90 last season.

How much the Ducks can afford to pay is also a factor. Murray said he had a budget from Disney, which owns the Ducks, that he would not surpass. He already has signed Sergei Fedorov to a five-year, $40-million contract and Vaclav Prospal to a three-year, $16.5-million deal. Both contracts are front-loaded. Fedorov will make $10 million next season and Prospal $6.5 million.

Beyond money issues, a lengthy holdout could be disastrous for the Ducks, who are coming off an amazing playoff run that was fueled by Giguere. He had five shutouts, finishing with a 1.62 goals-against average and .945 save percentage in leading the Ducks to the Stanley Cup final, where they lost to New Jersey.

A year ago, San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov, one of the top young goalies in the NHL, held out for nearly a month into the regular season, then signed a two-year contract worth $7.15 million.

By then, though, the damage was done and the Sharks never recovered, going from being a trendy pick to win the Stanley Cup to missing the playoffs.

The fallout cost General Manager Dean Lombardi and Coach Darryl Sutter their jobs.

“I talked with [San Jose General Manager] Doug Wilson and he said that the problem was with the players,” Murray said. “I’m hoping that won’t be the case here.”

The Ducks may not face the same fate, but after a summer of retooling, a lengthy holdout could disrupt the momentum they have gathered since their run to the final.

They allowed team captain Paul Kariya to leave as a free agent, but filled his skates by signing the multitalented Fedorov. They also signed Prospal as a free agent.

However, the Ducks’ chances of repeating as Western Conference champion will hinge largely on Giguere, who has established himself as one of the top young goalies in the NHL.

The Ducks have Martin Gerber, who is considered one of the NHL’s top backup goalies, and Ilya Bryzgalov, one of their top prospects. But Murray said, “Giguere is our No. 1 goalie.”

How this will affect the team remains to be seen.

“The biggest concern ... I just hope for Jiggy’s sake, that it gets worked out soon,” said Steve Rucchin, who was named the Ducks’ captain Monday, replacing Kariya.

“It’s not a fun situation to be in,” Rucchin said. “Of course, you want to see everybody here at the start of camp.... Obviously, both sides need to do what they need to do. We all know Jiggy and we all know he wants to be here.”

Rucchin played during Kariya’s holdout in 1997-98. Kariya did not sign until December and by then, the Ducks’ season had unraveled.

“It occupies your mind,” Rucchin said.

“It’s a team. [Giguere] is part of a team. You want everyone to be together and ready to go. It’s still a little early to speculate. We’re all pretty confident something will get worked out.”