Giguere looking at a big raise

Positioning themselves to contend for the Stanley Cup for more seasons than this one, the Ducks passed out contract extensions in the summer.

Chris Kunitz and Andy McDonald each got one. So did Samuel Pahlsson. How about you, Francois Beauchemin?

And then there are the superstars -- Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger -- and the role players -- Todd Marchant and Rob Niedermayer -- who are all signed through at least the next two seasons.

One important piece hasn’t been addressed. Jean-Sebastien Giguere has an expiring contract in July and would love for General Manager Brian Burke to open a dialogue toward keeping him in Anaheim, where he has tended goal for the last six years.

But with the Ducks off to a historic start and directly in the chase for the Cup, Burke doesn’t want his goalie distracted.

“My general policy here is that we do not negotiate contracts during the regular season,” Burke said. “I’m not saying I never would. But in general, I don’t like to even talk after training camp.”

It means Giguere and his agent, Bob Sauve, will wait and listen when Burke is ready to talk. But the price tag is rising as the wins pile up for the 29-year-old impending unrestricted free agent.

Giguere leads the NHL in victories with 21 and is tied for the lead with four shutouts. He is also fifth with a 2.13 goals-against average and fourth with a .925 save percentage.

If he were to continue with the Vezina Trophy-like form, Giguere figures to be in for a raise from the $3.99-million salary he’s earning in the final year of a four-year extension he signed after his breakthrough season in 2002-2003.

Sauve would not discuss any dollar figures. But it stands to reason that the Ducks’ netminder could command $5 million to $6 million a year in the open market, where he could be the jewel of a less-than-stellar crop of free-agent goalies.

For instance, Nashville gave Tomas Vokoun a four-year, $22.8-million extension and Dallas re-signed Marty Turco to a similar deal. Giguere has better numbers than Olaf Kolzig ($5.45 million in 2006-07), Dwayne Roloson ($4.5 million) and Rick DiPietro ($4.5 million), though it can be argued that he is on a much better team than those three.

“The priority now is for Jiggy to keep going the way he is going right now and for the team to win some games,” said Sauve, a former NHL goaltender. “For us, there’s no rush.”

Giguere said he would be open to take a “hometown” discount to stay with the team that gave him his first big break, although adding “it always depends on what that discount is.”

About free agency, he said, “It could be lucrative. But I think at some point in life, you’ve got to think about where you want to play and what you’re looking for. If you look around this dressing room, you know this team is going to be good for a number of years.”

Burke said Giguere is a high priority but decided against offering him an extension because of his injury problems, which hampered his effectiveness in the Western Conference playoffs.

“The other guys were clear situations,” Burke said. “I don’t feel we’re ignoring Jiggy. He knows what we think of him. We love this kid.

“If he wants to stay and we want to him to stay, we will be able to get a deal done.”

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TONIGHT

at San Jose, 7:30, Ch. 56

Site -- HP Pavilion.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Ducks 25-3-6, Sharks 23-10-0.

Record vs. Sharks -- 1-0-0.

Update -- The Sharks made a minor deal with Montreal, swapping veteran defenseman Patrick Traverse for another minor leaguer, defenseman Mathieu Biron. But the biggest move they’ve made of late is calling up rookie winger Joe Pavelski, who has seven goals in his first 11 games.

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eric.stephens@latimes.com