Move for May brings toughness

General Manager Brian Burke has said that he wants his bottom six forwards to display the “requisite level of pugnacity, truculence, belligerence, hostility and testosterone.” Brad May fits that blueprint down to the last syllable.

The Ducks’ newest acquisition brings his 2,027 penalty minutes and 16 years of feistiness to a team that’s long on both. May, 35, has played for four teams, including the last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

“I wish I could come in and shore up the power play,” joked May, who’s never had more than 18 goals in a season. “One thing I do know is I know my role. I know my limitations and my capabilities. For the most part, I stay within that framework.”

It’s no secret that May is a Burke favorite. The winger, who racked up 309 penalty minutes in his rookie season, had two stints in Vancouver when Burke was the Canucks’ general manager.

After trading for the well-traveled forward Tuesday, Burke said that May is “tougher than a night in jail.” But the left wing underwent reconstructive shoulder surgery in September and sat out the first 53 games this season with Colorado after hurting himself in a preseason fight.

“The big thing is being able to get over the reservation of the anticipation of getting hurt,” May said. “I got hurt when I was in perfect health. I have no fears.”

Coach Randy Carlyle said May has the ability to play on a number of lines and envisions using him in a role similar to that of ex-Duck Todd Fedoruk.

“He’s a veteran guy that’s been able to provide leadership, energy and toughness,” Carlyle said. “He’s been able to play in various situations for other groups. We’ll see how he fits with ours. We’re not afraid to experiment with people.”

In May, Burke said he believes his true value will be measured in the postseason.

“Your toughness has to play in the playoffs and Brad May can do that,” Burke said. “He’s done that for me in the past.”

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Corey Perry wasn’t oblivious to rumors that his name came up in trade discussions. And while he didn’t go anywhere, Perry acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the trade deadline.

“There’s always that tension or that nervousness,” he said. “As a young player, you never know what’s going to happen to you. You just take it day by day and if something happens, it happens.”

He also knows a situation can change in an instant after watching rookie Shane O’Brien get traded over the weekend. But Perry, 22, came away with a new appreciation for Burke, who stuck to his stance and did not deal any of the team’s top young players.

“When you get a guy like that who doesn’t go back on his word and say he’s not just going to go after rental players, and then go ahead and not do it, that’s says a lot,” said Perry, who has 14 goals and 18 assists. “He backs it up.”

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Todd Marchant isn’t making much progress with his strained stomach muscle and it appears that the center will be out for at least another week.

Marchant has been riding a stationary bike and receiving daily treatment, but Carlyle said, “It’s more than day-to-day at this point.”

The veteran forward has missed the last five games and the recurring injury has knocked him out of 11 in all.

“It’s a wait-and-see situation with us and him,” Carlyle said. “Those abdominal things are very tricky.”

eric.stephens@latimes.com