Teemu Selanne isn’t just watching the Ducks’ offseason from a distance - he’s talking through the biggest questions right alongside the fan base.
In a recent Instagram conversation with his daughter Veera, Selanne dug into Anaheim’s situation with Leo Carlsson, the contract landscape around Cutter Gauthier, and the possibility of Patrik Laine landing with the Ducks. The former Anaheim star was blunt about the long-term risk of the team having more than $30 million tied up in Carlsson and Gauthier, saying that kind of cap commitment can hurt a club down the road. Veera pushed back with the idea that the NHL salary cap should be higher, and Selanne responded with a joke that she should be the league’s commissioner.
He also made it clear that getting Gauthier settled matters, especially with training camp looming. In Selanne’s view, missing camp puts a player in a bad spot quickly. If that happens, he said, you “are behind the eight ball for a long time.”
The Laine chatter was the most intriguing part of the exchange. Selanne called the winger “an interesting guy” and said he’s “a very individual athlete,” but one who can still make a huge impact if the fit is right. He stressed that Laine needs a coach and management group that genuinely want him and know how to handle him.
Selanne laid it out plainly: “Yeah, that’s very interesting. I think the news already came out that they have been talking and stuff.
Patrik Liane is an interesting guy. I think he’s a very individual athlete, and if he plays for the team and the coach who really wants him play well, he can help the team so much.
But again, he has a little different approach than maybe some other players. And sometimes some guys or coaches, they don’t necessarily like that.
But if he gets a team who really wants him, the management want, and the coach really want, and the coach wants Patrik Laine to be a great player, he will be a great player because he has a lot to offer.
But you just have to understand him and approach him a little bit different than other players. So let’s see.
I hope he’s going to find a way to get back in the NHL and play well. Like I said, he has a lot of potential.
So I don’t know, maybe the Ducks are going to have him.”
When asked about Laine again, Selanne wasn’t ready to say the Ducks were definitely in. He said Laine “lives by his own performance” and that he “has potential and (is) high maintenance, but if you can find a coach who understands that and wants him to play, he can do some damage.”
Anaheim’s cap picture could still leave room for a move. Depending on how the roster settles, the Ducks may have about $3 million available to sign Laine or another player. There’s also a path to more flexibility if they place Troy Terry on LTIR.
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Ducks Camp Opens With A Roster Concern Fans Didn't Want
Training camp had barely gotten underway when the Ducks were already dealing with some familiar early-season discomfort. Anaheim opened camp with a few absences, including forward Ryan Poehling, who did not attend practice, while defenseman Ian Moore and forward Herman Traff were also unavailable as the club got its first look at the roster in a competitive setting.
The injury list is the part Ducks fans will be watching most closely, especially with depth battles starting to take shape and reps at a premium. Moores absence adds an immediate wrinkle on the back end, and Poehlings status leaves another question hanging over the forward mix as Anaheim moves deeper into camp and tries to sort out who can stay on the ice. [Read more 🡒]