Selanne could be trade fodder as deadline nears
Could Teemu Selanne actually leave the Ducks and play for another team in possibly his final season?
With the Ducks one losing streak away from falling completely out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference, there's been speculation of Selanne possibly heading to a Stanley Cup-contending team by the Feb. 27 trade deadline.
Selanne's visit to Joe Louis Arena on Friday brought forth questions of whether he'd consider a trade to the Detroit Red Wings or any other potential contender if the Ducks go south on their all-important eight-game road trip.
The Red Wings join Los Angeles, San Jose, Chicago and the New York Rangers as teams believed to have a real interest in the 41-year-old winger, who has 655 career goals and would be an immediate upgrade to a team's offensive attack.
Ducks General Manager Bob Murray has said that he has no interest in trading Selanne. It would have to be up to the winger to ask for a deal if the Ducks are out of playoff contention by the deadline but he wouldn't address that possibility before their 2-1 shootout loss to Detroit.
"I have tried to avoid that question," Selanne said. "We still have (hope). Everybody in this room believes that we can make the playoffs and I think that would be almost wrong to even think about any other options. That's not in my mind right now. Let's see what happens.
"But the main focus is right now. Today. This trip is going to pretty much decide which direction we're going to go. Everybody's looking ahead and up. Hopefully we can do it and let's see what happens after that."
When told that Red Wings fans are clamoring for GM Ken Holland to trade for him, Selanne laughed and said, "We don't go that far."
But the Ducks' leading scorer this season and all time acknowledged the trip could have some major consequences with them sitting 10 points out of a playoff spot entering tonight.
"It's important for everybody right now," said Selanne, who has 18 goals and 32 assists. "We know there's urgency and what we have to do. That's the only focus we have right now. Everything else, we have to put aside and forget from now on. We keep fighting as long as we have time."
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