Ultimately, Ryan Getzlaf wasn’t moved at this year’s NHL Trade Deadline. It sounds like a couple of teams had expressed interest, but the forward didn’t want to leave Anaheim. The veteran forward is happy there and has no real desire to leave, despite a rebuild (or major retooling) like on the horizon for the organization.
Getzlaf has spent his entire career in Anaheim but he’s a seasoned NHL performer with a ton of playoff experience. While expensive, there were a few deals that took place over trade deadline weekend where big salaries were moved thanks to the help of a third team that brokered deals to bring individual cap hits down to a point where the contract s were manageable. As such, there was a chance Getzlaf could have been moved, if he’d so desired. He didn’t.
The 35-year-old pending free-agent met with the media recently and talked about his persona situation on trade deadline day:
I don’t want to dig too much into the details of everything. (General manager Bob Murray) was approached by a few different teams. Vegas, being one of them, I think, at some point. Were they part of the mix? I’m sure. They’re a contender in our division.
How the Golden Knights would have worked that salary situation, even with the help of a third team is unclear, but it seems clear they were interested. The player himself seems to have acknowledged as much.
Among the other teams rumored to be interested were the Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens.
What’s Next For Getzlaf
As a pending UFA, Getzlaf and the Ducks will need to make a decision on his future. The most likely outcome is that he’ll sign a low-cost, one-year extension to stay with the team. They know he doesn’t want to play anywhere else and he knows that he’d have to go elsewhere to make a lot more money. Four goals and 16 points in 38 games doesn’t exactly scream high-cost signing.
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