Corey Perry rumors: How does Ryan Getzlaf contract impact Ducks’ future?

With Ryan Getzlaf under contract, the Anaheim Ducks need to decide if it’s in the team’s best interest to trade Corey Perry in the event that they can’t come to terms on an extension.

by Matt Brigidi

Mar 8, 2013, 6:36 PM UTC

Stephen Dunn

Now that the Anaheim Ducks have signed captain Ryan Getzlaf to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension, all eyes turn to forward Corey Perry.

Coming into the 2013 season, many wondered whether the Ducks would be able to retain the services of either player. However, several reports indicated that Getzlaf was receptive to signing an extension and was likely to remain in Anaheim.

Perry, on the other hand, was presented as an individual interested in testing his value on the free agent market.

While he certainly has earned the right to do so, it creates a difficult situation for general manager Bob Murray. The Ducks currently have the second-most points in the Western Conference and appear to be a serious contender for a lengthy playoff run.

In the event that Perry is unwilling to sign an extension prior to the April 3 trade deadline, does the Ducks’ general manager roll the dice and make a push for the Stanley Cup this season by retaining a player who could walk away via free agency this summer?

Or does he hedge his bets and move Perry as a rental player to another contending team in an attempt to utilize a valuable asset to improve the team moving into the future, even if it impacts the roster in the present?

It's an unenviable position to be in, especially considering that the Ducks lost blue-chip defensive prospect Justin Schultz for free last summer after he refused to sign an entry-level contract with the team. Could the Ducks allow another substantial piece to leave the organization without a return? The potential of a Stanley Cup might be enough to sway the organization to take that chance.

With the trade deadline a little under a month away, it’s safe to assume that this situation will receive a great deal of attention in the coming weeks.