Tavares Doesn’t Expect Kariya for Opener

ANAHEIM — Mighty Duck president Tony Tavares doesn’t believe all-star left wing Paul Kariya will be signed to a new contract in time to join the team when it leaves Monday for season-opening games next week against the Vancouver Canucks in Tokyo.

“There’s nothing to indicate he will [start the season with the team],” Tavares said Wednesday. “I’d have to be crazy not to worry about that. Any time you take one of the league’s premier players out of your lineup you can’t be excited. We’ll do the best job we can without him.”

No meetings are scheduled between team officials, Kariya and his agent, Don Baizley. The sides haven’t met since a week before training camp opened, when Tavares and General Manager Jack Ferreira visited with Kariya and Baizley in Kariya’s hometown of Vancouver, Canada.

The Ducks have made Kariya two offers, an initial contract worth $25 million over five years that was presented in July and a second, more recent deal believed to be about $7 million per season. The length of the second offer is not known.

The prevailing theory is that Kariya, one of a number of restricted free agents who have not re-signed with their teams, is waiting for either Philadelphia’s Eric Lindros or Pittsburgh’s Jaromir Jagr to sign rich new extensions.

Once Lindros or Jagr signs and a salary standard is established, then Kariya and the others will sign new deals and profit in the end. Or so the theory goes.

“There’s less [urgency] in the situations of Lindros and Jagr because they’re already signed and are playing. They’re just looking for extensions,” Tavares said. “There are other players in the league waiting for those guys. There’s three high-profile players in compensation focus right now: Paul, Lindros and Jagr. The vicious circle is: Who’s going to sign first?

“It’s a strange, strange time in the sport. I wish I had a crystal ball to see how it gets resolved.

“There’s not a lot I can do about it at this point. I just think it’s going to take some time, unfortunately. How much time, I don’t know.”

How much money it will take is also open to debate. According to Tavares, Baizley has yet to make a counteroffer to the Ducks. And that has compounded the situation.

“I wish it was as easy as taking out the checkbook,” Tavares said. “It’s easy to say, ‘Pay him whatever.’ Well, whatever’s got to come from somewhere.”

Tavares said he sympathizes with the fans’ unhappiness over Kariya’s absence. Tavares has received a number of letters, and season tickets are down by about 300 from last season’s figure of slightly more than 12,000.

“If I were a fan, I’d probably be disappointed he’s not here too,” Tavares said. “The fans only have management to vent their anger at. Everybody’s got an opinion on it.

“We’re just in a crazy time right now.”