It looks like the Anaheim Ducks will have to wait until next month to see if Teemu Selanne will play for them this season. Selanne reportedly has told a newspaper in his native Finland that he plans to wait until September to make a decision on whether to return for his 20th NHL season.
The Ducks star had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in June and wants to let the knee heal before announcing his plans, according to Ilta-Sanomat, the second-largest newspaper in Finland. Selanne, who also had reconstructive knee surgery during the 2004-05 work stoppage, has been working out in Finland since the surgery. He is an unrestricted free agent, but has indicated that the Ducks are the only team he would play with.
Selanne, who turned 41 on July 3, finished 2010-11 with 31 goals and 80 points in 73 regular-season games, his most productive season since 2006-07. He joined Gordie Howe and Johnny Bucyk as the only players in NHL history to average more than a point a game for a full season after turning 40.
He was particularly strong during the Ducks’ stretch run and into the playoffs. Selanne had 20 goals in Anaheim’s last 16 regular-season games and added 6 goals and 1 assist in a six-game loss to the Nashville Predators in the first round of the playoffs.
If Selanne needs any incentive to return, he got one from the NHL schedule-maker: The Ducks open their season Oct. 7 in Helsinki.
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