The Anaheim Ducks made a bold statement yesterday when they agreed to an 8-year $66 million extension with captain Ryan Getzlaf. What exactly was that statement?

Well, for starters it could signify the end of Corey Perry's time in Anaheim. The general consensus around the blogosphere, and the NHL itself, was that Perry would command a higher annual salary than Getzlaf. Now what?

With Getzlaf signed for much more than anybody could have predicted, where does that leave Perry? James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail believes Perry's value could soar well above the $9 million mark.

Some around league expect Perry to get more than $9-million AAV on open market. Was always going to be harder for Ducks to re-sign.

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) March 8, 2013

Are the Ducks willing to even go there? Probably not. Is Perry even worth that kind of money? That's highly debatable. So when Ducks GM Bob Murray decided to ink Getzlaf to his mega-deal they must have known, as Mirtle suggests, it was going to be far too hard to keep Perry in Anaheim. Instead, why not lock up the player (Getzlaf) whom they feel wants to remain a Duck and whom they can build a competitive franchise around?

The Ducks window to re-sign Perry is shrinking fast. If a deal can't be reached, or is even close, than Anaheim has to protect their future and avoid letting Perry walk for nothing (See Parise).

So what's next for Perry? Despite the Ducks record (17-3-3), I believe they will try and trade the 27-year-old. There are certainly several teams that would be willing to pony up the players and picks for services of a perennial 30-40 goal scorer.

Perry's current deal does not include a no-trade or no-movement clause, allowing the Ducks to move him as they see fit. This could make for one of the more interesting trade deadline days in recent memory. The Ducks are definitely buyers and moving a piece of Perry's caliber would require a significant return that would have to benefit Anaheim current roster.

Of course it wouldn't hurt to hold onto to Perry and hope for the best this summer. Who knows, a deep Stanley Cup run could persuade Perry to lower his hometown asking price and stick around for a bit.

But, I doubt it.
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