Countdown to TradeCentre: Ducks ready to sell UFAs if unsigned

The NHL's Mar. 21 Trade Deadline is approaching and teams are making decisions on whether to buy, sell and decide which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. Check out today's trade rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat. And follow TradeCentre on TSN and TSN.ca through Deadline Day for all the updates.

New Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek is laying his cards on the table ahead of the trade deadline.

Verbeek told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in The Athletic that he intends to move the team's pending unrestricted free agents if they have not been signed an extension before March 21. That list of players includes defencemen Hampus Lindholm and Josh Manson, as well as forward Rickard Rakell, who's on pace to top 20 goals this season.

“I think going into this, I’m looking at it like we could make the playoffs, we could miss the playoffs,’’ Verbeek told LeBrun. “At the end of the day, there’s no guarantee I can get those three free agents back. I’m going to attempt to sign them, if it doesn’t happen, I just can’t let them walk out the door free.’’

LeBrun reported last week that the Ducks have opened extension talks with Lindholm, but the 28-year-old is atop the wish list of many contenders ahead of the deadline. Signed at a cap hit of $5.2 million, Lindholm has five goals and 20 points in 53 games this season. 

Manson, who carries a $4.1 million cap hit, has three goals and seven points in 43 games this season.

Rakell carries the lowest cap hit of the group at $3.79 million. He has 14 goals and 25 points in 45 games this season.

The Ducks, who suffered a 4-0 defeat to the New York Islanders on Sunday, currently sit two points back of the Dallas Stars for the final