(VICTOR DECOLONGON/GETTY IMAGES)

In a scene that replays itself with such disquieting regularity that it must feel like Groundhog Day in Anaheim, for the third time since 2003, playoff hockey has seen the emergence of another young Ducks netminder.

On the eve of the 2009-10 NHL regular season, the Ducks find themselves in the familiar and enviable (but deceivingly so) position of having two quality goaltenders, each capable of starting at the pro level.  With careful regard to the context, both past and present, it must be underscored before any legitimate assessment can be made of each netminder’s worth – both to the team and as a commodity on the trading block – that Randy Carlyle is approaching the potential platoon situation with ambivalence and a non-committal attitude, at least for now.

From Adam Brady’s Official Ducks Blog:

More from Carlyle, on who starts in net opening night: “We have a very difficult decision to make before Saturday and we’re making that very shortly. There are some pros for Jonas Hiller to start and there are some cons. We have a 1A and 1B situation.”

The prospect of running with Jonas Hiller has to be tantalizing to the Ducks on a number of levels.  He is younger than former front man Jean-Sebastien Giguere, is arguably more athletic, and makes less money.  The prevailing politics of ageism in professional sports are not shamefully hidden, but championed as the younger, stronger, and more skilled athletes move to push the old guard out the door – and those politics, fair or not, govern decisions like these that teams across the league(s) make on a daily basis.

But they say hell hath no fury like a professional athlete scorned (or something like that).  If anything, last season’s disappointment could serve as a driving force for “Jiggy” this year.  Such an occurrence would not be the least bit surprising, given his well-known competitive streak and refusal to accept less than his best.

It is hard to fault Giguere for his erratic performance last year, its former stoic brilliance appearing only in fits and starts.  Dealing with the death of his father certainly made him a more sympathetic character to potential deriders, and Hiller’s emergence allowed the Ducks to be patient while Giguere sought to right the ship.  Unfortunately for both sides, that never happened – his trademark consistency was gone.

Perhaps more regrettable for Giguere was that the Ducks were better for it, advancing further than most had expected on the shoulders of his former backup.  Almost in spite of the awkwardness a situation like that often demands, both goalies remain insistent on their bond as teammates and supporters of each other, though Giguere has made it known he wants full-time minutes.

That’s where it gets tricky for both sides.  Without being redundantly expositional (given that most of this information is well-known), Giguere has a no-trade clause that the Ducks are unlikely to convince him to waive, unless he so chooses.  It is a matter of family for Giguere, whose son sees a local specialist due to a birth defect that affects his eyesight.  The nationwide scarcity of these specialists makes moving a difficult proposition for the Giguere household.  Only a select few destinations fall within an acceptable proximity to one of these doctors, and the list of potential trade partners for the Ducks shrinks to virtually nothing when overlaying a list of teams in need of starting goaltender with a $6 million price tag.

Another concern looming for Giguere and the Ducks is how he will rebound without longtime friend and mentor Francois Allaire.  Giguere often credits Allaire with rejuvenating his career when he was bouncing around in the AHL.  More importantly, it is likely the two men have developed a rapport with each other, one that won’t be easily replicated with new goaltending coach Pete Peeters.

Now more than ever it is crucial for Giguere to summon all the mental fortitude inside of him to deal with the challenges that lie ahead.  He is back in the position of having to fight for his job and earn his ice time.  He will be facing mounting pressure from the usual suspects – critics who cite his large pads as the reason for his success – and from the new critics who will be wondering aloud if he’s over the hill (32 is practically a dinosaur, if my earlier spiel about ageism is to be taken seriously).  Most importantly, he will have to prove to the fans and the team that he is an asset, not a liability.  That will be no easy task given his contract, but if the desire to disprove his doubters ends up driving him, a return to form would not be out of the question.

On Hiller’s side of the coin, the Swiss expat must feel as though he’s struck the jackpot.  Sure, he had to bide his time playing second-fiddle in Anaheim for the better part of the last two years, but when he had a chance to prove himself, he made the most of the opportunity.  Big time.

When Giguere was not delivering the kind of performances the Ducks needed down the stretch, Hiller stepped in and was virtually unbeatable, a trend that continued right on into the playoffs.  Some would argue that the holes in Hiller’s game were exposed toward the end of the second round series with the Red Wings, but fatigue undoubtedly played a role as most of the Ducks – not just the goalie – ran out of steam.

Fortuitously for Hiller, 2009-10 is a contract year (and perhaps the only better outcome would have been to have 2008-09 be that year, but time will tell).  This puts the Ducks in a conundrum, as they must now decide whether to parlay Hiller into assets via trade while his value is still high, or spend time trying to convince him to re-sign and attempt to deal Giguere.

In many ways, the Ducks have in Hiller what essentially amounts to a spitting image reflection of Giguere.  Aside from catching with opposite hands, both goalies play a classic Allaire butterfly and positional game.  Hiller is unquestionably the more athletic of the two, but lacks the playoff pedigree of his counterpart.

Bob Murray took the route of standing pat in the offseason and letting things play out, a move which could burn the Ducks (if either goalie plays poorly and diminishes their trade value, or if Hiller sets the league ablaze and then bolts) or benefit them immensely (both goalies playing well, effectively helping the team gain wins and increasing the trade value of each).

It is hard to imagine the Ducks once again staying the course, despite the benefits of having two NHL-caliber backstops.  The insurance against injury and poor play is unquestionably comfortable and a luxury, but one few teams can legitimately afford with the salary cap in place.  Better asset management (a frequent target for griping under the Burke regime) would behoove Murray, if only to save the team money and not expressly in the name of on-ice success.

Without getting too philosophical, it appears that, all going well, the Ducks cannot make a wrong choice:  keeping a former Conn Smythe winner coming into a contract year (Giguere in 2010-11) or re-upping with the best goaltender to come out of Switzerland since, er – David Aebischer (bad example, but the point stands).

No matter what decision the Ducks make, I know where I’ll be in the spring of 2012 – laying down a bet in Vegas on whatever playoff rookie is sitting at the end of the Ducks’ bench, waiting for his chance to shine.