"Ducks General Manager Bob Murray probably cost himself some negotiating leverage and big bucks Friday when he called Scott Niedermayer "irreplaceable" and all but begged the smooth-skating defenseman to sign for another season.

It might be worth the elevated price.

With Niedermayer, the Ducks can retain a strong corps of veterans while easing younger legs into the lineup, a process Murray began with late-season trades that transformed them from a bottom-feeder to a playoff upstart that dismissed the top-seeded Sharks in the first round and took the defending Stanley Cup champion Red Wings to seven gritty games.

If Niedermayer retires, right wing Teemu Selanne could follow, despite having a year left on his contract. To a team already thin on its second line -- Murray's other priority -- losing Selanne might trigger a step backward.

Murray said he needs to know Niedermayer's plans before the June 26 draft so he can formulate a strategy.

"He's everything to this group, and I'm going to have to see where he goes before I decide where I go," Murray said Friday during a conference call with reporters.

After Thursday's season-ending 4-3 loss at Detroit, Niedermayer said it was "possible" he had played his last game but hadn't thought things through and promised to decide soon.

His decision will affect whether the Ducks can keep a defense Murray had strengthened by acquiring Ryan Whitney in February and James Wisniewski in March. Wisniewski was a find and Whitney, signed through 2012-13, will someday inherit Niedermayer's role as the primary puck-moving defenseman.

Murray said he would match any offer made to Wisniewski, who can become a restricted free agent July 1. But he's not sure he can retain defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who missed most of the season because of a knee injury but came back to add muscle to the Ducks' playoff run."