On the Chicago Blackhawks …
Mark Lazerus: Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk on the trade speculation: “You can’t worry yourself with stuff like that.” … “You’ve got to come to work every day and that type of stuff, you don’t control, so you can’t really pay it much attention.”
On the Vancouver Canucks, Ryan Miller and LA Kings …
Jason Botchford of the Vancouver Province: Some think the Canucks goalie Jacob Markstrom is ready to become the teams No. 1 starter. A perfect world would see the Canucks trading Ryan Miller to a bounty of draft picks and prospects, but the Canucks aren’t trading Miller. Reasons why the Canucks won’t move Miller.
- GM Jim Benning doesn’t want to move Miller. If he does move him at some point, it will be when their season is deemed over.
- The trade value for Miller isn’t there. He’s 36-years old on an expiring contract and he hasn’t had a save percentage over .919 in seven years. Getting a second round draft pick for him would be a huge value, but can’t see the Canucks getting more than a third round pick. That might be okay at the trade deadline, but not for right now.
- The LA Kings don’t have the salary cap space to take on Miller’s contract.
- The Canucks don’t have a goalie at the moment that is ready to be their backup if they move Miller.
On the St. Louis Blues …
Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Last May Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock said that it would be his last one-year deal and he wouldn’t be coaching after this season. Hitchcock may be changing his tune a bit. If he returns to coaching, it won’t be with the Blues as they have an agreement with Mike Yeo to take over for Hitchcock next season.
“I’m treating it like it’s the last year of my contract,” Hitchcock said. “I’m looking at it like there’s 300 players and probably 20 other coaches just like me. I’m enjoying it. I want to get everything I can out of this year and sit down and sort through things in June, hopefully really late June.
“I don’t really care (if people speculate about him coaching next season). I’m focused on this team, now. I’m no different than anybody else, whether that’s Kevin Shattenkirk or Ken Hitchcock. We’re all in the last year of our contract … It’s the last year of my deal, and let’s see what’s in store after that.”