On the Vancouver Canucks …
News 1130 Sports: The Canucks and Oilers are on North Dakota free agent defenseman Troy Stecher’s shortlist. Had North Dakota lost last Thursday, the Canucks were offering him to play in their final game of the season, burning a year of a deal.
News 1130 Sports: Thatcher Demko went back to Boston yesterday. The Canucks hope to find out in the next seven to 10 days if he’ll sign with them.
TSN Radio Vancouver: Pending UFA Dan Hamhuis: “I’d like to re-sign. But going thru that trade deadline process, it’s opened my mind to that as well.”
Ben Kuzma: Alex Burrows and his future with the Canucks: “I talked to Trevor and Jim this morning. They’re gathering information and will keep me posted.”
TSN Radio Vancouver: Burrows: “It’s been a great ride, and I’m not willing to give up on it yet. Hopefully I’ll be back and win a Cup someday”
Matthew Sekeres: Chris Higgins said he prefers to play in the NHL somewhere next year and not in the AHL with Utica.
On the Detroit Red Wings …
TSN: Pavel Datsyuk’s decision to leave the Red Wings and return to Russia is not “100 percent.”
“It’s hard to make a 100-per cent decision now. Now it’s just more focus on the playoffs,” Datsyuk said according to NHL.com.
How he and the Red Wings perform against the Lightning could also affect his decision.
” probably have a chance,” the 37-year-old said. “You never know what happens. It’s hard to make a decision on what happens tomorrow, today. But everything is possible. It’s not final decision 100 per cent.”
On SKA of the KHL
Aivis Kalnins: Don’t see how SKA would be able to sign Pavel Datsyuk to a multi-million contract when they already have Slava Voynov and Ilya Kovalchuk.
Igor Eronko: SKA’s GM said that they are trying to sign both Vadim Shipachyov and Evgenii Dadonov. They are certainly interested in Datsyuk.