On the Colorado Avalanche …
Terry Frei of the Denver Post: Jarome Iginla‘s trade request to playoff team is still on the table.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” Iginla said. “I just want to play each game, and play as hard as I can and try to be good for the team. A lot’s out of (my) control, and I’m trying to be positive.”
Teams know he’s available and have been scouting the Avalanche, including 24 watching the Avs-Sabres.
Iginla has only seven goals and nine assists in 57 games this season.
Iginla on if this year could be last year in the league, by his choice or teams not interested.
“I’ll be dead honest,” he said. “I don’t know. We’ll see how the last third of the season goes and see where I’m at and how I’m feeling. Honestly, I really don’t know. I don’t know if it will be this year or one more year, I have no idea. I’ve said before, I’d watch older guys say they didn’t know (if they were retiring), and I’d say, ‘Aw, you know what you’re doing.’ And now I really don’t and I totally understand where they were coming from.
“So I’m really not trying to look too far ahead. There are too many unknowns. I just want to enjoy competing.”
On the San Jose Sharks …
Kevin Kurz of CSN Bay Area: Sharks GM is a noted tire kicker, but he’s surely talking to teams for anything that could help them out.
The Sharks could be looking for a backup goaltender and a scoring winger.
Aaron Dell has played really well, but the uncertainty if he could handle the starters job if Martin Jones were to get injured.
Available goalies could include Ben Bishop, Ondrej Pavelec, Jaroslav Halak, Steve Mason, and Michal Neuvirth.
CSN analyst Keith Jones.
“I think you might just want to take a chance with your backup a little more frequently,” Jones said. “You may want to sacrifice a few games along the way. gains some experience, and Jones gets some rest.”
There is a strong case that the Sharks need another scoring winger. They haven’t been able to find a winger to play with Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski.
Options could be Patrick Shark, Patrick Eaves, Shane Doan, Jarome Iginla, Thomas Vanek, Alexandre Burrows and Jannik Hansen.
Sharp might be the most intriguing off that last due to his playoff experience and three Stanley Cups. He does carry a $5.9 million cap hit, so they’d have to move some salary around.