Canucks coach Green on Pettersson, Hughes and Podkolzin
Sportsnet 650: Vancouver Canucks head coach Travis Green on RFA forward Elias Pettersson and defenseman Quinn Hughes” I’m not worried that it won’t get done. The team knows and they know the importance of training camp. I’m expecting both players will be in camp and have a strong desire to have a better year than the team did last year.”
Sportsnet 650: Green on Vasili Podkolzin: “He’s a really good young player and I have high hopes for him. I’m also realistic that he’s a young player with a bright future and we have to bring him along the right way. I’m hoping he can play as many minutes as he wants and we want.”
Fehervay could get squeezed and the difficulty of trading Kuznetsov
Tarik El-Bashir of The Athletic: (mailbag) The Washington Capitals salary cap situation could mean that Martin Fehervary could get squeezed off the Caps blue line if there is an injury or if they bring in another defenseman. Sending him to the minors may only be temporary.
Have the sense that if the Capitals were going to trade Evgeny Kuznetsov this offseason they would have done so by now. Have mentioned numerous times that trading Kuznetsov wouldn’t be easy for reasons being:
- “He counts $7.8 million against the cap this season AND the three seasons that follow.
- He has a 15-team no-trade clause, giving him a measure of control over the situation, and he likes it here.
- The Caps would have to get a top-six center in return. Not a third center, not a winger who’s played some in the middle, a legit first- or second-line center.”
Teams that lose out on Jack Eichel whenever he gets traded could then turn to the Caps.
Looking ahead into the season and at the trade deadline, the Caps could look for a rugged defenseman to fill the void left by Brenden Dillon and Zdeno Chara.