On the Vancouver Canucks …
- Thomas Drance of Sportsnet: The Vancouver Canucks were built this season to compete for a playoff spot, but to also have an eye on building for the future. They have lost 13 of their last 16 games. They are a playoff spot, but only four points out of last place. If the Canucks get things back on track and they remain in the playoff hunt, they’ll be tempted to hold on to their pending UFAs.Radim Vrbata and Dan Hamhuis will be UFAs at seasons end. Both could get trade interest and both have no-trade clauses.Brandon Prust could also interest teams.Drance thinks they could also explore the idea of trading the contracts of Chris Higgins or Alex Burrows to create future flexibility.
- Chris Nichols on Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie on TSN 1040 on the Vancovuer Canucks and Radim Vrbata.
“Well, I don’t think there’s any question for now they’re keeping him. Obviously, come February 29th, if they’re in dire straits and not in the playoffs, then you’ve got to contemplate all of the options open to you – whether it’s Vrbata, Hamhuis, or anybody you don’t have signed for next year.
“But let’s make no mistake. The ownership group in Vancouver – as well as Trevor Linden, Jim Benning – the goal is to be competitive. The goal is to try and make the playoffs. And you’re not going to do that if you just dump all your assets for future considerations.
“Now, do they have an eye on the future? Absolutely they do. But they never lose sight of the fact that the mandate from ownership of the Vancouver Canucks is, ‘Try very hard to make the playoffs. Try very hard to be competitive while we filter in the young players that were drafted.’ “
On the Pittsburgh Penguins …
- Chris Nichols of Today’s Slapshot: Bob McKenzie on TSN 1050 radio on the Penguins.
“But you’re right, they’ve got to get more goal scoring. I think they’re looking hard at trying to make some trades. They’re trying to find a puck-moving, top-4 defenseman. They’re still continuing to look for an elite level, skill guy that could play alongside Sidney Crosby, because now that Kessel hasn’t had the chemistry with Crosby.
“But those are hard deals to make for a team that have cap issues, that have used up a lot of their currency with first round picks, and other draft picks, and younger players from their system. So it’s not an easy challenge to bolster your lineup via trade when you have the cap issues and have spent the kind of currency that you’ve spent if you’re Pittsburgh.”