Hockey Hearsay compiles stories from around the hockey world and runs weekdays, 12 months a year.
CANUCKS’ ROY HUNGRY FOR CUP
The Vancouver Sun points to how ideally strong the Canucks are down the middle with Derek Roy in the mix. But it doesn’t necessarily seem ideal for Roy, a 29-year-old who will be trying to cash in as an unrestricted free agent in July but in Vancouver is playing behind Henrik Sedin and Ryan Kesler.
“I knew that coming into the trade,” Roy said of the depth chart. “I knew that when Kesler comes back, I might be on the third line and playing less minutes. That’s fine with me. I’m just going to try to do as much as I can with the ice time I have, be a good teammate and work as hard as I can to win a Stanley Cup. Everyone in here is trying for that same goal.”
In the last five years, he has played only seven playoff games, which is partly why Roy is so excited to be with the Canucks.
“Those are like the best moments of your life when you go on playoff runs like that,” he said. “The sun starts shining a little brighter and it’s starting to get a little warmer and fans get a little louder; everything is just so much better in a playoff atmosphere. I’m excited to get back to it.”
BUYOUT WON’T FAZE FLYERS’ BRYZGALOV
The Courier-Post asked Ilya Bryzgalov his thoughts on the possibility of being a candidate to be an amnesty buyout by the Philadelphia Flyers. He’s finishing the second season of his nine-year, $51 million contract.
“To be honest, I don’t care,” he said. “Really, I don’t care. I have no control on this, so why should I care?”
Bryzgalov was asked if he’d like to be a Flyer next season.
“You know, I have no control in this,” he said. “I can’t read the people’s mind. I can’t project things what they’re thinking, that’s why I’m not worried about things I can’t control. I maybe want one thing and they want a different thing.”
How will all play out now that Steve Mason, a 24-year-old former Rookie of the Year, is in the fold? Bryzgalov has no idea.
“You’ve gotta understand we’re just employees here and we have front office and coaches who make the decisions with the lineups and what kind of team they created,” Bryzgalov said. “You’ve got to accept it or what are you going to say?”
As a high-paid veteran with a long contract, Bryzgalov could speak his mind more but won’t – not now anyway.
“It’s not about saying it because you have a contract,” he said. “It’s about the respect for management and coaches decisions and not about what you want. They hired them to do the job.”
SALO OPTIMISTIC FOR KARLSSON
The Ottawa Citizen establishes how Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Sami Salo is optimistic for Erik Karlsson’s future following Achilles tendon surgery on his left leg in February.
“Speaking to the specialist who operated on mine — he actually did (soccer star David) Beckham’s Achilles, too — he said it’s actually stronger than your other (tendon),” said Salo, who had Achilles surgery in July 2010. “It shouldn’t be susceptible to any more (injuries), but when you do explosive training, anything’s possible, with all the torque and power you put into different training.
“I’ve met a few track-and-field triple jumpers who had Achilles (surgery) before and they returned to form and jumped longer than before, so (Karlsson’s recovery) shouldn’t be a problem.”
Karlsson returned to skating on Tuesday, although the Senators have offered no timetable for when, or even if, Karlsson could play again this season. Typically, it takes six months to return to action.
CARLYLE LOOKING OUT FOR GARDINER
The Toronto Star details how sophomore defenceman Jake Gardiner has gone from being one the team’s most dynamic players under former coach Ron Wilson to a healthy scratch under Randy Carlyle.
The coach is unapologetic in how he’s handling Gardiner.
“He’s a young player and I’m not going to put him in situations he can’t survive,” said Carlyle. “That to me is the most important thing with our young players. It’s not any different than dealing with Nazem Kadri, Mark Fraser, Cody Franson . . . any player who doesn’t have that experience level behind them.”
Carlyle also offered this: “He’s handled it like a professional. He would like to be in the lineup. It’s the chicken before the egg theory. The coach would say: ‘If you played better you’d play more’ and the player would say: ‘If you’d play me more I’d play better.’ That’s always what you’re dealing with.”
EDMONTON LIKE HOME FOR COYOTES’ DOAN
The Edmonton Journal describes how the last Phoenix Coyotes’ player off the ice at Rexall Place on Tuesday was the 36-year-old captain Shane Doan.
“You’re just like Smytty (Ryan Smyth) … can’t get him off either, and he’s 37,” somebody said.
Doan, who will be digging in for the Coyotes against the Oilers on Wednesday night with ninth-place Phoenix one point up on the home team and the clock ticking on a playoff spot for both desperate clubs, offered up an aw-shucks shrug.
“Yeah, this is like coming home. Edmonton’s my home,” said Doan, who grew up on a ranch a couple of hours away in Halkirk, down by Stettler.
Doan was at Rexall Place a few times while growing up. He never got down to the dressing room area for an autograph. He didn’t know anybody to pull any strings.
“I’d get down by the glass though to watch the warm-ups,” he said. “I was at the Oilers game where Steve Yzerman flipped the puck over Kevin Lowe’s head for an empty-net goal. I was at the game where Neal Broten had a hat trick and I thought to myself, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if some day I got one of those in the NHL?”
Doan has only one hat trick, playing 1,160 games before scoring three goals against the New York Islanders in January 2012.
OTT DEFENDS COMMENTS ON SABRES FANS
The Buffalo News chronicles how Sabres forward Steve Ott didn’t hold back in his assessment of Sabres fans booing the home team in Sunday’s shootout win over New Jersey. These follow-up comments came from WGR Radio.
Pressed on the issue by the WGR host and reminded the fans have many years of frustration built up, Ott didn’t back down.
“I don’t care how frustrated anybody is,” he said. “Negativity breeds negativity and if you want to see a bad product on the ice, continue to boo. What do you expect? You’re obviously going to get a negative result. It would be nice to have the positive atmosphere and maybe that will transition into a heck of a hockey game or maybe even a scoring chance or opportunity. It definitely is very uplifting when the crowd is on your side.”
Read more of those comments, including a link to the audio clip.
The Buffalo News followed up on the issue later Tuesday, asking him how worried he was about the fan booing saga becoming a factor in free agents or other players being willing to come to Buffalo.
“The reason why I care so much is because I have desire to be a Buffalo Sabre for a long time,” Ott said. “I don’t want to go anywhere. I’ve made that quite clear I want to be here for a long time. If I’m a UFA guy or trying to attract players, there’s nothing better than coming into a building knowing, “Wow, this is a fun place to play.’ And that’s obviously concerning in the aspect of UFAs and trying to attract the right players into the Buffalo Sabres.”
He went on to say, “They’re proud, passionate fans. I love it.”
BRODIE REPRESENTS FLAMES’ PRESENT AND FUTURE
The Calgary Herald points out the game has changed for the Flames since the trade deadline with the Jay Bouwmeester and Jarome Iginla trades signalling the official start of a long awaited rebuild.
All eyes are on the kids, like T.J. Brodie, to see where they might fit on the long-term organizational depth chart.
“Right now, he’s logging lots and lots of ice time,” Hartley says. “I see big, big improvement in his defensive game.”
For that, Hartley heaps credit on associate head coach Jacques Cloutier — for countless hours reviewing video with the organization’s No. 1 defensive prospect — and Brodie himself.
“He’s a great young man,” Hartley says. “He wants to learn. He listens, and he applies himself.”
LETANG WAITING FOR 100 PERCENT
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review observes that defenseman Kris Letang’s recovery from toe and groin injuries is taking longer than expected.
Letang has played in one game since injuring his groin March 17 against Boston. After Letang broke a toe against Montreal on March 26, the Penguins announced he would miss seven to 10 days. He has been out two weeks.
Letang said he hasn’t had a setback but is making sure the injury is completely mended before he returns.
“I feel fine. It’s good to be back practicing,” he said. “I want to make sure I’m 100 percent.”
The Penguins play in Tampa on Thursday and at Florida on Saturday. Letang said he could return during one of those games if he “feels comfortable.”
HEATLEY TOAST; HARDING IMPROVING
The St. Paul Pioneer Press relays that Minnesota Wild winger Dany Heatley will miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing shoulder surgery, general manager Chuck Fletcher said Tuesday.
Heatley’s status for the playoffs is unknown, but he is expected to be fully recovered for next season.
Conversely, goalie Josh Harding could be available to join the team soon. He has missed most of the season while treating his multiple sclerosis.
“We’re hoping to get him out with us very soon,” coach Mike Yeo said. “That’s about all I can say on that.”
MARC STAAL WORKS TOWARD RETURN
Newday explains that Marc Staal, who was struck in the right eye by a deflected puck against the Flyers on March 5, said Tuesday that his vision has dramatically improved and he has started skating, wearing a visor. He said he hopes to be back “as soon as possible” but has no timetable.
He said wearing the visor is a necessary adjustment.
“When I start sweating and working hard, it bothers me a bit, but I don’t foresee any problems,” he said. ” . . . When I was hit and on the ice, one of the things that went through my mind was, ‘I should have been wearing a visor.’ ” If mandatory visors were “grandfathered in” by the NHL and NHPLA, he said, he’d vote for it.
He is also prepared to play when his conditioning returns — even if his vision is less than 100 percent.
“There are a lot of guys out there that play without perfect vision in one eye,” Staal said. “It’s just going to be one of those things where you’re out there, letting your more powerful eye take over.”
KOVALCHUK CLOSER TO PLAYING
Fire & Ice relays Ilya Kovalchuk indicated Tuesday he’s still “a few more days” away from being ready to return from his right shoulder injury.
“I don’t know,” Kovalchuk said. “Conditioning-wise I feel good. That never was as a problem. I just want to make sure I’m 100 percent when I’m in contact and I can shoot the one-timers and I can take the hard wrist shots. It’s definitely going to take a few more days.”
Devils coach Pete DeBoer made it clear they’re not going to wait until he’s completely healed.
“I’d take him at less than 100 percent, but he’s got work to do before he’s an option,” DeBoer said.
The Devils will have to be sure Kovalchuk can take a hit on his shoulder and play in the battles along the wall before they can put him in the lineup. He’s not at that point yet.
“We’re not going to put his safety in jeopardy, but we’re not going to wait until he’s 100 percent to get him back in,” DeBoer said. “That’s not realistic.”