“The short-term goal is him being in our top-nine forwards. We think he can do that. Once he gets there, then we can, perhaps, talk about a longer-term deal.”
“It's an important day for an early settlement. You can always settle when you get to the hearing, but if we're going to settle early we're going to settle (today).”
“He's got to become a better skater and he's got to get stronger. If he gets stronger, he'll become a better skater. He knows that and he's working on that and it's not going to happen over night. It's going to be a gradual thing.”
“He could be a first-line centre in the NHL if he wants to be - if he becomes a better skater and a bit more complete. That's going to take time, though. You don't become a first-line centre in the NHL in a year or two. It usually takes three or four years.”
“His assets are strength and speed. There's no doubt he can skate at this level. He's actually an above-average skater at this level. He just needs experience at this level.”
