Say What - 'Non-Negotiables'

Head Coach Ryan Huska on Dustin Wolf getting the start tonight:

“He's been good and every time he plays, whether for us or the American League team, he gives the team a chance to win. So, we don't expect anything different from him tonight.”

On Wolf learning from Jacob Markstrom this year:

“We all know what Jacob's done this year - and whether it's Dustin or Vladdy (Dan Vladar), I think there's a recognition on both of their parts that there's an elite goaltender and then there's a goaltender. So, they get an opportunity to watch how (Markstrom) goes about his day-to-day routine and whether that's in the dressing room or on the ice for practice. And when you're a younger goalie like both of them are, you can't help but notice the things he does really well and how he puts a lot of pressure on himself to make sure he's the best that he can be every day. So, that's the thing that will rub off on those guys, most definitely.”

On Kevin Rooney’s resurgence this season:

“Kevin changed everything. People don't know that about him. Instead of going back to Boston, he went to LA. He flipped everything around. He trained and worked out in LA to give himself a different feel or a different environment to make sure he came back ready to play. When he showed up for camp, he was a different person. His mindset was different. I think he felt really good about where he was at, and unfortunately - sometimes it happens for whatever reason and players get injured like that and a little bit of a setback for him - but I don't think it changed his mentality. I also think, as we've talked about before, having Pelts around to go through the same thing with him, was big for them to push him along. He's come back knowing the type of player that he has to be. So, he deserves a ton of credit for how he handled himself over the summer and what he did to put himself in a position to have impact like he is having right now.”

Nazem Kadri on facing the struggling Sharks tonight:

“Obviously, they have that nothing-to-lose mentality. But in our situation, our position, I don't think we can afford to take anybody lightly. So, we're going to come out here and be prepared.”

On if linemate Connor Zary should be brought up in the Calder conversation more:

“Yeah, yeah. He's taken steps forward and progressed. It's always good to see from a young player. It's a challenge - especially, being on the road - being a consistent contributor. He's been great and I know he's looking at trying to get better every day.”

Rasmus Andersson on opening a four-game homestand tonight:

“Just, honestly, keep it going. We had a pretty good road trip except last game and just stick with it, do what we do best and be a hard-working team that tries to grind everyone down for 60 minutes.”

On what worked well on the trip, winning three of four:

“We take care of our details, we work hard and when we're in the o-zone, we play and we generated a few scoring chances and managed to capitalize. Just keep doing what we're doing - play the simple way, stay aggressive and play in their end as much as possible.”

On blocking out on the noise/trade rumours and focusing on themselves:

“We have some non-negotiables in this room. You block a shot, you work hard, and even though if you might not have your best night with the puck, you still work hard, block shots and play the system. When we do that, we're a good team. It's an 82-game season, you're not going to feel your best every night. So, if we can stick to that, we're going to be in the race the whole way. We've got to do what works for us and don't really pay too much attention to you guys. No offence (laughs).”