"At the beginning of the season we were decimated by injuries. Five of our top six [defensemen] were out for a period of time. Klingberg was out for eight weeks. We kept our head above water. We kind of know what our roster is now."
On how the team has responded after Benn and Seguin were called out by CEO Jim Lites in late December:
"First of all, those comments came out and it's not who we are. It's something that's over with and we're going to move on. The players accepted responsibility for their play. But what I liked is that they responded as far as the rest of the team took responsibility too; they didn't just leave it in the hands of a few players. We're all part of this. That's what I liked."
On the volatility of potential prices on the trade market:
"I think things are going to have to wait until the last minute. It's going to be interesting. Maybe nothing happens. We're all talking to each other, the teams. There are some teams that might be saying to themselves: 'We're going to be six or eight points out, maybe I'll move my UFAs. But if I'm still in it, I'm not getting rid of my UFAs.' So maybe the market dries up too. I don't know. It's no secret there are four, six big names out there. If they get signed, does that change the secondary market? If they get moved, does that set the market? We'll have to see.
"In the end it comes down to what the price is. There's a certain price that every general manager is going to be comfortable with depending on where their team is. If that price makes sense to us, we're open to it. If it doesn't, we won't be doing it. It's pretty straightforward that way and I think it's that way with a lot of teams."
On worrying about his job security:
"Every general manager, every coach, every player in this League, we want to win. That's the pressure we put on ourselves. We're competitive. I don't know if it's pressure. It's the way we operate. Do I feel any added pressure? No, I don't. I've been in this game in management, as a player, on the coaching side. We accept that and kind of relish these times. We know we have to make the playoffs, we want to make the playoffs, and that's what we strive to do. My job is to make sure we make the right decisions short term and long term. Sometimes I'll make decisions people on the outside don't like but I know I have to make the right ones to get the right value to build this team. Sometimes they like it, sometimes they don't. That doesn't really bother me too much."