“I think it’s going to be slow, but it just takes one team to do something,” Nill said. “We’ll see what happens. It’s very quiet right now. I think teams are going to come back and nobody really knows what they have. Some teams have injuries, some teams could still get injuries. Everyone has three or four games under their belt before the deadline, so I think more things will happen then (closer to the deadline).”
“He’s [Robidas] a great presence in the room and was one of our top three defensemen before he was injured, so we look forward to him coming back,” Nill said. “We want to be cautious, I think he has a little more time to heal, but it’s great to see the track he’s on.”
“Over the last 10 games, I think you’ve seen a lot of growth in our defense. When you look at the Jordie Benn’s and the Brenden Dillon’s and (Kevin) Connauton’s, and see how their games have grown, that’s what’s exciting. I think Goligoski and Daley have come in and they’re a pretty good 1-2 punch. They’re playing against the top players and when they’re out there, they (the opponents) don’t get the puck often. I like the way our defense is playing. Now, you’re always trying to get better, but I’m happy with where our defense is at and I’m happy with where our team is at. They key is, can we keep growing from where we finished two weeks ago? That’s the big question.”
Nill said he feels the organization has great forward depth in the AHL to handle any issues. Asked if he might consider a trade to add a boost to the forward ranks, Nill said: “I don’t think so.”
“I’m not sitting here saying I need to add a scorer,” he said. “I like our mix, I like our growth. You’ve got to be careful with additions, with the chemistry of the team and the growth of the team.”
Asked if he is aware of the history of the team not selling assets in the past at the trade deadline and possibly regretting it, Nill said: “Right now, our goal is to get into the playoffs. Would you make trades? Everybody is available in this league, but it has to be a good trade. I’m happy with where we are. If there’s something there that makes us better, we’ll do it…if it makes sense.”
Nill ironically sounded a lot like Joe Nieuwendyk when asked about the value of players in the marketplace a few years back. When asked about the fact Whitney or Fiddler could have value to other playoff teams, Nill said: “Yes, but they also have value to our team.”
“The goal for this team is to get into the playoffs every year, that’s what we’re working for,” Nill said.
