Exit Interviews: Meeting with Mr. Darcy

Good morning, Darcy, please, have a seat.

Can I get you anything to drink? Water? Coffee? No? Okay, well, let's get to it. After a very shaky season a year ago, you had a much more consistent season with a 6-7-5 record, a 2.43 goals against average, a .915 save percentage and two shutouts, albeit in 10 fewer appearances. Had we been able to convert in three-on-three overtime, not to mention hadn't had such a weird year on special teams, we're sure your record would have looked much better. We know the amount of game action is not as much as you would like, but we're sure you understand what with our long-term commitment to Dubnyk. That brings us to a very difficult crossroads, which means even more difficult decisions will have to be made.

The Problem

Our Options Moving Forward

With all this in mind, we have two options:

1.) First and foremost, we'll do everything in our power to find a suitable trade partner that offers both you and ourselves the best of both worlds. If the trade makes sense - suitable compensation for us and a good career opportunity for you - we'll pull the trigger.

2.) If we can't find the right deal, we'd definitely be willing to sign you to a reasonable one or two-year deal if the numbers you're looking for makes sense for us. If there's one thing we learned this season, it's that Dubs is a good goalie, but he can't start every game, and he needs a backup that can continually push him to be better. As of right now, none of our prospects are currently able to step up and fill that role, which would make you our No. 1 candidate. Plus, injuries happen and players can get into a deep funk (remember the mid-way point of the past few seasons?), which means you could be all that stands between playoffs and tee times.

In Conclusion...

You're a heckuva hockey player, and a good man, and you have a very bright future. While that future may not ultimately be in the State of Hockey, you can be sure we're going to do whatever we can to ensure that future stays in the NHL for a long time to come. Enjoy your summer - regardless of where you land next season, it may be your biggest year yet.