First of all, can you give us an update on Marquis?

So So Markey got hurt?

Yeah, the other night in the Boston game.

Um, it's a lower body injury.

Um, he, you know, he woke up the next day, felt okay.

He flew to Montreal.

He we went and he did an m r I this morning.

Um, he's flying back tomorrow.

Gonna meet with our doctors Wednesday morning, and we'll have a better time line after that.

The report that it could be 3 to 4 weeks is good to see that It'll it could be like, I don't know.

We don't know for sure yet how long it's gonna be, but like I said, he's flying back tomorrow.

Gonna meet with our doctors Wednesday morning, and we should have a better time line like Wednesday afternoon late Wednesday.

Concerned that Jim, with the season in the end, the schedule you have ahead of you in March Well, we've been, you know, we've been working with Thatcher Demko now for a year and 1/2 and this is, you know, he's played good goal for us.

We are.

Team has confidence in him.

This is an opportunity for him to, you know, step in and and, you know, play like he's played for us all year.

So, um, you know, it's not a perfect situation, but it's it's, you know, it is what it is.

And it's gonna be a great opportunity for Thatcher.

You go for Lowy domain.

But Robert Lanier will also move roughly the same time.

Was there any interest there?

Um, well, you know, we've been taught we were talking Ah, on the dimming thing all morning.

Um, it made sense for us to, you know, do that.

We gave up saying McIntyre for Louie.

Louie has experience.

He's, you know, in the league.

And he's played while we, um you know, we were really weren't in on the letter thing.

No.

Well, Markstrom is out.

Yes, he's flying into Montreal.

We haven't done.

We're still in the queue on the trade call, but we got the trade called done here and then he'll fly into backup.

Thatcher.

Tomorrow has changed it all after your team's performance on Saturday against the broods of 93 victory, as well as the way that they've played all season long.

But did that change your way out, but maybe doing business today because there was a lot of business that was being done in terms of keeping her group together.

Well, like I've said all along, I really like our group.

Well, I like the team.

I like the players.

I like the chemistry of the group.

You know, we tried to address, like, losing Brock there.

We tried to address going out and getting Tyler to fully to make up for some of that scoring.

And he's showing to be a good fit so far.

Um, I guess the other thing I would say is like, you know, we gave up a first round pick last summer to acquire, you know, J T.

Miller and and you know, So we Adam over the course of this whole year.

So, um, I think last July 1st we were aggressive and, you know, signing some extra players and through injuries and stuff, you know, we've needed extra players around, and and so, you know, I'm I'm happy, you know, that we able to get Tyler Toffoli.

Uh, and he's part of our group going forward.

I like our defense.

Um, I like the depth of our team so hopefully we can keep playing hard and went in our share games.

What do you make with what went on around you?

Orders got busy today.

Vegas did as well.

What do you see with everything that went on today?

Well, I think you know, each team tries to address whatever needs they think you know, makes their team better.

You know, like with us.

When we lost Brock, we tried to, you know, figure figures, something out, dad.

More scoring.

So we went and got to fully so, you know, I'm not, um you know what other teams did doesn't concern us.

We need to take care of our own business.

We need toe keep playing well, as a team.

And, you know, when our share games and, you know, we played together all years a group.

So I think there's something to be said for that to suggestion.

This is gonna be a really bad.

Yeah, but like, every team goes through injuries, um, we've tried toe have the depth, you know, toe overcome injuries.

And, you know, this is this is going to be a good chance for Thatcher to, you know, get in games and show us what he can do.

And he's played well for us all year, so I expect him to know.

No, there's been a suggestion that you were gonna look to improve your back in.

We're close in that regard.

Uh, I'm happy with our defense.

Um, you know, we talked in different situations.

Two different teams, but nothing, you know, really made sense.

I didn't think for us it was gonna improve us drastically.

And so I'm happy with our group.

Was there any serious discussions on choice?

Statue Not saying you were looking to move in, but even teams looking to acquire Yeah.

So there was teams that called me on Troy.

Stature like I never brought up his name like we're trying to move him.

Ah, like Troy.

Stature, he's a competitive kid.

He's a Vancouver kid.

He you know, he shows up and he competes hard every night.

Um, you know, it got out there that teams were calling us on him.

Um, but like, he's part of our group of six guys.

And, you know, I was never really looking to shop him or move him.

It's just that came out there that teams were calling us on him.

What about the toughness piece?

I know that when Simmons name was was there at one point was that an area you want to address?

What we talked about that, um, we got Zach McCue and that, you know, is a player that, you know, Can we think in play minutes for us?

And he supplies us with some of that.

Um, you know, he'll stick up for his teammates, but we talked about it.

Um, we talked to other teams, but nothing made sense for us to go out and try to give up the assets that were there.

Other teams were asking for it to bring that piece into our group.

Jim, whether it was maybe baertschi or another player, whether any moves considered to help yourself out, capitalize now or in the future.

We You know, we talked to some teams about spend some teams showed interest.

They, you know, we're going to try to see if they could figure it out, like, you know, uh, with another player from another team.

I circle back with the teams, you know, before the end of the trade deadline, and they had they found other options.

So, um, it didn't end up working out where, you know, we could do anything with him now, but I think maybe at the draft there might be a chance.

Were you close at the end of the day, do you think on a deal for spent by like I just said, You know, we there was teams that showed interest in him.

Um, they were going to get back to us.

And, you know, they ended up finding other options, Other players.

So at the end of the day, we couldn't get a deal done for.

How different is the landscape these days with the salary cap, the way that it is teams up against it.

How difficult is it to make a hockey trade?

We've talked about it in the last year.

Change.

But how much?

How difficult is it from your perspective to make a trade that is beneficial?

Yeah, well, it's, you know, but like the other, the other part, all this, too, is, I think, you know, and I feel good about what we've done in Utica this year where we have players like, you know, we talked about maybe, you know, adding depth on our blue line and stuff.

But I like, you know, some of the are young kids that have played in Utica and given them a chance to play games.

So, you know, I think we're, you know, with same with forwards like we have, you know, Zach McCue and that, you know, we have up right now, but you know, Justine Bailey's played well for us like we have.

You know, this year's some depth in our farm system, and, you know, I'd like to see, you know before the end of the year, like if we do have more injuries, I want to see what these kids can do.

Like we've been talking, we've spent a lot of money on development, and, you know, I think the next step is actually given these kids a chance when they're ready to play, to step in and see, see how they can play.

So, you know, we we feel comfortable with what we've done.

Development wise with the players we have in Utica.

We got some defenseman that we think you're ready to play games and we'll have to give those guys a chance.

The last four years.

You're pretty well, sellers at this point this year, with folding trade turning, right, Can you just comment on that booth change?

Well, yeah.

You know, like you when you when you build a team, you know, you you try to add pieces that, you know, you think that are gonna be with you for, you know, when your team gets really good, right?

So, you know, whether it's been through drafting players and getting them up and going and then trying to surround those players with players that can help him develop.

And, you know, players that we think we can win with.

That's what we've tried to do.

So, um, you know, we've given up our first round pick like, you know, to get J.

T.

Miller, but I think, you know, he has three more years on a deal, and I think it was It was a good move.

He's helped our young players develop, get to the next step.

He's, you know, um, with two fully, you know, we brought him in.

We'll see how that works out till the end of the year.

And, you know, there's a chance we can re sign him, and, you know, we might move some another piece out, so I think it gives us going in.

You know, I think what we've done now is we've given ourselves every chance that we can to try to be competitive down the stretch here and fight for a playoff spot.

And then at the end of the year, you know, going into the draft will have to make some decisions.

And, you know, when we trade some guys, maybe we can recover some draft picks, just no lines.

You've been aggressive both this summer and in recent weeks to improve the club, but sort of looking back at the last seven days, fully injury and the best story, the best or injury in Berlin injury and then the Holy hell And this marks from injury Domingo.

Deal philosophically.

What?

You have been a CZ aggressive as you were over the past seven days, if not for some of the injuries, your clothes.

Yeah, I think this is the time of year where every team you know you're gonna lose good players to injury and and what we've tried to do is have enough depth in our organization that we can overcome the injuries till the players come back.

Um, you know, So I I don't think, you know, we would have done anything differently.

With so many first and second round picks being traded around.

Were you at all surprised where the market waas?

We're all surprised about How many trades?

Actually, Yeah.

I waas um and I'm you know, I guess, given the prices at the end, I was happy that we did the fully deal earlier rather than later.

So, um, you know, as it comes down to the end teams, they're looking to add that one more piece that they think could make a difference in their team.

And as we've seen today, the prices went up there.

There's some high prices paid.

I thought today don't ask about Brock, and I know we could go.

You thought might be out till the end of the season.

Has been reports that he might be back before the end of the season, you know, anymore in that regard.

And also did that lt I are, as it relates to rock affect your ability to make moves today.

Well, yeah, because if if we would've known for sure that he was out for the year we would have put him into lt I and had, you know, his money to use toe, add more players.

Now, um, we think that there's a chance he's gonna be back, you know, before the end of the year.

So we had to say that space to make sure that we had room when he's healthy.

To bring him back was Jim was their interest in Tyson Barrie, and if so, does that continue to the opportunity that hes available in something?

I'm not gonna comment.

It's not fair for me to comment on other teams, players and the conversations that you know we've had with other general managers, you know?

So I'm just gonna leave it at that.

That guy, it's eligible to be papered way papered him down today and then we'll recall him.

Um, does this mark streams injury effect, your thinking at all in terms of his contract situation?

No, no.

Like, he's like we've said all along like he's been the guy that, you know, we traded for.

We've developed his part of the culture of our group.

Um, he's been excellent force this year, so I don't see, you know the injury affecting that Jim, for the most part, you guys have your star players have been healthy for Elsie's.

Yeah, this Is this a big one for you?

Yeah, but like, you know, we've you know, our other teams have top guys that I wrote to.

That's just part of the game.

It's part of playing this time of year.

So, you know, we like I said, we we're confident in the depth that we have in different positions to replace players.

And and, like I said, this will be a great opportunity for Thatcher, as if the draft picks had been offered up today.