The St. Louis Blues are in a bit of an awkward situation. They have three NHL-caliber goaltenders in Jaroslav Halak, Brian Elliott, and Jake Allen. Going into the season with all three of them could lead to tension about a lack of playing time.
The biggest loser in all of this could be Halak. He has demonstrated that he is a capable starter, but he lost that gig in 2013 due in part to ongoing injury problems. Now he’s in a situation where it’s anyone’s guess how many starts he’ll get next season, regardless of his health.
All the same, Halak isn’t looking to be traded.
“I’m happy to be here,” Halak said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I signed to play here for four years and I wanted to accomplish some goals when I came, and I haven’t done that. I still want to accomplish those goals.”
That might surprise some, given that there was a reported confrontation between Halak and Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. Halak expressed his frustration with his lack of playing time, which is exactly the issue that could reoccur in 2013-14.
When asked about it though, Halak downplayed the incident.
“I wasn’t upset or anything,” he said. “A coach and a player have those discussions all the time. If someone hears it, obviously, they can make a big story out of it. But I don’t think it was anything bad. I was frustrated, I wasn’t playing. But I was injured and ... the whole season, the way it turned out, was just difficult.”
Halak added that the heated discussion “was nothing to make a big deal out of” and his relationship with his coach is fine.
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