Avs’ P.A. Parenteau responds to benching, trade rumors to Canadiens
Parenteau, 30, has been rumored to be on the trading block, with some reports saying the Montreal Canadiens might give up defenseman P.K. Subban for Parenteau and prospect(s) or draft picks. Subban, 24, is a 2014 Team Canada Olympian who is scheduled to become a restricted free agent and will command a salary in excess of $6 million next season and beyond. Roy and the Avs don’t comment on trade rumors but Roy said Parenteau will be back playing for the Avs “soon.”
Said Parenteau, who is from Hull, Quebec: “Any time a top-six guy on a team is out of the lineup (rumors) are going to go around. It’s part of the game, but it’s not fun with family and stuff like that. It’s Montreal, too, and everyone was calling me. But I’m trying to block that out and wait for my turn. The team is winning, playing really well and Patty likes his top-six right now. I’ll be patient. I know I belong on the top-six, big-time, I proved it in the past, but sometimes things change in this league pretty quick. We’ll see where this goes.”
Roy reiterated that Parenteau is not in his doghouse. He’s simply not fit for a fourth-line role, and he doesn’t want to remove John Mitchell or Max Talbot from the Nathan MacKinnon-centered line or take Jamie McGinn off Matt Duchene’s line with Ryan O’Reilly. Paul Stastny’s line of left wing Gabe Landeskog and Alex Tanguay is 14-1 when intact.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/avs/2014/01/30/avs-p-parenteau-responds-benching-trade-rumors-canadiens/16610/