Episode 0078: Iginla Retires, Trouba Signs, Skjei and Vesey Avoid Arbitration, Wilson Signs with Caps, Crawford Still Out, Linden Leaves Canucks, Hughes Back to Michigan, D-Men Top 12 and More!!

Another fun filled week in the summer of 2018!  The NHL is still moving along, albeit at a snail’s pace at times.  The Forecheckers have another episode ready to go.

We start with some less than exciting news that Jarome Iginla is calling it a career.  1300 points in 1500 games is nothing to snicker at, and he should be in the hall of fame by both our accounts.  What do you think?

On to arbitration…Jacob Trouba has signed his 1 year 5.5-million-dollar settlement, and it would appear that his days in Winnipeg might be numbered.  The contract is ready to trade, and he may be dealt at the deadline.

Other players who have signed include:  Tom Wilson – 6 years, 31 million; Brady Skjei – 6 years, 31.5 million and Jimmy Vesey – 2 years, 4.5 million.

Corey Crawford is a Stanley Cup winning goaltender, but he hasn’t been seen on the ice since February. He is still suffering from a mysterious head injury and there is no timetable on his return.  What does this mean for the Blackhawks?

Trevor Linden has left the Vancouver Canucks.  There wasn’t much fanfare about this move and finding the story was a bit of luck.  Jim Benning will be assuming his duties for now, but what does this mean for a franchise that has been in a bit of disarray for a few years now?

Quinn Hughes, the Vancouver first round pick this past draft, has announced that he will be returning to Michigan for his second year at the University.  The story is that he was not guaranteed a spot on the starting roster, but is this the whole story?

The Two Man Forecheck Twitter Poll results were 50/50 as to whether Duncan Keith is a top 12 defenseman in the NHL.  Based on our lists, he isn’t, which leads to our last discussion…

Both Mike and Chris have identified their top 12 defensemen for the past 3 seasons, and the overlap was not surprising.  11 out of 12 spots were the same, with the difference being two Nashville d-men, one former and one current.

Give the podcast a listen and let us know what your list would look like.  Do you agree with the Forecheckers?  Should we have included someone else?  Let us know and enjoy the show!