Unrestricted free agency is not a savior. I've never seen an unrestricted free agent carry a team. But it is a tool.

This summer I'm an unrestricted free agent. I will talk it over with my agent and look at my options. I wouldn't mind going to the NHL and being a student.

There's going to be a lot of good unrestricted free-agent defensemen (available) this summer. We're in the game for those guys now. We have the opportunity to bring in some impact players.

And he'll give his overall opinion on the state of the team.

I wouldn't have believed it. We are on a roll. But if you had told me that our team would be competing against all the teams that we played to date, yes, I would've believed that. Or that we would be playing hard -- yes. Or that they'd be close games -- yes. I think the difference is that all of those things have happened and some of those close games have gone in our favor.

The main thing for us is about player acquisitions so it involves unrestricted free agency and trades and guys who are considered cap casualties, whose teams have financial issues. No matter what it takes to acquire players, that's just the main thing; pro personnel is about player acquisitions for the most part.