If the Vancouver Canucks don’t want to lose defenseman Nikita Tryamkin, they need to put him in the lineup — soon.
Iain MacIntyre wrote in the Vancouver Sun that the team asked the towering Russian if he was willing to go to the Utica Comets for conditioning. Tryamkin and his agent said “no.”
It’s easy to see Nikita’s position. He flew halfway around the world mid-season, specifically to play in the NHL. He made his position on not going to the AHL clear at the outset, and the Canucks accepted his terms.