Central Notes: Iginla, Predators, Lehtera

As we noted earlier today, Avalanche right winger Jarome Iginla will play in his 1,500th career game tonight as Colorado takes on Montreal.  At the age of 39 and his contract up at the end of the season, many are wondering if this is his final year but speaking with ESPN’s Joe MacDonald, Iginla isn’t sure if he wants to retire yet or keep playing:

“Yeah, I don’t know. I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I know this is my last year of my contract, I’ve got three kids and they enjoy it, though. It’s probably more of my wife wouldn’t mind a little bit more help around the house, but the kids enjoy watching it and all that, so there are a lot of things to consider. It’s still fun and it’s great winning. It’s still fun winning and competing. It’s truly a decision I’ll make at the end of the year and see how it goes. I’m just trying to enjoy it right now.”

With his diminishing role (he has been in the bottom six a lot this season) and expiring contract, many have speculated that he could be a rental candidate towards the trade deadline.  Last season, he indicated that he was not willing to waive his no-move clause but, assuming Colorado remains out of a playoff spot, he might be willing to reconsider that stance if he wants a shot at a Stanley Cup, something that has eluded him throughout his 20 year career.  However, with a cap hit of $5.33MM, the number of potential suitors would likely be limited.

More from the Central:

• If the Predators want to improve their seeding in the West (they sit one point out of a Wild Card spot heading into today’s action), they’ll need to improve their play on the road, notes Adam Vingan of The Tennessean. On home ice, Nashville has picked up points in 11 of 13 games, including nine victories while outscoring their opponents by 20.  However, on the road, they’ve lost all but three of 13 games while getting outscored by 15 in those contests.  Fortunately for the Preds, following tonight’s game in Arizona, six of their remaining nine games this month are at home.
• Blues center Jori Lehtera says he’s “fighting with myself” as he continues his early season struggles, writes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. His third NHL campaign has yet to go as he or the team hoped as he has just three goals and five assists through 23 games, hardly what St. Louis expected from a forward with a $4.7MM cap hit.  Head coach Ken Hitchcock made Lehtera a healthy scratch last week and told the 28 year old that he wants to see him “play through the competition”  and that it wasn’t his lack of production that led to the benching.