Linden Interviewed

Elliott Pap got Linden to say a few words at 8 rinks on Monday (guess he came down from Whistler where a friend saw him running a trail recently).

Some snippets:

"I told Dave I don't want to lock in too long because I'm going to have a good season," Linden said Monday at Burnaby 8-Rinks, before bursting into hearty laughter.

"[Retirement] Never crossed my mind," he said. "Last year was probably the most disappointing year I've had in professional hockey for a number of reasons, but it never crossed my mind, no.

"I think I'm in a much better place mentally than I was last year," he admitted. "But I'm not going to use that as an excuse. There were times in the season where I felt I played well.

"There is no question, though, that from a mental standpoint, I'm in a much better state and probably physically much better as well.

"I'll do what I'm asked to do but I think, if anything, I might play a lesser role," Linden said. "I look at guys like Daniel and Henrik [Sedin], who are 26, and I think they're going to take a bigger role. I look at Mattias Ohlund, Brendan Morrison and Matt Cooke, guys who have all been here for a significant amount of time. I think Willie Mitchell is a strong guy in the room as well.