June 03--TAMPA, Fla. -- Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville may soon have another option along the blue line in the Stanley Cup Final.
Quenneville said rookie Trevor van Riemsdyk is "close" to playing while there was a "very good chance" van Riemsdyk could play in the series.
He's not playing today, but he's real close," Quenneville said before Game 1 on Wednesday. "We asked if he could he play today. He's sitting there. He's that close."
For Game 1, Quenneville is sticking with David Rundblad and Kyle Cumiskey, who played in Games 6 and 7 against the Ducks. Kimmo Timonen remains the odd man out.
Quenneville usually relies on veteran experience in the playoffs, but did not seem to have many qualms about inserting van Riemsdyk if needed.
"We saw firsthand what he was able to do when he came into training camp," Quenneville said. "He surprised us all with how well he played, how effective and efficient he is.
"One of his strengths is his reads, he's postionally aware and his decision making with the puck. He's got a lot of attributes that can help our team."
