Trevor Daley harbors no grudge toward Blackhawks

PITTSBURGH — Trevor Daley knows this whole thing would be a lot more fun — at least, for reporters and fans — if there were some lingering bitterness, if he were harboring some hatred toward the Blackhawks after his three-month stint in Chicago.

But there just isn’t. Sometimes, things just don’t work out.

“I wish I had bad things to say about that team, but I don’t,” Daley said with a chuckle after Tuesday’s morning skate at Consol Energy Center. “The guys were unbelievable. I enjoyed my time there and I learned a lot. I went in there with an open mind, [to try to] figure out what these guys have been doing right all these years. I think I took a lot out of it, for the short time I was there. But the biggest thing I took out was I met a lot of really good people there. I really enjoyed my time there.”

Daley was acquired by the Hawks over the summer in the Patrick Sharp trade, and was expected to fill Johnny Oduya’s spot as the No. 4 defenseman. But the offensive-minded Daley was a poor fit for the defensive-minded Hawks, and he found himself playing anywhere from 8-12 minutes a night on the third pairing. He wound up with no goals and six assists in 29 games before being dealt to the Penguins for veteran Rob Scuderi. He has a goal and two assists in nine games with the Penguins.

“I don’t know [why it didn’t work],” Daley said. “I wish I had those answers. I’d probably answer it for you if I had it. But I have no idea.”

When prodded, Daley did allow that the lack of ice time left him a little frustrated. But other than that, he couldn’t say enough good things about his short time in Chicago.

“They have a great group of guys and they made it really welcoming coming in from Dallas,” Daley said. “I got to know a lot of the guys, and a lot of those guys will continue to be friends of mine.”

NOTES: Richard Panik, acquired in a trade with Toronto on Sunday night, has not joined the team yet as he awaits his visa. Joel Quenneville said there wasn’t an exact timetable, but it could be a few games. … Corey Crawford will get the start for the Hawks tonight. … Scuderi will be in the lineup against his old team, replacing Michal Rozsival. Bryan Bickell will stay in the lineup, with Brandon Mashinter a scratch.

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