Winterhawks' boss on Sbisa . . .

Mike Johnston, the GM and head coach of the Portland Winterhawks, is hoping to have D Luca Sbisa join his club for at least a skate or two before the Olympic Winter Games open in Vancouver on Feb. 12.
The Winterhawks acquired Sbisa, who will play for Switzerland at the Olympics, from the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Sunday, prior to the arrival of the trade deadline.
Sbisa is in Switzerland rehabbing an abdominal injury incurred while he was playing for the Swiss team at the World Junior Championship after Christmas.
The Winterhawks have had their eyes on Sbisa since he was returned to Lethbridge by the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks earlier this season. However, Johnston was left with the impression then that the Hurricanes wanted to hang on to Sbisa right through to season’s end.
However, Sbisa was injured at the WJC and also was named to the Swiss Olympic team. All of which meant that it only made sense for Lethbridge, which likely won’t make the playoffs, to move him.
Helping Portland’s cause was the present on its roster of Swiss F Nino Niederreiter.
“Sbisa’s a good player,” Johnston said Monday. “He knows Nino and has a bit of a relationship there. We have a good chance when he does come in . . . he’s excited about being here and he’ll be comfortable with another player that he knows. It’ll be a good situation for him.”
Johnston spoke with Sbisa on Sunday, after the trade was made.
Sbisa told Johnston that he “should be fine” in another three weeks.”
“I’m hoping it’s going to be two and that’s what he’s thinking,” Johnston added. “Then he’s going to start serious training. But you have to be careful with those abdominal injuries initially.”
It sounds as though Sbisa is on track to play in the Olympics. As Johnston put it: “There’s no issue to him playing in the Olympics. He’s definitely going to be ready.”
If Sbisa is ready before then, he may spend some time with the Winterhawks.
The Swiss team is planning on coming over to Vancouver in advance of the Games. Johnston is hoping Sbisa can come over even before that.
“We’re hoping maybe he could come in for a week prior to that and work with us,” Johnston said. “A lot of their players will still be playing in their league play. We’ll see how the timeline is.
“Regardless, the most important thing for me is that he’s healthy, he plays in the Olympics, has a great Olympics Games and then comes in here and is excited to play in our league.
“And he seems to be all set that way.”