Just when you think you have Stan and the Blackhawks figured out, they throw in a curveball. In this case, a spitball. The Hawks sent Jeremy Morin down to Rock-beria, this morning, which make SO much sense. Yes, for those that are sarcasm deficient, that was dripping with sarcasm. If they are playing with the kid's eligibility, because of the junior rules, then don't bring him up at all. This is the rule I'm refering to:
A junior-aged player with a contract can play up to nine NHL games as a trial period. If he is returned to junior before the tenth game, his contract is effectively put on hold: when he goes to training camp the following season, he will be in the first year of his contract.He's a good player, but he hasn't exactly lit the world on fire, and he needs time to settle in. There are players in Rockford that can take the spot. Pirri, Potulny, Taffe, and Makarov can all come up and "not screw up". Anyway, it is what it is.
Once the player appears in his tenth NHL game, his contract kicks in. He can still be returned to his junior club after that. But at season's end, a full contract year will expire.
Sure, this also means that Pisani or Hossa could be close to coming back, but it still leaves the team short at forward, if both aren't back. Big Show CANNOT dress every game, and only play 5 minutes. Honestly, Pisani isn't exactly making my heart rate rise, either. If you're going to feed me Pisani and dump Morin, I'm going to kick someone in the ass. He's a good penalty killer...Whoopty Do!! If Kaner is out, they need something to spark them. I would suggest keeping Jack Skillington around some actual talented forwards, but that's like asking for an act of God, or Santa Claus (if they existed). He may screw up, sometimes, but his aggressiveness creates chances. You can fill the fourth line with just about anyone. I guess we'll see how this all plays out.