Blackhawks Free Agency: Drop the Ball

We were fed all kinds of lines for the last two months about a busy draft and a busy free agent period for the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks brass and every talking head assured us that they were seriously going all in and were going to be hitting the market like a heavy bag. At this point, it all looks like a big bunch of management lip service. I posted this the other day, but this is truly how the Blackhawks "plan of attack", or "roadmap" looks:

As of July 3rd, the Blackhawks have had their least eventful offseason since years before winning the cup. One minor trade during the draft, and one minor signing on the opening day of Free Agency. Sure they picked up some kids at the draft, but none of those players will help the Blackhawks in the 2012/13 season or even the following one, if there is in fact a season.

A hurricane of speculation erupted yesterday, when a few flapping gums in the media threw out some speculation that the Blackhawks were one of the exclusive finalists for the Parise-palooza-mania. This just sent the intarwebs into a mad frothy frenzy. Later in the day, I saw a twat that said the Hawks had put in serious offers for both Suter and Parise, and were willing to sign both. While I'd love to see both players on the Hawks, I call shenanigans on that rumor. They barely have the room for Parise, much less Parise AND Suter. When the dust settles, don't be surprised if both players are elsewhere, and the Hawks are left like a jilted Bride on her wedding day.

Blackhawks fans will be disappointed once again, and looking forward to the last possible scenario for help. Trade. Bowman has, basically, painted the Blackhawks into a corner by not being more aggressive at the draft and in free agency. With their single D-list signing, Sunday, all that is left on the market are the huge dollar players (for the moment) and the scrap heap players. No "creamy center" players, and certainly no decent top six center icemen. Now the entire league knows what the Hawks holes are, and will ask a king's ransom through trade. Honestly, if the Hawks PP can prop itself up into the top quarter, or even top half, of teams, the defense and goaltending will right themselves to a respectable level. Does wonders when you're working with a lead.

Moving on, The Hawks now have 48 players signed to contracts, which leaves 2 spots. TWO! People need to be moved, especially when you have 8 defensemen signed, which means that Dylan Olsen will be towing the Rockford Icehogs on his back for at least half the season. That still leaves the Hawks with 7 defensemen, although Brookbank could easily be a #7 guy. He is a SLIGHT upgrade over Lepisto, O'Donnell, and John Scott.

The desire to unload Nik Hjalmarsson is the worst kept secret in he NHL, which means the Blackhawks will get a big bag of "fuck all" in return for him. Cautious Stanley will have to sweeten the pot quite a bit to get anything of significance in return.

Anyhow, Lets get on to the shockingly bland Blackhawks news of the Free Agent period. The Blackhawks signed 31 year old defenseman Sheldon Brookbank to a 2 year deal worth $2.5 million. His brother has played in Rock Vegas last two seasons, so he has some ties to the Blackhawks other than being pummeled in the melon by two different Blackhawks in one season. From everything I have read, Sheldon was well liked in Anaheim. All things considered, he is no Ryan Suter. He will be a 6-7 guy that can buy into the "sandpaper" role, and tenderize a few faces. Last season was his career best in points, with a whopping 14, and games played, with 80. The bottom line is that if we see a lot of Sheldon Brookbank on the ice, there is something wrong here in the windy city. Sunday, was the most attention he will get this season.

Here is a little of Brookbank's "handy" work:

"Sheldon Brookbank on the wrong end of that confrontation"





The Blackhawks also signed journeyman Martin St. Pierre, who they dumped back in '08 for Pascal Pelletier, to and AHL deal. Nothing like living in the past, eh? Couldn't get enough Martin St. Pierre could they? He's pretty much an AHL bumslayer, but the good news is that Patrick Kane will now have another bro to party with. Check out St.Pierre partying in vegas with Mr. Biznasty himself. He's going to fit right in!

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The Cherry on Top?

The UC better get these on the menu in all the 300 level bars, STAT!

Just when we ALL thought the Blackhawks were done, in this free agent frenzy, they laid THIS "Bomb" on us (Cue the Jaws theme)

Dan "Carbomb" Carcillo

HEIGHT: 6' 0"
WEIGHT: 205
SHOOTS: LEFT
BIRTHDATE: JAN 28, 1985 (AGE 26
BIRTHPLACE: KING CITY, ON, CANADA
DRAFTED: PIT / 2003 NHL ENTRY DRAFT
ROUND: 3RD (73RD OVERALL)

The Blackhawks have agreed to terms with forward Dan "Carbomb" Carcillo (KAR-sihl-oh) on a one-year contract for $750,000.

Carcillo, 26, recorded six points (2G, 4A), including two game-winning goals, and ranked second on the team with 127 penalty minutes in 57 regular-season contests during the 2010-11 campaign with the Philadelphia Flyers. He added two goals, one assist and 30 penalty minutes in 11 Stanley Cup Playoffs tilts, and registered a +2 plus/minus rating in the postseason.

Originally selected in the third round (73rd overall) of the 2003 National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carcillo has posted 36 goals, 37 assists and 986 penalty minutes in 282 career regular-season games over parts of five seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes (2006-2009) and Philadelphia (2009-11). He led the Flyers in penalty minutes (207) and hits (194) during the 2009-10 campaign, and paced the NHL with 324 penalty minutes in 2007-08 with the Coyotes.

The King City, Ontario, native has also notched five goals, six assists and 69 penalty minutes in 33 career Stanley Cup Playoffs tilts, which includes a run to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final with the Flyers.

VIEWS - I REALLY dislike this guy, but I can see how the Chicago fans and media will latch onto this guy. Heart, Drive, and a knack to get under opponents skin worse than 20 Sean Avery's and Steve Ott's. I don't like it, but I understand. He's on our side, now, so I'll put on a happy face, but I'll have my eye on him, and I'll NEVER forget this:

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Blackhawks War Room

This will be a running ticker of Blackhawks Free Agent Signings

Players Signed

Steve Montador

The Blackhawks have acquired defenseman Steve Montador (MAWN-tuh-dor) from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for a seventh round draft pick in either the 2012 or 2013 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He signed for $11million over 4 years, for a cap hit of $2.75 million.

Montador, 31, registered a career-high 21 assists and 26 points (5G, 21A) and paced the Sabres with a career-best +16 plus/minus rating in 73 regular-season games during the 2010-11 campaign. The blueliner led Buffalo with 136 blocked shots and paced team defensemen with 86 penalty minutes while collecting one assist in six Stanley Cup Playoffs contests.

A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Montador has recorded 28 goals, 89 assists and 762 penalty minutes in 519 regular-season tilts over parts of nine NHL seasons with the Calgary Flames (2001-06), Florida Panthers (2005-08), Anaheim Ducks (2008-09), Boston Bruins (2009) and Sabres (2009-11). He has tallied eight points, a +11 rating and 36 penalty minutes in 43 career Stanley Cup Playoffs games, including a run to the 2004 Stanley Cup Final with Calgary.

The seventh round draft pick dealt to Buffalo, in either the 2012 or 2013 NHL Entry Draft, was previously acquired from the Florida Panthers on June 27.

Assets - Makes the most of his ability and has the versatility to be used in virtually any game situation. Shoots the puck with aplomb and can also deliver big hits. Has also played wing at the NHL level.

Flaws - Sometimes has trouble with the decision-making process in the defensive zone, as he's prone to making mistakes with the puck. That usually prevents him from seeing big minutes.

Andrew Brunette

HEIGHT: 6' 1"
WEIGHT: 210
Shoots: Left
BIRTHDATE: Aug 24, 1973 (AGE 37)
BIRTHPLACE: Sudbury, ON, Canada
DRAFTED: WSH / 1993 NHL Entry Draft
ROUND: 7th (174th overall)

Brunette, 37, is a veteran of 1,032 National Hockey League regular-season games, collecting 256 goals, 450 assists and 706 points, which includes finishing third on the Minnesota Wild with 46 points (18G, 28A) while appearing in all 82 contests last season. The Sudbury, Ontario, native has also skated with the Washington Capitals (1995-98), Nashville Predators (1998-99), Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2001), Colorado Avalanche (2005-08) and Wild (2001-04; 2008-11) during his 15-year NHL career.

Dating back to the start of the 1998-99 season, Brunette has played the most games (970) of any NHL player and has missed just two contests over the last eight regular seasons. He tied for first on Minnesota with eight power-play goals last season, a campaign that saw him appear in his 1,000th regular-season game (February 1). Washington’s sixth pick, 174th overall, in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Brunette has also appeared in 43 career Stanley Cup Playoff tilts, racking up 34 points (16G, 18A).

Assets - Has great offensive instincts. Can set up plays and finish them off with equal zest. Is very creative with the puck and positionally sound. Does great work around the opponents' crease.

Flaws - Is a below-average skater, which prevents him from elevating his play to a top-tier level. Does not initiate a lot of contact, despite having the size to do so.

Sean O'Donnell

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 237
Shoots: Left
Born: Oct 13, 1971 (Age 39)
Birthplace: Ottawa, ON, Canada
Drafted: BUF / 1991 NHL Entry Draft
Round: 6th (123rd overall)

Signed for $850,000 for 1 year. O’Donnell, 39, collected 17 assists and 18 points in 81 regular-season games with the Philadelphia Flyers last season during his 16th NHL campaign. The Ottawa native, who helped the Anaheim Ducks capture the Stanley Cup in 2007, has appeared in 1,173 career regular-season contests, racking up 222 points (31G, 191A) and 1,786 penalty minutes. He has also helped his clubs reach the Stanley Cup playoffs 10 times during his career, notching 19 points (6G, 13A) and 129 penalty minutes, which includes helping the New Jersey Devils reach the Final in 2001.
O’Donnell has also skated with the Los Angeles Kings (1994-2000; 2008-10), Wild (2000-01), Devils (2001), Boston Bruins (2001-04), Phoenix Coyotes (2005-06), Anaheim (2006-08) and Philadelphia (2010-11), finishing last season 10th on the NHL’s active list in games played.

Assets - Is usually a plus player and combines leadership with a good shot from the point and hockey sense. Plays with a mean streak. Always thinks team first.

Flaws - Takes a few too many bad penalties that can hurt his team. Tends to lose control of his temper. Lacks offensive flair. Is wearing down over time.

Jamal Mayers

HEIGHT: 6' 1"
WEIGHT: 215
Shoots: Right
BIRTHDATE: Oct 24, 1974 (AGE 36)
BIRTHPLACE: Toronto, ON, Canada
DRAFTED: STL / 1993 NHL Entry Draft
ROUND: 4th (89th overall)

1 year for $550,000. Mayers, 36, registered three goals, 11 assists and a +3 plus/minus rating in 78 regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks during the 2010-11 campaign, and skated in 12 Stanley Cup Playoffs contests. He also accrued 124 penalty minutes which paced the club during the season, and ranked fourth among team forwards with 105 hits.

Originally selected by the St. Louis Blues in the third round (89th overall) of the 1993 National Hockey League Entry Draft, Mayers has recorded 202 points (84 G, 118A) and 1,093 penalty minutes in 815 career regular-season games over parts of 13 NHL seasons with St. Louis (1996-2008), Toronto Maple Leafs (2008-10), Calgary Flames (2010) and San Jose (2010-11). The Toronto native is also a veteran of 60 career Stanley Cup Playoffs contests, notching 13 points (5G, 8A) and 32 penalty minutes.

Assets - Is big, strong, tough and determined. He's a far better skater than the average banger. Can win face-offs, play all three forward positions and kill penalties.

Flaws - Doesn't have much of an offensive arsenal. Will take a few bad penalties on occasion. Plays out of control at times.

Brett McLean

HEIGHT: 5' 11"
WEIGHT: 185
Shoots: Left
BIRTHDATE: Aug 14, 1978
BIRTHPLACE: Comox, BC, Canada
DRAFTED: DAL / 1997 NHL Entry Draft
ROUND: 9th (242nd overall)

Signed a 2-way contract worth $525k if in the NHL. McLean, 32, notched 27 points (10G, 17A) and 22 penalty minutes in 2010-11 in 50 games with Bern of the Swiss League, where he has spent the last two seasons. Originally selected by the Dallas Stars in the ninth round (242nd overall) of the 1997 Entry Draft, McLean previously skated for the Blackhawks from 2002-04, recording 11 goals, 20 assists and 54 penalty minutes in 78 regular-season tilts. The Comox, British Columbia, native has posted 162 points (56G, 106A) in 385 career regular-season games over parts of six NHL seasons with Chicago, Colorado Avalanche (2005-07) and Florida Panthers (2007-09) and registered one assist in eight Stanley Cup Playoffs games with Colorado in 2006.

Assets - Has plenty of hockey smarts and a wealth of playmaking ability. Is a proven scorer at lower levels.

Flaws - Is smallish and brittle, which makes it difficult for him to find regular playing time at the NHL level. Must improve his defensive game.

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The Vacation is Over

With the close of the 2010-11 season last week, the business end (and I don't mean the bunghole) of the NHL swings into action. As Hawks fans, we all took some time to decompress after last year's magical mystery tour. The highs and lows made for a very emotional year, and we all needed some time to recharge and refresh, just as the players do. That is why it's so hard to repeat as champs, because not only do you have the physical grind of a season, but you have the emotional drain. Nevertheless, It's time for me, and the million other reporters and bloggers, to get back to BLACKHAWKS business.

For this year's draft, the Hawks pick 18th (round 1), 36th (round 2 via the Ladd trade), 43rd (round 2 via trade), 48th (round 2), 70th (round 3 via trade), 79th (round 3), 109th (round 4), 139th (round 5), 169th (round 6), 199th (round 7), and Mr. Irrelevant at the 211th pick (round 7 via trade). That's a grand total of 11 pick, and even though one of their second round picks will go to the Sens to complete the Stromboli trade, 10 picks isn't too shabby. Especially when you factor in that they have 3 picks in, possibly, the first 43 choices. At this point we really won't know what kind of lightning or static electricity they've captured in their bottle. To give you an idea of the past picks at 18, these are the last few, going back to 2000:

Austin Watson, Louis Leblanc, Chet Pickard, Ian Cole, Chris Stewart, Ryan Parent, Kyle Chipchura, Eric Fehr, Denis Grebeshkov, Jens Karlsson, and Brooks Orpik.

Not really the list of All Stars you'd hope for, and the last time the Hawks chose 18th overall, they ended up with the legendary Bruce Cassidy in 1983. Let's just say that if someone is going to break out from this draft, on the the Blackhawks, it won't be for a few years, and it will probably be unexpected.

With the current state of the team, you might even see them trade out of the first round, so don't be surprised, unless you were all hoping for the next Jens Karlsson.

-I was corrected earlier by Cam (thanks for pointing out the error), as the salary cap COULD go up to as much as $62.2 million, for the next season. At this point it's all speculation, but the Hawks have the 4th highest payroll in the NHL, as the roster stands.

-With 16 rostered NHL players, they would have $7.9 Million to spend on the 7 possible remaining spots. To break it down a little more, that's 8 Forwards (Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger included), 6 Defensemen (John Scott included, although I hesitate even labeling him as an NHL player, much less a defenseman), and 2 goalies. That is ROUGHLY $1.128 million per open roster slot. Not the conundrum they were in last year, but still slightly tight. Also, keep in mind that this does NOT include Frolik, Kopecky, Brouwer, Stalberg, Dowell, Pisani, Johnson, Campoli, Hendry, or any of the Rockford crew.

-The TYPICAL roster will have 23 players, which would consist of 12 forwards, 6 defensemen, 2 goalies, and could have as many as 3 floating/open healthy slots. Slow down to let your brain catch up to the rest of this, because it'll get more complicated.

Exhale...you're doing great

-We're going to ASSUME that Marcus Kruger ends up in Rockford, Ben Smith plays with the big boys, and John Scott will continue to hold his "floating" status.

-This adjusts the matrix to 5 open forward slots 1 defensive slot, and few open slots. Raise the Cap Space to $8.8 million

-Assume Frolik and Campoli are re-signed at an average of $1.5 million a piece, which is a slight raise for both. Down to 4 forwards and $5.8 million remaining.

-Assume Jeremy Morin, $866K cap hit, is an NHLer for 2011, which leaves $5 Million for 3 forwards.

-Assume they humor us with Ryan Johnson or someone in the same general price bracket, as our 4th line center/penalty killing and faceoff guru, for a generous $600k. $4.4 Million for 2 forwards, with 2 roster spots to play with.

on to our next subject...

Before we dip into this pond, we need to establish what positions the Hawks are set at. The would have three solid centers, seven solid wings, six defensemen and a John Scott in a pear tree. The Hawks needs would seem to be a second or maybe a forth line center, and a wing or two. Where do they go with this, because there are are no affordable 2nd line centers. Try to force Dave Bolland into that slot and look for a solid 3rd line center, or continue force the proverbial square peg (Patrick Sharp) into the round hole and stock up on wings?

The name at wing I really like on the market is Eric Cole of the Hurricanes. He has a little of that grit and grind to him, that made Andrew Ladd such an effective player here. For forth line center I will still always love John Madden over Ryan Johnson, and anything can happen. Who knows what direction they are going in, but this will be interesting to watch. More to follow as I hear it...

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