Saad But True - Bowman Unloads

by Gatekeeper

So THAT happened...

Just as the day wound down, yesterday, the Blackhawks snuck in a quick minor little deal.

To Columbus
LW - Brandon Saad
C - Alex Broadhurst
D - Michael Paliotta

To Chicago
C - Marko Dano
C - Artem Anisimov
RW - Corey Tropp
LW - Jeremy Morin
2016 4th Rd Pick

Please note the sarcasm. It was reported that the contract talks between Brandon Saad and the Blackhawks had broken down, and his demands went from $4 million per year to $6.5 Million per year. This is ALL speculation, until he signs with Columbus, and I'm not buying it just yet.

As angry as I was when this deal was announced, I've had a night to sleep on it. I'm still not a fan, because Stan Bowman traded away one of the few young players that the team was actually able to develop, and probably the best young power forward in the league. If his hand was forced, then so be it. I hope, for Bowman's sake, that it was. Saad has been my favorite young player on this team for 3 years, and it hurts that he is gone. In fact, in the Bowman era, this is the biggest single loss they have encountered. Andrew Ladd is the second biggest loss, and all the rest fall in behind. Don't give me any of this Dustin Fluff-lien horse shit, because he has been a wild card, and was a bottom 6 forward or a bottom 3 defender. He is a role player for this team.

Brandon Saad is a very talented player, and I feel like he will do well. He has learned the ropes from 3 future Hall Of Fame players, and he has a good head on his shoulders. My best guess is that he will top out as a 35 goal/75 point guy.

The other questionable part of the trade going to Columbus was Michael Paliotta. This guy was Stan Bowman's hottest target this spring, when it was floated that he may pull a Kevin Hayes. They wined him, and dined him. They burned a year off his ELC to play one BAD game with the Hawks, and then they discard him. I thought he was one of the top defensive prospects. Apparently, they were as impressed as I was with his stellar NHL debut.

Onward and upward, as they say. More is sure to come out.

The Blackhawks acquired a guy that they have reportedly been eyeing for quite some time. He is 27 year old Russian center Artem Anisimov. Admittedly, I don't know a great deal about him, but he is a big body center than can fit in on the second line, allegedly. He came in with a $3.1 Million, and signed a 5 year $4.55 Million extension this morning. I hope you all like your Artem, becasue he's going to be here a while. Anisimov has 6 solid NHL seasons under his belt and averages about half a point a game. He was a 44% faceoff guy last season with the Jackets, as well. Feel free to judge for yourself:



I guess that is worth $4.55 Million.

The second, and maybe most intriguing piece of the deal was 20 year old Slovak Marko Daňo. He's an average sized center/wing that has speed and shiftiness, much like Kane, Teravainen and Panarin before him. He was a 2013 first round draft pick of the Jackets and had 21 points in 35 games. Nothing to scoff at. Here are his full stats:



Here is a WJC Dano Highlight Package:


Everyone seemed to be masturbating over this goal. Take it for what it is, one goal:


The third player in the deal is Corey Tropp, who is a 25 year old, nondescript, depth guy. He had 8 points in 61 games last season. Here is his line:



The last player might be the interesting piece. Bowman re-acquired Jeremy Morin, whom he basically gave away for nothing, in Tim Erixon. The same Jeremy Morin that Quenneville refused to play, and the same Jeremy Morin that was out for an extended time last season with an irregular heart rate. Makes no sense.




For anyone that want's to bash Saad as a player, let us watch him clown an all-star defenseman, once again:

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Dirty Black Summer

The Blackhawks have been on a cinderella run that none of us have seen in this city, well, EVER. As far as the Blackhawks go, that is. Regardless of what the Hawks do to finish the season, Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks are going to need to do work on some creative accounting to fill some holes, thanks to the salary cap rollback in the new CBA.

As the roster sits today, Bryan Bickell and Viktor Stalberg will be unrestricted free agents. Marcus Kruger and Nick Leddy will be restricted free agents. With the deals they are getting in Stalberg ($875K) and Bickell ($541K), even if they re-sign, it'll be for a raise. Lets say, for the sake of sanity, that each of them double their salaries. Stalberg would be at $1.75 Million and Bickell would be at just about $1.1 Million. Both are palatable cap hits, in today's market, but that brings the Hawks cap room to just under $1.2 million, with Kruger and Leddy still unsigned and no backup goalie. You can see where I'm going with this. Even if they are ok with humping the cap ceiling, they are going to need to shed some payroll. My gut feeling is that one, or both of them will be playing elsewhere. Jeremy Morin and Jimmy Hayes should be able to fill the Bickell/Stalberg slots pretty well. Ben Smith is also another candidate to fill some of that ice time. I wouldn't be heartbroken with any of these moves, but Stalberg's speed is an x-factor.


On the other hand, Leddy is in for a payday and Kruger isn't far behind. Even if both of THEM double their salaries, Kruger is at roughly $1.8 Million and Leddy is at $2.233 Million. Again, both decent cap hits, but if the Hawks keep all 4 at double their current salaries, the Hawks would be nearly $3 Million over the cap. That number drops to about $1.4 million over, if they play the kids in Bickell and Stalberg's spots. Either way, the Hawks need to make adjustments.

There are some easy solutions, with a buyout of Rostislav Olesz and maybe Steve Montador. These two moves, alone, free up almost $6 million dollars, make the most sense, and leave the Hawks some room to either sign or bring up a backup netminder, with some slight wiggle room. It's doubtful that they are going to pay Ray Emery the raise he is going to be looking for, come season's end, but I've been wrong before. Hutton and Karlsson are both unrestricted free agents and if one is re-signed, my guess would be Karlsson, based on his NHL experience. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see both left to test the market.

All of these moves and all of this speculation is based on one thing, the Hawks don't test the free agent market. At all.

This brings me to my next point, and I brought this up on Twitter and in my game recap last night. David Bolland. Has the success of the young centers made him and his $3.375 Million cap hit expendable? I would say yes, and here is why.

-With Bolland out of the lineup, Kruger and Shaw have filled his spot pretty admirably.
-Shaw has taken over Bolland's beloved third line shutdown spot, and some would say he's not missed a beat.
-Those in love with his playoff performance forget that he's no longer playing against the other team's top lines. Shaw's line has been.
-While Kruger has a tough time winning faceoffs, Bolland has has almost identical issues at the dot. If they want to have a #3 playing in the #2 spot, Kruger can do it at less than half the price, and much younger.
-Kruger and Frolik could center the 2nd and 4th lines respectively, at the same cap hit as Bolland.
-$3.375 Million is a nice chunk of change to have in your pocket.
-His growth hasn't been what you'd like for a 2nd line center, and he's been at a plateau for about 3 years.

With the moves above, the Hawks could go into the free agent signing period with almost $8 Million in their pocket. Of course, Stan doesn't like to dive deep into the free agent market, but a Bolland trade may alos bring back something of value, as well.

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Rockford Express

In what is pretty much a standard Blackhawks move, the team recalled 11 players from Rockford, over the past few days. This really has nothing to do with current roster situation. It's more of an "experience" builder for the young players, and it allows for more practice dummies to play against. Last season, they did the same thing with the likes of players like Crawford, Bickell and Dowell. If they need the help, the players are already with the team, but there is a VERY small possibility of them ever playing. Anyhow, the players are Forwards Jeff Taffe, Rob Klinkhammer, Jeremy Morin and Brandon Pirri; Defensemen Garnet Exelby, Jassen Cullimore, Brian Connelly, Shawn Lalonde and Ryan Stanton; and Goalies Hannu Toivonen, and Alec Richards. Here is the info on each player:

• Taffe, 30, appeared in one game with the Blackhawks this season, logging 4:05 of ice time on Feb. 12 at Phoenix, in his first year with the organization. The Hastings, Minnesota, native paced Rockford and shared eighth in the AHL with a career-high 30 goals and led the IceHogs with 67 points (30G, 37A) in 74 regular-season tilts. Taffe has registered 21 goals and 23 assists in 175 career regular-season NHL contests over parts of seven seasons with the Blackhawks, Phoenix Coyotes (2002-04, 2005, 2006-07), New York Rangers (2005), Pittsburgh Penguins (2007-09) and Florida Panthers (2009-10).
  
• Klinkhammer, 24, made his National Hockey League debut on Dec. 8, registering one shot and a +1 plus/minus rating against the Dallas Stars at the United Center. The Lethbridge, Alberta, native paced Rockford with a +14 rating, ranked fourth with a career-high 17 goals that included 16 markers at even-stregth, and finished third with a career-best 46 points in 76 regular-season tilts with the IceHogs.
  
• Morin, 19, posted three points (2G, A) and a +2 plus/minus rating in nine regular-season contests with the Blackhawks this year in his professional debut. The Auburn, New York, native added 12 points (8G, 4A) in 22 AHL games with Rockford and was a member of Team USA’s bronze medal-winning squad at the 2011 World Junior Championships in Buffalo.
  
• Pirri, 20, made his NHL debut on Oct. 9 in the Blackhawks 2010-11 home opener at the United Center. Chicago’s second selection (59th overall) in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, the Toronto native ranked third on the IceHogs, and shared eighth among AHL rookies, with 31 assists and finished fourth on Rockford with 43 points in his first professional campaign.
  
• Exelby, 29, registered 13 points (3G, 10A) and ranked second among club defensemen with a +7 plus/minus rating in 77 AHL contests with Rockford while serving as the captain of the IceHogs. The Ste. Anne, Manitoba, native is a veteran of 408 career National Hockey League regular-season games, racking up 43 assists, 50 points and 584 penalty minutes with the Atlanta Thrashers (2002-09) and Toronto Maple Leafs (2009-10).
  
• Cullimore, 38, recorded eight assists and eight penalty minutes in 36 regular-season games with the Blackhawks this season, and nine points (2G, 7A) in 41 AHL contests with Rockford. The Simcoe, Ontario, native is a veteran of 812 career National Hockey League regular-season games, racking up 85 assists, 111 points and 704 penalty minutes with the Vancouver Canucks (1994-96), Montreal Canadiens, (1996-98), Tampa Bay Lightning (1998-2004), Blackhawks (2005-07, 2010-11) and Florida Panthers (2007-09). Cullimore has also notched four points (G, 3A) in 35 career postseason contests, which includes helping Tampa Bay capture the 2004 Stanley Cup.
  
• Connelly, 24, ranked sixth among American Hockey League defensemen, and second on the IceHogs overall, with a career-high 52 points, pacing the club with 41 assists in 80 regular-season tilts. The Bloomington, Minnesota, native, who was honored as the IceHogs Rookie of the Year during the 2009-10 season, also represented Rockford at the 2011 AHL All-Star Game.
  
• Lalonde, 21, ranked second among team blueliners, and shared fifth among AHL rookie defensemen, with 32 points (5G, 27A) in 73 regular-season tilts in his first full professional campaign. Chicago’s second selection (68th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, the Ottawa native ranked sixth on the IceHogs and second among defensemen with 142 shots on goal.
  
• Stanton, 21, paced IceHogs defensemen with a +9 plus/minus rating and registered 17 points (3G, 14A) in 76 regular-season AHL tilts. A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Stanton shared second among Rockford blueliners with 76 penalty minutes in his first full professional season.
  
• Toivonen, 26, dressed for one game with the Blackhawks this season but did not appear in the contest. The Kalvola, Finland, native led Rockford with a career-high 21 wins (21-16-6) and posted a team-best .907 save percentage in 49 appearances between the pipes. Originally acquired by the Blackhawks on March 1, 2010, in a trade with the St. Louis Blues, Toivonen has appeared in 61 career NHL contests with Boston (2005-07) and St. Louis (2007-08), registering an 18-24-10 record with a 3.37 goals against average and an .890 save percentage.
  
• Richards, 23, led Rockford netminders with two shutouts and a 2.89 GAA in 44 appearances in his first full professional campaign. The Robbinsdale, Minnesota, native posted a 17-21-2 mark between the pipes for the IceHogs.
  

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Morin hurt in WJC OT win

TSN and Tracy Myers from CSN are reporting this morning that Blackhawks Jeremy Morin was injured last night in the USA's 3-2 opening night OT victory last night. Morin apparently "suffered a shoulder injury that could be significant." This is not good news for the Hawks, but there is speculation that the Hawks were going to keep him in Rockford the rest of the year so that his rookie contract doesn't kick in.

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.

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.

Once he plays his 10th NHL contest, he is officially considered a rookie and his contract goes into effect. The AHL games with the Rock-beria Ice Hogs have nothing to do with his rookie status or contract.

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Dallas Madness

Burish and the boys pulled out their Sunday go to meetin' clothes for the trip

Dallas Stars tonight at the UC...here we go!

• Baby Face Jeremy Morin was on the Rock-beria express this morning. No surprise, as this was reported Monday night by Tim Sassone.
  
  
• Not only will Morin be back, but Colonel Klink, Rob Klinkhammer, will be making his 2010 Hawks debut wearing the every popular #59. The kid has energy, and a great attitude, so no issues here with this call up. He's going to be playing on the forth line tonight. Can we say "poor man's Skillington"?
  
  
  
• Boss 81 was placed on IR retroactive to the day he was hurt, to make room for Colonel Klink. Moustachio said it was all procedural, and that neither Boss or Pisani will be making the road trip. So, it looks like Boss and Pisani will be back in a week, at best. Lets see what these kids can do, because it's better now than April.
  
  
• Corey Crawford will be your starting netminder tonight against Andrew Raycroft, which proves that a win is much more important than showing your ex team that they made a mistake, right Marty? IF they made a mistake that is.
  
  
• Jesse Rodgers reported that Power Brouwer said, "I didn't hang with him much cause he was always patrolling for ladies, and I'm married but we're buddies" about Burish the Poonhunter. Way to make a showing for the wife, Troy. (wink,wink,nudge,nudge)
  
  
• Lines at this morning's practice were:
  Skillington, Jonny B Goode, Pick-To-Click Vik
  Shooter, TomoKop, Baby Face Morin
  Power Brouwer, Invisi-Bolly, One Trick Bick
  Big Show, The Snake, Col Klink
  

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Day Off Blues Clues

You people are really going to be sick of me, but I have topics to discuss and time to discuss them. So, lets dive right in, shall we?

• I'm not sure where they got this, but a friend messaged me last night to tell me that the NHL network was reporting that Kaner will be out 4-6 weeks with an ankle issue. If it is anything like I think it might be, he's going to be tender and ineffective for longer than that. Now, I didn't have the wonders of a multimillion dollar training and rehab staff, but I had a similar injury and I wasn't even close to normal for at least 8 weeks, and I'm just a goalie. Anyway, it's clear Kaner is out for a while, Boss 81 is probably at least a week away from being rushed back too soon, and Pisani...is talent deficient. This morning Quenneville said Kaner will only be out for 3 weeks but I strongly believe he's being conservative to keep the media at bay. When all is said and done, don't be surprised to see him out for closer to the original reported time.
  
  
• The Hawks announced, apparently only to columnist Tim Sassone, that Morin will be back for the Wednesday game. Yeah, yeah, Salary cap, blabbity, blah, blah. For those of you hoping to see Kyle Beach anytime this year, you're high. He makes $250K more than Morin and they have to send HIM back to Rock-beria on off days to save some cabbage. Unless they drop some salary though trades, you will see Potulny, Pirri, Smith and/or Makarov before Kyle Beach steps on the ice at the United Center. Welcome to Hawk-onomics, folks, I'll be your instructor, Stan Bowman.
  
  
• The Second City Hockey/Committed Indian guys have touched on it. We don't really have the goalie controversy of last year, and quite frankly, this is how last year should have been handled, early on. The only problem was that they had to somehow justify almost $6 million of suck. It's all water under the bridge, because they won, but they are in a similar position this year and I feel Quenneville is handling it right. Stick with the hot hand, whoever that may be. I agree, completely, with the SCH/Committed Indian guys about the fact that the Hawks owe Marty Turco nothing. He practically begged to play here, and they needed an insurance policy, if Crawford wasn't ready. Well, Crawford IS ready and Turco has been average. Even on his bad days the Hawks seem to play better in front of Crawford, for whatever reason. It's about time we started getting use to Corey Crawford as our starting netminder, as he will be tomorrow night. Where is my #50 jersey?
  
  
  
• Today it was announced that prospects Jeremy Morin and Nick Leddy were named to preliminary roster for U.S. National Junior team. That will take them off our hands for a little bit. Should be interesting with Kaner out for a while, Hossa recovering, and Morin playing for the WJC. The options for goal scoring are getting thinner by the day. Get ready to have Tomas Kopecky and Troy Brouwer jammed down our throats, nightly. Just what we wanted for Christmas, Santa.
  
  
• If you don't want to weed through the drivel of this Adam Jahn's article, let me highlight a few points. He is suggesting a few options to alleviate the recent player losses. Shorten the Bench, Find some ripe players on the Rock-beria Icehogs bush, and finally, my FAVORITE; More Hendry and Big Show at wing. First of all, they have been playing with a short bench, BECAUSE Big Show only makes appearances for 300 seconds a game and Skille hasn't exactly been leaving a cold seat on the bench, himself. Second, The Icehogs aren't exactly tearing up the AHL (9-11-3), and they top prospects aren't really lighting the lamp either. Defenseman Brian Connolly is leading the team in scoring with 16 points and Ryan Potulny is behind him with 13. Lastly, more Big Show and Hendry? That's tremendous a waste of my Oxygen, and we all know Quenneville drowned Hendry and buried him in a vacant west side lot. Silly rabbit, Trix are for kids.
  
  
• At this morning's practice the team was skating with only three lines. Skillington, Pick-To-Click Vik and Toews; TomoKop, Shooter and Jake the Snake; and Brouwer, Bickell, and Invisi-Bolland. Of course, this is all without Morin, Hossa, Pisani, or Kane. This makes me wonder though...since Morin can't practice with the team, does this mean he's in protective custody at some undisclosed location, or does he really have to drive all the way out to Rock-beria to report? I hope he's looking to invest in one of those new hybrid cars because the gas alone is going to bankrupt him. Junkfood for thought.
  

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Morin or Less-in

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Boss 81 Officially Out, Morin Officially in, Boynton Officially Useless

As reported by Tracy Myers at CSN, Boss 81 collided with Dick Boynton, and was assisted off the ice during yesterday's practice favoring his right leg. Today it was announced that Boss 81 will be out 2-3 weeks with the always exciting and specific "lower body injury". This could mean that he misses as few as 6, or as many as 9 games. One can only guess as to the exact nature but I'd guess a knee or an ankle tweak, because we already know he can skate with his balls of steel. This could be disastrous for Kopecky, because without his #81 security blanket he tends to disappear. Mix that with the fact that Bolland has been completely useless and Bickell can't do much but shoot the puck, and you have the makings of something aweful. As a result of the injury, Jeremy Morin hopped a Greyhound from Rockford, and will probably be skating with Sharpie and Troy Brouwer tonight. Let's hope Morin's first trip to the doghouse was enough to keep him from pissing on the carpet anymore, because I doubt Quenneville will have him on a very long leash. I'm looking forward to seeing his first NHL goal, and hoping it comes very soon. Good luck, 27!

Also, All signs point to Pisani being out again tonight, and instant YouTube legend Big Show Scott on the Forth line. I'm actually good with this, because St Louis is known for their douche baggery, and dress noted ball sack Cam Janssen. I'm looking for a Scott vs. Janssen main event, tonight. If Scott can do that, I'll start to give him some serious consideration as a legit league enforcer, otherwise he's still just a big, ugly, slow, waste of space. Any assclown can have their 10 seconds of fame on YouTube, but it takes some work to gain a reputation in this league, kid.

Lastly, The Hawks will face Ty Conklin tonight, so we don't have to worry about any Jaroslav Halak heroics. Thank GOD!

Here are your lines for tonight:
Pick-To-Click Vik / Captain Serious / Kaner
Brouwer / Sharpie / Morin
Bickell / Bolland / Kopecky
Big Show / Jake The Snake / Skillington

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Morin Sent Packing

In an uneventful move, 19 year old rookie Jeremy Morin was sent back to the Ice Hogs, Monday afternoon. Considering he only played 18:57 in two games, and Boss 81 is back from injury, it doesn't surprise may that he was sent down. His short amount of playing time was a combination of injury and Moustachio's doghouse. The kid has talent, and was hit with some bad luck, getting hurt Saturday against Atlanta. Then he produced an awful turnover at the blue line, in the Oilers game that led to Taylor Hall skating in on Corey Crawford, one-on one. Off to the doghouse for that gaffe, Junior.

I guess we're going to have to continue to suffer with this embarrassingly atrocious John Scott show for a while longer, which just elates me to no end. I'm surprised to see Jassen Cullimore still rotting away in the press box, night after night, because he hasn't played that bad at all, and are we that sure that we need Jassen Cullimore as a security blanket? Just what a 37 year old defenseman in the dusk of he career needs; front row seats to the latest shitshow on ice. Once Bolland comes back from having his head removed from his sphincter, I would expect to see some shuffling around. Cullimore has to be the odd man out, right? One would think; but if we've learned one thing, it's that StanBo and Moustachio can be unpredictable, to put it lightly. That being said, they really don't have many options to clear up salary. I'd like to say this clears some room for a little more Jack Skillington, but we all know that's not in the cards. Forth line purgatory for you, sir! Ho Hum!

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Morin to Make Hawks Debut in Atlanta

It looks like Christmas has come early for all the mouth breathing jackass journalists out there. Highly touted rookie Jeremy Morin was recalled from Rockford, today, and will make his debut against the team that traded him away this summer, the Atlanta Thrashers. Leave it up to the Hawks to write a great drama, just in time to take some heat off their atrocious play. You have the Hawks first game against former teammates Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Brent Sopel, and Ben Eager and then you throw in the top prospect that Atlanta traded away, and this is a whole made for TV movie. Excellent move, Stan-Bo.

After the backlash thrown around this city, following the pitiful Wednesday loss to the piss poor Devils, something needed to happen. This is a baby step in the right direction, but there is still yeoman's work to be done. Jeremy Morin is NOT going to win you games, yet. It will quiet the rabid crowd temporarily, but you can bet your ass that if they don't look well Saturday and Sunday, there will be hell to pay come Monday morning.

Morin has a contract that is fashioned like fellow youngster Nick Leddy. If they play more than 9 NHL games, they get a year dropped off their rookie contracts. This could come into play if he doesn't step on the ice Saturday and play like his life depended on it. There would be no use burning up a "cheap" year on his deal for sub-par numbers. I, personally, hope he lights the world on fire, but only time will tell. It'll be nice to have a #27 on the ice with some talent, again. Big ups to JR!

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Morin sent to Rockford

It looks like the Jeremy Morin experiment has been put on hold temporarily, as the Hawks sent him to the Icehogs, Monday. This comes as a slight surprise, but not something I'd call a shocking development. All the shenanigans aside, he's a very talented kid with a bright future at West Madison St, but he is also very young, and can clean up his game a little bit. He should absolutely smoke the competition in Rockford. If he has the chip on his shoulder that we all think he does, he will use this to inspire some serious carnage. Of course, this will all be temporary, and I'm sure he knows this. Although, I am disappointed that I won't get to see the Morin/Sharp/Kane line just yet, but there is still plenty of time.

As the roster stands, it's at 24, with Campbell going to the IR for a few weeks. So, technically, they don't have to make any more cuts. I don't care what plate of bullshit you try to feed me, but Jassen Cullimore does not belong on this team. He's T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E, and a marginal AHL player. How he's snuck through these cuts is beyond me. As much as I disliked Sopel, he was a hell of a penalty killer and took more shots than Jenna Jameson.

Now that the roster has been set, I have to say that there is some serious talent playing in Rockford. It might be worth getting out and seeing an Icehogs game this year.


EDIT - The Hawks placed Ryan Potulny and Jassen Cullimore on waivers, which could send them to Rockford or give them their outright release.

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Cut me, Mick!

The team announced today that they've trimmed the roster down to 26, with the latest group of indianhead wearing hoodlums bound for Rockford, IL. They sent Kyle Beach, Igor Makarov, Brandon Pirri (deja vu all over again), Ben Smith and Brian Connelly west bound. The surprise, if you want to call it that, was Makarov. I went out on a limb and said he'd make the team over Morin, and I can admit when I'm wrong (which is rare). Actually, I think I put the kiss of death on him, because after I proclaimed this revelation, he went into a mad slump. Last year, I proclaimed Brent Seabrook as my favorite Hawk, and he also tumbled into a mad slump. At this point, I should probably keep my proclamations to myself, but you all know how hard that is. ANYWAY, Morin is just playing too well to cut, yet. I think he played himself into the final cuts, rather than Makarov playing himself out of them. The Hawks have to get the roster down to 23 before opening night, with Toivonen and Cullimore shockingly still around, and Skille injured. Conventional wisdom would tell me that Toivo-Cop, and Culli-snore get the axe next and if injuries keep Jack Skille-ngton on the shelf for a bit, Morin and Leddy make the team opening night. Not too shabby for the two 19 year olds acquired in trades by Bowman, for our overpriced role players. I've read rumors that say Toivo was placed on waivers, which sets forth the process of him going to the Hogs, right behind Richards. This would also mean that Jake Dowell makes the big boy team. Congrats, boys!

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And That's Why They Call it the Blues

Once again, the Hawks played last night and the only way to watch was a raw web feed through the Blues website. We'd be silly to expect the preseason of the Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks to bump the utterly boring and pointless games of the Sox to CSN+ or anything. Morons. Before the game, the team called up Brandon Pirri and sent goalie Alec Richards packing to Rockford. The Hawks are again blacked out tonight against the Penguins, and then we have the luxury of watching them finish up the preseason Sunday night against these same Blues.


John Scott with fist-a-blazin

The Hawks twater page was the next best play-by-play for the game, and CSN put together some highlights. I logged into the web feed for about 10 mins, but quickly became annoyed with it, and called it a night. I'm sure Pirri was just a temporary fill in because Jonny Be Goode was at home, no doubt glued to his MAC book, watching his team on the brilliant interweb feed. Keith, Hossa, and Sharpie were also held out of the game and probably huddled around their computers, as well. Sounds like they really peppered Halak in the first, and once they couldn't crack him, it all went downhill. Beach and Scott entered into fisticuffs with those pesky Blues, as well. Here are the highlights of the game, and here are a few observations:



-No doubt Pirri will end up back with the Hogs in Rockford, but I like the kid and I'm happy to see him playing against NHLers again, even if it only lasts a game or two.

-Whoever was running the camera sucks.

-Oshie's move absolutely left Turco in a crumpled mess. That kid is good, and that is a sweet move.

-Halak looks as good as advertised, in the playoffs last season. The Blues are going to beat some people this year.

-Turco's pads don't look quite as hideous with the away jerseys and the white mask.

-Morin's penalty shot was uneventful. I would have expected a little more pizazz from the kid. This is your chance to really make the highlight reel.

-I wish I could tell you more about Smith's goal, but the camera man was too busy admiring the form of the shot from the point. I guess it's preseason for camera men too.

-Word is that Skille went to the locker room holding his left arm close to his body. I hope it's nothing serious, because the guy is finally on the verge of cracking the lineup. A serious injury would be devastating.

Below is a reprint of the twater feed, if anyone is curious:

-Coach Q:: Skille day-to-day with upper body injury. Crawford will play the whole game tomorrow vs. Pittsburgh.

-Gotta love Hammer. Talked postgame about how he wants to do more shot blocking on D. "It's a glamorous job," he said.

-That's the game. Hawks fall 4-1 to the Blues.

-Steen with the empty-netter, giving St. Louis the three-goal cushion. 1:37 to go.

-Morin stopped on a penalty shot, 4 minutes left in regulation. Hawks still trailing 3-1.

-Cullimore gets the holding call, Hawks head to the PK. A little more than 10 left to go, still trailing by 2.

-No Keith, Seabrook or Campbell tonight. Not the defense you will see come Oct. 7.

-Just announced: Jack Skille is not returning tonight.

-3-1 Blues as D'Agostini snipes the puck past Turco after a good pass by Crombeen. 17 minutes to play in regulation.

-The 2nd period closes with the Blues up by a goal. Hawks still holding a sizeable shot advantage, 24-15. Stay tuned for the 3rd.

-Oshie, who slipped past the Hawks' D, beats Turco and puts the Blues ahead 2-1 with 3 to go in the 2nd.

-Skille heading to the locker room, looked like he was holding his arm. We'll update when we have something. 7:16 left in the 2nd period.

-Perron scores right in front of the crease off a pass by Backes from behind the net. 1-1 with 10 left to play in the 2nd period.

-Ben Smith connects just before the power play expires, assisted by Hammer and Stalberg. 1-0 good guys with 11 to go in the 2nd.

-Morin draws a penalty, Hawks to the PP again. Hawks are getting a lot of shots: 20 through just over 24 minutes of play.

-Hjalmarsson is back on the ice. Hawks to the PP with Jackman in the box for slashing. 16 to go in the 2nd.

-Hammer went down to block a shot, stays down. Got off the ice under his own power and still on the bench. 2nd just underway.

-The first comes to a close, with the Hawks and Blues scoreless. Good frame for the good guys: 14-5 in shots, and solid puck possession.

-If the Hawks brought Scott in for toughness, he did his job there. He's got a great reach during a fight. 0-0 with 7 left in the 1st.

-Winchester and Scott (which happens to sound like a fine wine or antique rifle) throw down. That's 13.5 feet of hockey player at war.

-Hawks go to the PK with Cullimore in the box. 9:53 left in the 1st. Hawks are out-shooting the Blues 9-1.

-Backes gets called for tripping as the Hawks go to the man-advantage. 12 minutes left in the 1st, still scoreless.

-Kyle Beach and BJ Crombeen drop the gloves two minutes in. Beach took a couple of big hits, but gave out a few too. 0-0.

-Tonight's starters: Hammer, Hendry, Stalberg, Smith, Bickell and Turco. Pirri, just recalled today, is in the lineup.

EDIT: Here are the highlights from another angle, via the Hawks website. No sound, but it'll do.

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Double Dose of the Evil Red Army, and Musical Chairs

On the next "Bromance"

The first really eventful week came to a close Sunday, and the Hawks came out of it 1-2 and quite a bit lighter. They made several roster moves and split a Friday/Saturday home and home series with the Ivan Dragos to our Rocky, the Dead Wings.

-On Friday, the Hawks assigned, Forward David Gilbert to the Acadie-Bathurst Titans (QMJHL). No huge surprise, so I'm not going to spend much time on it, but He looked good in the rookie tournament, and was pretty much invisible in the game Wednesday.

-Friday's game against the Wings was a joke. Bolland, Kopecky, Brouwer, and Campbell were the only real noteworthy players in the lineup. Poor Corey Crawford, really didn't have much support. Most of the goals were poorly covered rebounds, and sketchy defense. Blah...blah, blah, blah.

-Saturday, the Hawks announced a flurry of roster cuts. Forwards Brandon Bollig, Rob Klinkhammer and Brandon Pirri, and defensemen Jonathan Carlsson, Simon Danis-Pepin, Ryan Stanton and Ivan Vishnevskiy were sent to Rockford. They also released forwards Rastislav Pavlikovsky and Nick Tarnasky, and defenseman Wade Brookbank. None of these moves surprise me, and the only one that was remotely noticeable was Pirri. He had a few nice plays, but he clearly needs some seasoning in Rockford.


Mr. Jack Skille
-Saturday night, the bottom half of the home and home series was back at the UC. Obviously, Quenneville rested up the big boys for the home preseason debut, and the Wings did the opposite. I really didn't see a lot of the game, but some things caught my eye. Turco's outlet pass to Kane, which set up a goal, was excellent; both from Turco's end and from Kane's. Turco noticed Detoilet changing lines and launched an outlet pass from the crease to the far blue line, where Kane was waiting. Kane was able to smoothly trap the pass and worked it in the zone to Pisani who fed Keith for a perfect one timer. Something, Huet or Niemi couldn't dream of. Jack Skille was actually, wait for it; NOTICEABLE. Now, keep in mind, we're talking about a half ass Wings lineup, but he had a goal, and assist and 4 shots on net. I didn't find myself asking, "Who is that number 20, out there?". I realize big bad John Scott made his debut, but I wasn't able to pay enough attention to the game to recall anything of substance in his play. Hossa quietly had a 2 point night and Fernando Pisani had a 2 assist night. Let's not all start planning the June Stanley Cup parade, but the team looks well, with most of the regulars playing. Turco played the whole game and looked pretty good. A few people have mentioned how small he looks, and I agree. He's probably closer to 5'9" than 5'11", but I don't care. He's aggressive, and athletic. Those two things, alone, will stick in the back of opposing players minds. Past goalies almost looked frightened by the thought of playing the puck, much less, turning it around and unleashing a 75' pass on the tape of a teammate. He may have his soft moments, but plays like that one make me smile and give me the "warm fuzzies", in the cockles of my heart. Well played, Sir!

-Sunday the Hawks assigned forward Chris DiDomenico and defenseman Shawn Lalonde to Rockford. Again, no big surprise. Lalonde is a player the Hawks are very high on, but needs a little AHL flavor added to his game. Connelly and Leddy have been much more consistent. The person that is SHOCKINGLY still on the roster, is Jassen Cullimore. There is no way that guy makes the this team. He has the worst qualities of Matt Walker and Brent Sopel, all rolled into one big 37 year old sloth. My prediction is that Leddy and Cullimore get moved to Rockford. Connolly is a 50/50 bet, but I just don't see him sticking at only 5'10" (probably really 5'8") 167lbs. that would leave Keith, Seabrook, Campbell, Hjalmarsson, Boynton, Hendry, and Scott. If there are any injuries or trades, Connelly or Leddy are the guys that are coming up. With Connelly making almost half what Leddy is, you can bet that Connelly will be the first guy brought up, if needed.

-Lastly, the phenom that is Jeremy Morin just keeps chugging along. Everybody loves him, and he's exciting. In fact, he's exciting enough to earn that #27 on his back that another legendary Jeremy once wore, but I still don't see him sticking right away. He's only 19, and right out of the juniors. Facing top 6 defensemen in the NHL every night will be a lot different than the hacks he's seen in the preseason. Don't get me wrong, I think he's going to be a star for this team in the very near future, but where does he play? 3rd or 4th line? That's a complete waste of his talent and skillset. He's a top 6 player, and needs powerplay time. Send him to Rockford, let him absolutely dominate the AHL competition, build his confidence, and work him in as needed. Rushing him up to waste away at the bottom of the lineup is just foolish. It's very nice to have the problem of too much talent. I still stand by my prediction that Makarov wins a spot over Morin, even though I think Morin is going to be a better player.

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