My First Blackhawks Hero: Bob Sauvé

This is an article I wrote for Second City Hockey, and figured I should post it here too.

In my nearly 40 years on this planet, more than 30 of them have been spent watching the Blackhawks and the NHL. That is a long time to be committed to anything, especially one that provides so much pain and heartache. Just ask anyone who has been married for that amount of time. Some would argue that I should be committed to an asylum, instead, but I digress. I found hockey, street hockey at the time, through neighborhood friends and fell in love instantly. For some unusual reason, at that period in my life, I was fascinated with any position that required the most equipment. I chose to volunteer to be a catcher, in baseball, even though I was far and away the fastest player on the team, and I had an obsession with goaltenders. My goaltender obsession clearly continues almost 3 decades later. That particular obsession is one that you might compare to a mental illness because it will never go away, and might very well require medication.

In addition to an unhealthy goalie obsession, I had that ever popular habit of pulling for the underdog; to a fault. It is hard to get your favorite player's jersey when he is playing for a different franchise every year. Some of my favorite players from my youth were Mike Vernon (then of the Calgary Flames), Don Baylor (of the Red Sox and a million other teams), Gerald Riggs (briefly of the Redskins), so on and so forth. It was cliché to follow the popular players, but I was never one to do something just simply because it was the popular trend. As a result, I was always tuned in to the little known Blackhawks backup goalies, no matter how insignificant they were. There were names like Warren Skorodenski with his great mask, Chris Clifford, Christian Soucy, Adam Munro, and even the Greatest American Hero, Ray Leblanc. I had an unhealthy knowledge of these players, most of which only played a handful of games.

Warren Skorodenski

These players, though, all came after my first Blackhawks hero, Robert F. Sauvé. I know, this revelation is really dating me. A majority of the Blackhawks, or even NHL, fanbase probably can't even recall the name, much less his very short Blackhawks career. First of all, he began his Blackhawks career as the backup behind Murray Bannerman, which caught my attention. Second, he wasn’t much to look at. Sauvé stood at a very generous listed height of 5’8", carried a robust playing weight of 175 lbs, and had a moustache that would make Tom Selleck jealous. He was the Blackhawks pre-Dirk Graham and pre-Michel Goulet equivalent of a Mario Bros long lost brother. Little did I know, at the time, that he was a former 1st round draft pick (1975), William Jennings (1985) and Vezina Trophy winner (1980). Maybe I just felt sorry for him because he had the dubious distinction of being traded away from the Buffalo Sabres TWICE to the Norris Division (Redwings in 1981 and later to the Hawks in 1985).

THE STACHE

Despite all the legendary names of the time period, those Blackhawks teams were absolutely terrible, playing in front of the ageless and clearly witless bizarro Jacques Lemaire of his time, Bob Pulford. While my brother and my friends were all following players like Denis Savard, Steve Larmer, Al Secord and Doug Wilson, I was paying close attention to the dynamic duo of Sauvé and his boy wonder Bannerman. Sauvé was brought in to provide some solid relief for Bannerman, but neither really stood a chance. Honestly, I can’t recall any specific plays that Sauvé made during his Blackhawks tenure, but I know I was quite possibly his one and only fan.

One might venture to call Sauvé the Ray Emery of his time, or call Emery the Sauvé of his time. I would have entertained calling him the "Marty Turco", but I can compare that debacle to nothing else. In theory, it was the same scenario, but the results were quite different. Sauvé actually outplayed Bannerman both seasons he spent at the Old Barn, but was left to sign elsewhere, aka New Jersey, when Pulford decided to scrap the entire goaltending crew after the 86-87 season. The Blackhawks then elected to go with Darren Pang and the" original Cristobal Huet, Bob Mason. How about that for a resume highlight? "Lost job to a Keebler Elf and the goaltending equivalent of John Druce". Ouchie; very very ouchie!

In a bit of an ironic side note, Bobby Moustachio devised a very diabolical way of paying back the team that unceremoniously jettison him many years previous, by representing the painful goaltending experiment known as Jocelyn Thibault as his player agent. Touche, Monsieur.


When the only good pose Todd Macfarlane can get out of you is drinking out of a water bottle after fishing the puck out of your own net...it's safe to say you've give Blackhawks fans nightmares.

Read More

The Committed Indian / Second City Hockey

On Wednesday, the latest digital edition of The Committed Indian UnOfficial Blackhawks Program was released. As they have hinted to the rest of the intarwebs, the gents are breaking away from the Blog-o-sphere conglomerate that is SB Nation, and starting their own empire.

Back the truck up, and let me rephrase, because that is not entirely true. The gentlemen, and I use that term very loosely, are "moving" their existing empire over, to create the monster that will become TheCommittedIndian.com, mirroring The Committed Indian print and digital programs. This makes all sorts of sense. One name, one point of contact.

I have been a huge fan of the satirical musings if the triumvirate for quite a while. Specifically, since I read an article in the Sun Times about Sam and the Indian, sometime around '08. I'm also not afraid to admit that they are the biggest reason I started this insignificant little rag of my own.

I was always a huge fan of the old Blue Line program, because of its scathing criticism of the Blackhawks, the Wirtz family, and the nightly opponents. They even had the balls to peddle this genius rag on the doorstep of the Stadium/UC. Lack of funds and support, prior to the digital explosion, were the death of the old Blue Line. When I read that Sam was publishing a new and improved version, I was immediately on board. In the same fashion I specifically went to the store to support my favorite bands, even when the digital music apocalypse hit, I will not go to the UC without buying 2 copies, and I subscribe to the digital version. Call me old fashion but I believe in karma, and "paying it forward". I will voraciously support the people I respect and admire, and this is one of those cases.

Second City Hockey, and The Indian helped introduce me to places like The Third Man In, Hockee Night, and quite a few others that I follow

That being said, I'd like to provide you with some links and request some "assignments":

-The guys will be leaving Second City Hockey on September 14th to begin their new endeavor at www.TheCommittedIndian.com. Please, update and create your links and bookmarks.

-Secondly, as with any endeavor, there always needs to be some kind of start up capital. They are raising some funds to get the ball rolling, and if you can afford to do so, I strongly urge people to contribute. You can do so by following the following link:
http://gogetfunding.com/project/thecommittedindian.com
-Lastly, if you're a Facebooker, go to www.facebook.com/thecommittedindian and "like" the page.

None of this benefits me, in any way, other than providing me and the Blackhawks fanbase with great Blackhawks material for the foreseeable future. Thank you!

Read More

Peabody's Improbable Blackhawks History

This is a post I put together dring the final days of the 08-09 regular season, which turned out to be my first attempt at blogging about the Blackhawks. The season before they won the Stanley Cup. There really isn't too much I whiffed on, overall. Sure, Brian Campbell ended up winning me over, and Cam Barker ended up, well, a bad Edmonton Oiler. All things considered, three full years later, that's not a bad batting average.

As the 2008/09 regular season is about to come to a close for the Blackhawks, I can safely say that for the first time in over a decade, I’ve payed enough attention to the Hawks to be able to give a solid season ending synopsis for the team. Until this season, I’ve boycotted the team because of one single person, Bill Wirtz. The day he passed on was the day I came back to the world of Chicago hockey, and I am so terribly glad to be back. Last year, I successfully predicted that they would be better than their previous years, but were still a year away from the playoffs. I also predicted that this year they would return to the playoffs, and maybe win a round or two. Thus far, I’ve been right on. With 2 games remaining against the devil’s very own hand selected team, Detroit, the Hawks have 44 wins and 100 points. I can whole heartedly say I am very proud of what I have seen and the progress they have made as the NHL’s youngest team.

Coach/Denis Savard – He never stood a chance. It’s clear that Dale Tallon was just looking for a reason to put Quenneville behind the bench, and that slow start was enough. It’s a shame that they treated one of their most popular all-time players that way, but it was bound to happen sometime. I’m glad to see the hard feelings passed, and he’s back as an ambassador, but that’s clearly Savard stepping down about 10 steps in the organization. Grade - Incomplete

NAILED IT

Coach/Joel Quenneville – From the day they hired him, they were just waiting to get him behind the bench. He’s a proven, experienced coach, and could light fires under the butts of some of the “tweeners”. He’s done a very admirable job. As with any situation, he’s made some questionable decision, but I have to give him credit for a few. The first, was making Khabby the “go to” guy. He is clearly the most experienced and dependable guy for a tough playoff run. The second is moving Havlat to play with Kane and Toews. This is one of the most talented lines in the entire NHL. Shades of Secord, Savard and Larmer, of the 80’s. Of course they don’t have the grit of Secord, but on pure talent alone, this line is among the best 5, if not best 3, top lines in the game today. The rest are hit and miss, but he’s done what he was brought in for; win. Grade - A

NAILED IT

FORWARDS

36/Dave Bolland – I’m sure no one expected 18 goals and 46 points out of him, but he’s proven to be a great player with a lot of heart. In a perfect world, he’s probably an excellent 3rd line center. He doesn’t have the finesse of a top 2 center role, but he’s done the job’s he’s been asked of, and he’s done them well. One of many pleasant surprises in 08/09. Grade - A

NAILED IT

56/Tim Brent - Didn’t see much of this kid, but what we did se was that he’s still green. I can’t really say much more than when he was up, he wasn’t noticeable, and he ended up back at Rockford. I’d say that says it all. Grade - Incomplete

MEH

22/Troy Brouwer - This is a guy that was handed a golden spoon from game one. He was put with two of the most promising young players in the NHL. 10 goals and 26 points doesn’t exactly make one jump up and notice he has some great talent. He’s probably a solid 3rd line guy with some grit. I feel Quenneville let this combination go on far too long, and should have put Marty up with the kids a lot sooner to build that chemistry. I’m not comfortable with him being the “old man” of the top line, at a ripe old 23. Injuries caught up with him, and he was forced elsewhere once Marty clicked with the kids. He’s where he should be now, and it looks like he can be one of the great young Hawks players for years to come. Grade - B

NAILED IT, and Quenneville still fucked it up

37/Adam Burish – classic overachiever. There is nothing flashy about Burish, but he has a huge heart and a motor that doesn’t quit. I really like what I’ve seen out of him, and it’s great to see him throwing his body around game after game. He plays the game like it should be played. When I see him streaking around, I can’t help but think of how he would have fit right in on those late 80’s and early 90’s teams. He’s certainly one of the fan favorites, and reportedly a favorite with the ladies. He reminds me of a Mike Peluso. I hope to see him around for a while. 6 goals and 9 points is nothing to sneeze at, but this is a total character guy. Grade - B

NAILED IT

33/Dustin Byfuglien - Big Buff. Sometimes I think he should be called Big Fluff. Someone, somewhere has a fascination with this kid. He’s one of the biggest guys on the team, but he gets lost out there. He often looks confused with the puck, and just confused overall with what his role is. He’s played D and O, and he never looks comfortable at either. I guess he has talent and when he applies himself, he can lay out anyone in the league. You just rarely see that. Coach Q needs to sit him down and define a role that he can fill and have him perfect that. I can’t see him being more than maybe a 2nd liner at best, and a failed footnote in Hawks experiments at worst. Grade - C

NAILED IT

55/Ben Eager – If there is an “enforcer” on the team, it’s Eager. He’s no Bob Probert, and as enforcers go, he’s no Stu Grimson. I doubt you’re going to hear any team mumbling about Ben Eager’s jackhammer right hands, and how you have to watch out for him. On the other hand, to his credit, he has stepped into some pretty large skates. He’s young and has time to develop. One of the highlights of the season was his crafty goal in the Winter Classic. That’s something that’ll go down in history, and who would have ever guessed that the nicest goal the Hawks would score in that game was from Ben Eager? Not I, Kemo Sabe. 10 goals and 14 points isn’t too bad, considering his role. Grade – C+

NAILED IT

46/Colin Fraser - Here is a guy no one rated very high as a prospect, but has stepped up and found a role as a solid 4th line center. You’re not going to get great speed, a blistering shot, or some great size, but you do get a guy that fit’s his role well. Again, he is an overachiever. He’s right where he belongs. Grade - B

NAILED IT

24/Martin Havlat – Marty “Crutches” Havlat. I never thought I’d mention the words injury free, and Havlat in the same sentence, but he has had a remarkable and injury free year. For the first time as a Hawk, I’ve seen him put a little fear in opposing teams. He’s stickhandling, shooting and overall playmaking like an all-star. Of course, this is a contract year for him, so Dale Tallon has a big decision to make. This is certainly why I’d never want to be a GM. One has to ask them self, does 1 year a career make? With all he’s done, can we expect a year even close to this from him ever again? At 27, he hopefully has a lot more hockey in him, but his fragile body is scary. The future aside, he has had an amazing year. Grade – A+

NAILED IT

88/Patrick Kane – The sophomore slump hasn’t Patty Kane. He has followed up a rookie of the year season with a very admirable season. If he has a solid final 2 games, he could tie his point total from last season, but you’d like to see him move up a notch each year. 70 points a year is good, but for a talent like Pat, he should have neared the 85 point range. Something he really needs to look into is plus/minus, which is negative both years. A top line guy should be in the plus. That being said, he’s a top NHL player and should be for years to come. At 20, he has a lot of good years ahead. How about a scoring title right here in Chicago? I wouldn’t be surprised. Grade - A

NAILED IT

16/Andrew Ladd – When the Hawks traded away Tuomo Ruuttu, I asked myself, who the hell is Andrew Ladd? Now we know. He’s been a solid 3rd liner all year. For most of the year, he’s had to help shut down many of the top lines in the game, and he’s been successful. He’s gotten himself 13 goals and 46 points, along with an exceptional plus/minus of +23. He’s not going to “wow” you, or stickhandle through two guys, but he will bowl you over and throw his body around. He’s shown to be another character guy, that has done nothing but produce. Once again, he’s another person that has some good years ahead of him, at 23. Grade - A

NAILED IT

26/Samuel Pahlsson – Now, I’ve never been a fan of the trade for Pahlsson. I’ve always thought his best days are a bit behind him, and even his best days weren’t mind blowing. But, based on their weakness at the center position, I can see how they needed to give it the ‘ol college try. I just think we could have gotten more for what we gave up. Wizer was a great locker room guy, and a solid Defenseman. I think we gave up a little too much chemistry for this guy. Granted he’s only played a few games, but I really don’t see much that has impressed me. We don’t need one top center and a bunch of 3rd liners behind him. Grade - Incomplete

NAILED IT

27/Pascal Pelletier - Didn’t see much of this guy, but like Brent, when he played, he was invisible. And how dare he don the number of the great Darryl Sutter, Rick Vaive, and that Roenick character. Big shoes to fill, Pascal. I suggest a change. Grade - Incomplete

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

10/Patrick Sharp – One of the unsung heros of the Hawks. Sharpie followed up a career year last year, with another banner season, to show the league he has arrived. I liken his rise to that of Steve Sullivan here in Chicago. No one thought much of him, but once he found a home here, he lit things up. He’s the perfect guy to build the second line around. Let’s not even mention the fact that he’s been playing out of position most of the year. The top brass owes it to him to find a solid center for him to work with in the offseason. Throw Versteeg up there with him, and you have a great line. How’s that Matt Ellison trade looking for you now, Philly? Grade – B (because of injury)

NAILED IT

11/Jack Skille – Here is a guy that I’ve been hearing about for a few years now. The next big power forward. In very limited action, I’ve seen nothing memorable. At the rate he’s going, he can team up with Pascal and Brent for a killer line…in Rockford, IL. Grade - Incomplete

NAILED IT, enjoy Florida

19/Jonathan Toews - Jonny T, Superman, JT, or whatever you’d like to call him. The kid can play. Toews is the face of the franchise at 20. He’s done everything that’s been asked of him. The only criticism I have of him is some of the bad penalties in the offensive zone. That aside, this is the next Blackhawks Icon. Watch out Troy Murray, your number is going to be hanging in the UC rafters someday with the name Toews under it. Grade – A+

NAILED IT

32/Kris Versteeg – Here we have one of the biggest surprises of the season. If you would have told me Kris Versteeg would be in the running for the Calder trophy, I would have looked at you and said “who?” After watching his spark, he has become probably my favorite player. He’s fairly quietly put together an excellent season with 22 goals and 52 points. If it weren’t for the goalies in Columbus, and Nashville, he might have a serious shot for rookie of the year.

Dropped off a bit in Toronto (who hasn't?) and Philly, but found a home in Florida

DEFENSE

25/Cam Barker – Cam has been another pleasant surprise for the Hawks. Just a year ago, it looked as though he could be another overhyped high draft pick, and here he is one of the top defenseman on the team. He’s made it easy to overlook Brian Campbell’s virtual disappearance in crunch time. It’s amazing to see the poise and maturity he’s found in a year’s time. He ranks as one of the top powerplay defensemen in the entire league. He has used his size to outmuscle people, and on more than a few occasions he has made diving and sprawling stops. Add his heavy shot and you have another young star in the making. You’d like to see him bring his plus/minus up, but he’s only 23, and has a bright future ahead. Grade – B+

This was the big whiff. Hey, I was green.

51/Brian Campbell – As they call him in the Committed Indian, Phantom 51, because he disappears. Everyone in Chicago wanted Campbell, and we overpaid to get him, so we can’t really fault anyone but ourselves. Fast forward to present day and give up Huet and Campbell for Hossa. It’s looking like it would be a much better deal. Not only that, but you save yourself a few million dollars. Campbell has shown some flashes of excitement, but for the most part he’s been a disappointment. For all the hoopla and All-Star shenanigans, he’s barely been a top 4 defenseman on his own team. Keith, Seabrook, and Barker have all played better. Credit the Hawks farm system with this dilemma, because it’s not a bad one to have, but Campbell needs to step up and stop the silly ass spin-o-ramas. We once had a beloved player here in Chicago named Savard, who trademarked the spin-o-rama, Danny Partridge. Just stick with the speedy, puck carrying, powerplay quarterback defenseman, because you have a bit to go on that one. Grade - C

He stepped up and won me over the following two years. Secondary whiff.

6/Jordan Hendry – Another prospect we hear so much about, but hasn’t played enough to even be noticed. Add him to the Pascal, Brent, and Skille line. Grade - Incomplete

NAILED IT

4/Niklas Hjalmarsson – Again, a prospect we hear so much about. I’ve seen nothing that impresses me. He plays smaller than his size, and gets outmuscled. I’m not sure he’s quite figures out how to properly finish a check but then again that wouldn’t be the first time a Swedish defenseman couldn’t check. He’s bigger than Nick Lindstrom, but hasn’t shown it. Could we really get that lucky here? Don’t hold your breath. He’s very raw at this point. Maybe he’ll be something to crow about in 2 years, he’s still very unfinished. Grade - D

NAILED IT

23/Aaron Johnson – I guess they really have gotten all they could out of Johnson. He’s not dripping with potential. He’s big, and kind of on the slower side, but he’s done an admirable job when asked. His plus/minus of +18 in 36 games is freakish, but don’t hand him the Norris trophy. With the stable of defensemen the Hawks have, he’ll be lucky to hang around for another year or two. Just too much talent. Grade – B-

Generous on the grade, but pretty much, nailed it.

2/Duncan Keith – Quietly, he’s lead a solid season on D. I’m sure it’s nice to have all the pressure on Campbell. Keith does nothing but produce and lead by example. You don’t hear complaining from him, and he just shows game in and game out why he’s one of the classiest defensemen in the entire NHL. He’s near tops in the league with a plus/minus of +32. Lets hope #2 is roaming the Chicago blue line for many years to come. Grade – A+

NAILED IT

7/Brent Seabrook – On very few teams would Seabrook not be the top blueliner. This is one of them. Like Keith, he’s done nothing but show class and solid gameplay night in and night out. He’s big, intimidating, and has no problem catching you with your head down. He’s also another guy with a freakish plus/minus of +21. This core of big young D-men has to make most of the league jealous. They’re all under 25 and shown stellar composure. Grade - A

NAILED IT

5/Brent Sopel – the old man of the D-men at 32 hasn’t shown much. At this point he’s just a spot filler for one of the kids to finally find their step in the NHL. 1 goal, and 2 points in 23 games with a plus/minus of -4 is just snooze worthy.

NAILED IT

8/Matt Walker – He must be bringing Q coffee every morning, because he’s just plain bad. He’s big, slow, and seems to trip over his own feet. I’d rather watch one of the kids trip over themselves and get some serious time with the big club than watch Walker not be aggressive enough. I hope to god we don’t see him in the line-up for the playoffs, and I happen to thing Khabby feel the same way. Grade - D

NAILED IT

GOALTENDERS

50/Corey Crawford – I’m beginning to ask myself who’s cereal he pissed in, because he’s getting the shaft. I added him in, even though he hasn’t even been able to sniff a dirty Hawks sweater this season. Last year he was anointed the future goaltender of the Hawks and they let Lalime go. Game on, right? No! They sign Huet to some retarded overpriced contract, and then sign Niemi to take Crawford’s spot in the minors. Did he sleep with Dale Tallon’s daughters or something? I’m not sure what happened, but I hope he gets a shot somewhere that wants him. He’s a good young Goalie. Grade – N/A

NAILED IT

38/Cristobal Huet – I don’t like him. Plain and simple. I didn’t agree with the signing the day they did it and I still don’t. He’s overhyped, and a technically lazy goaltender. He really needs to thank Bob Gainey for trading him to Washington last season. That team carried him to the finals, and lead to the silly contract the Hawks offered him. As he sits on the bench warming his butt cheeks, he’s laughing all the way to the bank. His play overall has been good, if you go by stats, but if you watch him play, you see that he’s lazy when recovering from shots, and his 5 hole is awful. There is a reason LA, Montreal, and Washington gave up on him. Unfortunately, Tallon will never admit the signing was a mistake, so we’re stuck with him for a few more years. Grade - B

NAILED IT

39/Nikolai Khabibulin – I am now comfortable admitting that the day Khabby was signed, I was stoked. Four years, and several disappointing seasons later, Khabby has finally found his game. Maybe its because he finally had some legitimate competition, but he’s been phenomenal. I was even shouting for them to trade him at last years trade deadline, and before the season started. I’m glad they didn’t. I’ve always liked his style, and pulled for him to do well, but it just wasn’t working. He has had one of his best seasons ever, and has been the veteran wall he needed to be for this team. The bad part is that they’ll never resign him. He’s probably going to end up somewhere like Detroit, and we’ll miss him when he’s gone. Grade - A

NAILED IT. Remember that trade talk last spring about bringing him back?

31/Antti Niemi – If I’m Corey Crawford, here is my arch enemy. I’m securely holding down the top at Rockford, and they bring in this hotshot kid from overseas to take over. I can’t say I’ve seem much of him, but he comes highly rated. In the games he’s played, he looks like he’s still a season away from NHL backup duty. I see potential, and I preferred him over Huet when Khabby was hurt, even though Huet is clearly a better goaltender at this point. Niemi is not as sloppy, technically, he just isn’t adjusted to the quality of NHL shots. I really don’t know if he is the future of the franchise or solid trade bait. I personally like Crawford better, but that has nothing to do with talent. I would imagine Niemi will end up a #1 Goaltender somewhere in a few years, and it could be here. Having a European goalie it’s the worst thing in the world. Just look at Niklas Backstrom, Pekka Rinne, and the gaggle of other ones throughout the league. Niemi and Crawford are the same size and almost the same age, so it comes down to talent. Unfortunately for Crawford, Q seems to like Niemi. Grade - Incomplete

NAILED IT

Read More

Disposable Teens: Blackhawks Prospect Camp

The Blackhawks have been holding their annual prospect camp this week, at Johnny's Icehouse West, and I took the trek to rink with a friend of mine that coaches High School hockey, to get a peek at the gents for ourselves. Most of the Free Agents there won't ever see a Blackhawks or Ice Hogs contract, but the chance that a diamond in the rough might surface is intriguing.

For the most part, there are two levels of player in this camp. The Blackhawks draft picks; and everyone else. This was the first chance for Blackhawks nation to see the most recent draft picks strut their stuff on the ice.

All of the draft picks suited up for this weeks festivities minus second round pick Dillon Fournier, who was listed on the roster but wasn't practicing. I'm not sure if he was hurt or something, but it would have been nice to see him skate.

Here is a run down of my thoughts of the players on the ice. First, I'll weigh in on the 2011 draft picks:

• Teuvo Teravainen - This kid was far and away the most talented guy in camp. He has 2 goals and an assist in the two games I watched. He's certainly on the smallish side, but he makes up for it with his hockey sense, speed, and stick skills. Here is his goal from Thursday, His goal from Wednesday, and his nice set up of a goal on Wednesday.
  
• Chris Calnan - The kid is fast, and word is that he came in as the best physical specimen. Nothing stool out except his penalty kill prowess, but he is still really young. Here is his goal on Thursday.
  
• Garret Ross - Got into a fight on Wednesday. He is a version of Andrew Shaw that agitates opponents, and yaps a lot.
  
• Travis Brown - Nothing of note. He blended in with the rest.
  
• Vincent Hinostroza - Small and shifty, but too willing to hog the puck. Quick and like a firefly, but needs a lot of refining.
  
• Brandon Whitney - Looks 12 years old when not suited up. Of the past two prospect camps, Whitney is the best goaltender I've seen on the ice. The kid is big and slim, and expends very little energy making saves. His stature alone keeps him in position to succeed. Wanted to see more of him, but he was held out of the scrimmage on Thursday.
  
• Matt Tomkins - Didn't really stand out, but didn't disappoint. Average sized Goalie that blended in with the free agent invitees.
  

Next, we have the Blackhawks draft picks and signee's from years past. Just a brief overview:

• Terry/Alex Broadhurst - Alex was the most noticeable, but younger, of the two Broadhurst boys. Terry sat out Thursday's on ice activities, so that has something to do with his visibility. They got a big push playing with McNeill as their Center Wednesday. Both guys are fast and really slim.
  
• Phillip Danault - Showed great instincts at both Center and Wing. Had a goal, and had a few other chances. The puck seems to find him, and he's a smooth skater. A tad on the lanky side.
  
• Dan Delisle - This 2009 3rd round draft pick was just another face in the crowd. BIG body, but nothing really stood out. Back to College for you.
  
• Kevin Hayes - Played Center and didn't look out of place doing so. Still raw.
  
• Mark McNeill - Played both Wing and Center. Had a good portion of his draws taken by Alex Broadhurst, which can't be a good thing. He looked of average foot speed, and really didn't do anything of note.
  
• Joakim Nordstrom - Got a good push, playing with Danault and Saad. Solid European player didn't look overmatched.
  
• Brandon Saad - The golden goose of the group, other than Teravainen. Looked like he might have been coasting a bit. We all know what we're going to get from him already.
  
• Maxim Shalunov - Fourth round pick from last year's draft played with the better prospects, but just another one of the guys that blended in.
  
• Braden Birch - Tall defenseman from the 08 draft. Nothing special. another face in the crowd.
  
• Adam Clendening - One of the top Defenseman prospects in the Hawks system. Tad on the shorter side, but looked as though he was the defensive captain out on the ice. Will see time in Rockford, come fall.
  
• Klas Dahlbeck - Third rounder from 2011, is tall but not exactly fleet of foot. Defensive defenseman.
  
• Joe Gleason - Quick/Small defender that likes to carry the puck a bit too much. Can see him getting caught rushing too much. Looked like he was thinking all Offense. At a generous 5'9"/171 he's Brian Connolly version 2.0.
  
• Justin Holl - Another tall defender from the 2010 draft. Didn't stand out.
  
• Sam Jardine - Of the defensive prospects, The Dean of Mean looked like he had flashes of potential. Sat by his mother Wednesday and watched her cover her face as he got into a fight just a few minutes into the scrimmage. Only 18, and headed to College.
  
• Nick Mattson - Twenty year old Defenseman played with Clendening. Nothing of note.
  
• Michael Paliotta - Big 19 year old Defenseman that seems to be getting some coddling from the organization. If he puts on a few pounds, he might be a bulldozer.
  
• Paul Phillips - Average size College Defenseman at Denver and from Darien, that also played with Clendening. Blended in.
  
• Mac Carruth - One of two mid level prospects. Played better than average, and better than Simpson. Seems to get stuck on his ass/back alot. Lost in the shootout Thursday.
  
• Kent Simpson - The other mid level goaltending prospect in the organization. Didn't stand out, but also didn't play terrible. Had a rough stretch on Thursday, but didn't get much help either.
  

These guys are free agent invitees, most of which will be playing elsewhere come Autumn:

• Adam Berkle - I didn't notice him much, but my friend pointed out that he made several irresponsible plays with the puck. Pass.
  
• Kyle Bonis - Saw him out there, but couldn't tell you anything he did
  
• Ryan Carpenter - Another name, with no real recollection.
  
• Daniel Carr - Fast and scored a couple of goals, including the Thursday Shootout winner, but I doubt it will do him any good.
  
• Kyle De Laurell - Played with some of the bigger names, but didn't really leave me clamoring for more.
  
• Denis Hollenstein - Nothing of note, despite playing top 6 minutes.
  
• Miks Indrasis - My friend and I both liked what we saw of this guy. I'd call him a bubble player. Big, and has played in the KHL. Might make a good Ice Hog.
  
• Matthew Lindblad - Another face in the crowd.
  
• Matthew Lorito - See above
  
• Chris Martin - Got into a fight Wednesday with Garett Ross.
  
• Nick McParland - Pass
  
• Pat Mullane - Forward from BC, Scored and was in on some of the action.
  
• Mihail Plotnikov - Looks bigger on the ice than the 5'7" he's listed at. Threw is body around a little, but wasn't as fast as you'd expect from a player that small. Played with Hinostroza to create the mighty mite line.
  
• Aaron Schmit - Got into a fight with Jardine Wednesday. Big cementhead that is better off with a club ib his hand than a stick.
  
• Mat Bodie - Nothing noticeable
  
• Chris Casto - Nothing noticeable
  
• Jake Chelios - Chris's kid looks tall and thin. Nothing really of note, but turned over the puck at bad times.
  
• Mark Nemec - Nothing noticeable
  
• Steven Spinell - Nothing noticeable
  
• Viktor Svedberg - One of the players I really was curious about. Got a big push. On the slower side, but not as slow as you might think a 6'9", 221 lb, 21 year old. I wouldn't be opposed to a better look at him. Didn't look overmatched at all and had a big body to throw around.
  
• Troy Grosenick - One of three Free Agent Goalies, and didn't look bad or great. I would have ranked him the #3 FA guy.
  
• Andrew Hammond - 24 year old from Bowling Green. Made several nice saves and stood out as the best FA Goalie in the camp. Oldest player in camp could stick somewhere.
  
• Eric Mihalik - Quirky goalie from Colgate, with an interesting style. On the shorter side. Former Team USA World Junior A Goalie wasn't bad at all but, in a tight race, I feel he was #2 of the 3 FA guys. Won the Shootout on Thursday against players like Danault, Nordstrom, Hayes, and Calnan which deserves some credit.
  

Here is the Shootout from Thursday's action: Stay tuned for my live photos from Thursday's practice and scrimmage.

Read More

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!

Read More

Make A New Plan, StanThere Must BeFifty Ways To Leave Your Lover

Tuesday, some wise ass gave me the old "what would you do? what is your plan?" regarding a comment I posted that eluded to the fact that I wasn't going to expect any big transactions from Stan Bowman until he proves that I should feel otherwise. I figured the best thing to do was put together some plans to quiet the wise asses. What does HE know? Maybe I just missed my calling. Maybe I secretly AM a brilliant hockey mind.

To blindly throw trust into a GM that has watched the team he controls progressively head in reverse is naive and irresponsible. Everyone and their housekeeper can criticize the President when the economy doesn't recover or Obamacare gets uphend, but Stan Bowman should be allowed carte blanche because his last name is Bowman, which obviously means he must be the right hand of God. If that's the case, Obama should seriously consider a name change to Barack Kennedy Roosevelt.

Contrary to the conclusions that most Twatters probably have drawn, I don't hate Bowman at all. If Cautious Stanley is the type of GM he is, then so be it. If that approach means that the Hawks will continue to fade into the lore of the '85 Bears, then Bowman should end up jobless in the near future. If that approach means that the conservative method works them back into the conference or cup finals, then great for everyone. Based on the evidence of his first 36 months in office, his cautious approach has yielded them draft picks aplenty and little else. Using the salary cap as an excuse for failure is really unfair, because every team has the same restrictions, and Bowman was billed as the cap savant that was going to make all the issues magically disappear. He has had a respectable amount of cap space for 12 months, now, and has done nothing to improve the team. These are facts, kind people. He is quickly losing my support.

A team getting ousted in the first round for two straight years with a decent amount of cap room left on the table smells of a few possible scenarios:

-Bowman hoped that the team would get lucky, catch fire, and some players would carry them for four rounds, which is like rubbing a lamp and hoping for a genie. Hoping and wishing is a bad business strategy.

-Bowman grossly overvalued the talent on this team, which is a seriously disturbing character flaw. If he watched this team play and thought they were capable of anything more than what happened, he's not smarter than the meatballs who were doing their chicken little dance in December.

-Bowman just simply gave up, which is unacceptable for any number of reasons.

I would put my money on one of the first two. None of them should make fans all that comfortable. Anyhow, Enough "angry" bashing of the chosen one, and on to my brilliant couch GM rantings.

With the draft in the rear view, and the UFA period period on the horizon, the Hawks have less opportunity than they did a week ago. The draft could have been a prime opportunity to drop some less than desirable players and some salaries. We don't know what happened within the inner circle Friday night and Saturday. Bowman may have been weeping and begging on his knees for someone to Nik Hjalmarsson and Michael Frolik, and ever single GM in the league turned him down. He may have cornered Doug Wilson and threatened to shank him if he didn't take Hjalmarsson this time around, only to have his bluff called. I highly doubt both, and it looks as though Bowman wasn't willing to take any more losses on deals to free up cabbage. Your call, Stan.

One thing that the team has on its side is that there are no RFA's to tender qualifying offers to. One less thing to complicate the process. See? I'm not completely negative. Good boy, Stanley; you're such a good boy!

On to the UFA frenzy. This is the biggest and most exciting transaction day in the NHL. Chum in the water, and the sharks are swimming. Before I examine just who the Hawks should put on the speed dial, it would be best to lay out the current rostered players under contract. The current roster lays out like this:

Position	Player	Number
C	Jonathan Toews	19
C	David Bolland	36
C/W	Jamal Mayers	22
C	Marcus Kruger	16
W	Bryan Bickell	29
W	Brandon Bollig	52
W	Daniel Carcillo	13
W	Michael Frolik	67
W	Jimmy Hayes	39
W	Marian Hossa	81
W	Patrick Kane	88
W	Patrick Sharp	10
W	Andrew Shaw	65
W	Victor Stalberg	25
D	Duncan Keith	2
D	Brent Seabrook	7
D	Nick Leddy	8
D	Johnny Oduya	27
D	Niklas Hjalmarsson	4
D	Steve Montador	5
D	Dylan Olsen	34
G	Corey Crawford	50
G	Ray Emery	30

That, right there, is what you call a full boat, folks. Four Centers (if you include MegaMayers), ten wings, seven defensemen, and two goalies. If the season began tonight, three of those players would be healthy scratches. The problem with this is that the roster above is the same team that lost 9 straight last season and was schooled by Phoenix in the first round; and are a year older. That cannot stay the same. If you keep going to war with the same army, you're going to keep getting the same results. Expecting different is the DEFINITION of insanity.

The only two choices are trade, and then free agency. One doesn't have to come before the other, but if they sign someone July 1, they will need to move a body or two somewhere. They have three open slots in the entire organization to sign players, because currently teams in the NHL can only have 50 players signed to contracts. As I sit here, the team has 23 in the NHL and 24 in the depths of hell. They can currently sign three players for a total of $8,134,872 annually, with the recent salary cap announcement. For those mouth breathers having this read to them in their cages, that is $2,711,624 a year. Not exactly bait for any big fish unless they just sign one or two players.

The first scenario is trade. It is pretty much understood that the names most mentioned in trade rumors are Hjalmarsson, Stalberg, Frolik, Bickell, and any of the assorted kids in the system. Most of you should be aware of this, but there aren't many teams out there bidding for those players. The pickins are slim, as they say. Bolland and Montador have been discussed, but they are players with injury histories and fat contracts. Of the players listed, the Hawks are most likely to hear back about Hjalmarsson, Bolland and Stalberg. I could sit here and dream up some crazy scenarios like a certain message board, without knowing if the players at the other end are even available. Not worth wasting my time. What IS worth telling you is that Hammer would free up $3.5 million, Bolland $3.375 million, Stalberg $875K, Frolik $2.333 million, Montador $2.75 million, and Bickell frees up virtually nothing while swimming in the shallow end at the league minimum. The would, no doubt, have to take SOME salary back, but it's safe to say they could clear up another $2 million without breaking a sweat. With Stall off the market, Evander Kane is a possible big name guy, but they would have to trade for, and then resign him. I don't see it happening.

If they are able to pull off some fat trimming, they would have enough room to make a run at either a big name player or a couple of lesser solid ones. I'm fine with either, as long as it is an honest attempt to make the team better. What I'm NOT fine with is Bowman sitting on his thumb while teams like the Rangers, Pens or Wings make significant additions. The Hawks are not that good. They are not a team that can stand pat and dominate. One more year of mediocrity and this team is bordering on the need for a rebuild.

I know all the wise asses are out there saying, "OK, genius, tell me who they should get". In a fantasy land, Zach Parise, Shea Weber or Ryan Suter sound like lovely plans, but this isn't NHL 12 and there are other factors. Of those three, Suter is the one most likely to wear an Indianhead, but I'd give that a %15 chance, at best. Again, I'm all for a run, but I don't think the Hawks can compete, and I can accept that.

Where I think they need to make their mark is where they have failed pretty miserably since Bowman's promotion, and that is the second level FA market. I could run down the list, but there are a few names out there. Jason Garrison, Sheldon Souray, Matt Carle, and a host of others are out there on the back end.

As far as forwards go, there are people out there, just not the big names. Filling the hole at center would be a huge upgrade, but that would probably mean that Bolland needs to move up or Sharp bites the bullet. Kane cannot be the Blackhawks second line center, long term because he can't win a faceoff. Someone like Paul Gaustad could step in at #3 or #4, and I always like the face-off ability of Zenon Konopka at the #4 center. Hell, even Olli Jokinen is an attempt. It has been put out that Toews was sweet talking Shane Doan in the NHLPA meetings. If they can get him for $2 million or less, by all means, sign his tough ass. Otherwise, they are at risk of another Andrew Brunette debacle with an aging player, on the decline, getting pulled around the ice by the kids.

Take this for what it is worth, folks. It is a plan of attack. When all is said and done, I don't want to have to criticize anyone in the organization. I was a stern supporter of the Capocalypse of 2010. It was a necessary evil. Two years removed and the team is still moving in the wrong direction. As a fan, I SHOULDN'T be happy with this, and neither should you. Damn the man! Save the Empire!

CLAAAASS DISMISSED!

Read More

2012 Blackhawks Draft Class

Brandon Saad, the Blackhawks Brass, and Teuvo Teravianen

Friday and Saturday, the Blackhawks took part in the NHL Entry draft, in Pittsburgh PA. By all accounts, they had yet another successful Stan Bowman draft, but it was just that; A Stan Bowman draft. The Hawks made one minor trade and selected 8 players. Hardly the big splash that fans and bloggers alike were hoping for. We were given exactly what you should expect from a Stan Bowman led team. Safe, calculated picks, and very little risk.

The trade was hardly a blip on the transaction ticker, with the Hawks trading their 109th overall pick to San Jose for their 191st pick, and a fourth round pick in 2013. Exciting, right? Contain yourselves, folks.

That being said, the Hawks looked to have themselves a good little draft class, although none of the players will be joining or helping this team in the coming season. This it the final tally of picks:

Round	Pick	Player	Position	2011/12 Team
1	18	TEUVO TERAVAINEN	C/LW	JOKERIT (FIN)
2	48	DILLON FOURNIER	D	ROUYN-NORANDA (QMJHL)
3	79	CHRIS CALNAN	RW	NOBLES PREP (MASS.)
4	109	TRADE TO SAN JOSE	--	---
5	139	GARRET ROSS	LW	SAGINAW (OHL)
5	149	TRAVIS BROWN	D	MOOSE JAW (WHL)
6	169	VINCE HINOSTROZA	C	WATERLOO (USHL)
7	191	BRANDON WHITNEY	G	VICTORIAVILLE (QMJHL)
7	199	MATT TOMKINS	G	SHERWOOD PARK (AJHL)

Teuvo Teräväinen - He is a smallish forward, in the Patrick Kane mold. He has even been described as a poor man's Kane, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The thing you have to worry about here is, first of all, the fact that he comes from a bigger European ice surface, and secondly, if he will have the ability to squirt off big hits, like Kane can. Kane has also worked out extremely hard in the offseason each year, when he's not courting drunken Wisconsin college floozies, and comes in pretty solidly jacked for his stature. I can't knock Teravainen, because I've never seen him play, and he had to have been ranked as high as #5 for a reason. If he IS anything like Kaner on the ice, he could be a very special player here in Chicago, in about 2 years. It's already been announced that he will play 2012/13 in Finland with Jokerit. He is only few days shy of being eligible for the 2013 draft, which means he is one of the youngest of this class.

Here is a highlight video of some of his work (complete with a terrible version of Kaner's theme song):




Dillon Fournier - He is, by all accounts, an offensive defenseman. He is listed as 6'1", and 175lbs, which is not all that big for an NHL defender. Scouting reports say that he has a tendency to be a little lax in his own end, and while having issues containing forwards. Another long term project. His upside is that he is one of the best puck moving/powerplay qb's in the entire draft. An eventual replacement for Nick Leddy?

Here are highlights of Fournier (Please turn the volume down. Between the obnoxious music and french announcers you'll be kicking babies and kittens by the end):





Chris Calnan - Calnan is a decent sized high school wing, whose biggest claim to fame is that he's the nephew of former beloved Blackhawk Jeremy Roenick. He's listed at 6'2" and 188, which is pretty good for a player that just recently turned 18. It has been said that he has the potential to be a "top 9 power forward". He has committed for Boston College and there is no reason to think that he'll be anywhere else, come fall.

Garret Ross - When researching Ross, 99% of the videos you find are of him throwing hammers with opposing players. Suffice to say, he's an "enforcer" type of player. In two particularly entertaining videos he even has a go at Andrew Shaw in '09 and '10. He also played in the OHL with Brandon Saad last season for coach and former Blackhawk Greg Gilbert, so he's familiar with some of the young Hawks as well as former players. He's only 5'11" and 170, so he really isn't much bigger than Shaw. I've seen the words "mean streak" associated with him, which can also mean "loose cannon", or in other words Dan Carcillo. I wouldn't expect to see him in the Hawks plans for a few years. From what I can see, he throws punches with both his right and left hands and can absorb quite a barrage of fists. You can watch all of his fights here: www.hockeyfights.com but here are a few highlights:

Here you can watch him get into a fight after plowing the opposing goaltender over:

Here is the better of the two Shaw fights. Shaw's post fight reaction is PRICELESS!



Travis Brown - Brown is a 6'2" 180lb defenseman from the Western Hockey league that will be a project. Here is a fight between Hawks prospect Mark McNeill and Brown:




Vince Hinostroza - Here is a kid that wasn't even drafted 30 second and the entire intarwebs was misspelling his name. Hinostroza is a local kid from Bartlett playing in the USHL. He's a smaller player at 5'10" and 160lb, but Reel Hockey Scouting states that he is "pesky" and "crafty". He is committed to Notre Dame in the fall, and thet's where we should expect to see him play. You can read more here along with an iso-cam video of him playing against his hometown Chicago Steel:

http://reelhockeyscouting.com/2012/04/13/vince-hinostroza-12-waterloo-ushl/


Brandon Whitney - This pick could have been the real steal of the draft, for the Hawks. Whitney was listed as the #2 North American goaltender in the draft, and somehow fell to the 7th round. He is huge, at 6'5", much like Rinne and Lindback are in Nashville and Tampa Bay respectively. In fact, Rinne was picked i nthe 8th round, and Lindback was also picked in the 7th round. The big difference is the European pedigree both Rinne and Lindback have. Whitney has been described as an upright butterfly goalie that blocks the puck more than saving the puck, which sounds to me a lot more like a positional style. His numbers won't really "wow" you, and it looks like his size is what got him his rank. Look for him to be a 3 or 4 year project with a big upside. Here is an article that was up on NHL.com regarding Whitney:

BRANDON WHITNEY



Matt Tomkins - Tomkins is a 6'2" 170 lb goalie that you would expect in the 7th round of the draft, and was ranked #10 among North American goalies. He has committed to Ohio State, like previous Hawks prospect Cal Heeter, after playing last season with Sherwood Park of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Nothing that jumps out and grabs your attention.

Read More

Commentary From The Balcony

Now that there are no more games to quench our thirst, and the off season has officially begun, the craziness has gone from zero to insane in 3 seconds flat. Trade speculation, free agent speculation and personnel moves are enough bait to suck the NHL crazies in.

The Blackhawks aren't immune to the speculation, either. Over the past couple of weeks, I've thrown out my theories and thoughts on the corner they have been painted into, but we don't truly know what Bowman has planned. The Draft should be the first glimpse of just what he is trying to accomplish, because no one really knows what he was trying to accomplish last season.

After a couple of years of defending Bowman, I have come to the conclusion that it is time for him to show us this alleged expertise that we've all been fed since the day he took over. Sure, he was restricted by the salary cap following the cup, but he has had room to make moves since and left cap space on the table, only to watch the Hawks fall short in the first round two years in a row. It is enough!

Two years ago, the Blackhawks WERE the Kings. They were the young hotshot team with a talented nucleus that could dominate for years to come, but they have taken a disturbing stroll down the path of the 1985 Bears. Salary purges, lack of necessary personnel moves, and a bizarre disconnect between Coach and GM have the Hawks chasing the pack, again, after only one Stanley Cup banner. The Bears were the most dominating team in the NFL, at the time, and they let their arrogance, or ignorance, turn them into a joke within 5 years. Here the Blackhawks are, two other Cup Champions later, and they have people shaking their heads.


One and DONE
If the Hawks cannot move in a significantly positive direction this season, if there IS a season, the window will have damn near closed. Lightning in a bottle isn't a 5 season trip anymore. Teams are lucky to be able to two in a row in this modern era, so asking fans to be patient for 3 seasons is, quite frankly, unreasonable and insulting.

Currently, the Hawks have room to wiggle, and they have salaries that can be moved. There is NO excuse to sit on their hands, and watch other teams pass them by. If Bowman doesn't jump into the water while it is still warm, he may end up losing any remaining momentum. We can curse in the name of Dale Tallon, but the man built the core of a winner here in Chicago and he is building a winner in Florida. Call it dumb luck, but he is doing something right. Tell me where Stan Bowman has done anything but stand behind a team that was already built and reduce them from Stanley Cup champs to first round exits with internal conflicts and gaping holes. This sounds disturbingly similar to what Mike McCaskey did with the Bears. Sure he brought in Nick Leddy and drafted a couple of solid guys, but a blind squirrel will find the occasional nut.

As I said last night on Twitter, I'm not a Stan Bowman hater. I want him to succeed in Chicago and lead the Blackhawks to another Cup, but my patience is wearing thin. I'm really not a doom and gloom guy, but a realist. I defended the purge of 2010 vehemently, but it isn't 2010 anymore, folks. Time to make this organ-I-zation the cream of the crop, once again, not the utter embarrassment that is the Mike McCaskey era Bears.

Read More

The Natives Are Restless

This morning it was announced that the Blackhawks had resigned Brandon Bollig and Ben Smith to 2-year deals woth $575K per, and Goalie/Rockford Legend Carter Hutton to a one year deal. Slighty under the radar, the Blackhawks continued with their expulsion of Alexander Salak, by slapping him with an outright release.

None of these moves really matter much in the grand scheme of things. Bollig is a second string hammer thrower, behind Carcillo. He hardly matters in what the Hawks have ahead of them. Ben Smith still may never see the Blackhawks locker room again, and if he does, it'll be on the 4th line. Again, someone who figures little in the Hawks plans.

Hutton is the only move that I fully expected. He had a great year in Rock Vegas, after the goaltending there absolutely fell to pieces. He is one of the few players to have played, or at least dressed, in the ECHL, AHL and NHL last season. With the Goaltending depth as thin as it is in the Organ-I-zation, this was a no brainer. They could still bring in another depth guy, like they did with Emery last season, and bulk up a little between now and the start of camp. That would be the ideal situation. Competition never hurt anyone.

Read More

We Know Not What We HadBlackhawks waive Alexander Salak

A story was floated, on twatter, this morning that the Blackhawks waived goalie prospect Alex Salak. I can't say that I'm least bit surprised. It looks as though he may have asked to go back to Europe, if he wasn't going to get a fair chance in the NHL, which he wasn't. The Blackhawks goalie depth, which was already disturbingly thin, has just taken another right cross to the bridge of the nose.

Salak had a rough year, that was compounded by injury and personal family issues. It has been reported that his attitude regarding his demotion to Rockford, following training camp, really left a bad taste in the collective mouths of the Hawks brass. This move makes that look even more true, now. I wasn't very shy about my affinity for Salak, but he simply came in with a poor attitude and didn't produce. Maybe he'll go back to Europe and maybe someone will claim him, but I hope he straightens his ass up, wherever he goes. This move along with Frolik's terrible year make Dale Tallon look much better in his deals with the Blackhawks.


Alec Richards is another interesting case, in how the organ-I-zation has handled him. He started the year in Rockford as the #1 guy, and ended up getting demoted to Toledo of the ECHL. When you go from the AHL to the ECHL, your career is definitely is heading, full bore, in reverse. I can't tell you just why coach Rockford coach Ted Dent soured on Richards, but he did. My guess would be that they let him play out his final year in Toledo and let him go.



This leaves the Blackhawks with Carter Hutton (if resigned), Kent Simpson, Mac Carruth, and Johan Mattsson in their entire system. A far cry from just a few years ago, when they had Niemi, and Crawford alone in Rockford. The good news is that Hutton, Simpson, and Carruth are all coming off very good years. Hutton is a good safety net, but no one knows just what Carruth or Simpson can do in Rockford. Carruth is only 20, so he could be sent to the Juniors if the Hawks don't like what they see just yet. Either way you slice it, the Blackhawks could use some goaltending depth in the system.

It is fun to think the Hawks might go for a "blue chip" goalie, in the draft, but from everything I've gathered, it's unlikely. Just for shits-n-giggles I thought I'd share the top goaltending prospects with you. I know, call me partial.

Oscar Dansk

The 17 year old Swedish born goalie is touted to be the best goalie pick in this years NHL entry draft, The 6'2, 183 pound currently plays for Brynas of the Swedish Elite league, This year winning a Silver Medal Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament with Team Sweden. This season he has also played in Brynäs J18 where he played just one game in which he had a 1.00 GAA & .954 SV%, he also played in Brynäs J20 where is saw 5 starts and came away with 2.39 GAA and .922 SV% and in the Swedish U18 he saw 4 starts with a 2.71 GAA and .905 SV%. He also spent time in 2007 & 08 in North America with Shattuck St Mary's, Minnesota where he started over 60 games and had a combined 1.70 GAA and .922 SV%.

He has been compared to Henrik Lundqvist in his style & size, his ability to absorb the hardest shot is a definite plus for any NHL team in and should be rewarded with a low first round or high second round pick.

Source: www.mynhldraft.com

Andrei Vasilevski

Andrei Vasilevski turned heads at the World Junior Hockey Championships when he fought off fellow countrymen Sergei Kostenko and Andrei Makarov to secure the job as Russia’s starting goaltender to begin the tournament. While he was pulled in favour of Makarov during the semi-final game against Canada and wasn’t called upon for the final against Sweden, Vasilevski’s brilliant performance up to that point showed why he is one of the highest rated goaltending prospects for this year’s draft. Team Russia’s aggressive offense and suspect defense meant that Vasilevski often had to face upwards of 40 shots per game in early tournament play. Vasilevski however, played spectacularly in the face of high shot totals, the height of his tournament being an epic duel with Czech goaltending standout Petr Mrazek that ended in a 2-1 Russian overtime victory. The composed Vasilevski finished the tournament with a sparkling .953 save percentage, a remarkable statistic especially for a draft-eligible 17-year old. At 6-foot-3 Vasilevski has prototypical size for an NHL goaltender and has displayed solid lateral movement to go along with a wicked glove hand. Vasilevski is also relaxed and composed when he needs to be, a trait that will surely augment his already impressive natural talent. Some teams may pass up on Vasilevski due to the stigmatic ‘Russian Factor,’ but his raw talent and size will be hard to ignore come June 22nd.

Source: www.mynhldraft.com

Malcolm Subban

The younger brother of Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K., Malcolm Subban went against the family mould of blueliners and became a goaltender. He may be smaller than most netminders in Canadian junior hockey but he uses his smaller stature to his advantage. Subban has really solid technique that includes quick feet and agile positioning. He squeezes tight in the butterfly and he uses his lower centre of gravity to pull the puck into his body. He has stellar reflexes which makes his glove hand very fast. Subban moves from post to post with fluidity and he watches the play closely. However, he does need to improve on watching the play while being screened as he tends to stand in his crease without trying to look around the player in front of him. Most goals that go in on him are ones that go high since he is a smaller goalie. He also needs to work some more on his rebound control as he gives out big rebounds on a consistent basis. Subban is not flashy in the crease but he gets his job done. His play in 2010-11 as a rookie was so impressive that the Belleville Bulls traded Tyson Teichmann to the Erie Otters during the offseason. He will surely challenge newly acquired John Chartrand and CCHL sensation Daniel Altshuller for the #1 job in 2011-12.

Source: www.mynhldraft.com

Joonas Korpisalo

Many teams in European junior hockey find themselves utilizing several goaltenders over the course of a season. The under-20 team of Jokerit Helsinki, which plays in the Jr. A SM-liiga, was no different in 2011-12. During the past campaign, the team used the services of five goaltenders between the ages of 16 and 20, but none were as beneficial to the organization as Joonas Korpisalo.

It is quite impressive, and almost ironic, to think that Korpisalo has found himself to be one of Finland’s best young netminders. His father Jari scored 444 points, including 213 goals, in 575 career SM-liiga games. Additionally, the elder Korpisalo played three seasons in the Deutsche Eishockeyliga, which included a league championship in 2000 as a member of the München Barons.

It is no wonder that Korpisalo has been garnering notice for the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, especially since scouts have been quite high on teammates Teuvo Teräväinen and Esa Lindell. To add, he has taken over the #1 job vacated by Edmonton Oilers draft pick Frans Tuohimaa, which, in itself, is a testament to his ability.

Korpisalo’s resume has already become quite incredible despite his youth. In 2010, he helped Jokerit’s under-16 team, which plays in the Jr. C SM-sarja, win their league championship. It was this past year, 2011-12, where he completely showed his capability to be a top-flight #1 goaltender. Korpisalo joined Jokerit’s under-20 team, despite being only 17 years of age, and he showed that his youth was not a hindrance. He emerged leading the league with a 2.04 goals-against average and a .920% save percentage. These statistics won him the Jorma Valtonen Award as the Jr. A SM-liiga’s best goaltender. Korpisalo also was named to the league’s all-star team as they also won the league’s silver medal.

In 2012, after his season was over, Korpisalo joined Finland’s under-18 team for the World Under-18s in the Czech Republic. Finland had quite an impressive roster, which also included Teräväinen, Lindell and Ville Pokka; as well, there were two players, Aleksander Petrov and Rasmus Ristolainen, who are eligible for the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Korpisalo helped his team place fourth, losing the bronze medal game against Canada in overtime.

Korpisalo has been lauded for his athleticism, speed and professional build. He is also highly thought of his ability to make highlight reel saves, especially one he made on a Brendan Gaunce penalty shot in the bronze medal final of the World Under-18s. Korpisalo is also highly lauded based on his personality. His happy-go-lucky nature and his good sense of humour have made him very popular with his coaches and with members of the media.

Source: www.http://thehockeywriters.com

Read More