Friday, August 30, 2013
Hawk Talk....Always !: Do the Hawks Really Need Brandon Bollig For 2013-1...
Hawk Talk....Always !: Do the Hawks Really Need Brandon Bollig For 2013-1...: Whether or not they NEED him or not, is not really the question. Bollig holding a position on the team will cut off a position for a deservi...
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Do the Hawks Really Need Brandon Bollig For 2013-14 Roster?
Whether or not they NEED him or not, is not really the question. Bollig holding a position on the team will cut off a position for a deserving player i.e. Phillip Danault, Garret Ross, Kyle Beach, Drew LeBlanc, Mark McNeill and... the player most recently talked about Teuvo Teravainen.
Advantages of retaining Bollig:
1) His minimal salary for this years decreased $64.3m cap helps the Hawks fit under the cap.
2) He is the ONLY true enforcer the Hawks would have on the roster. Shaw can handle the little guys, but...that's about it.
3) Bollig can be used as a pawn to go back and forth to Rockford. Sure, he may have to clear waivers, but that won't be an issue. Remember, this guy has never even scored a single goal in his entire NHL career.
The disadvantages far out-way the advantages.
Players that far deserve the spot, would have to take a back seat until next year. The roster is almost set.
It is almost a given that the 4 positions available will be going to Pirri, J.Hayes, Morin and B. Smith. (Never a certainty with the Hawks,...but this is a pre-season presumption, not by only myself, but by many).
For Danault (who is one that people will be keeping an eye on during camp) to make the team he would most likely have to dethrone Jimmy Hayes or Jeremy Morin. Ben Smith appears to be slotted in to take the Frolik position on the penalty kill. The thing is that Morin and Hayes are true wingers and Pirri is going to get his shot this season. So, where would that leave Danault?....Rockford,...that's where.
So, besides the enforcer role, what else can Bollig do? He can't play the PP or the PK. To be honest, I would have preferred the non-skating John Scott rather than have Brandon Bollig on my team. At least John Scott puts the fear of God into players at 6'8". Bollig doesn't do anything to scare the opponents. In fact, many have that big enforcer on their team that can actually PLAY. If for some reason that Bollig was picked up on waivers, (one can dream, right?), then you also have Kyle Beach and Brad Winchester that could come up to take that place on the team as the enforcer.
Enforcers are great to have, but in todays NHL, they're really only needed during playoff time.
Kyle Beach is 6'3"/ 208#
Brad Winchester is 6'5 / 230#
Players on the Hawks that can stand up for themselves included: Shaw, Keith, Seabrook, Bickell. Only Shaw appears to be happy enough to engage in fights. Remember, the Hawks just got rid of Carcillo and Mayers. Two enforcers that weren't really doing anything but filling a slot.
IF the Hawks MUST have an enforcer, then I hope they go with Kyle Beach. He can actually play. He was a first round draft pick back in 2008, and the guy can fill the net, and be a net presence. So, I would LOVE to see Beachy as that 23rd roster guy if,...and only if he earns that spot. Otherwise, give it to a deserving person like a Danault or McNeill or a LeBlanc.
Well,....training camp is right around the corner. Here's to dropping the gloves boys!!!
Advantages of retaining Bollig:
1) His minimal salary for this years decreased $64.3m cap helps the Hawks fit under the cap.
2) He is the ONLY true enforcer the Hawks would have on the roster. Shaw can handle the little guys, but...that's about it.
3) Bollig can be used as a pawn to go back and forth to Rockford. Sure, he may have to clear waivers, but that won't be an issue. Remember, this guy has never even scored a single goal in his entire NHL career.
The disadvantages far out-way the advantages.
Players that far deserve the spot, would have to take a back seat until next year. The roster is almost set.
It is almost a given that the 4 positions available will be going to Pirri, J.Hayes, Morin and B. Smith. (Never a certainty with the Hawks,...but this is a pre-season presumption, not by only myself, but by many).
For Danault (who is one that people will be keeping an eye on during camp) to make the team he would most likely have to dethrone Jimmy Hayes or Jeremy Morin. Ben Smith appears to be slotted in to take the Frolik position on the penalty kill. The thing is that Morin and Hayes are true wingers and Pirri is going to get his shot this season. So, where would that leave Danault?....Rockford,...that's where.
So, besides the enforcer role, what else can Bollig do? He can't play the PP or the PK. To be honest, I would have preferred the non-skating John Scott rather than have Brandon Bollig on my team. At least John Scott puts the fear of God into players at 6'8". Bollig doesn't do anything to scare the opponents. In fact, many have that big enforcer on their team that can actually PLAY. If for some reason that Bollig was picked up on waivers, (one can dream, right?), then you also have Kyle Beach and Brad Winchester that could come up to take that place on the team as the enforcer.
Enforcers are great to have, but in todays NHL, they're really only needed during playoff time.
Kyle Beach is 6'3"/ 208#
Brad Winchester is 6'5 / 230#
Players on the Hawks that can stand up for themselves included: Shaw, Keith, Seabrook, Bickell. Only Shaw appears to be happy enough to engage in fights. Remember, the Hawks just got rid of Carcillo and Mayers. Two enforcers that weren't really doing anything but filling a slot.
IF the Hawks MUST have an enforcer, then I hope they go with Kyle Beach. He can actually play. He was a first round draft pick back in 2008, and the guy can fill the net, and be a net presence. So, I would LOVE to see Beachy as that 23rd roster guy if,...and only if he earns that spot. Otherwise, give it to a deserving person like a Danault or McNeill or a LeBlanc.
Well,....training camp is right around the corner. Here's to dropping the gloves boys!!!
Sunday, August 25, 2013
What Happens To Corey Crawford Next Season?
Long term contracts for $5 million + appear to be more a "life sentence' than anything else.
Do you guys remember Cristobal Huet? (Let's bring it home first before we start exploring the other goalies around the league). On July 1, 2008 The Blackhawks made a splash by signing two big named unrestricted free agents. Brian Campbell and Cristibal Huet. Dale Tallon, as much as he had an eye for talent, was bloody awful at making sure the numbers coincided with the talent, and understanding how to run a club so that money isn't all tied up in unproven players during a salary cap era.
Cristibal Huet signed for an ungodly $22.4 million ($5.625m/per yr/4 yr contract). Huet struggled in the 08-09 season with a 20-15-4 record .909 Sv%, 2.53 GAA. Not what you expect from a guy you just gave $5.625m a year to. He played in exactly half of the regular season games splitting it with Khabibulin, but was benched for much of the playoffs and only played 3 games (1-2-0, .910 Sv%, and a gaudy 3.23 GAA). The next season Khabibulin left for Edmonton and he was supposed to be the MAN. Instead, he got benched after the season and only played 1 playoff game. His regular season stats for the 09-10 season were just as deplorable as the season before. (26-14-4, a despicable .895 Sv%, 2.50 GAA). AHL rookie goaltender from Finland Antti Niemi took over. He was placed as the starter and we all know what he ended up doing.....he won the cup while Huet sat in the trenches).
The following season the Hawks couldn't keep Niemi (mainly due to the gaudy salary that Campbell was receiving,...they had little to no wriggle room and San Jose won that chess match by forcing Chicago to keep Hjalmarsson,...then they came in and swooped up Niemi. Still one of the greatest salary cap chess moves I've seen in the new salary cap era).
Now, the Hawks buried the salary of Huet as he was 'borrowed' by the Swiss National League A by team HC Fribourg-Gotteron. This is where he stayed for two seasons while the Hawks buried his salary and developed their new goaltender talent in...COREY CRAWFORD.
Now, in steps Corey Crawford. He was slowly developed and made minimal appearances between the 2005-06 season to the 2009-10 season. In 2010-11 he stepped in as the full time presence in net for the Hawks. In his third season as netminder, Corey brought home the biggest prize (no,...not the Wm.M Jennings Trophy)....the Stanley Cup.
This is Corey's last season at $2.666m and then his contract comes to a close. So, as the Hawks trimmed a bunch of people's salary's, the salary cap went down $7m to a low $64.3m this season.
Who knows what the cap hit will be next year. However, the issues come with who will they have in net? Corey will expect a pay raise, and will he be looking to eclipse that $5m/per year mark? Most likely. How many years are the Hawks willing to extend an offer to Corey for? 3?.......5?.....7?
Let us assume the cap goes up, but only goes up slightly. Maybe to $66m or $67m yearly. This allows a little leeway for Corey to get paid. Now, let's look at the premier goalies and look at their contracts.
Hawks defeated this goaltender in the 2012-13 season: Tuukka Rask.
TUUKKA RASK: $7m/8 yrs. Will Crawford be demanding something like this when no one on the Hawks is being paid that kind of money? We'll see. I think $5 is what he'll be looking for, though.
ROBERTO LUONGO: $5.33m/12yr contract. Insane contract and when he wanted a trade last season, no one wanted to touch that gaudy contract. For his good fortune, new coach John Tortorella wanted to keep Luongo.
RYAN MILLER: $6.25m/ last year of contract. Don't expect him to get nearly the same offer from anyone other than Buffalo. I'm not so certain that they want to offer him that kind of money again, either.
MARTIN BRODEUR: $4.5m/last year of contract. Marty is almost done. He'll retire most likely.
CAM WARD: $6.3m/ 3yrs left on his contract. No way is he worth that kind of dough.
PEKKA RINNE: $7m/6 yrs left off of 7 year deal. He's a premier goaltender,...and this is what he is getting paid.
JONAS HILLER: $4.5m/ last yr of his contract. With Fasth ready to take his job, will he accept less?
VIKTOR FASTH: $2.9m/ 2 yrs left (technically a back up goaltender..and getting paid more).
MIKKA KIPRUSOFF: $5.833m/ last year. Trust me...he won't get NEARLY that anymore.
JAROSLOV HALAK: $3.75m/ last yr. Oh,...he's going to get paid.
NIKLAS BACKSTROM: $3.416m/ 3 yrs left. This would be a great contract for the Hawks if they could get away with that.
CRAIG ANDERSON: $3.187m/2 yrs left. Ottawa is happy with that.
MIKE SMITH: $5.667/ 6yrs left. This is what I think Corey Crawford will be looking at, unfortunately.
KARI LEHTONEN: $5.9m/ 5 years left.
JIMMY HOWARD: $5.292m/ 6yrs left on this contract. Again, the $5m+ range. This is where the Hawks will be heading with the Crawford contract.
SERGEI BROBOVSKY: $5.625m/ 2yrs ....awesome contract for the 'Jackets. If he lets the team down,....boom...outta hear without feeling tied up. This is what I would like to see the Hawks do with Corey.
HENRIK LUNDQVIST: $6.875m/ last year of his contract. He'll probably get close to the same offer. He has been unbelievable for the Rangers.
COREY PRICE: $6.5m/ 5 years remaining. GULP, YIKES. (Let's hope this isn't the case for the Hawks).
MARC ANDRE FLEURY: $5m/ 2 yrs remaining. 1 Stanley cup, 2 appearances. But, lost his job in the playoffs last year. Something to keep in mind.
ANTTI NIEMI: $3.8m/ 2yrs remaining. Love this contract. Doug Wilson,...you were a genius.
JONATHAN QUICK: $5.8M/ 10 year deal. Not crazy about the length of the deal, but for the money they tied him up at,....wow. Amazingly done.
Alright.....That is the look at the salaries of many of the top goaltenders. See a trend here? It's about $5m+ (up to $7m) for a premier goaltender. If the Hawks could manage a 4 year contract at $5.6ish,... I think they scored big.
The Hawks will be keeping an eye on Antti Raanta's progress. Expect him to get the call next season to replace Nikolai Khabibulin.
Do you guys remember Cristobal Huet? (Let's bring it home first before we start exploring the other goalies around the league). On July 1, 2008 The Blackhawks made a splash by signing two big named unrestricted free agents. Brian Campbell and Cristibal Huet. Dale Tallon, as much as he had an eye for talent, was bloody awful at making sure the numbers coincided with the talent, and understanding how to run a club so that money isn't all tied up in unproven players during a salary cap era.
Cristibal Huet signed for an ungodly $22.4 million ($5.625m/per yr/4 yr contract). Huet struggled in the 08-09 season with a 20-15-4 record .909 Sv%, 2.53 GAA. Not what you expect from a guy you just gave $5.625m a year to. He played in exactly half of the regular season games splitting it with Khabibulin, but was benched for much of the playoffs and only played 3 games (1-2-0, .910 Sv%, and a gaudy 3.23 GAA). The next season Khabibulin left for Edmonton and he was supposed to be the MAN. Instead, he got benched after the season and only played 1 playoff game. His regular season stats for the 09-10 season were just as deplorable as the season before. (26-14-4, a despicable .895 Sv%, 2.50 GAA). AHL rookie goaltender from Finland Antti Niemi took over. He was placed as the starter and we all know what he ended up doing.....he won the cup while Huet sat in the trenches).
The following season the Hawks couldn't keep Niemi (mainly due to the gaudy salary that Campbell was receiving,...they had little to no wriggle room and San Jose won that chess match by forcing Chicago to keep Hjalmarsson,...then they came in and swooped up Niemi. Still one of the greatest salary cap chess moves I've seen in the new salary cap era).
Now, the Hawks buried the salary of Huet as he was 'borrowed' by the Swiss National League A by team HC Fribourg-Gotteron. This is where he stayed for two seasons while the Hawks buried his salary and developed their new goaltender talent in...COREY CRAWFORD.
Now, in steps Corey Crawford. He was slowly developed and made minimal appearances between the 2005-06 season to the 2009-10 season. In 2010-11 he stepped in as the full time presence in net for the Hawks. In his third season as netminder, Corey brought home the biggest prize (no,...not the Wm.M Jennings Trophy)....the Stanley Cup.
This is Corey's last season at $2.666m and then his contract comes to a close. So, as the Hawks trimmed a bunch of people's salary's, the salary cap went down $7m to a low $64.3m this season.
Who knows what the cap hit will be next year. However, the issues come with who will they have in net? Corey will expect a pay raise, and will he be looking to eclipse that $5m/per year mark? Most likely. How many years are the Hawks willing to extend an offer to Corey for? 3?.......5?.....7?
Let us assume the cap goes up, but only goes up slightly. Maybe to $66m or $67m yearly. This allows a little leeway for Corey to get paid. Now, let's look at the premier goalies and look at their contracts.
Hawks defeated this goaltender in the 2012-13 season: Tuukka Rask.
TUUKKA RASK: $7m/8 yrs. Will Crawford be demanding something like this when no one on the Hawks is being paid that kind of money? We'll see. I think $5 is what he'll be looking for, though.
ROBERTO LUONGO: $5.33m/12yr contract. Insane contract and when he wanted a trade last season, no one wanted to touch that gaudy contract. For his good fortune, new coach John Tortorella wanted to keep Luongo.
RYAN MILLER: $6.25m/ last year of contract. Don't expect him to get nearly the same offer from anyone other than Buffalo. I'm not so certain that they want to offer him that kind of money again, either.
MARTIN BRODEUR: $4.5m/last year of contract. Marty is almost done. He'll retire most likely.
CAM WARD: $6.3m/ 3yrs left on his contract. No way is he worth that kind of dough.
PEKKA RINNE: $7m/6 yrs left off of 7 year deal. He's a premier goaltender,...and this is what he is getting paid.
JONAS HILLER: $4.5m/ last yr of his contract. With Fasth ready to take his job, will he accept less?
VIKTOR FASTH: $2.9m/ 2 yrs left (technically a back up goaltender..and getting paid more).
MIKKA KIPRUSOFF: $5.833m/ last year. Trust me...he won't get NEARLY that anymore.
JAROSLOV HALAK: $3.75m/ last yr. Oh,...he's going to get paid.
NIKLAS BACKSTROM: $3.416m/ 3 yrs left. This would be a great contract for the Hawks if they could get away with that.
CRAIG ANDERSON: $3.187m/2 yrs left. Ottawa is happy with that.
MIKE SMITH: $5.667/ 6yrs left. This is what I think Corey Crawford will be looking at, unfortunately.
KARI LEHTONEN: $5.9m/ 5 years left.
JIMMY HOWARD: $5.292m/ 6yrs left on this contract. Again, the $5m+ range. This is where the Hawks will be heading with the Crawford contract.
SERGEI BROBOVSKY: $5.625m/ 2yrs ....awesome contract for the 'Jackets. If he lets the team down,....boom...outta hear without feeling tied up. This is what I would like to see the Hawks do with Corey.
HENRIK LUNDQVIST: $6.875m/ last year of his contract. He'll probably get close to the same offer. He has been unbelievable for the Rangers.
COREY PRICE: $6.5m/ 5 years remaining. GULP, YIKES. (Let's hope this isn't the case for the Hawks).
MARC ANDRE FLEURY: $5m/ 2 yrs remaining. 1 Stanley cup, 2 appearances. But, lost his job in the playoffs last year. Something to keep in mind.
ANTTI NIEMI: $3.8m/ 2yrs remaining. Love this contract. Doug Wilson,...you were a genius.
JONATHAN QUICK: $5.8M/ 10 year deal. Not crazy about the length of the deal, but for the money they tied him up at,....wow. Amazingly done.
Alright.....That is the look at the salaries of many of the top goaltenders. See a trend here? It's about $5m+ (up to $7m) for a premier goaltender. If the Hawks could manage a 4 year contract at $5.6ish,... I think they scored big.
The Hawks will be keeping an eye on Antti Raanta's progress. Expect him to get the call next season to replace Nikolai Khabibulin.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Teuvo Teravainen Agrees To Terms With Blackhawks + 2014 Roster Scenarios
The Chicago Blackhawks have finally agreed to the inevitable...they signed superstar forward Teuvo Teravainen from the Finish league. He was the Hawks #1 pick in 2012 and he was recently showcased in the World Juniors in Lake Placid, where he was often one of the best players on the ice. Hawks locked him up for 3 years.
Next season, the cap space should increase from $64.3m, allowing the Hawks to add more of their AHL rising stars along with their European talent. This could be the first year of the Teravainen Terror on the NHL.
Michal Handzus (1 yr/ $1m), Brandon Bollig (1 yr. left/ $.575m), Niklas Hjalmarsson (1 yr. left/ $3.5m), Sheldon Brookbank (1 yr left/ $1.25m), Nikolai Khabibulin (1 yr./$2m) will allow some future activity.
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HAWKS TO RE-SIGN FOR 2014 SEASON:
* Brandon Pirri should be resigned. We'll see how he performs this year with the Hawks. (yes,...I'm already assuming he makes the roster this year).
* Shaw WILL be retained, and a pay raise is to be expected.
* Jeremy Morin will most likely be retained if he has a solid year. (Hawks are invested highly in this kid).
* Jimmy Hayes will most likely be retained if he has a solid year.
* Ben Smith will most likely be retained if he has a solid year.
* Antti Raanta: He will be resigned and most likely be the #2 goalie behind Crawford in 2014.
* Corey Crawford will most likely be retained, and we shall see what they offer him. Hopefully it isn't more than $5m, but he may get that offer from others in the league. This contract watch will be interesting, to say the least.
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Who the Hawks will let go of at the end of the 2013-14 season:
Khabibulin is holding space for Antti Raanta.
Handzus is holding space for either McNeill, Danault, Ross, LeBlanc or Teravainen. (We shall see if any of them make the roster this year.)
What the Hawks do with Hjalmarsson is going to decide upon Stanton or Clendening. I think both could be wearing the Indian Head next season. Clendening being my favorite young defenseman in the Hawks organization,...we shall see. I believe Stanton will get a few stints with the Hawks this year, prepping him nicely to overtake Brookbanks departure next season. Clendening is already proving he could take Hjalmarsson's position in the AHL. This year will show if last season was a pro rookie fluke.
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AHL letdowns (or nobody's), whose contract end in 2013-14 season:
Dylan Olsen: He was given a shot 2 seasons ago, and was not impressive at all. Former first round pick has to have a stellar year in order to be resigned in 2014. (Two way contract at best).
Terry Broadhurst: Floated between the ECHL and the Rockford Icehogs last season. Not impressed with this Chicago native.
Byron Froese: Again, in 9 AHL games, he only managed 2 assists. Did well in Toledo, but not nearly enough to make a difference in changing any opinions of the Hawks brass (or fans, for that matter).
Theo Peckham, and Mike Kostka: Who knows?
Brad Winchester? Brandon Bollig's replacement? Doubt it.
David Gilbert: After 3 unimpressive stints with Rockford, last season he started to show progress. But, I think he may get signed....to an AHL contract. Hawks interest? I don't think it will be there.
Kyle Beach: Better do something this year Beachy or you'll be a perenial AHLer.
Next season, the cap space should increase from $64.3m, allowing the Hawks to add more of their AHL rising stars along with their European talent. This could be the first year of the Teravainen Terror on the NHL.
Michal Handzus (1 yr/ $1m), Brandon Bollig (1 yr. left/ $.575m), Niklas Hjalmarsson (1 yr. left/ $3.5m), Sheldon Brookbank (1 yr left/ $1.25m), Nikolai Khabibulin (1 yr./$2m) will allow some future activity.
====================================================================
HAWKS TO RE-SIGN FOR 2014 SEASON:
* Brandon Pirri should be resigned. We'll see how he performs this year with the Hawks. (yes,...I'm already assuming he makes the roster this year).
* Shaw WILL be retained, and a pay raise is to be expected.
* Jeremy Morin will most likely be retained if he has a solid year. (Hawks are invested highly in this kid).
* Jimmy Hayes will most likely be retained if he has a solid year.
* Ben Smith will most likely be retained if he has a solid year.
* Antti Raanta: He will be resigned and most likely be the #2 goalie behind Crawford in 2014.
* Corey Crawford will most likely be retained, and we shall see what they offer him. Hopefully it isn't more than $5m, but he may get that offer from others in the league. This contract watch will be interesting, to say the least.
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Who the Hawks will let go of at the end of the 2013-14 season:
Khabibulin is holding space for Antti Raanta.
Handzus is holding space for either McNeill, Danault, Ross, LeBlanc or Teravainen. (We shall see if any of them make the roster this year.)
What the Hawks do with Hjalmarsson is going to decide upon Stanton or Clendening. I think both could be wearing the Indian Head next season. Clendening being my favorite young defenseman in the Hawks organization,...we shall see. I believe Stanton will get a few stints with the Hawks this year, prepping him nicely to overtake Brookbanks departure next season. Clendening is already proving he could take Hjalmarsson's position in the AHL. This year will show if last season was a pro rookie fluke.
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AHL letdowns (or nobody's), whose contract end in 2013-14 season:
Dylan Olsen: He was given a shot 2 seasons ago, and was not impressive at all. Former first round pick has to have a stellar year in order to be resigned in 2014. (Two way contract at best).
Terry Broadhurst: Floated between the ECHL and the Rockford Icehogs last season. Not impressed with this Chicago native.
Byron Froese: Again, in 9 AHL games, he only managed 2 assists. Did well in Toledo, but not nearly enough to make a difference in changing any opinions of the Hawks brass (or fans, for that matter).
Theo Peckham, and Mike Kostka: Who knows?
Brad Winchester? Brandon Bollig's replacement? Doubt it.
David Gilbert: After 3 unimpressive stints with Rockford, last season he started to show progress. But, I think he may get signed....to an AHL contract. Hawks interest? I don't think it will be there.
Kyle Beach: Better do something this year Beachy or you'll be a perenial AHLer.
Friday, August 16, 2013
1 month until camp.....Let the wheels start spinning now.
(Written yesterday on 300level.net)...a Blackhawks dedicated Social Network Site...Check it out!!!
With the Hawks only a month from starting their camp, we are now well aware that the Hawks were pretty aggressive during the Draft, were mildly active during the Free Agency period, and have aligned themselves according to the Cap so that they aren't screwed during the future.
One of the questions right at the end of the season to me was , "How are the Hawks going to get under the Cap with their current lineup?"
It was pretty apparent that the Hawks were going to let Viktor Stalberg go. Benched twice during the playoffs, and often in Q's doghouse,...we could see the writing on the wall that if Stalberg was to stay,...he wasn't going to get paid jack (expletive).
I did look at CAP GEEK quite a bit during the year, and I did think that Dave Bolland was going to be an issue. Not, that the fans nor the organization didn't like Dave Bolland,...most fans loved Bolly,...but his play wasn't equal to the pay he was receiving. I didn't think he'd go,..but what a wise move to trade away that 3+million salary and still be able to get quality picks for him. Good move on Bowman.
I also was not a big Michael Frolik fan. What? yeah, I wasn't. Here was a guy that was drafted in the first round by Florida, and ended up being a 4th line guy most of the year because...to be honest,...that is where he belonged. I often described Frolik like this." one of the hardest workers on the team, but when isolated with the puck, he cannot put the puck in the net." I got tired of seeing him do the same move over and over.......you know the one.....cross behind the net and do his quick turn around snap shot (that always was blocked). That move probably worked in his younger days,.......but it didn't amount to anything in the pros. Frolik often looked befuddled when he had the puck,...BUT when he was on the PK,.... his tenacity was wonderful. His hard working habits allowed him to go after the puck and/or defender and he was a perfect person for that position....BUT,...he wasn't worth the 2.25m with a big cap cut....How was Bowman going to handle this, I thought? Surprise, surprise. He calls his buddy in Winnipeg for a nice trade. NICE job.
Now, to be honest, I was a bit surprised that Bickell landed 4m a year for 4 yrs. I thought he was going to get 2.5 and that would have nearly been 5x his previous salary. But 4m? Wowsers!!!! Good job on him to be able to get it.
Emery leaving was not a surprise, but I was a bit let down. I was hoping he'd stay. He appeared to enjoy the city of Chicago,...but his desire to go after that starting spot was what he was really after. I can't say Chicagoans really blame him for that. We loved Razor's 2 years in ChiTown. Way to go Razor!
Leddy, Kruger re-signing's were not really a surprise. Rozsival re-signing, again not a surprise, but Handzus taking a pay-cut to 1m was shocking. I didn't see that one coming.
How Bowman played his hand to the AHL players was absolutely brilliant. Kyle Beach, Drew LeBlanc and Ryan Stanton all getting near the league minimum JUST for that opportunity to crack the lineup and fit under the cap making Stan's decision a bit easier if he needs to shuffle players around from Chicago to Rockford.
I had one person tried to point out to me that Brandon Bollig and Ben Smith's contracts are ONE way contracts meaning they cannot be shuffled back and forth to Rockford. Ahh,....but, the Hawks ween't afraid in doing that last year. Remember, if he lets Bollig go and someone picks him up, is he going to really lose much? NOT really. He could bring in another enforcer who could actually fill the net in Kyle Beach. (Actually a much better player than Brandon Bollig). Ben
Smith, is looking more and more (from listening to some late interviews from Quenneville, that he has a STRONG shot of making the team as the NEW Frolik. Put it this way, Smitty is going to do everything he can to try and make that roll happen. Great.....SO we don't lose much if that connection of Smith and Kruger work out. We need to keep that strong PK unit . Cuz our PP sucks to high heaven.
A player that has woken me up since my last post (on hawktalkalways,blogspot)is Teuvo Teravainen. He was the best player on the ice at the Juniors a few weeks ago.
Let's look at who is on the Hawks and what is available (yeah...once again). IF the Hawks keep Bollig, that leaves 4 open spots (Pirri, Morin, Smith and J. Hayes) all as front runners. All very much have earned that right,...but there are players like Ryan Stanton, Adam Clendening who also have earned that right, but because they're defensemen,...tough out of luck. Danault impressed Bowman during camp,...and will get his shot ....and McNeill was also told by Bowman that he will be given a shot.....up to them to perform like crazy a month from now.
Ross, Beach, LeBlanc, Kostka, Peckham are outsiders looking in. (btw,...I'm becoming a big Garret Ross fan,....like I was a big Brandon Pirri fan (for the past 2+years) and I still am a huge Jeremy Morin fan.)
Players to watch in the future?
1) Teuvo Teravainen: kid is simply AMAZING!!!
2) Watch out for this one: Tyler Motte.
3) Of course.....Adam Clendening. (Next Chris Chelios maybe?)
4) Chris Calnan...anyone related to J.R. get's a quick gander I would think.
5) Antti Raanta: why not? This guy was ALL Sweden for cryin' out loud.
6) Mac Carruth: Played well with the WinterHawks. How's he do in Rockford
this year?
Curious signings......Brad Winchester...is he the next Bollig's replacement?
Nikolai Khabibulin....okay,...I can't be the only one that went,..."What the f*ck?" after they signed him.....Am I?.....Keep that seat warm for Raanta my boy!!!!
Sheldon Brookbank anyone? He's keeping the seat warm for Adam Clendening (or possibly Stanton),...let's be honest.
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