Blackhawks Offseason Thread

[Hairyducked Idiot]

The Hawks' cap situation is a little better than it looks. Apparently, bonuses have to be applied to the cap even if they are unlikely to be met, and they don't come off until the player can no longer possibly reach them (usually at the end of the season).

 

You are allowed to exceed the cap by 7.5% with those bonuses, but if you end up using them, the amount you are over the cap is taken out of next year's cap. A lot of the Hawks' young players have big bonuses they won't likely hit, and we'll be able to temporarily use some of that phantom cap space.

 

It looks to me like they can just squeeze in under the cap with all the players they have now, possibly with Sopel going to the minors, and then worry about next year when it comes.

 

So let me say something: This team is freaking stacked everywhere but goalie, and they aren't that bad in goal.

[Cynosure]

Aliu looks awesome at Prospects Camp!

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=22036

[RedFlash]

Aliu looks awesome at Prospects Camp!

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=22036

 

I know there been enough written about Aliu and his 'tude, but he is a talented player who does play with a bit of an edge on the ice. If he can learn to use that edge properly, he could become a force. I really like Aliu.

[Cynosure]

Aliu looks awesome at Prospects Camp!

 

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=22036

 

I know there been enough written about Aliu and his 'tude, but he is a talented player who does play with a bit of an edge on the ice. If he can learn to use that edge properly, he could become a force. I really like Aliu.

 

http://www.thethirdmanin.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/webassets/AkimAliu3.jpg

[shnsajax]

He looks like a kid that you don't want to F with.

[burnt out cubbie fan]

Did you not read Cynosure's posts? He said that Versteeg will be traded.

Well if Cynosure said it, it's going to happen for sure.

[Cynosure]

Did you not read Cynosure's posts? He said that Versteeg will be traded.

Well if Cynosure said it, it's going to happen for sure.

 

Duhhhhhh :-$

[Cynosure]

Some pics from prospects camp... boy its nice to see our future players out there... getting me more excited for hockey season!

 

ALIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues1202.jpg

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues1242.jpg

 

BEACH!

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0142.jpg

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0382.jpg

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0392.jpg

 

Olsen/Pirri:

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0942.jpg

 

OTHERS:

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0262.jpg

 

http://i251.photobucket.com/albums/gg292/candc90/2009prospectcamptues0122.jpg

[RedFlash]

I really like Beach and Aliu and I hope one or both will see some time with the Hawks this yr.

[Cynosure]

Makarov was impressive the final two days of prospects camp...

 

... get this... the only Russian speaker in the organization besides Makarov???? Akim Aliu...

 

ALIUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!:

 

 

 

 

AWESOME!!!!!!!

[Hairyducked Idiot]

I was thinking that if we don't bring Makarov into the big club this season, there's a good chance we never see him over here.

[Cynosure]

According to Brandon Pirri in an interview with Blackhawks TV, Aliu will be playing in Rockford this year if he doesn't make the Hawks. This is very good news. There isn't any roster space for Aliu this year on the Hawks, but if the injury bug hits, we might see what he can do in the NHL.

[TysonCBulls423]

Cynosure just IMed me telling me that Tallon is out as GM and Stan Bowman is the new GM. Interesting.

[manbearcub]

http://csnchicago.com/pages/new_landing?Mora-Blackhawks-Fire-GM-Dale-Tallon=1&blockID=63735&feedID=661

 

huh

[UMFan83]

http://csnchicago.com/pages/new_landing?Mora-Blackhawks-Fire-GM-Dale-Tallon=1&blockID=63735&feedID=661

 

huh

 

It HAS to have something to do with the fiasco regarding the restricted FAs. I also think the Hawks aren't sure how Tallon's recent moves will allow them to resign Toews and Kane. There are a lot of Blackhawks fans that are happy about this, and a lot of casual fans that are upset I think as I've been reading ongoing rips on Tallon for a few years now, and they continued through the success of this season.

 

Edit: Oh also, Stan Bowman replaced him. They probably wanted him to replace him for awhile and were waiting for Tallon to slip up somehow.

 

Wow when was the last time a GM was replaced after a breakthrough season like the Hawks just had?

[burnt out cubbie fan]

yeah from what I have heard they were looking to get rid of him for a while and were waiting for a time/reason to do so.

[Soul]

I guess they really do blame him for screwing the cap by not getting those offers out in time, then.

[kujay]

I agree with the thinking that McDonough and Rocky had no loyalty to Tallon and were waiting for a reason to can him. Their whole thing was cleaning house and ending the insular, backward thinking of the old regime that led to disasters like Bob Pulford. For better or worse, Tallon was part of that regime.

 

Let's be honest -- Toews and Kane fell into his lap. The big decisions he's had to make, at least so far, look to be poor ones.

[RynoRules]

I wrote this to a friend in response to this news:

 

Without knowing the all of the background details, this seems pretty short-sighted to me. He made a mistake with paperwork, but it worked out in the end. He has shown that he is good at evaluating talent - isn't that more important? He replaced Havlat more or less immeadietly with Hossa in addition to lokcing up all of our RA’s.

 

Hockey is a strange sport with all the front office and coaching comings and goings. Lemaire just got re-hired in Jersey after they unceremoniously dumped him more than 10 yrs ago, which was a dumb move to begin with. Mike Keenan is like some kind of STD. Barry Melrose and his mullet lasted for something like two dozen games in his not-so-triumphant return to coaching.

 

Bizarre stuff.

[jersey cubs fan]

I wrote this to a friend in response to this news:

 

Without knowing the all of the background details, this seems pretty short-sighted to me. He made a mistake with paperwork, but it worked out in the end.

 

It didn't work out in the end. We haven't even seen the end. The mistake cost money, and cap space. It's the kind of thing you would expect from a guy who might have good scouting sense but doesn't appear to any managerial skills. They resigned the RFA, but they overpaid for the two big ones. The Blackhawks have multiple overpaid players, like Huet, Campbell, Byfuglien and now the RFAs and they have none of their three biggest stars signed past this season. Tallon may have done a good job bringing together this team, but it was only possible because prior teams were so bad, and draft picks were so high. And Tallon was a part of putting those teams together too. He's been in important personel positions in this organization for over a decade, and the vast majority of the time this team has sucked during that decade.

 

I do not have a problem with this move. It was inevitable. I think it may have happened midseason if not for the situation with his father's funeral that drew so much positive media attention to the team. I think the other asst GM who left to take a similar position in Atlanta knew this was going to happen and didn't want to work under Bowman. The only issue I would have with this is if somebody sabotaged Tallon by allowing the offer sheet issue to happen.

 

The easy part was amassing loads of talent after a decade and a half of high draft picks and ownership opening up the wallets for free agents the past few years. The hard part is going to be picking the right guys to keep around and dealing away whatever spare parts they think they have.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

They've been planning to replace Tallon with Stan Bowman since daddy Bowman was brought into the organization. They were just waiting for an excuse.

[kujay]

I do not have a problem with this move. It was inevitable. I think it may have happened midseason if not for the situation with his father's funeral that drew so much positive media attention to the team. I think the other asst GM who left to take a similar position in Atlanta knew this was going to happen and didn't want to work under Bowman. The only issue I would have with this is if somebody sabotaged Tallon by allowing the offer sheet issue to happen.

 

The easy part was amassing loads of talent after a decade and a half of high draft picks and ownership opening up the wallets for free agents the past few years. The hard part is going to be picking the right guys to keep around and dealing away whatever spare parts they think they have.

 

Well said.

[nilodnayr]

They've been planning to replace Tallon with Stan Bowman since daddy Bowman was brought into the organization. They were just waiting for an excuse.

 

While they were waiting for an excuse, I wonder why it took them this long after the issue was resolved to fire him. I just figured they let him ride out this year and not resign him when his contract was up. That would have been the easiest thing to do from a PR perspective, unless of course the Hawks win the cup next year. I have to assume they are now going to make a move that Tallon didn't want to make.

 

And Stan Bowman's been with the Hawks for 8 years. Stan is the reason Scotty's with the Hawks, not visa-versa.

[nilodnayr]

I wrote this to a friend in response to this news:

 

Without knowing the all of the background details, this seems pretty short-sighted to me. He made a mistake with paperwork, but it worked out in the end.

 

It didn't work out in the end. We haven't even seen the end. The mistake cost money, and cap space. It's the kind of thing you would expect from a guy who might have good scouting sense but doesn't appear to any managerial skills. They resigned the RFA, but they overpaid for the two big ones. The Blackhawks have multiple overpaid players, like Huet, Campbell, Byfuglien and now the RFAs and they have none of their three biggest stars signed past this season. Tallon may have done a good job bringing together this team, but it was only possible because prior teams were so bad, and draft picks were so high. And Tallon was a part of putting those teams together too. He's been in important personel positions in this organization for over a decade, and the vast majority of the time this team has sucked during that decade.

 

What do you think they would have signed Versteeg and Barker for if they wouldn't have bungled the RFA situation?

[jersey cubs fan]

They've been planning to replace Tallon with Stan Bowman since daddy Bowman was brought into the organization. They were just waiting for an excuse.

 

While they were waiting for an excuse, I wonder why it took them this long after the issue was resolved to fire him.

 

"This long"? How long has it been, less than a week? No moves have been made in between the time it took to make that decision and now. It takes time to fire people, especially when contracts are involved.