Re: NHL (Blackhawks included) offseason thread

[Magnetic Curses]

another thing with hjalmarsson is that i don't think people realize how much he masked campbell's deficiencies last season. if you take away hjalmarsson, our defense would have been a complete mess for the 30 minutes a game that Keith/Seabrook are off the ice. I mean, I think it would be REALLY bad, and Niemi isn't the type of goalie that is going to mask poor defense either. he gives up a lot of rebounds and is out of position a lot. the great defense we had last year (well, for most of the year) really made niemi look better than he was.

 

hjalmarsson was just solid, solid, solid. i may be overrating him a tad, but that's only because i think he didn't get enough credit last season. keith/seabrook got all the love, but in reality i think hjalmarsson was almost as good as seabrook last year. he doesn't add much offensively, but he was our most consistent defensive player last year in my opinion. always in position, never caught too deep, great on the PK, excellent shot blocker, and he laid people out when the opportunity presented itself. he wouldn't go looking for hits, but he would devastate you if the timing was right.

 

hjalmarsson and campbell are pretty much seabrook and keith lite.

[Magnetic Curses]

I see your point. If you want to bring in Marty Turco, that's fine. Not sure if he will be any cheaper than Niemi who I think will bring in the most bang for the buck which is a concern with the Hawks salary cap troubles. I just don't want to go back to Huet. Hjalmarson does move the puck up the ice well. So does Campbell. The Hawks had a difficult time doing that in the Nashville series which is why getting rid of Campbell might not be the best idea.

 

i don't see much of a difference between niemi and turco, except age.

[biittner77]

another thing with hjalmarsson is that i don't think people realize how much he masked campbell's deficiencies last season.

 

Sopel too, maybe even more so than Campbell.

 

Plus anyone with a superfluous "J" in there name is OK by me, especially now that Byfuglien, the Larry Biittner of hockey, is gone.

[jb10194]

Hawks sign right wing Igor Makarov for 552,500. Pretty good low-risk signing that should help with some depth next year. Edited July 14, 2010 by jb10194

[jersey cubs fan]

Hawks sign right wing Igor Makarov for 525,000. Pretty good low-risk signing that should help with some depth next year.

 

Low risk signing? Isn't that just a Hawks draft pick?

[brinoch]

Hawks sign right wing Igor Makarov for 525,000. Pretty good low-risk signing that should help with some depth next year.

 

Low risk signing? Isn't that just a Hawks draft pick?

 

He's the #8 prospect in the Blackhawks' system, according to Hockey's future. He was drafted in 2006 and was their 2nd round pick. It's a good move and fills a 3rd/4th line spot cheaply.

[brinoch]

With the Makarov signing, things are becoming clear. I think the Hawks can make things work with only a few changes...

 

1. Trade one of Marty Reasoner or Tomas Kopecky (or bury them in the minors)

2. Sign a goalie -- Niemi or Turco, for $2M or less

3. Sign Hendry, Bickell and Skille (or trade Skille) for as little as you can get ($650,000 for Hendry, $600,000 for Bickell and $750,000 for Skille).

4. If you can't make Skille work, then one of Kruger or Klinkhammer will work.

 

Jonathan Toews — $6,300,000

Patrick Kane — $6,300,000

Marian Hossa — $5,275,000

Patrick Sharp — $3,900,000

Dave Bolland — $3,375,000

Tomas Kopecky — $1,200,000

Troy Brouwer — $1,025,000

Viktor Stalberg ($65,000) $850,000

* Jack Skille — $750,000

* Bryan Bickell — $600,000

Igor Makarov — $552,500

Jake Dowell — $525,000

DEFENSEMEN

Brian Campbell — $7,142,875

Duncan Keith — $5,538,462

Brent Seabrook — $3,500,000

Niklas Hjalmarsson — $3,500,000

Ivan Vishnevskiy — $821,667

* Jordan Hendry — $650,000

John Scott — $512,500

GOALTENDERS

* Antti Niemi — $2,000,000

Corey Crawford — $800,000

BUYOUTS

NONE

LOST VIA REENTRY WAIVERS

NONE

CARRY-OVER BONUS PENALTY

$4,157,753

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

ROSTER SIZE 21

SALARY CAP $59,400,000

PAYROLL $59,275,756

BONUSES $65,000

CAP SPACE $189,244

[kujay]

I'm fine with Vishnevskiy and Hendry as the 3rd defensive pairing. In the playoffs that third group got so little playing time anyway.

[Magnetic Curses]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

[jersey cubs fan]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

 

Seriously, what a cheap shot to begin with. Why is stuff like that going on in a team's camp?

[hawkeyecub]

What an idiot.

[Magnetic Curses]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

 

Seriously, what a cheap shot to begin with. Why is stuff like that going on in a team's camp?

 

i have no idea, i watched another video of beach fighting brannon and no one really made any effort to break it up. maybe they see it as part of camp and the evaluation process, which would be idiotic.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

 

Seriously, what a cheap shot to begin with. Why is stuff like that going on in a team's camp?

 

i have no idea, i watched another video of beach fighting brannon and no one really made any effort to break it up. maybe they see it as part of camp and the evaluation process, which would be idiotic.

 

They definitely do, and talked about it not being uncommon to see a fight a day, or maybe more. I still think it's absurd that they talk about players with high penalty minutes in a positive light, given the importance of power plays. It's a very odd mindset. I see wanting your chippy guys to be a little chippy, but crosschecking from behind and fighting serves very little purpose. If a guy needs to learn to fight, he can do it during the season.

[Magnetic Curses]

plus, i thought beach projected more as a power forward than a goon. sure, he needs to be able to fight, but let's not practice on our own guys. especially guys who aren't fighters and are way smaller than him.

[jersey cubs fan]

plus, i thought beach projected more as a power forward than a goon. sure, he needs to be able to fight, but let's not practice on our own guys. especially guys who aren't fighters and are way smaller than him.

 

He's probably pissed knowing there is a good chance he won't make the big club for salary cap reasons, and wants to beat up anybody who makes less than him.

[brinoch]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2010/07/skille_hawks_agree_to_one-year.html

 

Hawks sign Skille for $600,000. The article also mentions that the Hawks are close with Bickell.

 

Very good sign.

[kujay]

I have a feeling Beach is going to be one of those guys who lives on the edge -- when he's right up to it we love him, but when he slips over we curse him.

[Flames24Rulz]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

 

Seriously, what a cheap shot to begin with. Why is stuff like that going on in a team's camp?

 

i have no idea, i watched another video of beach fighting brannon and no one really made any effort to break it up. maybe they see it as part of camp and the evaluation process, which would be idiotic.

 

They definitely do, and talked about it not being uncommon to see a fight a day, or maybe more. I still think it's absurd that they talk about players with high penalty minutes in a positive light, given the importance of power plays. It's a very odd mindset. I see wanting your chippy guys to be a little chippy, but crosschecking from behind and fighting serves very little purpose. If a guy needs to learn to fight, he can do it during the season.

 

I've never understood, for the life of me, why teams put a great deal of emphasis on individual penalty minutes. Just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

[sherwood921]

 

again, nice [expletive] job, beach you [expletive]

 

Seriously, what a cheap shot to begin with. Why is stuff like that going on in a team's camp?

 

i have no idea, i watched another video of beach fighting brannon and no one really made any effort to break it up. maybe they see it as part of camp and the evaluation process, which would be idiotic.

 

They definitely do, and talked about it not being uncommon to see a fight a day, or maybe more. I still think it's absurd that they talk about players with high penalty minutes in a positive light, given the importance of power plays. It's a very odd mindset. I see wanting your chippy guys to be a little chippy, but crosschecking from behind and fighting serves very little purpose. If a guy needs to learn to fight, he can do it during the season.

 

I've never understood, for the life of me, why teams put a great deal of emphasis on individual penalty minutes. Just doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

They don't. They may care that a guy is willing to drop the gloves, but you're never going to see a team sign someone because they took a lot of penalties.

[jersey cubs fan]

They don't. They may care that a guy is willing to drop the gloves, but you're never going to see a team sign someone because they took a lot of penalties.

 

But PIM is always cited for the guys that have a lot of them. I think it might be largely a media thing, but it's definitely a thing.

[sherwood921]

They don't. They may care that a guy is willing to drop the gloves, but you're never going to see a team sign someone because they took a lot of penalties.

 

But PIM is always cited for the guys that have a lot of them. I think it might be largely a media thing, but it's definitely a thing.

 

right, it's 100% a media thing. They use it to try to show the casual fine why some guys who don't contribute anything offensively are still useful.

 

For example -

"John Scott, 27, has appeared in 71 games with the Minnesota Wild over parts of the last two seasons, recording 111 penalty minutes and three points (G, 2A)."

 

If they didn't put the penalty minutes, no one would understand why he's there. It's a quantitative way to say "John Scott is a fighter."

[kujay]

If they didn't put the penalty minutes, no one would understand why he's there. It's a quantitative way to say "John Scott is a fighter."

 

Right. Which still has value.

[Magnetic Curses]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2010/07/skille_hawks_agree_to_one-year.html

 

Hawks sign Skille for $600,000. The article also mentions that the Hawks are close with Bickell.

 

Very good sign.

 

well, that's gotta all but seal it that the hawks will fit under the cap and probably be able to bring back niemi.

[Soul]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2010/07/skille_hawks_agree_to_one-year.html

 

Hawks sign Skille for $600,000. The article also mentions that the Hawks are close with Bickell.

 

Very good sign.

 

well, that's gotta all but seal it that the hawks will fit under the cap and probably be able to bring back niemi.

 

That would be great!

[17 Seconds]

http://blogs.suntimes.com/blackhawks/2010/07/skille_hawks_agree_to_one-year.html

 

Hawks sign Skille for $600,000. The article also mentions that the Hawks are close with Bickell.

 

Very good sign.

 

well, that's gotta all but seal it that the hawks will fit under the cap and probably be able to bring back niemi.

 

unless someone signs him to a nice offer sheet.

 

i'd still be shocked if we could end up getting niemi at around 2 mil