Chicago Blackhawks 2012 Playoffs

[kujay]

I think Lepisto and O'Donnell will be pretty interchangeable on that last D pairing.

 

A lot depends on how well/ how long the Kane playing C experiment continues. Carbomb is suepnded the first 2 games so we'll see what happens with the 4th line.

 

The only thing that's settled is the 3rd line of Bolland, Frolik and Bickell. That should last at least a week before the Coach Q lineup lottery takes affect.

 

That third line has the potential to be really good or really, really bad. Bickell didn't show me much in the preseason. And I still don't think Frolik is worth a [expletive].

[kujay]

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111004/sports/710049824/

 

3 year extension for Stan. Well earned.

[jersey cubs fan]

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20111004/sports/710049824/

 

3 year extension for Stan. Well earned.

 

Really? I mean it was Tallon who built the Stanley Cup winner. He made a mess of the salary cap while doing so and Stan had to spend his first 1+ years basically fixing the mess. But so far "his" teams have been a disappointment that went one and done in the playoffs and an unknown this season. Not that I think he needed to be replaced or anything, but is an extension really well earned at this point, or is it just a matter of timing given the status of his previous deal (what was it?)?

[UMFan83]

Si. What he did the last 2 offseasons was pure magic. He was able to take a talented but unsustainable team, identify the core of the team and sell mostly high on the rest of the guys. Now we have our "core" of Toews, Kane, Sharp, Hossa, Bolland, Keith, Seabs, Hammer (missing anyone?), are in a great cap situation, and have a stocked up farm system among the best in the NHL. We'll have to see this season if we are a cup contending team this year, but even if we're not we're right there in striking distance with money to spend.

 

I wonder what a lesser GM would have done after the Cup season. Might they have felt sentimental to fan favorite Buff for his playoff contributions and kept him instead of keeping Sharp? Would they have not been able to find a decent return for Campbell and instead have to let Seabrook go in FA? Would they have made the decision to keep Niemi instead of Hammer? (not that hammer was great last year but it was still the better choice).

[jersey cubs fan]

Si. What he did the last 2 offseasons was pure magic.

 

I like what he's done and think he's got them pointed in the right direction, but I'd hesitate to call any of it magic or go overboard thinking about where they are at right now. Guys were sold at highs, but it's not like they acquired any gems out of those deals. They are still completely reliant on all the players that were acquired during Tallon's tenure to have success.

[UMFan83]

Si. What he did the last 2 offseasons was pure magic.

 

I like what he's done and think he's got them pointed in the right direction, but I'd hesitate to call any of it magic or go overboard thinking about where they are at right now. Guys were sold at highs, but it's not like they acquired any gems out of those deals. They are still completely reliant on all the players that were acquired during Tallon's tenure to have success.

 

Traded:

Barker for Leddy - currently Hawks #1 prospect and #28 NHL prospect according to hockeysfuture.com while Barker is barely on the crappy Oilers roster. Generally considered Bowman's best move as Hawks GM so far.

 

Byfuglien/Eager/Sopel for Morin - Hawks #2 prospect and #48 NHL prospect). Huge salary dump but gained a really nice prospect out of it

 

Kopecky for Montador - Not bad to get a top 6 defenseman and save money.

 

Ladd for a 2nd round pick - Another necessary salary dump, but got decent value considering the position we were in.

 

Skille for Frolik - Maybe a lateral move but Frolik has more scoring upside which we needed at the time and probably now as well.

 

Fraser for a 6th rounder - I mean it's Colin Fraser

 

Versteeg for Stalberg - Not a huge fan of the move. Another (probably) necessary salary dump. Got basically a poor man's Versteeg in terms of scoring output. Not bad 4th line depth.

 

Campbell for Olesz - Not bad considering Florida was taking on $5 million in the deal. Saving that paved the way for us to be fairly well under the cap after Sharp and Seabs extensions.

 

I also think Bowman in FA this year got a really undervalued scorer in Brunette, albeit a short term answer. And I think he rightly identified that we needed a more physical 4th line as it was an issue all year and forced us into playing John Scott way too much because he was our "enforcer". So we signed a couple of really good guys in that department, most of them for next to nothing. We don't quite have the depth of the Cup winning Hawks, but I at least feel like we can produce with our 3rd line this year, which is huge. The best part is we have over $3 million in cap space to make a move midseason when we can identify an area to improve.

[kujay]

Yeah that Campbell deal was all about getting rid of that salary.

 

I know I don't look at our D corps and really miss him.

[Prizefight]

 

That third line has the potential to be really good or really, really bad. Bickell didn't show me much in the preseason. And I still don't think Frolik is worth a [expletive].

 

 

Really? I think Bickell and Frolik have been two of their better players. Frolik is a sexy pick league wide to have a breakout season and it seems Q decided to keep his foot firmly up Bickell's ass. I think the 3rd line of Frolik-Bolland-Bickell is going to be superb

[jersey cubs fan]

I also think Bowman in FA this year got a really undervalued scorer in Brunette, albeit a short term answer. And I think he rightly identified that we needed a more physical 4th line as it was an issue all year and forced us into playing John Scott way too much because he was our "enforcer".

 

I think all you pointed out was that Bowman had a lot of work to do, but it's still very far from certain how it will all turn out. The fact remains he took over pre-Stanley Cup with a team built by the previous GM (with his assistance of course), and the team took a step back. Granted, it was a necessary step back. And on the surface I like what he has done, but they've got a long way to go before we can praise Bowman as some sort of super genius who actually retooled one Cup winning team into another. They aren't there yet. I like the direction and I have hope in the short and intermediate term.

[UMFan83]

I also think Bowman in FA this year got a really undervalued scorer in Brunette, albeit a short term answer. And I think he rightly identified that we needed a more physical 4th line as it was an issue all year and forced us into playing John Scott way too much because he was our "enforcer".

 

I think all you pointed out was that Bowman had a lot of work to do, but it's still very far from certain how it will all turn out. The fact remains he took over pre-Stanley Cup with a team built by the previous GM (with his assistance of course), and the team took a step back. Granted, it was a necessary step back. And on the surface I like what he has done, but they've got a long way to go before we can praise Bowman as some sort of super genius who actually retooled one Cup winning team into another. They aren't there yet. I like the direction and I have hope in the short and intermediate term.

 

Whats the point in mentioning that the team took a step back after he took over when you acknowledge that it was necessary? In my book, its foolish to judge last year's team against the one before it.

 

I think what I originally said was that what he's done in getting the Hawks to where they are now - one of the best cores in hockey, a great farm system with high end prospects, and financial flexibility was an amazing job.

 

That's all we can really evaluate him on at this point, but that's enough for me to say a 3 year extension is warranted. Although it was disapointing to see the team take a step back last year, I expected some degree of step back. Whatever happened last year in terms of playoff success was just a bonus. Now if we are in a position where we are needing teams to lose on the final day of the season to make the playoffs in the next couple of years, then I might start to change my opinion.

[Soul]

I guess I'll wait to see if the team takes a step forward this year before making a call on his extension.

 

I was expecting the step back - we all were. Now I'm expecting to be right back in the mix.

[jersey cubs fan]

Whats the point in mentioning that the team took a step back after he took over when you acknowledge that it was necessary? In my book, its foolish to judge last year's team against the one before it.

 

I think what I originally said was that what he's done in getting the Hawks to where they are now - one of the best cores in hockey, a great farm system with high end prospects, and financial flexibility was an amazing job.

 

That's all we can really evaluate him on at this point, but that's enough for me to say a 3 year extension is warranted.

 

My original comment was in response to the "well earned" notation about the extension. He was already signed for 2 more seasons. I would have been very happy to see how this season played out before thinking he needed an extension. I don't see how you can give him credit for the core that somebody else acquired and at the same time ignore the step back. Tallon built the Stanley Cup winner. Bowman has been cleaning that roster up, but he's added nothing of note and we have yet to see how all his work will play out. There shouldn't have been a rush, and it remains to be seen if that extension was well earned.

 

I'm not anti-Bowman. I'd just much rather see how things play out a little more before giving him an extension. I don't really see the need right now.

 

Something that concerns me is that as of now, there is nobody that matters who is playing for a contract. Everybody of note is signed longterm, and that can be tough on the hunger question that seems to me to play a role in hockey.

[UMFan83]

Whats the point in mentioning that the team took a step back after he took over when you acknowledge that it was necessary? In my book, its foolish to judge last year's team against the one before it.

 

I think what I originally said was that what he's done in getting the Hawks to where they are now - one of the best cores in hockey, a great farm system with high end prospects, and financial flexibility was an amazing job.

 

That's all we can really evaluate him on at this point, but that's enough for me to say a 3 year extension is warranted.

 

My original comment was in response to the "well earned" notation about the extension. He was already signed for 2 more seasons. I would have been very happy to see how this season played out before thinking he needed an extension.

 

OK that's fair.

 

 

I don't see how you can give him credit for the core that somebody else acquired and at the same time ignore the step back. Tallon built the Stanley Cup winner. Bowman has been cleaning that roster up, but he's added nothing of note and we have yet to see how all his work will play out.

 

I don't think you can give Bowman any credit for the core Tallon built, but I don't think you can blame Bowman at all for taking a step back last year because he was literrally put in a position where he had no choice but to dismantle the team. Tallon would have had to do the exact same thing, although who knows how he would have chosen to do it. The main thing I give him credit for is he identified the 6 most important players (to me at least - Kane, Toews, Sharp, Hossa, Keith, Seabrook) and 2 other key pieces (Bolland, Hammer) and managed to keep them all on board while stocking the farm system and putting us in a great financial situation. If you had told me in June 2010, knowing the dire cap situation we were in, that we'd be able to keep those 8 guys and have financial flexibility, I'd have been thrilled, and I am thrilled. I didn't think we'd make it through this without having to get rid of Sharp, Seabs, or both and to hold on to both of this guys, get them extended, and still have a healthy amount of money left over it makes me call this a success so far.

 

Something that concerns me is that as of now, there is nobody that matters who is playing for a contract. Everybody of note is signed longterm, and that can be tough on the hunger question that seems to me to play a role in hockey.

 

Yeah that's a concern. I was more concerned about the cap hangover last year, and that was justified. The whole team save Toews pretty much took a step back. You'd like to think they've learned from that, and may or may not be embarrassed at how much the team dropped off because of that. But then again, Keith tells the media days after the season ends that he didn't give it his all this year and basically admits a Cup hangover and the media doesn't really make much of it at all. There should be some accountability there and there wasn't.

[kujay]

I didn't realize this:

 

If Saad plays in more than nine games he has to stay with the Hawks for the entire season. Due to his age he is not eligible to play in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

 

This is an important nine-game tryout for the kid (and the team).

[Prizefight]

But then again, Keith tells the media days after the season ends that he didn't give it his all this year and basically admits a Cup hangover and the media doesn't really make much of it at all. There should be some accountability there and there wasn't.

 

We have little to no mainstream media in town who knows how to cover hockey. Rozner is awful. I mean, really just completely terrible. Never read him for any cognitive thought on anything. Most guys just talk about vague concepts such as momentum and sending message and all that other garbage. Chris Kuc is decent, I'd put him at the top but there's a significant drop off after him.

 

For good hockey thoughts and analysis you really need to read blogs and message boards. Places like Second City Hockey and Fifth Feather were all up in arms over those Keith comments.

[jersey cubs fan]

But then again, Keith tells the media days after the season ends that he didn't give it his all this year and basically admits a Cup hangover and the media doesn't really make much of it at all. There should be some accountability there and there wasn't.

 

We have little to no mainstream media in town who knows how to cover hockey. Rozner is awful. I mean, really just completely terrible. Never read him for any cognitive thought on anything. Most guys just talk about vague concepts such as momentum and sending message and all that other garbage. Chris Kuc is decent, I'd put him at the top but there's a significant drop off after him.

 

For good hockey thoughts and analysis you really need to read blogs and message boards. Places like Second City Hockey and Fifth Feather were all up in arms over those Keith comments.

 

I think Tim Sassone is much better than Chris Kuc. Rozner is a columnist, he doesn't cover anything, he just stirs pots.

[UMFan83]

Head that Sharpie will be playing in the season opener on Friday.

 

Also, here is an NHL 12 simulation that has the Hawks losing in the SCF to the Penguins in 6 games, after beating Vancouver in 7 games in the WCF.

 

http://www.thescore.com/home/articles/174279-game-simulation-sees-pens-win-cup-leafs-make-playoffs

[kujay]

Head that Sharpie will be playing in the season opener on Friday.

 

Also, here is an NHL 12 simulation that has the Hawks losing in the SCF to the Penguins in 6 games, after beating Vancouver in 7 games in the WCF.

 

http://www.thescore.com/home/articles/174279-game-simulation-sees-pens-win-cup-leafs-make-playoffs

 

It would be worth losing the finals to Pittsburgh to beat Vancouver in 7.

 

As for the writers, Sassone is great. Sucks that the DH put up a pay wall though.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sucks that the DH put up a pay wall though.

 

You can still read the articles though. Just have to scroll one line at a time.

[kujay]

Sucks that the DH put up a pay wall though.

 

You can still read the articles though. Just have to scroll one line at a time.

 

Didn't realize that. Is it as obnoxious as it sounds?

 

Also:

 

http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2011/story/_/id/7061058/stanley-cup-awards-predictions

 

I always did like Barry Melrose.

[jersey cubs fan]

Sucks that the DH put up a pay wall though.

 

You can still read the articles though. Just have to scroll one line at a time.

 

Didn't realize that. Is it as obnoxious as it sounds?

 

Also:

 

http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview2011/story/_/id/7061058/stanley-cup-awards-predictions

 

I always did like Barry Melrose.

 

It's annoying, but if you want to read a specific story it works fine.

 

And why is Linda Cohn an NHL expert?

[Old Style]

And why is Linda Cohn an NHL expert?

Because her face looks like it was hit with multiple hockey pucks?

[shnsajax]

Why do people keep picking the Sharks? Its like expecting Charlie Brown to actually kick the football.

[Flames24Rulz]

Head that Sharpie will be playing in the season opener on Friday.

 

Also, here is an NHL 12 simulation that has the Hawks losing in the SCF to the Penguins in 6 games, after beating Vancouver in 7 games in the WCF.

 

http://www.thescore.com/home/articles/174279-game-simulation-sees-pens-win-cup-leafs-make-playoffs

 

It would be worth losing the finals to Pittsburgh to beat Vancouver in 7.

 

As for the writers, Sassone is great. Sucks that the DH put up a pay wall though.

 

Losing in the championship round would suck ass.

[biittner77]

I didn't realize this:

 

If Saad plays in more than nine games he has to stay with the Hawks for the entire season. Due to his age he is not eligible to play in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs.

 

This is an important nine-game tryout for the kid (and the team).

 

Not really, barring a string of injuries, he'd have to go completely nuts to not be sent to juniors after the 9 day try out.