2014 Defending SC Champion Blackhawks playoff thread

[kujay]

He's absolutely right about Regin.

 

Here's my question, which is more from my bad memory and too much hockey watched in the last five years -- in the Q era, what players have been brought in mid-season and actually put to good use and excelled under Q down the stretch?

 

Oduya?

 

And Handzus last year

 

Forgot about Oduya. For some odd reason, now that I think of it, I remember where I was when I heard about that trade and I was pissed.

[Guest]

Pretty good Hawks post-mortem on the season by The Committed Indian, even if it is a little too anti-Q

 

http://thecommittedindian.com/lock-leave/

 

What could they get for Seabrook?

[RynoRules]

Pretty good Hawks post-mortem on the season by The Committed Indian, even if it is a little too anti-Q

 

http://thecommittedindian.com/lock-leave/

 

What could they get for Seabrook?

 

To start? A 2nd line center and a Top 4 d-man, IMO. There's little in the way of FA defensemen available.

 

Seabs really, really pissed me off during the playoffs this year. He was almost always flat footed in front of the net. Its possible he was dinged up, but his refusal to use his body or stick his nose into anything resembling a pile-up was very noticeable and hurtful.

[Butterscup1679666578]

i was thinking today that seabs is a perfect trade candidate this offseason

[Banedon]

Its possible he was dinged up, but his refusal to use his body or stick his nose into anything resembling a pile-up was very noticeable and hurtful.

 

Have we heard anything about injuries that guys were playing with? Seems like we should have heard some of that by now.

[UMFan83]

Pretty good Hawks post-mortem on the season by The Committed Indian, even if it is a little too anti-Q

 

http://thecommittedindian.com/lock-leave/

 

What could they get for Seabrook?

 

To start? A 2nd line center and a Top 4 d-man, IMO. There's little in the way of FA defensemen available.

 

Ryan Kesler still out there? Obviously you'd have to give up more but I'd love to get involved in those discussions.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Seabrook had a bad series, but I really don't see the need to trade away a top-pairing defenseman that has been key to our run.

[jersey cubs fan]

Its possible he was dinged up, but his refusal to use his body or stick his nose into anything resembling a pile-up was very noticeable and hurtful.

 

Have we heard anything about injuries that guys were playing with? Seems like we should have heard some of that by now.

 

Q essentially said there were no big injuries to worry about.

 

I can't vouch for the authenticity of that statement.

[biittner77]

The injuries are starting to pile up for Kesler. It would depend on the cost in terms of players but, more importantly, how do you fit him in under the cap?

 

Trading Seabrook would be a pretty major shake up. I don't see that happening at this point. They need to see what Johns can do first. Seabrook is the only Defenseman the Hawks have besides Brookbank (who probably won't be back) and Roszival (who also likely won't be back) that provides size.

 

I'd be surprised if they don't trade Oduya at the draft.

[Brian707]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? No. His contract might seem bad now, but with the rising salaries and salary cap it wont seem like a lot in a couple years. He is not the reason they lost this series, in fact perhaps without him they don't get out of the first round. They lost because the lack of a 2nd line center, and no fourth line, really wore this team down. And despite all that, they were one ot goal away from going to a Cup final vs an overmatched Ranger team. I would like Kessler but Vancouver is going to want a ton, Seabrook is a BC boy so he would be playing in his backyard so maybe his no trade clause wont be an issue. But I think the Canucks want to get younger and they will want Teranavien plus either picks or someone like Johns. Stan Bowman doesn't strike me as that guy to give up youth for someone already on the wrong side of 30. All in all the Hawks are set to be contenders for at least the rest of this decade and I think they will win at least two more Cups in the Toews/Kane era.

[jersey cubs fan]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? No. His contract might seem bad now, but with the rising salaries and salary cap it wont seem like a lot in a couple years. He is not the reason they lost this series, in fact perhaps without him they don't get out of the first round.

 

Well, he brought nothing to the table in the conference finals and his contract sucks. It is too high of a salary cap hit for a guy who isn't a great goalie. He's not horrible, but that fact means nothing when he is getting $6m a year for several years with a team that needs overwhelming offensive firepower to win. This team wins and loses on its skaters. The goalie has not been part of the core that needs to be maintained.

[apete6]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? No. His contract might seem bad now, but with the rising salaries and salary cap it wont seem like a lot in a couple years. He is not the reason they lost this series, in fact perhaps without him they don't get out of the first round.

 

Well, he brought nothing to the table in the conference finals and his contract sucks. It is too high of a salary cap hit for a guy who isn't a great goalie. He's not horrible, but that fact means nothing when he is getting $6m a year for several years with a team that needs overwhelming offensive firepower to win. This team wins and loses on its skaters. The goalie has not been part of the core that needs to be maintained.

 

Completely agree. I wouldn't even call it hate for Crawford, it's more like a realistic view of his role on this team and the view of a goalie in general. Heck, look at the Kings, they are going to the Final in spite of Quick, not because of him and he's almost universally regarded as being better than Crawford. To tie up those resources on a goalie is really tough and will probably cost them a guy like Sharp or Seabrook moving forward. I would say that the incremental value of Crawford over Niemi or Raanta is less than the gap between Sharp and someone like Morin or Nordstrom.

[jersey cubs fan]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? No. His contract might seem bad now, but with the rising salaries and salary cap it wont seem like a lot in a couple years. He is not the reason they lost this series, in fact perhaps without him they don't get out of the first round.

 

Well, he brought nothing to the table in the conference finals and his contract sucks. It is too high of a salary cap hit for a guy who isn't a great goalie. He's not horrible, but that fact means nothing when he is getting $6m a year for several years with a team that needs overwhelming offensive firepower to win. This team wins and loses on its skaters. The goalie has not been part of the core that needs to be maintained.

 

Completely agree. I wouldn't even call it hate for Crawford, it's more like a realistic view of his role on this team and the view of a goalie in general. Heck, look at the Kings, they are going to the Final in spite of Quick, not because of him and he's almost universally regarded as being better than Crawford. To tie up those resources on a goalie is really tough and will probably cost them a guy like Sharp or Seabrook moving forward. I would say that the incremental value of Crawford over Niemi or Raanta is less than the gap between Sharp and someone like Morin or Nordstrom.

 

Yeah, it gets annoying having it portrayed as "hate". But that isn't going to change and no matter how many times you explain the salary cap implications of an overpaid goalie that isn't a difference maker some people are just going to keep hearing "hate".

[Hairyducked Idiot]

It's just really hard for me not to give the front office the benefit of the doubt until the team actually stops being on the very short list of best teams in the league.

[Brian707]

Yeah, it gets annoying having it portrayed as "hate". But that isn't going to change and no matter how many times you explain the salary cap implications of an overpaid goalie that isn't a difference maker some people are just going to keep hearing "hate".

 

 

His contract is basically the same as Jimmy Howard, did they overpay? Maybe, but in a couple of years the contract will not look as bad as it does now. At least now they wont have to worry about the goaltending position n the next few years. Most of the goals he gave up in the Kings series were defensive breakdowns. As for hate, well in a way it is when certain people blame the goalie for just about everything while ignoring what really lost them the series(no fourth line, no second line center) Q being outcoached. He was outcoached last year by Babcock who had an inferior team, and this year by Yeo and Sutter.

[Brian707]

It's just really hard for me not to give the front office the benefit of the doubt until the team actually stops being on the very short list of best teams in the league.

 

 

Exactly. The Crawford contract is not an albatross some make it out to be for one.

[Brian707]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? To tie up those resources on a goalie is really tough and will probably cost them a guy like Sharp or Seabrook moving forward. I would say that the incremental value of Crawford over Niemi or Raanta is less than the gap between Sharp and someone like Morin or Nordstrom.

 

 

Sharp will turn 33 next season, he has probably two good years left.

[UMFan83]

Not sure I really get the Crawford hate? Is he a top 5 goalie? To tie up those resources on a goalie is really tough and will probably cost them a guy like Sharp or Seabrook moving forward. I would say that the incremental value of Crawford over Niemi or Raanta is less than the gap between Sharp and someone like Morin or Nordstrom.

 

 

Sharp will turn 33 next season, he has probably two good years left.

 

Meh its hockey and his game isn't predicated on speed. He could possibly stay sharp (pun greatly intended) for another 5 years. Or he could suck in 2 like you suggested.

[jersey cubs fan]

It's just really hard for me not to give the front office the benefit of the doubt until the team actually stops being on the very short list of best teams in the league.

 

 

Exactly. The Crawford contract is not an albatross some make it out to be for one.

 

It also just started.

[Guest]

i'm still not a huge fan of crawford's contract, but the team wouldn't have even made it to the WCF if he wasn't tremendous in the first 2 rounds.

 

the cap is going up and the team is right in it's prime for cup runs. i'd rather overpay slightly a for a guy you know is good enough to get it done than try to save a couple million for a marginal upgrade.

[Guest]

He's absolutely right about Regin.

 

Here's my question, which is more from my bad memory and too much hockey watched in the last five years -- in the Q era, what players have been brought in mid-season and actually put to good use and excelled under Q down the stretch?

 

Oduya?

 

oduya was miserable down the stretch in 2012. it wasn't until the next season that he started playing well.

[biittner77]

He's absolutely right about Regin.

 

Here's my question, which is more from my bad memory and too much hockey watched in the last five years -- in the Q era, what players have been brought in mid-season and actually put to good use and excelled under Q down the stretch?

 

Oduya?

 

oduya was miserable down the stretch in 2012. it wasn't until the next season that he started playing well.

 

I don't believe that's true. He was good down the stretch but got rag dolled by the Coyotes in the playoffs.

[biittner77]

It's just really hard for me not to give the front office the benefit of the doubt until the team actually stops being on the very short list of best teams in the league.

 

 

Exactly. The Crawford contract is not an albatross some make it out to be for one.

 

It also just started.

 

They have no one close to ready behind him- including Raanta- so they had to overpay. Perhaps the cap hit is a little high but that's what borderline elite goalies are getting. Off the top of my head, these goalies are making more than Crawford:

Rask, Price, Quick, Miller, Rinne, Lundquist and Borat. That puts Crawford's deal in the middle third of goalie contracts which is where he probably is talent wise.

 

This is like people that complain about giving a lock down set up man $4 million per for 3 years. It seems like too much money unless you need that guy to win. Yes, it is different in hockey because of the salary cap but I'd expect the Hawks have a plan to make up for that. The cap should go up which will help. It will cost them someone like Seabrook or Sharp in a couple years. At their respective ages, that might not be such a bad thing by then.

[jersey cubs fan]

 

They have no one close to ready behind him- including Raanta- so they had to overpay.

 

This line of reasoning makes no sense to me.

[WrigleyField 22]

Don't we want to at least see what a comparable or slightly worse level goalie gets in FA this summer, being this is when the extension kicks in.

 

 

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