There was always a big difference between that league and the NHL and now the gap is wider.

Links here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niklas_Persson
http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=37573

Your view seems about right. Not necessarily Top Six forward but a strong Bottom Six guy from the looks of it.

That news re: Persson is quite intriguing.

I tend to think that with all his years learning from Sam Pollock, Scotty Bowman acquired a lot of the ‘wheeler-dealer’ tricks that Pollock had mastered.

In those days, the Canadiens always seemed to have players they could afford to trade because they always had new ones in the pipeline. Notwithstanding their advantage when it came to picking French-Canadian players, the Habs were, at their peak, an example of excellence in asset management.

Scotty probably took some of that thinking with him to Detroit, and he probably has passed that along to Stan.

Stan’s first draft and UFA/trading season should be fun to watch.

It was rumored this past season that Toronto wanted Sharp.

Looking at the Draft, here is an excellent rundown of all the particulars from NHL.com:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/eventhome.htm?location=/draft/2010

The order of selection is here:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=531426

The Islanders, Lightning, Hurricanes, Thrashers, Wild and Rangers round out the first ten teams to pick.

Would, for example, Sharp, Versteeg, Byfuglien or Sopel be a fit on any of those teams?

One expects Bowman is weighing all of the possible scenarios.

Don’t forget he also has Niemi and Hjalmarsson as RFA priorities.

If Sharp brings a top young talent in return while achieving significant cost savings, it might be something Bowman considers.

Not saying that’s likely, but we’ve seen hockey trades that have surprised us more than once.

The Hawk trade I remember most vividly was Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge and Fred Stanfield for Pit Martin, Gilles Marotte and Jack Norris.

Blockbuster trades like that don’t happen often any more, but who knows what will happen this summer?

Last year we saw Heatley go to San Jose and Kovalchuk to the Devils…few expected that.

Fasten your chin strap.

Awesome article, no question the best I’ve read on any blog and I’ve tried to read them all. Rumour has it that the Blackhawks have either signed or will sign Niklas Persson from the Swedish League and the word on him is that he could step right in as a second line center, is a great PK, and is great in the locker room. Again you are the best and i will continue to read your blog not just because you agreed with me most of the time on FF

The thing that I like about Sharp is his complete game, his versatility, his hockey sense, he’s signed for two more years, he wears the “A” and he’s a good locker room presence. Virtually no holes. Versteeg and Buff on the other hand…

But if another team picking in the top 10 was ready to give up a first round pick for him, would you do that deal?

Versteeg, Buff, Sopel, Campbell, Bolland, Sharp, and you can assume that I’d move Huet under any circumstances, even to Europe for a bag of pucks.

It’ll certainly be an interesting off season. Please post any and all speculation you hear. Your sources are far and wide, amigo.

The politics of the Hawks’ front office are something I have no knowledge of, and therefore don’t discuss.

My focus is on the where the team is at, relative to hockey matters.

As for whether John McDonough is ‘a good guy’ or not, I can tell you from having worked with high level executives in major corporations and multinationals, that not all of them are ‘good guys’.

But that’s business.

And never having met Mr. McDonough, I do not have any opinion of him as a person.

Hockey, like all big businesses, is tough and sometimes unpleasant.

Relative to the subject, you might find former NHL Commissioner Gil Stein’s book, “Power Plays”, interesting reading. Not many ‘good guys’ in that cast of characters.

Cap issues are non-issues. The NHL would have to prove a team was over the cap limit and the Commissioner would then levy a penalty. Does one truly believe that the current Commissioner would heavily sanction an organization such as the Blackhawks which, by winning the Ol’ Mug, may have sparked interest in the US (and driven a major US market nuts) in hockey. Bettman may be annoying and resemble Napoleon in stature, but his playbook is strictly Bismarck.

There will be some tweaks and twists with the roster and as you point out, players with Stanley Cup rings do bring a premium on the trade market. The Bowmans will deal judiciously, there may not be immediate returns, but any moves should be useful in the future.

Finally, you can’t predict players signing for the ‘home-town discount’ or ‘no-trade clause’ (respect the former – hate the latter). Rocky Wirtz has set the table for players to seriously consider the discount.

Prost

David Gill

Yes I, as well as many others, did not like how Savard was treated. Yes Coach Q was the better option, but Q was already in house. Savard could have been let go over the summer without making him look like a joke clipping him in the first week, all but making certain he’ll never get the opportunity from another team…and yes I would not be surprised if McDouche is the guy solely responsible for FedEx-Gate. See as Cubs fans know, McDonough doesn’t do criticism and ownership of failure. He arrives when the goings are good.

I also understand that Campbell is being paid close to the perceived market rate, but I don’t believe in operating under market value when it comes to a cap sport. I’m all about replacement level value…and if given the opportunity I highly doubt Streit would have chosen the Islanders over Chicago…that’s why a move like that reeks of a John McDonough move. That’s how guys like Huet get paid much more than they’re worth. Just because another team exercises a lack of fiscal responsibility doesn’t mean the next team has to follow suit. Cap room varies by each team after all. You know full well the Red Wings would not have made either of those two signings even if they had the cap room. They, like the Red Sox in baseball, set their own market price(see Hudler, Jiri) and if that price is exceeded by competition they move on to the next option or look for other ways to improve the team…ie they need a goalie…they set aside a certain value, if they don’t get their man, then they’ll spend that money on shoring up the defense instead. The Hawks will have to operate closer to these terms in the near future since they won’t have much extra money considering Toews’ $1.2-1.3M Conn Smythe bonus will take up at least half of the new cap escalator. Oh well, the next month or so will be interesting to say the least.

I’m not altogether sure why; the fact is, the Blackhawks have gone from being a very wobbly team to a highly profitable Stanley Cup Champion during his time as President. McDonough seems to know his marketing.

Following the Hawks for fifty years from my own geographically distant vantage points, in my view, the Blackhawk name has never appeared to be stronger.

That aside, I can’t comment on who made the ultimate decision to sign Campbell AND Huet…but Tallon was held responsible, as one would expect a GM to be.

There seems to be some very emotional debate about this.

In any case, Tallon has moved on, and his GM skills will be put to the test in Florida, a problematic franchise for more than a decade.

As for Campbell, he was paid a premium in an overheated market for defensemen; but his salary is, as I mentioned, in the same range as Bouwmeester, Phaneuf and Jovanovski.

Those are the risks one takes when signing UFAs who are in great demand.

I like Mark Streit’s play, having seen him for several years in Montreal; who knows, perhaps Tallon made a pitch for him and didn’t succeed.

The bottom line is, that the Blackhawks have achieved what they set out to do, and in an extremely short time. Central Division, Western Conference and Stanley Cup Champions all in the same year…money well spent, would you not agree?

Now comes the next phase of the challenge, which is ensuring perennial contender status. Not easy by any means.

The Brian Campbell and Cristobal Huet contracts were the most severely criticized signings, and may have contributed to Tallon’s eventual exit from the GM chair.”
———————————————————
I agree with most of what you’ve written, however, being a 20+ year Cubs fan, I know how John McDonough operates, and although it may never be revealed by Tallon himself, the Huet and possibly the Campbell signings are no doubt the work of McDonough. See McDonough pulled the same stunt with the 8 year $136M contract to Alfonso Soriano. This is his way of showing the fans and competition that he’s “serious about winning”. No matter that the Cubs under his watch threw around big money around to overrated or aging or inferior players. Not saying that’s the case with Campbell, but I’d much rather have had Mark Streit at $4M per season than Campbell at $7+M. That would have been $3M the Hawks could have put towards the 2nd line center that they desperately needed last season…imo..and of course could have been $3M that Bowman could use this season. I’m not saying that Campbell sucks or doesn’t have value, he just doesn’t have $7+M value to me for someone who does not possess a very good shot from the point(high and wide all the time) which to me is one of the main reasons why the Hawks’ PP struggles so much.

You’re right on about the value that Versteeg and Byfuglien would have for any trading partner, not to mention the Oilers.

Would they give up the number one pick for the package you mention? Hard to say…but possible.

Byfuglien’s value to the Blackhawks, his improving play and his versatility, may have made him a ‘must have’ in Chicago.

But as you point out, that also increases his trade value.

Looking at the Huet/Khabibulin part of that suggested deal you propose, I don’t think there’s any way Stan Bowman wants a now-injury prone, aging goalie at $3.75MM for the next three years.

But that’s just my opinion.

Al Cimaglia and I have discussed the Huet situation, and our view seems to be echoed by what’s being said by Bowman and other people close to the Hawks…which would be finding some way for shipping Huet and his contract out of the NHL.

Unless some team with plenty of cap room can be enticed to take Huet as part of another deal, those would seem to be the only options in that regard.

To me, a Sharp-plus-prospects deal for Edmonton’s first pick would seem simpler and a win-win for both sides.

I would also be curious to see what might done with Tampa, or Florida…especially Florida, with the number 3 overall pick.

Patrick Sharp would be especially valuable to those teams.

Columbus, looking for a playmaker to pair with Nash, might, with the 4th pick overall, also be a viable partner.

Patrick Sharp – too valuable as a two-way forward and he’s signed for a relatively cheap-to-value contract for the next two years. Yes, he’ll have to play center for at least one more year for the Hawks, but he’s the ultimate team player and is good wherever he is.

Brian Campbell – expensive, but very valuable. Once he rejoined the Hawks during the playoffs, they were a different (and better) team. He has a lot left in the tank and I think he’ll have an even better third year with the Hawks.

Kris Versteeg – slick, fast and of so maddening. He’s pretty versatile but baring injury, he’ll only be a third-liner with the Hawks, and he can’t play with Kane (they overlap too much, and Kane is supremely better). His contract makes him replaceable with potentially minimal goal fall off from the past (not the future).

Buff – what will the Hawks have during the upcoming regular season, the dominant force that pushed through the last three rounds of the playoffs, or the guy who seemed uninterested and didn’t score 20 goals on the season? Yea, he’s young, huge, and somewhat versatile, but does he have more value in a trade than he does to the Hawks? The big question is, could he be replaced on the top line by an improving Brouwer or even Beech?

Dave Bolland – yes, he’s a high-paid third line center, but when he’s healthy he is pest-extraordinaire, has the heart of a lion, and he can score goals (he had 8 in the playoffs, when Sharp and Buff lead the team with 11 – not too shabby). Sure, he could be a better playmaker and finisher, but center is the hardest forward spot to fill, and he’s signed for four more years, so he has that edge over everyone else.

Sopel – I think he has value, but I don’t think he’s going anywhere unless is absolutely needed.

So, this is what I would propose:

Buff, Versteeg, Huet and the Hawks first-rounder for the #1 pick and Khabibulin. Okay, I said it, so what does it do for everyone?

Oliers:
They get two top-six forwards who they can plug into their lineup immediately and see improvement, rather than going through more rebuilding. They also get a goalie who can start for them and has only two more years left on his deal for the same money that Khabby has for three (both had equal troubles over the course of this year). They also get a pick to continue the ongoing rebuilding.

Hawks:
$8MM in net cap relief and a franchise #2 center, kind of like the Pens have with Crosby and Malkin. While a bit injury-prone in his old age, they also pick up a less-expensive #1B goalie who is liked in the Hawks dressing room and could use a change of scenery himself. True, the Hawks may be over-paying here a bit, and they lose two strong forwards, but that was going to happen anyway so while not sell high when you have replaceable pieces that can step in, and also build for the future?

I know, it won’t happen, but I think that this deal has its merits and could be switched to a different team in the top-10 of the draft, but the Hawks need a center int he pipeline, and not necessarily another D-man.

BTW, I think I’d do this deal with the Avs, changing the pick to Duchene and the goalie to Budjai, but I don’t think they’d be crazy enough to do it, and the Hawks could use a year of cap relief, which is why trading for a top draft pick is more enticing to me.

The Blackhawks could use a big center (i.e. a Jordan Staal type).

Is there someone like that available in the upcoming draft?

At Hockey Independent, the writers (myself included) will be looking at the McKeen’s Hockey 2010 draft guide for clues.

If the Hawks could engineer a trade that brings more young talent to Chicago…things could get interesting.

Kids like Matt Duchene and Jordan Eberle are impact players, and that kind of player could fit right in.

Florida, Atlanta, Edmonton, Columbus, Minnesota, for example, are credible trading partners.

Yep, I’ve been doing the “roto GM” thing and I was wondering, do you think the Oliers would trade the 1st pick? I think I have a deal that would meet everyone’s needs. It’s that time of year again.

See you at the FF, and back here now. Keep up the good words. It’s good to be rooting for the kings, and not of the LA variety…

In the West, the competition is very close, but the Blackhawks have improved their performance over the past two seasons even as other teams have progressed.

The decisions being made right now, are probably keeping in mind that the talent base has to be constantly renewed.

If it means certain players need to be moved, Stan Bowman will have most probably considered all the pros and cons.

There are so many talented prospects nowadays, and there are more and more kids in junior and college who are ready–or almost ready–to step up to the NHL.

With the Blackhawks being a young team, they should be able to weather the injury factor.

Also, rather than stacking the deck to win short-term, Rocky Wirtz mandated his brain trust to construct the team for continued success.

The Wirtz Companies have an approach to doing business that works. In the interviews he has given, Rocky has said he applies many of those successful business principles to the management of the team.

He believes the Blackhawks should be a force to reckon with beyond the year, and he’s instructed the executive group and the team to deliver at the box office and on the ice.

It’s a tall order, but long time Hawks fans like yourself have every reason to be optimistic.

In the meantime, enjoy the Stanley Cup…the toughest Championship to win in all of professional sports.

In my opinion, there are teams waxing and waning in the NHL.

Those on the upswing include the Coyotes, the Hawks, the Bruins and Tampa Bay.

On the wane are the Senators, the Sharks, the Wings,the Ducks, and the Rangers.

Mystery teams include the Oilers, the Canucks, the Habs and the Sabres.

As to why David Morris doesn’t work for TSN, would Michael Schumacher ever consider driving NASCAR?

If I understand this correctly, the “problem” is not as bad as has been stated elsewhere; the solutions are multi-faceted as there are several tradeable and (perhaps) expendable players; most importantly, the junior cupboard is filling up nicely giving several other options within the system context of Scotty Bowman teams of legend in the near future to the team.

It is tempting to believe that the Hawks can repeat this victory given that I believe they won without even firing on all cylinders. If I am right, then the Hawks will win their division next year just after Christmas.

Finally, a personal observatiopn – the “system” approach long favoured by Scotty Bowman is vastly more sophisticated in its design and execution that the truculence focused, build’em from the goal on out approach of the League’s #1 blowhard in Toronto.

Imagine selecting as your new captain a prima donna player with a history of dressing room squabbles. If Dr. Seuss were still alive, he’d write a hockey-focused book titled “Phaneuf lays an egg”. The Leaf Nation will soon be in shell shock.