Dent has been in the Blackhawks’ organization for the past five years, acting as an assistant coach on Bill Peters’ staff since 2008. Dent also served as an assistant to Mike Haviland in Norfolk as well is in Rockford.

Evidently Blackhawk management will be comfortable with promoting from within although Dent has only season of head coaching experience. During the 2005-2005 campaign Dent was the bench boss for the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL. But there is something to be said for familiarity with the system and players.

If given the opportunity with the Ice Hogs, Dent could someday prove to be a viable NHL head coaching candidate. But first Dent would have to be succesful in advancing the skills of Blackhawk prospects. Currently there is a lot of talent in the system that would benefit from strong coaching.

RFA Updates…

Stan Bowman committed to more than a one year contract when resigning Viktor Stalberg. A two year, $1.75 million agreement appears to be a favorable deal for all. Stalberg received an extra year of security but was only given a modest raise.

It would not be a shock if Stalberg improves a great deal this season.

Stalberg became a different player last year. He tried to play physical and showed signs of becoming more of a north and south player. Stalberg must improve defensively and avoid needless turnovers. He has decent hands and very good speed which could be better utilized.

If Stalberg can continue to learn his lessons, Bowman may have gotten a bargain.

According to reports following Prospect Camp on Monday….

Negotiations continue with Chris Campoli and Michael Frolik.

My guess is Frolik will have to say uncle sooner or later. It doesn’t appear Frolik has a better option than to play for the Blackhawks.

My view hasn’t changed, Frolik could be a key to success in the coming season.

Recent comments from Joel Quenneville and Bowman indicate Patrick Sharp will be slotted as the second line center to start the season. Possibly Frolik could secure a third line pivot role. Regardless of where, Frolik’s size and skill must be utilized as an effective top nine forward.

Campoli is arbitration eligible so he has some options. The hearing is set for August 3.

If Bowman is willing to commit close to $5 million on a third pairing of Steve Montador and Campoli, arbitration will likely be avoided. Montador will earn $2.75 million per season and Campoli should be in the $2 million range depending on term.

Signing Campoli would give the Hawks a solid blueline. If not Campoli, maybe Brent Sopel is waiting in the wings. Sopel, like Sean O’Donnell are serviceable defenders but they won’t win many foot races.

Bowman did mention on Monday he didn’t anticipate signing any unrestricted free agents, so that would leave Sopel out. But maybe his plans could change depending on the outcome of the Campoli negotiations.

There has been some talk on message boards about Bowman buying out the contract of Rusty Olesz this summer. Because of his age it would have been cheaper to do so sooner than later…Which probably led to the buyout speculation concerning Olesz.

Bowman threw water on the buyout notion and mentioned Olesz will be in training camp.

Concerning the Brian Campbell trade, I don’t believe Olesz was a target of the Hawks. At least not in the same way as Panther center Steven Weiss would have been.

My guess is Olesz was part of a list the Hawks had to choose from, or specifically Tallon wanted him gone. Judging from Tallon’s latest spending spree, trying to shed a $3 million contract of an underachiever would have made sense.

That said, buying out a player is the last option for a NHL GM. It’s not a good feeling to see a chunk of salary stay on your books for a few years and continue to eat up cap space. Plus in many cases the signing was a mistake which adds to the pain although Olesz is somewhat different.

The Hawks wanted Campbell gone and are fine for now with Olesz. That doesn’t mean he won’t someday be bought out. It doesn’t mean Olesz won’t ever be put on waivers and sent to Rockford. But for now Olesz will get a chance to be something he hasn’t been in the past, an effective player worthy of his salary.

Bowman has also indicated Olesz will need to be evaluated and developed by the Hawks’ coaching staff. Training camp is setting up to be very competitive. It would be best if Olesz is a fast learner otherwise playing in Rockford is an option.

If the Hawks are to have a successful season and a long playoff run, pleasant surprises will be needed. A big contribution will be necessary from a younger player or two.

Maybe Marcus Kruger, Jeremy Morin, Ben Smith, Viktor Stalberg, Olesz or someone off the radar will provide significant contributions next season.

Al’s Shots

On Monday, the Hawks resigned Rob Klinkhammer and goalie Alec Richards.

Klinkhammer is an interesting player. He led the Ice Hogs with a +14 and had 17 goals.
All of Klink’s scores came at even strength except one.

According to Chris Block and the Ice Hogs’ Mike Peck, Klnkhammer had numerous break away attempts which led to hardly any goals. He was also awarded three penalty shots last season.

Klinkhammer is physical and could be someone flying off the radar to keep an eye on…

Richards had 2.89 GAA in 44 games in his first full year as a pro.

Richards had a good college career at Yale and has shown some potential.

Bowman has commented a UFA signing is doubtful. But there might be a chance the Hawks could still pull off a trade.

I don’t have any meaningful whispers to convey on the trade front but that doesn’t mean something won’t take place.

Trades are difficult to pull off and loose lips sink ships.

No team is more heavily covered by the media than the Toronto Maple Leafs.

When Brian Burke acquired Dion Phaneuf from the Flames….

Guess how many rumors there were about Phaneuf going to Toronto?

The answer is none.

Not one newspaper or website had any whispers or conjecture about Phaneuf becoming a Leaf.

During that same time I tried to connect the dots about Burke needing a proven NHL goal keeper.

I speculated maybe Burke could be convinced into taking Cristobal Huet from the Hawks

I was roasted by some Leaf bloggers up North after posting my thoughts…

But a few days later Burke acquired his goal keeper although it wasn’t Huet.

Burke went for someone he had dealt with in the past.

The Leafs traded Jason Blake and Vesa Toskala to the Ducks for JS Giguere.

So even in a huge hockey market trade details are kept away from those in the media.

Times are different and trades are more difficult to make.

It’s fun to speculate…..But specific trade info is seldom leaked these days.

Back on April 18, concerning the future direction of the Hawks I wrote….

Blackhawk management will first have to decide what style of game they want to play going forward. In my view the NHL is moving toward fewer penalties for interference as well as other infractions. That doesn’t help a non-physical, puck possession team.

So adding experienced players who are not as fast but more physical isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Although at this point the roster isn’t close to being set and the degree of adjustment concerning style of play is still unknown.

There are a couple of things which we can be sure about.

When Brian Campbell finally said uncle and approved his trade to the land of sunshine and bloated contracts, the Blackhawks would have to adjust. Campbell’s impact on a game really can’t be measured by points alone.

His skating ability, vision and passing helped the offense to flow. Many times Campbell started a play which led to a goal but couldn’t get credited with an assist. He also turned plays which helped the Hawks transition from defense to offense quickly.

The other issue created from Campbell’s departure is how playing time will be distributed among Hawk defensemen. Campbell played a lot of minutes and they won’t be easy to replace. It’s too early to tell what is possible but my plan would be as follows.

One way or the other the ice time for Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook has to stay below 25 minutes in many games.

Maybe Niklas Hjalmarsson and Nick Leddy log about 20 minutes a night while the third pairing gets around 15 minutes of ice time. Whomever the third pairing is they need to contribute so the top four can be effective late in the season and in the playoffs. Lastly Keith and Seabrook need some help on the penalty kill, the hard minutes take a toll.

There is an unclear picture because the unsigned Chris Campoli might not be back. Filtering through the ambiguity and flip flopping of general manager speak the Hawks did address a specific need.

For those who were concerned about the Blackhawks lacking veteran leadership, Stan Bowman has dealt with your concern.

The additions of Andrew Brunette, Jamal Mayers and Sean O’Donnell will fill that void. Those players know what it takes to prepare for battle and they haven’t been known to take nights off. Brett McLean has experience too but he may start the season in Rockford.

Brunette is a smart veteran and former captain who should be able to chip in with some offense. The Hawks needed a player to provide net presence and Brunette could pick up a few goals by standing his ground in the slot area.

Mayers is a sly pro who can play rough by not stupid. He had a good season last year with San Jose and can contribute when called upon. It remains to be seen how many games Mayers will play. But when given the opportunity he will know his role and should be an effective fourth line player.

O’Donnell will give young Leddy an experienced mentor. He can still play at the age of 39, soon to be 40, and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. O’Donnell has been involved in 12 fights the past two seasons, eight more than Brent Seabrook. O’Donnell fights the big boys when called upon and most often wins. He provides stability on the blueline and doesn’t take any crap.

The Hawks also added Dan Carcillo to the mix, but I’m not sure why. While with the Phoenix Coyotes, Carcillo was an impressive agitator who could play some hockey. Unfortunately over the years Carcillo has not grown wiser.

Maybe under Joel Quenneville’s tutelage Carcillo will understand the bigger picture. Up until now Carcillo’s focus has been shaky.

About three few years ago I had a conversation with a Hawk tough guy who knew Carcillo. The impression he shared was Carcillo is a good guy but “crazy”. He said you never could be sure what Carcillo would do on the ice.

If Carcillo can play with an edge but not be stupid he could be used as a good example for Kyle Beach. If Carcillo stays as scattered and selfish then there is a bad example for Beach to learn from. Beach should realize he will never be a consistent NHL perfomer by not playing with discipline.

When the season ended Bowman commented on some players.

A few months ago it seemed like Ben Smith and Marcus Kruger had likely roster spots come this fall. Now with the new additions, Smith and Kruger could begin the season in Rockford which wouldn’t be terrible. In any event training camp should be interesting.

Two other Hawks which were talked about as if they would be in Chicago for years were Campoli and Michael Frolik and both are still unsigned. Hockey logic tells me Frolik has little bargaining power so his chances of remaining a Blackhawk are better than Campoli.

With all the bloated contracts signed recently, Bowman may not be comfortable with Campoli going to arbitration. Campoli filed for arbitration last year while with the Senators and his intentions for this summer will be known later today.

****Reported after the blog was posted….
Campoli has filed for salary arbitration.

There was one perquisite for Bowman in regards to acquiring players on July 1.

Every new Blackhawk was signed for only one season and that was by design.

Al’s Shots

I shared the likelihood of Dany Heatley being dealt on June 24, but there aren’t any reliable whispers on the Blackhawk front except about Ice Hog head coach Bill Peters.

From what I have heard Peters and only a couple of others are on Mike Babcock’s list to become assistant coaches in Detroit. Babcock has two openings and it has been mentioned he will likely announce his decision this week.

If Peters leaves for Detroit the Hawks will have to make a good choice for his replacement.

I can’t remember a time when the Hawks have had more highly rated prospects in their system. The importance of a good teacher in Rockford can’t be discounted.

Although there aren’t any solid trade rumors I can provide some speculation.

I get a strong feeling that somewhere now John Scott is being coached up to enhance his playing skills. Maybe Scott can become something he hasn’t been or possibly the Hawks are beginning to go into a different direction.

Maybe the reports on Scott aren’t promising. That could be why Mayers and Carcillo were both signed. If Campoli is resigned, including Scott the Hawks would have eight defenders.

If Steve Montador is the replacement for Campoli and Brent Sopel isn’t brought back the Hawks would have seven defenseman including Scott.

But Jordan Hendry has been the forgotten man and maybe Bowman has a Sopel contract already in his desk drawer.

O’Donnell played in 81 NHL games last season….He isn’t going to get shuffled to the AHL.

The point is the Hawk blue line could be overcrowded….Maybe Scott will be entertaining fans in Rockford rather than Chicago??

The Rangers haven’t made a big reactionary trade as a result of acquiring Brad Richards.

Richards signed for a lower cap hit than I thought, which could mean there is little chance of acquiring a good center in Brandon Dubinsky….But I won’t give up yet.

The Sabres have a couple of centers who may have to be moved….Paul Gaustad and Derick Roy. Buffalo is bumping the salary cap ceiling.

A player who I would like more if he was bigger is Oiler center, Sam Gagne.

The Hawks have added some size so bringing Gagne to Chicago to team up with old buddy Pat Kane might be a possiblity.

Gagne centered for Kane in London and those two would be fun to watch….As long as they wouldn’t be defensive liabilities.

Frolik has been the subject of some trade rumors….But the Hawks aren’t backed into a corner with him.

Frolik isn’t arbitration eligible but he is aware of all the fat contracts being given out around the league.

The Campoli and Frolik negotiations are probably sticky and might stay that way for awhile.

Maybe Bowman gets tired of the drama and…

Packages the rights to Frolik and Campoli to acquire a center??

Let’s not forget Viktor Stalberg….He hasn’t been chatted up by the Hawk front office.

Stalberg could be another candidate to be included in a trade package.

Stalberg has potential and might worth hanging onto for the right price.

I would feel much more optimistic about the new season if the Hawks can ice three scoring lines.

Acquiring another goal scorer could be the ticket….

The Hawks offense may not be as potent without Campbell and to a lesser extent Brouwer.

Contract issues were probably not the main reason Brouwer and Kopecky are not with the Blackhawks. The trading of Brian Campbell might not have been fully anticipated but surely a plan to replace Brouwer and Kopecky was fully discussed.

The Hawks have shipped Brouwer and Kopecky out of town because they probably have replacements staked out.

Brooks Laich has resigned in Washington. I never considered him a strong possibility in Chicago…So those rumors can be put to rest.

Brad Richards is going to hit the jackpot and his addition to the Blackhawks would be a much bigger surprise than the Campbell trade.

Let’s take a look at some unrestricted free agents Stan Bowman could be considering.

UFA forwards….

Aaron Asham, Matt Bradley, Andrew Burnette, Erik Cole, Mike Comrie, Vern Fidler, Patrick Eaves, Ilari Filpulla, Tomas Fleischmann, Marcel Goc, Jeff Halpern, Chris Higgins, Zeno Konopka, Chad LaRose Ville Leino, John Madden, Drew Miller, Scott Nichol, Marty Reasoner, Mike Rupp, Micheal Ryder, Cory Stillman, Marco Sturm, Max Talbot, Scottie Upshall, Joel Ward, Kyel Wellwood.

If Fleischmann has fully recovered from a blood clot in his lung which kept him out for the final 36 games of the season ….He would be a solid acquisition. Fleishmann is a young, skillful top six forward. He could be the Czech addition for the Blackhawks this summer.

Leino could be a good pick up too and the Flyers may not be able to pay his price.

Now onto UFA defensemen…

I don’t think the Hawks will spend over $2.5 million on a third pairing defender, but there are some interesting options. Here are only a couple of possibilities.

Brent Sopel could be an affordable pick-up and would help out on the penalty killing unit a great deal. The Hawks missed Sopel a lot last season. He is Chicago guy so a discount is not out of the question.

Someone I often criticized for not being a smart hockey player has appeared to have matured. During the playoffs, Shane O’Brien kept his discipline for the most part and played very well. He could be a physical addition to the blueline.

The list of restricted free agents has caught my interest.

Andrew Ladd is still unsigned…

The ink was supposedly dry on Ladd’s contract almost two months ago. I thought that was a silly report as there wasn’t one good reason for Ladd to rush.

Ladd is a prime candidate for an offer sheet. Plus Winnipeg still has Zach Bogosian to resign this summer and Evander Kane will be due a big raise next year.

The Jets will not spend to the salary cap limit. Actually they may not commit more than $55 million to payroll. Something may have to give as there are already some big ticket contracts on the books.

The Rangers will most likely have to choose between keeping Brandon Dubinsky or Ryan Callahan if Brad Richards is signed in New York

Dubinsky would fit like a glove here.

Then there is the sometimes maligned TJ Oshie…

I’m not suggesting Bowman will go the offer sheet route. But this summer he does have the ability to throw a scare into a vulnerable franchise. That is when trades occur.

The Hawks are going to leave a little cap space available but my guess is they will still spend at least $60 million on payroll.

There are many possibilities to discuss, so please feel free to add your input.

Al’s Shots

On Friday, Hockey Independent will be holding a live chat similar to what took place on trade deadline day.

All are invited to participate as we look to have some great discussions.

The crew from Second City Hockey will be around to participate as well as some other recognizable writers.

As reported here awhile ago….The Chicago Wolves are officially the AHL affiliate for the Canucks.

Head coaching interviews will be going on into early July….

After the Brent Burns trade to San Jose the Wild’s GM Chuck Fletcher rattled off his defensemen that could fill the void.

One name conspicuously absent from the conversation was Cam Barker….
Today he was placed on waivers.

Sometimes the best info comes from what is not said….That was a tell for Brouwers’ departure as well.

Also my whispers the Sharks would be agressive were accurate.

Jake Dowell did not receive a qualifying offer from the Hawks. I hope the decision wasn’t based on any health concerns for Dowell.

Dowell always gave a strong effort so maybe he will be resigned to a two way contract. I would be surprised if the organization gives up on him.

There could be a slight possibility Kopecky could still resign wih the Hawks.

But the Panthers are still more than $20 million away from the salary cap floor…

That fact turns Dale Tallon into the gate keeper to Xanadu for players like Kopecky.

There was only one team that could swallow Brian Campbell’s contract and it was Dale Tallon’s Panthers. Stan Bowman somehow got Campbell to approve the deal and the rest is a math equation.

I hesitate to call this transaction a trade.

This wasn’t a talent for talent deal. This was about a huge, long term contract going one way with a lesser term, smaller contract coming back. The end result is the Blackhawks free up approximately $12 million in cap space over the next three seasons. The big savings comes into play during years four and five when the Hawks realize over $14 million in salary cap space.

I won’t criticize either trade from Friday because Bowman has to have a bigger plan. But the Hawks need to acquire some proven talent.

Unrestricted free agents, Brooks Laich, Chad LaRose, Chris Higgins, Brent Sopel and others could be on Bowman’s wish list. Maybe even a higher priced UFA….We will have to wait and see.

Besides being very active on July 1, the Hawks may do something they never have done in the past.

Bowman could line up a candidate for an offer sheet and take a swing.The young and very talented TJ Oshie is a restrictive free agent as is Rangers’ center Brandon Dubinsky.

For now here are the facts…

The Blackhawks are not a better team without Campbell and Troy Brouwer. But they are a franchise with many more options.

Give Tallon credit, by acquiring Campbell he can at least paint the illusion the Panthers are a playoff contender for next season. But I wouldn’t bet a nickel that three years from now the franchise will be playing in Florida.

Until proven otherwise Rusty Olesz is a classic first round underachiever. To complicate matters he is coming off ACL surgery. Not to mention he could be another one time center who would rather play the wing position.

When healthy the former seventh overall draft pick never accomplished very much. It would not be harsh to say the 25 year old Olesz has been a bust. Normally a top ten draft pick is not used to snag a bottom six forward.

So unless an epiphany for Olesz takes place over the next few months he could soon be wearing a Rockford Ice Hog jersey rather than the Indian Head.

Sending a $3 million salary to Rockford isn’t out of the question for Rocky Wirtz. Actually, after next season Olesz’ salary is closer to $4 million. The option of a contract buyout is a possibility also.

Until I watch a player for a number of games my opinion is usually reserved. But whenever I have seen Olesz perform he wasn’t very noticeable.

At first blush my choice would be to have Rob Klinkhammer patrolling the United Center ice rather than Olesz. Klinkhammer and others may have a more promising NHL future as third or fourth line players.

Troy Brouwer is coming off shoulder surgery and is an unsigned, arbitration eligible restricted free agent. Getting a first round pick for him isn’t terrible. The Hawks have some fine scouts, so hopefully Philp Danault will become an important addition within a few years.

The Blackhawks first selection, 18 year old center Mark McNeill looks physically more mature than his age would indicate. My first impression is McNeill looks like the player the Hawks thought Kyle Beach would be by now.

Stan Bowman needed to realign his defense.

Hawk management loves Nick Leddy and he needs ice time. So does the very talented Niklas Hjalamarsson, who now for sure is not a trade candidate. The Hawks did need to open up playing time for those two players and now they have.

Also, RFA Chris Campoli could become a key player on the Hawks’ blueline and there is only so many minutes to go around. Plus now there will be more cap space available for Patrick Sharps’ contract extension.

Bowman has some breathing room and can make this team “his” club.

There has to be more to come, because there is a lot more wood to chop.

Al’s Shots

For those who often booed Campbell and let his mega contract bother them…
The price of beer, frozen margaritas and jumbo pretzels at the UC is not going to be reduced.

The Hawks will always be close to the cap ceiling as long as the United Center remains sold out for every game.

My guess is the reason Campbell waived his no trade clause is because he was probably a bit hurt. Now he can play somewhere he is wanted. Campbell might be more comfortable being a big fish in a small pond.

Put yourself in Campbell’s place.

He comes to Chicago and struggles but then the team wins the Stanley Cup. The following year Campbell doesn’t have a Cup hangover, he has his best season as a Hawk….

Then Bowman asks him to waive his no trade clause.

Campbell makes a ton of dough to play the game he loves….

Although I don’t feel sorry for him, everyone has feelings. Some of us can hide them better than others.

I was surprised the deal was made last night. But after the trade rumor about Campbell to the Blue Jackets came out something was going to go down eventually.

Campbell was booed on opening night the season the Hawks won the Cup. People latched onto him as a whipping boy.

Imagine the abuse he would have been subject to if next season didn’t turn out well.

A no trade clause does hamper a GM’s ability to make trades. But once a player is asked to waive his no trade clause, although they may first refuse, soon after an address change often happens.

Obviously Panther center Stephen Weiss would have been a much better addition than Olesz…But Tallon must have other plans for him.

Hawk fans should stay tuned for the next seven days or so.

This season the Blackhawks have pulled fans along with the hope that eventually all will be well.  It wasn’t intentional deceit but the reality is the Hawks have been only pretending to be an upcoming playoff qualifier. 

The main reason for loyalists to hold out hope was because many Western Conference clubs seemed to be no better.  Eventually if pushed came to shove the Hawks winning experience and top end talent would be the difference which would lead to a playoff berth. 

In my mind it’s officially time to stop the charade. This team is not good enough to qualify for post season play. 

Let me be clear, it is still possible for the Hawks to earn around 30 points in the next 24 games. But it is time to understand they have not been able to play consistently at that pace this season. Even if this group was able to get smoking hot to conclude the regular season, their playoff participation probably wouldn’t last long. 

On Wednesday night, the Blackhawks were able to squeeze out a win versus the Minnesota Wild. The stars lined up as the Wild played the night before. They did not bring their “A” game and the Hawks appeared determined not to lose. 

The truth is the Hawks can’t continually bring their own “A” game and thus don’t appear determined enough when the going gets tough. Everyone seems to have reasons why, but regardless the above statement holds true.  

To cut down on the ojida Blackhawk fans should simplify matters…

The 2010-2011 Hawks are just not good enough. 

On Friday evening the Blue Jackets skated into town with a five game win streak. Columbus came away with a club record sixth consecutive win and did so with a short staff.  To put an exclamation mark on the Hawks’ loss, the Jackets won the game without their third leading scorer and two solid defenders in the lineup.   

The Blackhawks could not flip on the desperation switch during the second period when Columbus evened the score at two. To make matters worse, the Hawks blinked and the Jackets scored two more times. That’s correct, three consecutive goals were scored against a club which absolutely needed the win.  

How could the Columbus Blue Jackets do that to the defending Stanley Cup Champs on home ice? 

The Blue Jackets were successful because they knew what was needed and were all able to stay on the same page for sixty minutes. With some good goal tending and some fine special teams play the Jackets showed they were better last night. Don’t be surprised if the standings indicate the Jackets are also a better team after game 82. Wow, that was difficult to type. 

Normally the Blue Jackets don’t have a very good power play, and their penalty killing unit is ranked near the bottom of the league. But last night Steve Mason outplayed Corey Crawford, the Hawks power play wasn’t able to convert and the Jackets did so. The end result was another United Center loss. 

Crawford made some big stops but he wasn’t air tight. The Hawks defensemen can’t clear the front of the net. The less ‘talented’ clubs have no problem getting to the Hawks’ cage and they will pound away. If Crawford leaks a few rebounds the Blackhawks are in trouble. 

Last night the home team scored pretty goals. Those scoring plays are nice to watch but they don’t happen enough so the Hawks can consistently win. To take the point a step further, winning a playoff round won’t occur by relying only on pretty goals. 

What the Hawks have become is a one line team which needs to score on the power play to win games.  

Blackhawk fans can massage it as you like, I have tried as well.  But I always come away with the same conclusion. 

This team isn’t good enough to consistently win and unless an epiphany occurs the defending Cup winners will miss the playoffs. 

Al’s Shots 

Maybe ending this season earlier than anticipated will be a good thing. 

The boys can have a long summer to rest and to ponder the highs and lows of professional sports. 

The front office can take a little more time to get an effective plan in place to retool the club for next season. 

If the Bowman’s think the current group is of true playoff caliber…….Trouble. 

I really do hope down deep management realizes this is a disjointed team which needs more than a little a tweaking.  

The Hawk front office won’t have as much time off this summer as the players. 

If John Scott wasn’t in the lineup last night….Do you think Jared Boll would have thrown a more vicious elbow to the head of Brian Campbell?  

As it was, Boll almost put Campbell’s head through the glass in the beginning of the second period. 

Scott skated a total of four shifts (2:18) the entire game. Only one shift came in the second period, which was after the Boll elbowing penalty. 

It has been apparent Scott can’t be trusted to play in the third period of close games. Actually it is more accurate to say after the first period of close games.

At this point in the season….Why does Scott dress? 

Boll had seven shifts after his flagrant elbow to Campbell’s skull…. 

Forget about Scott who was planted at the end of the bench, but I didn’t see any Blackhawk player touch Boll. 

Like I said, some retooling needs to be done this summer. No player fears the Blackhawks. 

As was discussed here a few weeks ago …………Erik Johnson was available. 

The Blues and Av’s have had disappointing seasons and they hooked up in a big trade. 

The main pieces were…. 

St. Louis traded Johnson, who never lived up to expectations, to Colorado for power forward Chris Stuart. 

The Blues made a nice trade…..It’s not easy to find tough forwards with good hands. 

As far as Blackhawk trade rumors…. 

The time to trade draft picks to acquire a player who would make a big difference was weeks ago. Back then it could have made sense, I wrote the same.

Maybe if the Hawks cling to hope and wait to the deadline Brent Sopel could resurface.

That trade would happen only if the Thrashers were out and Dudley deals for a late round draft pick and some spare parts. Maybe it would be more of a favor from Dudley so Sopel could go back home.

Now it is probably best to hold onto the second and third round picks and hope for a good draft.

The trade is now official as it has been reported the Hawks also received AHL right winger Joey Crabb from the Thrashers. Atlanta had to complete a side deal with the Sharks to get under the salary cap contract limit so the trade with Chicago could go through. 

Blackhawk fans should keep in mind Assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is very familiar with Atlanta’s AHL pipeline. 

Rick Dudley snagged a player he always loved in Dustin Byfuglien, a warrior in Brent Sopel and big fast winger in Ben Eager. Akim Aliu is an enigma and it remains to be seen if he will have a NHL career. 

Bowman did well, as he traded a potential force in Byfuglien but also shed three others which weren’t in the Hawks plans.  

Eager was another potential Hawk RFA who was arbitration eligible.  As we discussed yesterday it appeared the Hawks would package a player which wasn’t a restricted free agent (Byfuglien) with someone who was (Eager). Bowman was able to include another larger salary in Sopel.

Eager has a lot of skill for a big man and he could flourish with more ice time. Possibly in Atlanta he could have more goals than fights which would probably make him very happy. As long as Eager can avoid concussion problems he could have a successful NHL career.  Realistically the Hawks can’t pay much over $1 million to fourth line players so Eager was probably a cap casualty.

Sopel went out with flying colors as he played his best hockey in this year’s post season. Once again his salary was too high, especially for a number five defender. Sopel will help the Thrashers.

Aliu didn’t finish the year in the AHL and was demoted to ECHL. I don’t know why he was shipped out of Rockford but it wasn’t because he was doing fine work.

Aliu has the size and skill to be an NHL player but for now he is only a prospect. He was always one of the best Hawks in prospect camp. But when Aliu played against men instead of boys he didn’t make an impact.

Byfuglien is the player that could make Bowman regret June 23, 2010, but he also hasn’t fulfilled his potential.

There are not many players which can go from offense to defense back to offense on a very talented team and do a good job. If Byfuglien can bring his ‘A’ game on most nights, he could turn into an All-Star. The rub is his best efforts don’t happen often enough.

Maybe if the rumors are correct and Hawks assistant John Torchetti takes over behind the bench for the Thrashers, he will help Byfuglien stay focused. Atlanta is the perfect setting for big Buff to shine or fade away, time will tell.

I never spoke very often to Dudley but we did chat about Byfuglien a few years ago. My thinking at the time was Buff should play offense as he was a too loose back on the blueline for my liking.

The astute Dudley disagreed and commented if Byfuglien could improve on defense he would be a force. With his size, speed and shot Byfuglien could play 25 minutes a night as a defender. Former Hawks head coach Trent Yawney, who helped develop Buff shared the same thinking as Dudley.

So don’t be surprised if Byfuglien moves back where he is most comfortable and plays defense. He is going into the last year of his contract and should be motivated to have a great season.

What’s Next ? 

Let’s keep this as simple as possible and take a look at what Bowman accomplished from a cap standpoint.

For next year Eager will be replaced by Bryan Bickell, net cap savings $250,000 est.

Next season Sopel is replaced by Jordan Hendry, net cap savings of $1.6 million est.

For now Byfuglien is replaced by Reasoner, so there is a $1.85 million salary cap difference between the two players. 

Approximate salary cap space created is $3.7 million. 

This gets more complicated as actually Byfuglien could be replaced by Kyle Beach and Reasoner is a likely replacement for John Madden. But for now simple is best as there will be additional moves to follow. 

Stan Bowman is not done but at least now he has some options. He has acquired additional draft picks which could be used in a trade. He also has some cap space to make qualifying offers, although it might not be enough. 

Unless another decent size salary disappears, not including Cristobal Huet’s cap hit, it doesn’t appear likely both Niklas Hjalmarsson and Antti Niemi can be re-signed.  

Whispers have indicated there haven’t been any contract negotiations between the Niemi camp and the Blackhawks as of yesterday.

It may come down to Hawk management deciding on keeping either Kris Versteeg or Antti Niemi. My belief is everything possible will be done to retain Hjalmarsson.

We should find out shortly which restricted free agents the Hawks will qualify as Monday’s deadline is rapidly approaching.  Andrew Ladd, who is popular player in the dressing room, is also awaiting a qualifying offer.

If Niemi’s contract haggling ends with an arbitration hearing he would be awarded a one year contract and then would become a unrestricted free agent. That is not the best outcome for the Blackhawks. 

When all is said and done the Hawks could have a goal tending tandem of Corey Crawford and someone like Marty Biron for next season.  Niemi may cost the Hawks close to $1.5 more than Biron, maybe more.

The big question would be if the reasonably priced Crawford ($750,000) is ready to be a NHL starter. It Niemi is not in the Hawks future plans both top teams in the Western Conference would have new starting goalies for next season.

If the arbitrator leans favorably toward the Cup winning Niemi he could be awarded a contract for over $3 million.

Bowman knows the same…

Al’s Shots 

Duncan Keith isn’t a very good public speaker but he is the best defenseman in the NHL.

Congrats go out to Keith for being awarded the Norris Trophy.

It was nice to hear Keith acknowledge the positive influence of former Hawk head coach Yawney.

Admittedly I was rooting for Keith, having seen him develop over the years. There were many nights he was the only Hawk on the ice worth watching.

It looks like Drew Doughty could win the Norris a few times in his career. He might be a larger version of Keith.

Someday Mike Green could win an award but it probably won’t be for being the top defensemen in the NHL.

Green has impressive stats but he can’t match up with Keith or Doughty when it comes to defensive prowess. One day the NHL may have an award for the best offensive defensemen and then Green would be the favorite to take home that honor.

There isn’t a head coach in the NHL which wouldn’t pick Keith or Doughty over Green to be on the ice in the last minute of a close game.

No defenseman has played more hard minutes the past two years than Keith. He is a unique physical specimen as his motor never stops running. The only thing Keith lacked was an offensive presence. Since Joel Quenneville has arrived Keith’s offense has really improved.

Colin Frasor has been traded to Edmonton. 

To my surprise, Frasor was dealt for a sixth round pick in this weekend’s draft. I thought the reasonably priced Frasor would be on the Hawks roster in the fall.

Dale Tallon has five draft picks in the first 50 selection.

I wonder what his next move will be.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

On Friday morning the mood was so festive John McDonough cracked a smile. Blackhawks players, coaches, alumni and announcers were truly excited beyond belief and their elation was clearly visible.

All of the dark days of the past disappeared. The celebration was even more special because of how far this team has progressed in only three years. Since the parade the Cup has toured Wrigley Field and is headed to California to make a special appearance on the Jay Leno show on Monday evening. The Cup has also been to other less famous Chicago venues and will probably travel north of the border shortly for a well earned rest.

Before we discuss all of the salary cap details and whispers about possible deals let’s start with what is most important today. For now here are Stan Bowman’s top priorities and some players which most likely won’t be in Chicago for training camp. 

1. To re-sign restricted free agent Niklas Hjalmarsson. My guess is Bowman will try to get the young defender in the fold for somewhere in the neighborhood of $8 million over three seasons. 

Offer sheets have been few and far between in the NHL, but when they do occur it is not for top end free agents. The Hawks will try to lock Hjalmarsson up for less than $3 million a year. 

There might be teams interested in writing an offer sheet for $3 million and giving a second round draft choice as compensation for the Hawks young defender. If an offer was made to Hjalmarsson for over $3.1 million the Hawks would receive a first and third round pick in next year’s entry draft.

The Hawks wouldn’t want either scenario to play out but they probably can’t afford to pay Hjalmarsson over $3 million. Brent Seabrook will earn $3.5 million next year, in the last season of his contract.

It is not smart business for a franchise to write an offer sheet to a restricted free agent unless they are sure they can acquire him. Just squeezing another club into pay more money is a good way to make an enemy.

The wealthy Rocky Wirtz  should be at the bottom of the list for those thinking about making any enemies, but the Hawks are in a tough spot. They can’t seek retribution by looking to snag a RFA back from the ‘poaching’ club for a long time. The Hawks won’t be able to overspend to prove a point and the rest of the NHL realizes the same.

2. To re-sign Antti Niemi to an extension, and in this case Bowman may not have to worry about an offer sheet coming from another franchise. There is a glut of goalies available this summer. Niemi is a Cup winner but doesn’t have a very long NHL resume.

Niemi is a restricted free agent who is arbitration eligible. Bowman may have some leverage because my feeling is Niemi won’t receive an offer sheet. Regardless, Bowman won’t want any prolonged negotiations which would lead to an arbitration ruling.

The Hawks don’t play well with arbitrators. Kyle Calder was the last Hawk to go that route. He was awarded a hefty contract and was promptly traded only a few days later.

Once these two players are in the fold Bowman will have a better idea how much cap space he will have for other signings. There are a few players who have been valuable contributors but likely won’t be back. 

My list of those not being a part of the 2010-2011 Chicago roster includes, UFA Adam Burish, Cristobal Huet, UFA John Madden and Brent Sopel. There will be others headed out of town, but this is my short list of those most likely to be gone. 

My view is Burish will be able to earn more with another team than the Hawks will offer him. He serves a purpose but he was often not a top choice for Joel Quenneville in the playoffs. Burish would probably fit well on a club which could use a stronger image, maybe the San Jose Sharks would be an option. 

In some ways Burish acts younger than he is, and at 27 he needs to get the best deal possible. Even if he were to give the Hawks a hometown discount it might not be enough to keep him in Chicago next season.

Burish is a fun guy, and he likes to talk a lot. When you are a top player management is more forgiving of dumb statements, to a point. Jeremy Roenick lasted here for years but management finally had enough of him too.  Burish has never met a question he won’t answer. As much as I hate to say it, sometimes saying nothing or very little is the best option for a player.

Burish says things McDonough and company could probably do without. Some questions need to be handled carefully.  After a team wins the grand prize it is a good idea not to trash a player from the losing squad, even if you are asked.    

Huet will probably be playing overseas in the fall or for Rockford of the AHL. If he plays for the Ice Hogs Rocky Wirtz will foot the bill. But Huet would be landlocked in Rockford as the Hawks may not be able to re-call him due to cap constraints. 

If Huet decides playing in a foreign country is an option, Wirtz may be able to lease Huet and get some money back in return. Regardless Huet’s salary cap hit will be off the books.

I have been told it is permissible under the CBA for Huet to negotiate a larger contract with permission. If my info is correct Huet might be able to make more than $5.6 million if he wants to play in the KHL. Maybe Huet will consider playing abroad in the final two years of his contract as a way to bank more money. He then could choose to return to the NHL or possibly retire.

If Huet had only one more year left on his deal there might be a chance he could be traded. Bowman could bundle Huet with another player, let’s say Kris Versteeg and probably get some takers. But with two years left on his fat contract Huet is most likely untradeable, but nothing is impossible.

A player which has only one year remaining on his deal and can be packaged with another Blackhawk salary cap casualty is Sopel. The veteran defender is a warrior and good guy in the locker room.  But his salary of $2.33 million, for a number five defenseman, is not going to work in Chicago next season. 

Madden served a key role last year but he won’t be back either. Next season the Hawks can’t afford to pay a fourth line center $2.7 million.  Madden will find another club in a position to meet his salary demands. If he would accept a deep discount maybe,  but realistically Madden can earn more elsewhere. 

There will be many opinions about what the Hawks will do to solve their salary cap situation for next year. It would be a good bet if Hjalmarsson and Niemi aren’t re-signed within  the next 10 days or so, Bowman’s task will become much more difficult.

For the first time in a few years the Blackhawks will do nothing significant on July 1. But the June 25th NHL draft in LA will be a busy one for Mr. Bowman. That will be the time when clubs will offer draft picks and prospects for some proven Blackhawk players. 

Al’s Shots 

The link below is from a XM chat with Jamie Shalley and Boomer Gordon. We discussed my interesting parade/rally experience,the Hawks cap situation,  assistant coaches leaving and the Toews bonus.

Al_Cimaglia_Jun11.mp3 (15059k bytes) Open

My speculation on Marian Hossa having a hand or wrist injury was off target. Hossa was injured but he was nursing a sprained knee during the playoffs.

Andrew Ladd suffered a fractured shoulder and came back in the Finals. Ladd is a RFA, and his future with the Hawks is uncertain.

It has been reported Jonathan Toews earned a $1.3 million dollar bonus for winning the Conn Smythe trophy.

The bonus will count against next season’s cap and will make it more difficult to re-sign a player like Ladd.

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

As much as anything else it was a case of which team made the biggest blunders. 

In Game 5 the Hawks proved they have regained their will to win as they conquered adversity. Joel Quenneville seems to consider his forwards as interchangeable parts but he should rethink that view. The defensive zone coverage by Hawk forwards wasn’t good. 

It was crazy to think going into the third period Nashville was in position to win the game. Even though the Preds recorded only eight shots on goal through forty minutes and didn’t score on the power play they trailed the Hawks by only a single goal. 

The Blackhawks made enough mistakes to bolster the Predator offense. Nashville seldom had the puck but it didn’t matter. When the Predators were able to score they were wide open. 

If the Hawks advance to play a team with a better offense, like the Canucks, their defensive zone miscues will have to stop. If not the Hawks will lose in quick fashion.    

Antti Niemi could only be faulted on Nashville’s fourth tally. But he relinquished four goals following a shutout for the fifth time this year. He did appear apprehensive in the third period but came back strong and confident for the overtime. 

The Predators were outplayed but made the most of their chances. 

Nashville proved they could win by just waiting for Chicago players to make critical mistakes. The Predators were opportunistic and almost were rewarded. But in the overtime their lack of playoff success as a franchise showed. 

On Saturday afternoon the same players flipped from hero to goat and back again. 

Martin Erat was a potential Nashville hero and ended up a goat.  

In the third frame the pesky Predator forward scored the game tying goal and the go ahead tally. Erat was all set for glory until he cost Nashville the game in the closing minute of the third period. 

At that point the Predators had a one goal lead and were on the power play. All they had to do was kill the clock and the Hawks would have suffered a terrible home ice loss. 

For some inexplicable reason Nashville attempted to end their playoff power play draught and looked to score when there was no need. 

Erat tried a no look pass from behind the Hawks cage to David Legwand who was wide open in the slot. Erat’s pass hit the side of the net and deflected to Jonathan Toews and led to Patrick Kane’s game tying score. 

Not only was the pass ill advised, Joel Ward was also caught behind the goal along with Erat.  Interestingly Ward was a Nashville hero until then, figuring prominently in the contest. Toews skated the turnover out of the zone and a few seconds later Kane amazingly scored a shorthanded goal and sent the game into overtime. 

Kane went from goat to hero.  

In the closing minutes of the second period Kane had the puck while the Hawks were on a power play. Chicago had a 3-1 lead and could have crushed the Predators comeback hopes with a goal. 

Instead Kane turned the puck over for no good reason which led to an odd man break out and goal by Ward. The Nashville tally was potted by the same Joel Ward who was caught out of position in overtime. He too could have been a Predator hero. 

Lastly, Marian Hossa went from goat (playoff jinx) to overtime hero.  

Imagine the headlines today if the Hawks tied the game only to lose in overtime because of Hossa’s five minute major penalty. 

With the Hawks trailing and little time left in the third frame, Hossa showed his frustration and pushed Dan Hamhuis into the end boards. It was similar to the play by Alex Ovechkin on Brian Campbell but not nearly as forceful or vicious. Reagrdless Hossa was guilty and Hamhuis could have been seriously injured on the play. 

By Hossa being whistled for a five minute major he all but ended any Blackhawk hope of a comeback. Thanks to Erat’s mistake, an impotent Nashville power play and their shoddy coverage in overtime Hossa wound up the hero instead of a goat. 

NHL officiating and the league’s sketchy rule book need to improve. 

Hossa was guilty of major infraction because his actions could have seriously injured Hamhuis. If he actually deserved a five minute major which would carry into overtime of a playoff game, he should have also received a game misconduct. In this case Hossa should have not have been on the ice to score the game winning goal. 

No doubt it was a thrilling comeback by the Hawks and the better club won. But don’t confuse exciting finishes with a classic game. 

In Game 5 it was a case of which team would make the last costly mistake. Also don’t forget the referees, they weren’t blame free either. 

Al’s Shot’s  

How ironic the oldest and slowest Blackhawks would carry the puck out of the zone and skate the length of the ice and help set up Hossa’s goal. 

Brent Sopel showed why there is no substitute for experience as he ragged the puck until the Hawks set up in the Nashville zone. 

Hossa could have eaten a soft pretzel with the amount of time he was left alone just to the right of Pekka Rinne. That is if the pretzels were ever actually soft. 

My guess is Hossa will get a one game suspension for his hit on Hamhuis.

* Announced late Sunday afternoon…. Hossa will not be suspended and will play in Game 6. That didn’t take the NHL very long….

How funny was it when the puck couldn’t be found in Niemi’s gear?

I thought he was going to leave the ice and have to undress. Then Toews comes out and finds the puck almost immediately. What a strange game.

Rinne had another very strong effort and was the reason the Preds were in the game.

It should be noted Nashville is playing this series without Patrick Hornqvist their leading scorer. 

Legwand is playing great and had an opportunity to be a hero too. He had a prime chance in OT to bury the game winner but Niemi was big in the net. 

I like the Dave Bolland, Andrew Ladd and Kris Versteeg line combo. But they have to improve in the defensive zone. 

Versteeg can be so good when he makes the simple play. His pass to Brent Seabrook on Ladd’s first Hawk goal was great. 

The best Blackhawk forward on Saturday only recorded one point, but Toews had a big game. 

The captain is getting punished as he is the only Hawk to effectively screen Rinne. 

Toews has to be nursing a few injuries and hopefully he can stay together. 

Niklas Hjalmarsson was the Hawks best defender. 

The Hawks have to lock this guy up to a long term contract. 

He was always on the ice in the most critical situations and was strong once again. 

Sopel and Hammer are a treat to watch on the penalty kill. 

The United Center ice is often bad at this time of the year especially after a Bulls game. 

Seemingly there is no fix and unfortunately it really hurts the Hawks. 

I thought Q. was wrong for letting Tomas Kopecky serve the too many men on the ice penalty. I figured Kane would be the better choice to score on a breakaway. 

Q. was correct but Rinne probably made his worse play of the game on the misguided poke check on Kopecky. 

One would normally figure the Predators would not be able to come back in Game 6 after such a crushing defeat. 

This series has been anything but normal and unless the Hawks defensive coverage improves there could be a Game 7. 

I have a feeling the Sedin’s are watching and licking their chops. 

But as we all know things can change quickly. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Nashville became the tentative team which lost the majority of puck battles. The Predators best players didn’t have strong contributions. As the game went on the Nashville goalie looked bewildered and his performance slipped. 

Chicago assumed the role of the effective, confident team which was seldom out battled. The Hawks best players assumed control and seized opportunities. The Chicago goal keeper made sure defensive miscues would not end up as a goal against. 

The Blackhawks responded as a very good, desperate team should. They played with a purpose for the entire sixty minutes. 

The result was a convincing 3-0 victory for the Hawks as they were able to regain home ice advantage. 

The Hawks caught a break late in the opening frame when Tomas Kopecky was issued a two minute boarding penalty rather than a five minute major. His hit on Kevin Klein was unintentional but still wrong. Klein was in a vulnerable position and fortunately wasn’t seriously injured. 

Most likely if it was Adam Burish hitting Klein he would have been given a major and a game misconduct. In the NHL it often is a case of who you are rather than what you did. 

The Hawks were fortunate, but they soon took an ill advised penalty for delay of game. The Preds then went on a two man advantage for about 1:50, but the Blackhawk defense and Antti Niemi wouldn’t cave in. The Hawks were able to hold onto their lead and Nashville wouldn’t get a better chance to dent the Chicago net. 

Brent Sopel had an outstanding game. 

The courage he showed in blocking a Shea Weber drive during Nashville’s 5 on 3 helped keep the Preds off the scoresheet. Sopel was often paired with Niklas Hjalmarsson as they were Hawks best defenders. 

The officials had more than one miscue. 

They also missed an obvious high sticking call on David Legwand early in the first period. The overlooked infraction should have been worth at least four minutes as Legwand clipped Kopecky in the mouth. 

The officiating is what it is, but there isn’t much of an excuse for missing a high sticking penalty near the puck. 

Brian Campbell appeared more comfortable as the game went on and performed well considering his lengthy absence. 

Although his participation didn’t hurt Chicago’s chances he only was on the ice for 14 minutes and didn’t record a shot. His efforts didn’t hurt as the Hawks did play at a faster pace. It will take time but Campbell should get a little better every game. 

Niemi rebounded with a great performance. 

It was discussed after the Hawk victory Niemi has often followed a sub-par performance of four goals against or more, with a shutout.  The game following a whitewash is when Niemi has struggled. 

An overconfident attitude from his teammates in the contest following a shutout may also have some bearing on Niemi’s goals against. The Hawks will need to change that trend as they try to capture the series advantage on Saturday afternoon. 

Chicago hasn’t had the best of luck in weekend afternoon games shown on NBC. Hawk fans will hope that also changes in Game 5. 

The sporadic way the Blackhawks have been playing overconfidence shouldn’t be a factor. 

Al’s Shots 

The Hawks still allowed too many shots and they also took twice as many penalties as Nashville. 

Will the Nashville powerplay ever wake-up?

Chicago wasn’t very good in the faceoff circle. 

Patrick Sharp had a fine performance, except at the dot. 

Sharp won only four draws and lost ten. (29%)  It isn’t surprising Sharp would be rusty. 

The Hawks offense came alive as they crashed the net and made Pekka Rinne uncomfortable. 

They also were able to complete passes and play at a quicker pace. 

Maybe Joel Quenneville’s line changes were the difference. 

Regardless Q’s boys were dialed in and stayed determined. 

The Hawks won battles along the boards and stifled Nashville’s offense. 

Now….Can they play two strong games in a row?

The downside for the Hawks is they have outplayed the Predators in five of six periods over the weekend but only came away with one win. The good news is the Blackhawks won a crucial game without playing their best hockey. 

For Chicago to defeat Nashville they don’t need to play a great game. 

The Hawks do need to be consistently good and so does Antti Niemi. In Game 2 the Blackhawks stayed determined and Niemi came up with some great saves. 

Niemi’s huge stop on Dustin Boyd at the 3:03 mark of the second period was a game changer as the contest was scoreless. That play could be looked back upon as a series saver for Chicago. Almost 87% of teams which trail in the playoffs 0-2 go on to lose the series.  

Pekka Rinne was very good again and presented a stiff challenge to the Hawks offense. 

The Hawks stormed the Preds net to get a power play strike from Dave Bolland. Pat Kane made a great shot after a Nashville turnover in the offensive zone for Chicago’s second tally. Patrick Sharp started that play and had another strong game. 

To win in the playoffs a team’s better players have to be the best players on the ice and that was the case for the Chicago forwards in Game 2. 

In the first game of the series Rinne won the battle of goal keepers by only letting in one soft goal. On a good night Niemi would have saved both of the Nashville’s strikes in Game 1. Both goalies might have been a bit nervous, which wouldn’t be surprising. In Game 2 they were very good, with Niemi getting credit for his first playoff shutout. 

On the negative side of the ledger, Brent Seabrook played much of the night as if there was a hole in his stick blade. The Hawks ‘D’ to ‘D’ passes were off for much of the game. There was a problem with turnovers on breakouts, especially early on by Dustin Byfuglien. 

Except for some faulty passes the Chicago defenders did well in their own zone and blocked many shots at key times, especially Niklas Hjalmarsson and Brent Sopel. 

The forwards did a better job along the boards and often played below the Nashville goal line. They kept the heat on Shea Weber and company and stayed physical throughout. 

The Hawks power play generated some chances but is still not at top speed. 

Niemi displayed the character of a winner as he bounced back strong in a pressure packed situation. 

The same can be said for the entire team. 

Al’s Shots 

When the Nashville players watch the game tape they will regret not seizing the opportunity to go up 2-0 in the series. 

The Hawks defense was vulnerable in the opening period but Nashville couldn’t solve Niemi. Actually the Preds didn’t appear as determined as in Game 1.

Later on there may have been some frustration displayed by the Predators. 

They took some bad penalties, and trying to rough up the Hawks shouldn’t work. 

Chicago players will have to keep their discipline in Nashville and look to put all the pressure on the Preds. 

Speaking of pressure… 

Certainly the San Jose Sharks will have a much different look next year if they don’t have a long playoff run. 

After watching the Dan Boyle own goal last night, the Sharks might want to look into an exorcism. 

In the last two games the Sharks have outshot the Av’s 103-39. 

For the series the Sharks have taken 129 shots while the Av’s have had only 69, but San Jose still trails two games to one. 

I know the only shots which matter are the one which cross the goal line…..But yikes. 

Double click on open for the audio clip with Paul McCann from Nashville…..it should work.

Thom Abraham show 4-16-10 Seg 6.MP3 (15493k bytes) Open

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

Most of the 22,043 in attendance were just happy to be there but some did show displeasure with a few boos. 

The Hawks hit an exacta against the Columbus Blue Jackets losing for the second consecutive game. Besides enduring another loss Blackhawk faithful had to sit through one of the most boring games of the season. 

The Hawks lost 4-2 on home ice to a team which is playing basically for pride only. 

I’m not sure what was hashed out in the secret meeting held on Friday. One thing is certain this team is not playing with passion and determination for a full 60 minutes. 

It’s one thing to lose but looking like a frustrated group of whiners does not instill fear in the hearts of opponents. 

Unpredictable officiating shouldn’t appear as anything new. 

Yapping and glaring at officials isn’t going to help you get the next call. Maybe that was addressed in Friday’s gathering although Kris Versteeg was still turning and gabbing at officials on Sunday night. 

Patrick Kane received an unsportsmanlike penalty because he was catching a beating all night long from the Jackets. Kane was frustrated and looked for some help from the officials, but he should know better than to outwardly complain. There is no excuse for receiving such a penalty late in the final period while losing.

Jonathan Toews was also voicing some displeasure with the officiating. He has been silent of late otherwise. Can’t recall hearing many we will work our way out of it… quotes from the young captain.

Toews is still learning how to be a NHL leader. His will can’t be questioned but he and others appear to be in a funk. The frustration of inconsistent play is bubbling over. 

Actually the guy doing the most talking to the media is the player who has played the least this season, Adam Burish. Somehow that doesn’t seem right. 

Toews and his teammates who were at the Olympics appear tired. 

Marian Hossa is trying to do too much on his own. 

Toews, Hossa and others can’t sustain a top effort. 

The malaise can be stopped with two victories against the Blues and Wild. Right now that appears unlikely but things can change quickly. The Hawks have a big three game road trip this week. 

All we see if this team has the fight to battle through bad times. 

When a head coach juggles lines and it works he is a creative genius. When Joel Quenneville keeps changing combinations and it doesn’t work, as was the case for the most part last night, it appears desperate and scattered. 

I’m sure there is a stat which can support pairing Brent Sopel with Duncan Keith. 

Maybe defensively they wouldn’t be too much worse than a Keith and Brent Seabrook pairing, although that seems hard to believe. Certainly the ‘D’ to ‘D’and breakout passes weren’t the same last night with new partners. This does translate into generating fewer scoring opportunities. 

Pairing Sopel with Keith, in attempt to balance things out is not the correct answer. 

If you woke up one morning and discovered your left front tire was going flat…. 

What would you do? 

Go and get a nail gun and puncture the right tire so the ride would feel the same? 

The Blackhawk defense can’t be balanced with two of the top five defenders out. 

It would make more sense to play Keith with Seabrook for about 25 minutes a game and then look for a strong showing from the second pairing. By splitting the top two, Keith is still playing more than he probably should. It’s not like he is then being shielded from over use. 

In recent games Niklas Hjalmarsson and Dustin Byfuglien were doing fine defensively as was Jordan Hendry and Nick Boynton. When Sopel has to be played his ice time should come mostly on the penalty kill. 

No matter how the combinations are juggled the Hawks are not going to be able to score as easily as when Brian Campbell was healthy. 

The same misguided Blackhawk fans which wanted to trade Kane because he was soft wished Stan Bowman would deal Campbell. They were wrong both times. 

Make no mistake #51 is overpaid but don’t confuse his performances with a Wade Redden. 

At this time Campbell is not replaceable, the Hawks are lucky Byfuglien has performed so well while moving back to defense. But big Buff can’t start the offense in the same fashion as Campbell. 

The Hawks have to adapt. Maybe that was brought up in last Friday’s pow-wow.  

Quenneville wants his team to play at a faster pace but down deep he knows the Hawk offense starts with the defense. 

If Kim Johnsson didn’t have a mystery injury maybe he could help provide a faster pace. Byfuglien has made the most of his new/old position but now it should be apparent the Hawks will have to claw for every goal. 

The most misleading stat in the NHL is shots on goal. 

There was a time when it wasn’t so, but those days have passed. No longer does taking a great amount of shots mean a sure victory. Often the losing team outshoots their opponent. 

Goals are still scored the same way though, normally from in close or because of screens and deflections. 

When was the last time any Blackhawk set a good screen? 

Deflections have become a lost art with this group as well. 

Perimeter shots without traffic can be sucked up by almost any NHL goalie. 

Steve Mason demonstrated how to diffuse a 35 shot attack by allowing very few rebounds. His teammates outworked the Hawks along the boards and waited for odd man breaks and scored. 

Antti Niemi wasn’t to blame but the young guy best stay off his rear end and keep control of his crease. 

When things were going good a weaker goal against wouldn’t matter, but when a club doesn’t score everything matters.  

That point was probably rehashed in the closed door meeting but it sure didn’t appear to hit home.

For Hawk fans sake, hopefully the shopping center cooking shows and the taping of various TV commercials has ended. That probably should have happened right after Christmas. But excuses and reasons for being tired are a plenty. 

Whether it is because of over marketing players, the Olympics, injuries or because of the pressure from heightened expectations, the Hawks can’t muster the effort to play a complete game. 

Every team is feeling fatigued. 

Those with the most desire and determination survive. 

MEETING ADJOURNED 

Al’s Shots 

Playing Versteeg on a line with Kane is like betting double zero on a roulette wheel. It can pay big but over time it isn’t an effective way to gamble. 

The Hawks power play at home has been poor all season. 

Now it is scary bad. 

Against the Blue Jackets the Hawks were lucky they weren’t losing after the opening period. But they didn’t have the necessary response until the middle of the last frame. 

No one has answers. Not the head coach or players. 

A simple game plan would be best these days. 

The players still talk about being a confident bunch…sooner or later losing will dampen their spirit.  

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

It has been reported in the Chicago Tribune that Kane and Toews will sign identical five year contract extensions. Their deals will be worth $31.5 million dollars, an average of $6.3 million per season. Also Keith will ink a 13 year contract worth $72 million dollars, an average of $5.54 million per year.

Keith’s deal will most likely be front end loaded. 

There are two possible scenarios which have surfaced. 

First, the Hawks may have created enough salary cap space because of transactions done this season to announce the signings without trading a player who is under contract for next year. I have been told the CBA’s tagging formula also involves a component which takes into consideration current salary cap space. 

The next scenario involves the Blackhawks having to make a trade to free up enough salary cap space so the extensions can be announced. If so a deal would probably be announced by mid-day tomorrow. 

If the Hawks have to make a trade including someone under contract for the 2010-2011 season there are a few  possibilities. 

Defenseman Cam Barker, Brent Sopel as well as forwards Dustin Byfuglien and Patrick Sharp have been mentioned in trade rumors.  Another possibility could be forward Tomas Kopecky who is signed through next season and is a $1.2 million dollar cap hit. 

In last night’s victory over the Blue Jackets, Kopecky saw only 5:56 of ice time. Defenseman Barker had 13:28 of playing time which was 3:32 seconds less than fellow defender Sopel. 

Stay tuned……. 

For those interested I have a blog posted today in the Huffington Post sports vertical. 

blackhawkswin@comcast.net

It was an unsettling summer for the Blackhawks front office.  There was the unexplainable qualifying offer escapade and then the general manager change after the NHL draft. The Marian Hossa’s shoulder concerns arose and Patrick Kane’s off ice problems in Buffalo. 

Before we all knew it training camp was upon us and the Hawks did not make a trade to clear salary cap space. Today Hawk followers are divided on their opinions concerning player transactions. 

Blackhawk fans can be separated into three groups. 

1.  Some believe the Hawks are late in starting their salary cap house cleaning and now will be forced into trades.  They feel management will not have an edge in any deals and the result will be a less productive team for this season. 

2.  Others believe there wouldn’t be any trade rumblings today if the re-signing story did not recently surface. Those Hawk followers feel there is no reason to rock the boat and rush to trade players so there can be a media splash featuring Kane, Keith and Toews. They believe there is a panic to trade players so the team can announce the contract extensions of their prized restricted free agents 

3. Lastly, some fans believe it is better to plan for the future while also trying to make the team better today. 

There are Blackhawk loyalists who are cautious, others skeptical and curious while some appear to be more pragmatic. 

We will find out soon if general manager Stan Bowman is more of the mind set of group one or three. All Blackhawk followers should hope those in group two are way off base although at this point it’s not clear if they are truly misguided. 

Time will tell what course of action management takes and their true motivation will eventually surface. 

I’ve always liked Patrick Sharp, even before he was considered a goal scorer. He is a very smart hockey player who reminds me a little of Steve Larmer. Sharp has a ways to go to justify that comparison but he does a lot of things well. 

In the summer it was brought to my attention Patrick was supposedly on the trading block. 

Through some meaningful whispers and practical analyses Sharp appeared to be headed to Toronto. It made sense in a few ways as before the Hossa surgery Sharp appeared to be expendable. After Hossa opted for a shoulder operation the Sharp to anywhere rumor quickly subsided. The Hawks couldn’t afford to trade a goal scorer while their top sniper was out of action. 

Some others who normally are in the know have told me Sharp was never really a serious part of trade talks in the summer. Take your pick on what story was accurate then because more Sharp trade chatter has arrived. 

Although I haven’t heard anything specific there are rumblings Patrick is on his way out of town again.  This is a rumor and I can’t give an opinion either way on its validity. But it has been mentioned on Hockey Buzz.com. 

For every motive there could be to trade Sharp there are as many or more reasons to keep him in Chicago. Getting shipped to another team is the downside of being a professional athlete. Trade rumors are part of the game but there is no way Sharp wants to leave Chicago at this point. Maybe the only positive for him would be a sense of relief if the trade chatter was put to rest. 

There are two facts which can’t be overlooked. 

Sharp is a $3.9 million salary cap hit through the 2011-2012 campaign. Patrick will also be 28 years old next month. 

The salary cap hit combined with Sharp’s age, may mean if the Hawks are going to trade a forward he is the likely candidate. 

There are other Hawk forwards signed to substantial multi year contracts but they are all a few years younger than Sharp. Dustin Byfuglien is 24 years of age, while Kris Versteeg and Dave Bolland are only 23. Blackhawk management may conclude they have more upside than Sharp. 

I was all in concerning trading Sharp this summer but now it is a risky move. There is no way Sharp will be dealt unless it is the perfect trade set-up for Bowman. Sharp’s departure could be disruptive as he is one of the most popular players in the dressing room. 

All is going great for the Hawks and at this point they have surpassed my early season expectations but there are concerns. 

Bolland’s 19 goals and 28 assists from last year have not been replaced. The Hawks have scored four goals or more six times in 22 games this season but two of those performances came recently against the Flames and Oilers.  In many games the Chicago offense couldn’t be categorized as explosive but there have been injuries. 

The Hawks were among the least injured teams last season. If they stay on their same pace they will be in the top 20% of the most injured clubs for this season. That is a huge difference. 

Maybe with the return of Marian Hossa the goal scoring will automatically increase, it probably should. But the Hawks are still missing a true second line center. It’s harder to find fault with the Hawks while they are on such a great run. Hossa returning should make them even better but sometime bad luck concerning injuries stays consistent. 

My thinking is unless Sharp is traded as part of a deal for a talented pivot who is  signed only through this season, he will remain in Chicago for the time being. 

There will be those which will conclude if Sharp is dealt it is because he is linked with former Blackhawk GM Dale Tallon. Sharp was part of the best trade Tallon ever made. Some believe the former Hawk general manager valued Sharp more than anyone up in the front office today. 

Those in that camp have the same thinking as those in group two from earlier. They feel non hockey factors have too much emphases on Blackhawk decision making. 

My reasons for possibly trading Sharp make a lot more sense from a hockey standpoint. 

Prudent hockey logic should be the only thing which matters. 

The other most mentioned Hawk player in trade rumors is Brent Sopel. 

Garnet Exelby has been on my radar screen since last year’s trade deadline. He is only signed through this season for approximately $1.4 million. Exelby is more physical than Sopel, but he hasn’t been playing as well. 

The key here is Sopel carries some baggage. He is $2.33 million cap hit for this season and next  and that  is a problem for the Hawks, even before the expected contract extensions. 

Exelby isn’t going to get any style points for his skating but he could provide the Hawks with some toughness. It is my belief, if he could be acquired straight up for Sopel Bowman pulls the trigger. 

The Maple Leafs, who should not have an edge on any team concerning a trade, supposedly wanted a Hawks second round draft pick along with Sopel. It’s true the Leafs would be swallowing some salary for the better part of two seasons so a mid round pick could have been included. But Sopel could play top four minutes in Toronto while Exelby has been a frequent healthy scratch. There is no need to pay up for Exelby. 

Lately the Sopel to the Leafs chatter has died down but other clubs could be interested. Sopel has rebounded nicely from an injury plagued season. 

During the summer I had a chance to speak to Stan Bowman for a few minutes. My thinking at the time was the Hawks should make a couple of deals to set up for their costly free agent re-signings.  Bowman didn’t hint he would be active on the trade front.  Actually his comments indicated probably nothing significant would happen and it didn’t.  But now he could be forced to deal someone who isn’t on an expiring contract because of CBA tagging issues. 

Trading Sopel barely puts a dent into the $10 million or so in salary cap space which has to be created for next season. His departure would have more to do with short term salary cap concerns. 

The Hawks can’t trade Sopel without getting a solid defenseman in exchange. 

If Sharp is dealt and a top six forward goes down with a lengthy injury trouble could follow. 

The Blackhawks are one of the best teams in hockey. 

Are they ready to win a Stanley Cup? 

If their goal tending stays good and the lengthy injuries subside they have a shot. What will matter most is the condition of the team when the playoffs start in April. 

So what does the Hawks rookie general manager do now?

My guess is Sopel is likely to go. 

The Hawks have some chips to throw in the pot to get a player they want in return. Ice Hogs, Jack Skille and Akim Aliu could be expendable and do have some trade value. The Hawks can sacrifice some draft picks as they will pick some up when the real salary dump starts. 

Bowman knows his team is very good and that there is a fine line between winning and losing. Sharp stays for now unless the perfect trade comes along, same with Cam Barker. 

Sopel, Sharp, Barker and other Blackhawks could have new teammates next fall.  But any trades now should happen only becuase they can’t be passed up.  

I would have preferred some trade action last summer, but what wasn’t done was done. Now there is no need to be over reactive. 

Al’s Shots 

Coach Q. probably starts Hossa out with Kane and Toews. Patrick will have to go to the other wing as Hossa has seniority. 

Look for Hossa to play on every line in the next few games. It will be interesting to watch how much playing time he gets in the next week or so. 

Although Hossa is a great player it may take awhile for him to get rolling. 

The Ladd, Madden and Brouwer line should stay together. 

My preference would be for Sharp, Toews and Kane to skate as a unit. 

But it makes sense to get Hossa going with the only true offensive center left, Toews. 

The hockey world is buzzing about the Blackhawks these days.

If they win tonight in San Jose they are set up for a very good road trip. If they can win two of the next three it will be an outstanding circus trip. 

I will be back in a few days unless something important breaks. 

Have a great Thanksgiving. 

blackhawksin@comcast.net

Friday night at the United Center the Hawks rallied to beat the Wild 4-3, hopefully this season comebacks won’t need to take place on a regular basis. 

Patrick Kane stepped on the gas and provided the Hawks with a couple of goals, but more importantly his tallies changed the momentum in the game. As has happened far too often the Hawks fell behind early, last year they made the same slow starts a troublesome habit. Give credit where credit is due, as the Hawks still won many of those games last season, but sometimes lessons are more difficult to learn when the outcome is still successful.

Coach Quenneville has told his squad, the on-off switch has to remain in the on position at all times. The Hawks are not good enough to just show up some of the time and expect to compete for a division title. Their comebacks did make them the most exciting show in the NHL in 2008-2009, but now it would be best to win in the most efficient way. It takes much more energy to play from behind. Even though the Hawks are a young group, sooner or later the extra strain will take its toll. 

While watching the many high sticking penalties, blatant checks from behind and other unnecessary roughness which happens in preseason games  it is obvious  good fortune as much as anything else will dictate destiny. 

In the second frame, the Wilds’ Andy Hilbert hit Jonathan Toews from behind while he was already off balance and sent him flying head first into the boards. Fortunately Captain Serious missed only one shift. Hilbert was given a slight tap on the behind and issued only a two minute boarding penalty. Hilbert’s check from behind was worthy of more than a minor penalty as Toews could have been seriously hurt. 

Troy Brouwer joined the scuffle after Toews was down on the ice, but instead of immediately issuing a retaliatory beat down to Hilbert he was intercepted by Nolan Owen. 

Five minutes later Jake Dowell used the Wilds’ Jaime Sifers for a punching bag at center ice. A nice display of rough housing by Dowell, but it was too late. No one immediately took care of Hilbert and although he was checked hard a couple of times later in the match he got off way too easily. This is a point of concern as the Blackhawks can not leave Toews and Kane unprotected. I don’t want to beat a dead horse, but there is no Matt Walker like presence around and they need to find one.

The Hawks did claim a player from Tampa Bay on Friday. Forward Radek Smolenak is now a Blackhawk. He is  6’3″ , 180 pounds and was  was a former third round pick. I don’t know anything about Smolenak, but according to John Jaeckal of Hockey Buzz.com he is known to be a fighter, and was not a very expensive acquisition as well. Maybe he will provide some toughness in Chicago this season.

Neither goalie was very sharp last night, although a couple of goals appeared to be deflected in. Cristobal Huet will have to wear ear plugs this season or have the ability to tune out the United Center crowd at times. The jeers started immediately following the first Wild tally. More concerning for Huet is that goal was the Wilds best of the night. The score happened because of a perfect pass by Marty Havlat and an even better quick shot from James Sheppard. Huet will have to have thick skin this season because  fans will not give him any slack. 

Following the match the Hawks flew all night to  Switzerland to prepare for their Victory Cup appearances on Monday and Tuesday. The flight from O’Hare to Zurich will span 4,428 miles. The Hawks will then fly to Helsinki Finland for the season opener versus the Florida Panthers. This overseas appearance is the first for the Blackhawks since facing the Canadiens at Wembley Arena in London, on September 12, 1992. 

Coach Q. commented after the game that all of the grinders competing for a fourth line job performed well. In a classy move by him and the organization it appears Bryan Bickell, Evan Brophy, Jake Dowell, Colin Fraser and Rob Klinkhammer were all on Friday night’s flight. 

Quenneville will have a tough time deciding between the grinders because they are so similar. Q. also made a remark saying the deciding factor on player cuts will involve business decisions as well as a hockey decisions. I don’t think he was referring to the forwards as there is enough cap space for any of them. He may have been making a veiled reference to Brent Sopel making it on the roster ahead of Jordan Hendry. Sopel has two more years left on a hefty contract, while Hendry is on a two way deal. 

These overseas games serve no real purpose. 

The sport gains little if any media buzz in the States because of them. NHL hierarchy should be more concerned with other issues. There is no practical reason to make teams travel 4,000 miles to play games in cities which most likely will never have a NHL franchise. 

Never is a long time, but if the NHL does expand overseas that probably means death to many franchises here. We are a long way from having enough quality players born in North America to replace most of the upper tier foreign born players.

If the NHL did expand to Europe and beyond…..Where do you think Alex Ovechkin, Evegni Malkin, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Marty Havlat and a host of other high caliber foreign born players would choose to play? 

Not in Phoenix, Florida, Atlanta, or Edmonton….Oh wait a minute, those players don’t want to play in those places now. 

Surely they would choose to play closer to where they are from, especially if the money is the same. More troublesome is fans don’t show up often enough in many US cities now and the pool of talented players is not watered down. 

Shouldn’t the NHL’s  first order of business be to solve today’s problems? 

Call me practical….. At least the Coyotes finally got a head coach in place before training camp ended.

Al’s Shots 

The Hawks finally scored by having some traffic near the net. Or as Coach Q. says….net presence.

Pat Kane has taken a lot of heat for not be as open as some would like concerning his arrest in Buffalo. Kane was very honest last night when asked about his break away, short handed goal. 

Kane was making a rare appearance on the Hawks penalty killing unit when he was cruising near the Hawks blueline and found a loose puck. He sped away and scored on a nice move to beat Josh Harding. 

Kane said he was cheating a little, by being up high near the blueline.

Last night it worked out well for the Hawks and Kane did tell it like it was.