Posts Tagged ‘Chicago Blackhawks’

2010-2011 Chicago Blackhawks Season Preview, Part I: October 2010

30, Jul 2010

The NHL released the 2010-2011 schedule shortly after the completion of the Stanley Cup Finals, making it a short wait for hockey fans.

The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this past season and are poised to make another run at the Cup providing that they can overcome their schedule next season.

In a six part series, we will analyze all six months of the Blackhawks schedule.  We will look at each opponent, what their record was in 2009-2010, and how much better (or worse) they will be during the upcoming season.  Finally, we will predict how many games the Hawks will win depending on their current personnel and state of the team.

The first month we will look at is October 2010.

The Hawks kick off their new season with a game at Colorado versus the Avalanche.  The Avalanche made the playoffs and are looking like a better team in 2010-2011.  

The Blackhawks played Colorado four times during the 2009-2010 season earning a 3-1 record and should be able to beat them to start out the season on the right foot.

The Blackhawks play the Detroit Red Wings in the month of October (their second game and just one time during the month) as well.  During last season, the Hawks split six games with the Red Wings (3-3), and both teams traditionally play each other very tough, so any game between the Hawks and the Red Wings is a good one. 

The Blackhawks will play the Buffalo Sabres twice during the first month of the season.  Last year, the Blackhawks played just one game against the Sabres, a game that they didn’t win.  Can they beat them this season?  We shall find out, but the Sabres have improved and could present a challenge for the Blackhawks. 

Chicago will face the Nashville Predators, a 2009-2010 playoff opponent in their drive towards the Stanley Cup.  Not including the postseason, the Blackhawks split the six games they played against the Predators in 2009.  They play them once in the month of October.

The Columbus Blue Jackets play the Blackhawks twice during the month of October.  Last year’s record against the Blue Jackets was 3-2, but Columbus promises to be a much tougher opponent this season thanks to some offseason moves.  The Blackhawks may have a tougher time with the Blue Jackets next season.

The Blues play the Blackhawks twice in the month of October as well.  In 2009-2010, the Blackhawks edged the Blues three games to two last year and will battle them once again this year several times.  The Blues and the Hawks always play good competitive games and getting over the “Blues” can get the Blackhawks back towards winning the Stanley Cup.

The Canucks and the Blackhawks will face each other once during the first month of the new NHL season.  In 2009, Chicago beat Vancouver just once in the regular season (on their way to a one and three record against them) and will have to contend with this team again in 2010-2011.  The Canucks are returning a lot of the same guys that they had last season, so they will continue to be a difficult matchup for Blackhawks this coming season.

The Los Angeles Kings will come to the United Center in October to play one game against the Blackhawks.  Last season, the Blackhawks went 3-1 against the Kings and should be able to do well against them again in the 2010-2011 season.  Look for them to beat the Kings in their October contest.

Chicago will also host the Edmonton Oilers once in October.  During the 2009-2010 season, Chicago went 4-0 against the Oilers last season and despite the fact this team made some strides during the offseason, the Blackhawks should be able to beat them again this year.

Finally, to close out the month of October, the Blackhawks will play the Minnesota Wild.  The Hawks went 2-1 against the Wild last year and should have similar success against them this coming season.

For all those interested, here is a look at the Blackhawks schedule in October of 2010:

October 7th at Colorado
October 9th versus Detroit
October 11th at Buffalo
October 13th versus Nashville
October 15th at Columbus
October 16th versus Buffalo
October 18th versus St. Louis
October 20th versus Vancouver
October 22nd at St. Louis
October 23 versus Columbus
October 27 versus Los Angeles
October 29th versus Edmonton
October 30th at Minnesota

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Future Winter Classic: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Vancouver Canucks?

30, Jul 2010

The crowd roared in excitement after Kris Versteeg scored the opening goal of the 2009 NHL Winter Classic at Wrigley Field.  Now, visualize the fans of Chicago if another Winter Classic was held in the town where the Stanley Cup was finally brought home after 49 years.

Don’t roll your eyes, I am not talking about holding one of the most exhilarating games for all hockey fans at Wrigley Field again.  Next time around, the Winter Classic should be held at Soldier Field.  Soldier Field would be the perfect venue for all sports fans to enjoy.  Now all that is needed is the perfect opponent.

The Vancouver Canucks.

Not only has the rivalry gotten intense over the past two seasons among the two teams, but even the fans have a war between them.

A game held by two of the finest teams in the Western Conference, along with a breathtaking venue could only equal success.  Not just for the teams, but for the NHL itself. 

So, go get your hats and gloves ready because this is definitely a Winter Classic match-up I could see in the near future.

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Chief of the Tribe: Ranking the Best Chicago Blackhawk Captains

28, Jul 2010

Of the four major North American sports, the captain is most noted and recognized in professional hockey. It is an honor bestowed to the player on each team that exemplifies himself as a leader that the other players on the team can skate behind.

Over the years the Chicago Blackhawks have had many different captains that have emerged from within the organization to become outstanding representatives of Blackhawk Hockey.

There have been other captains who have disappointed in terms of on-ice performance; which in most cases correlated with the team’s bad play; such as recently with former captains Marty Lapointe and Adrian Aucoin.

But, for the most part the Blackhawks have had some outstanding captains, many of whom remain legends of the franchise to this day.

With Jonathan Toews as the team’s current captain, do not expect any new names to grace this impressive list for hopefully many years.

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Coach Joel Quenneville Deserves Some Credit for the Blackhawks’ Success

28, Jul 2010

I’ll admit it—when the Blackhawks fired Dennis Savard two years ago, my first reaction was one of astonishment. 

My question was: “How can you fire a coach who, while it wasn’t a great year, brought the ‘Hawks oh-so-very close to the playoffs last season, and, not to mention, is a Blackhawks great?” 

The Hawks seemed to be on the rise when the 2008-2009 season began, but only after four games they had a new head coach. 

His name was Joel Quenneville.

I was a bit skeptical at first, because the Hawk players had come to love and respect Savard very much, and pulling the rug from underneath them didn’t seem like such a good idea. 

But to my surprise, after watching how Quenneville coaches and manages his team, I grew to love the man, and so did the players. 

The thing that makes Quenneville such a great coach is his ability to adapt to a situation that’s really not in his favor. 

When the ‘Hawks are not doing so hot, or they’re lacking in offense or defense, Quenneville changes the pairings or lines a little to help restore the natural balance. More often than not, those changes do work out. 

It’s not luck. It’s coaching talent, and Quenneville has it.  

It’s one thing to have great, young talent like the Blackhawks do, but it’s another to harness that talent and really put it to great use. 

When it comes down to it, it’s the coach’s job to fully extract all that young talent and put it to good use. 

Quenneville was a master at that last season. He put players together on lines that he thought would help them maximize their talent. When players were having slow offensive or defensive stretches, Quenneville would make the necessary changes to fix the problem. 

You can’t ask for more than that from your coach. 

Now a team and fan favorite, Coach Quenneville has proven he’s a coach that can put players in sports where they will shine the most. 

So, when you think about the reason why the ‘Hawks won the Stanley Cup this year, you can think about the young talent that, physically, won it all. Or, you can think about the man behind the whole story, who was given a team with so much potential, and fully used that talent to bring the Stanely Cup back to Chicago. 

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Chicago Blackhawks, Antti Niemi Coming To a Head

28, Jul 2010

As a Blackhawks fan, July 29th has been noted in my Android since we learned of the arbitration date.

As many know, an arbitrator will decide on a ruling regarding the showdown between the two parties.

Many have been waiting in hopes to see the situation being resolved beforehand, but unfortunately those hopes have been extinguished…well to a mere flicker.

Now with the arbitration 24 hours away, both sides have now seen the arguments of the opposition. Accordingly, the Blackhawks’ front office has been seeking right around $2 million, while Bill Zito has been waiting for an offer in the $3 to $4 million dollar range.

While arguments will be made by both sides, in the end it will be decided by an arbitrator that isn’t necessarily familiar with hockey at all.

What can be looked at is the fact that players in similar situations will be making between $1.9 million to $3.8 million.

Who, you may ask?

Pekka Rinne, $2.8 million…another Finnish net-minder had a fabulous rookie season with the Nashville Predators. It was a surprise to most as he was brought up to supplant Dan Ellis. This past season he started in 58 regular season games and then throughout the first round playoff series against the Hawks. He compiled a .911 save percentage over the entire season. Realistically, Rinne has now played in the majority of the Predators games the last two seasons.

Jaroslav Halak, $3.75 million…had a brilliant season in Montreal. While only starting in 45 games, he will take the ice this coming season as a St. Louis Blue. Much of Halak’s momentum was generated in the playoffs, where at times he carried the Canadiens’ single-handedly through games. He finished with a .923 save percentage. Halak will enter his first season as the clear starting goaltender.

Craig Anderson, $2.125 million…became the Colorado Avalanche season starter and performed great. He compiled 71 starts over the season, while helping lead his team to the Western Conference Quarterfinals. At the close of the season he managed to compose a .924 and .917 save percentages over the past two seasons.

Jonathan Quick, $1.9 million…is a member and future of the Los Angeles Kings. While struggling a bit during the playoffs, he still provided many reasons that the Kings have a bright future. Being only 24, he has been referenced as the next goaltender in position to represent Team USA.

All goaltenders are very comparable, if not a few being tad bit better statistically. Niemi finished .912 save percentage over 39 regular season games, while posting a .910 save percentage in the playoffs. He has now played in 64 games as a Hawk.

Niemi clearly doesn’t have the games under his belt, but does have a Stanley Cup to prove he can handle pressure. The fact could be argued that three out of the four goaltenders listed would’ve been capable of being part of the Blackhawks’ playoff run.

What can be established is while the likes of each of the mentioned net-minders, they didn’t have the depth surrounding them like Niemi did. How would have the season went if Halak or Rinne played for the Hawks?

Fairly argued, the arbitrator should lean slightly above the Blackhawks ideal salary of $2 million.

If a projection had to be made I would comfortably assume Niemi being awarded a decision somewhere between $2.6-$2.8 million for the upcoming season. A figure that the Hawks have been preparing for by offering and signing prospects in a cap friendly manner.

Tomorrow will be interesting, and Hawks fans shouldn’t be nervous at the fact that this will make or break a season.

It won’t.

Just ask Detroit how hard it is to find a goalie to be successful.

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HockeyBuzz Podcasts: PuckNation – Episode 2

28, Jul 2010

My apologies for the technical difficulties that delayed the launch of this show, but hope you enjoy it!

Jessie and Julie discuss the Stanley Cup’s travels this summer with the Chicago Blackhawks, tattoos, Ilya Kovalchuck – his decision, the contract and the implications – and finally, NHL players on Twitter and what we’ve learned about them including a plea for PaulBizNasty to return to…

Antti up: How the Chicago Blackhawks Keep Niemi Next Year

28, Jul 2010

Thanks to a flurry of fantastic under the radar moves over the past couple weeks, the Blackhawks might now be able to afford having Antti Niemi back on their roster for the 2010-11 season.

Because of a handful of two-way contracts added by GM Stan Bowman, it is now possible that the Blackhawks could begin the season with a 20-man roster and offer Niemi roughly $3.5M, which is closer to the range Niemi and his agent are likely looking at for at least a one-year deal to keep the Stanley Cup winning netminder in the Indianhead sweater.

Is a 20-man roster a good idea? Not always.

Is it possible? Absolutely.

And because of these contracts with limited exposure, the Hawks could realistically bring the minimum number of players north and make it work.

Here’s how.

First off, there will be casualties. The biggest name to be left in Rockford would be Corey Crawford, the one-time top prospect who would be this year’s salary cap-caused demotion. Because his cap number is $250k more than Hannu Toivonen, Crawford might have to take another year with the IceHogs because of his salary.

The other big casualty would be the 21st man on the roster. But, again, it’s possible for the Hawks to keep only 20 on the roster because of the salaries Bowman has handed out in the last month. If a player on the third or fourth line wasn’t getting it done, the Hawks would only be able to replace that player with comparable salary if they opted to demote said struggling forward.

For example, if Jake Dowell has a terrible October and the Hawks decide to go in a different direction, the most they could add as a replacement cap number would be equal to Dowell’s $525K figure. Which is what makes all of these minimal contracts to important. In the last few weeks, the Hawks have signed Hugh Jessiman, Jack Skille, Evan Brophey, Nathan Davis, Igor Makarov, John Scott, and added Jeff Taffe via trade. What’s important about all of these deals is that they all have similar cap numbers, with the highest of the group being Skille’s $600K.

Now consider this group of players. Jessiman was the 12th overall pick in 2003. Skille was the seventh overall pick in 2005. Makarov was the 33rd overall pick in 2006. Taffe was a first round pick in 2000. Brophey was a third round pick and Davis was a fourth round selection in 2005. All of these players, at some point in their lives, were considered top talent.

In the case of Makarov, there were questions about his willingness to play in North America. In the case of Skille, his cap number kept him in Rockford. Jessiman and Taffe haven’t performed to a level worthy of their draft slot, and Brophey and Davis have never seen the NHL.

We have established that there is talent, and a similar cap number. The other key to these players is the length of their deals; all of them except Scott has a one-year deal. So if Skille doesn’t make the team, the Hawks can put him through waivers and send him to Rockford with minimal exposure long-term (like they undoubtedly will with Cristobal Huet). For the others, they can float back and forth from Rockford to Chicago on a regular basis and, because of their salaries, can replace each other regularly without a substantial impact on the Hawks’ cap situation.

What is also important to remember is that the 2009-10 Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks had a group of unknowns on their roster as well. Last year at the end of July, Troy Brouwer was a 24-year-old forward with 27 career points in the NHL. Tomas Kopecky was a 27-year-old forward with 32 career points in the NHL. In fact, Dustin Byfuglien was a 24-year-old forward with only 75 career points. Those three players, who had 134 career points entering last season, combined to score 95 last season.

To think these players, along with Dowell, Bryan Bickell, and Viktor Stalberg can fill out the third and fourth lines for the Hawks is certainly a gamble, but the Blackhawks and coach Joel Quenneville now have a resume that includes winning a championship with an underwhelming group of players.

Which brings us back to keeping Niemi. If the Blackhawks are comfortable with the potential of being limited in any way on their bench (though they were able to handle the same issue by moving players like Dowell and Bickell back and forth from Rockford within hours of a game), they could possibly offer Niemi $3.5M for next season.

Here would be your potential Blackhawks roster for Opening Night:

 

Forwards

Patrick Kane-Jonathan Toews-Troy Brouwer,
Marian Hossa-Patrick Sharp-Viktor Stalberg,
Bryan Bickell-Dave Bolland-Tomas Kopecky,
Jack Skille-Jake Dowell-Hugh Jessiman.

 

Defensemen

Duncan Keith-Brent Seabrook
Brian Campbell-Niklas Hjalmarsson
Shawn Lalonde-Jordan Hendry.

 

Goalies

Antti Niemi, Hannu Toivonen.

The assumptions on this roster are that Hendry returns for the same cap number last year ($625K) and that Niemi would receive an even $3.5M for next year. This roster would be very tight financially, with under $10,000 in cap flexibility for the season. However, it fits under the cap and 14 of the 20 players would have played for the Blackhawks in the postseason last year.

If Makarov, who has a one-way contract, makes the team on the fourth line over Jessiman or another player with a $500K cap number, the difference would be $52,500 on Niemi’s salary. Also, if the assumption is that Scott, who signed a two-year deal, is both the 13th forward and seventh defenseman, is there going to be a significant loss by sending him to Rockford and saving the cap space? Scott has three points in 71 career games.

Questions will undoubtedly come from the youngsters replacing familiar faces for the Hawks in key situations. However, here are some considerations that must be made looking forward for Hawks fans: Seven of the Top 10 penalty killers (based on avg. ice time short-handed per game) will be back next year. Brent Sopel, John Madden and Colin Fraser are the three that will be gone, but that’s also with Bolland playing fewer minutes because of his back injury earlier in the season.

There will be players expected to play a more significant role this season, including Hjalmarsson. Similarly, of the 12 primary power play skaters from the playoffs this spring, only two—Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg—will be gone next year. It doesn’t matter if the Hawks bring Niemi back for $1M or $3.5M next year, or if there are 20 or 21 on the roster, there will be supporting players that will be asked to step up to replace key departures like Byfuglien, Versteeg, Madden, and Andrew Ladd on the forward lines and Sopel on the blue line.

What is important is that Bowman has successfully added big bodies with a lot of talent for bargain-basement prices through free agency in July that give the organization options.

And it is those options that must be available for this team to be able to keep Niemi next year.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Blackhawks Sign Top Prospect Nick Leddy

27, Jul 2010

According to sources in Minnesota, the Blackhawks will soon announce that they have agreed to an entry-level deal with defenseman Nick Leddy.

Leddy was one of the most impressive players at the prospect camp earlier this summer, and will reportedly begin the year in Rockford, leaving the University of Minnesota.

A source indicated that Minnesota coach Don Lucia told an alumni function on Tuesday that Leddy would leave the Gophers to go pro with the Hawks.

Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune is reporting the deal is for three years and $2.7M.

Leddy, the 16th overall selection in the 2009 Draft, was acquired with Kim Johnsson for Cam Barker early last year. He is rated as the No. 1 prospect in the Blackhawks’ organization by CommittedIndians. He missed a good part of his freshman season at Minnesota after breaking his jaw on Oct. 30, but looked exceptional while skating with Shawn Lalonde at the prospect camp in Chicago.

For more great coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, check out CommittedIndians.com!

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July 29 Is a Big Day for the Chicago Blackhawks

27, Jul 2010

Although Blake Wheeler’s arbitration hearing today will set the standard for arbitration in the NHL, most NHL GMs probably have July 29 circled on their calenders. This is because that is the day of Antti Niemi’s arbitration hearing.

During the regular season Niemi played 39 games with a save percentage of .912 and a GAA of 2.25 with seven shutouts. He had a record of 26-7-4. Pretty good, but not brilliant as he played in less than half of Chicago’s regular season games, though the record was phenomenal.

The story gets really good in the playoffs. In the 22 games he played he had a 16-6 record with a save percentage of .91 and a GAA of 2.63 with two shutouts. Although these numbers seem pedestrian, remember the 22 games were played much closer together than his regular season games. Furthermore, the teams in the playoffs are inherently better, in fact, he disposed of the Red Wings and the Sharks, two of the best teams in the West. As such, these statistics are phenomenal.

However, this is only the first year that Niemi has played in the NHL. As such, he could be following the footsteps of Andrew Raycroft (yes I’m still bitter about that) and be a one hit wonder. In the AHL he played okay but not great, but in Finland he was phenomenal. It is hard to predict what he will be in the future.

Niemi being a goaltender would also be very difficult to compare to another goaltender around his age. The arbitration rules do not allow them to include salaries of a comparable goaltender who is a free agent and give the same salary. So it will be hard to compare, they will probably look back at what some other goaltenders got a while back and adjust the price up.

So why do NHL general managers have this date circled on their calendar? Well this could be because the Blackhawks are already $403,256 above the salary cap for next year (due to bonuses) and as such, the few million dollars needed to sign Niemi will force them to either move someone or let Niemi go.

Also, keep in mind they need another forward, at least one more defenseman, and a goaltender (if you don’t include Niemi) to fill out their roster. So they need to make a deal anyway, this will just tip them over the edge.

Keep in mind also that in the summer you can go over the salary cap by 10 percent. I don’t think anyone expects Niemi’s arbitration award to push them over that limit but it can make it dangerously close.

This means the only player they would be able to trade is Patrick Sharp. Yes, their general manager said he will not deal Patrick Sharp, but then again he could be forced to. Suter denied shopping Phaneuf after all. The only other significant salary they can move is Bolland and it is doubtful anybody wants to pay $3.375 million per year to a player who scored 19 goals once.

As for the defensemen, they are depleted enough and as such must be untouchable. Brian Campbell is someone nobody wants simply because of his contract, but he is quite good otherwise. They just extended Duncan Keith so he’s immovable. Brent Seabrook is signed to a reasonable salary and Niklas Hjalmarsson was someone they were forced to overpay for due to the Sharks offer sheet.

They also only have one goaltender but they are willing to move him for anything. However if there are no takers for Marty Turco, and there were none for Nabokov why would teams give up players to acquire Huet to that bloated contract?

It’s quite amazing what Niemi’s arbitration does for the other teams, in fact, I would expect general managers to still be calling Stan Bowman to see if they can get players for practically free so that he can sign Niemi to that extension.

 

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Chicago Blackhawks Prospects Will Compete In Rookie Tournament

26, Jul 2010

For those unwilling to wait for the regular season puck to drop, the young prospects will be headed to Toronto for a rookie-only tournament.

The tournament will include the host, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Chicago Blackhawks.

Players officially announced on the Blackhawks’ roster are Kyle Beach, Shawn LaLonde, Jeremy Morin, Chris DiDomenico, and Phillipe Paradis.

All players announced will be possibly competing for a spot on the Blackhawks’ opening day roster.

Notably, Paradis and DiDomenico will be returning to play the same team that traded them a few weeks back.

On June 30, the Maple Leafs shipped the pair to Chicago in return for a highly sought-after forward, Kris Versteeg. The same trade also brought Viktor Stalberg to the organization.

Other key Blackhawks’ prospects that will appear will be announced at a later time.

Notable players the Hawks will face:

-Nazem Kadri (Tor), 7th overall pick in the 2009 Entry Draft.

-Eric Tangradi (Pit), Acquired via 2009 trade with Anaheim and is ranked as the #1 overall prospect in the organization.

-Robert Bortuzzo (Pit), A four year prospect, Bortuzzo is looking to continue building his stock within the organization.

-Erik Karlsson (Ott), In a talent pool of defenseman, Karlsson will try and solidify the expectancy to make the Senators in October.

2010 Toronto Maple Leafs Rookie Tournament Schedule
Date Game Time Venue
Sat., Sept. 11 Pittsburgh vs. Ottawa 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sat., Sept. 11 CHICAGO vs. Toronto 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sun., Sept. 12 CHICAGO vs. Ottawa 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Sun., Sept. 12 Toronto vs. Pittsburgh 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Mon., Sept. 13 Practice (All Teams) TBA John Labatt Centre
Tues., Sept. 14 CHICAGO vs. Pittsburgh 1:00 pm John Labatt Centre
Tues., Sept. 14 Toronto vs. Ottawa 6:00 pm John Labatt Centre

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Canucks re-sign Mason Raymond

26, Jul 2010

NHLHS Vancouver Canucks Correspondents Will & Valerie Wittstruck take a look at Mason Raymond’s new contract. The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed Mason Raymond to a 2-year deal that will pay the speedy winger 2.5 million this season and 2.6 million in 2011-12. The deal happened right before both sides were going to present their case [...]

Ivan Vishnevskiy: The Forgotten Option on the Chicago Blackhawks Blue-Line

25, Jul 2010

Coming out of the Chicago Blackhawks prospect camp, many have been talking about how strong the Blackhawks defensive prospect depth is and that the likes of Shawn Lalonde, Ryan Stanton, and Nick Leddy might have a shot at making the ‘Hawks out of training camp.

However, there is one player who is not getting a lot of attention and might have the best shot of making the ‘Hawks out of camp; his name is Ivan Vishnevskiy.

Vishnevskiy is a former first round pick, 27th overall, of the Dallas Stars and was acquired by the Blackhawks from the Atlanta Thrashers for forward Andrew Ladd.

Last season Vishnevskiy spent the majority of the season in the American Hockey League splitting time between the Texas Stars and the Chicago Wolves.

In his 79 AHL games last season, Vishnevskiy tallied 10 goals and 16 assists between the two teams and was held scoreless in the two NHL games he appeared in.

Vishnevskiy is a small defenseman, in the mold of a Lubomir Visnovsky, know as a speedy, puck moving defenseman, with good ice vision and can also play the point on the power play.

Vishnevskiy does not have the size of a Lalonde or Stanton, but he does have far more experience at the professional level and is further along in his development than the other two.

Vishnevskiy, only 22-years-old, already has 146 games under his belt at the AHL level and 55 points to show for it, which in my mind might be a more important to Blackhawks brass than just a strong showing at prospects camp.

I am not discounting the fact that LaLonde has had strong showings in a camp setting but Vishnevskiy has shown he can play the professional game which LaLonde has not.

The big stumbling block in Vishnevskiy joining the ‘Hawks this season is his cap hit of $821,667 which is about $50,000 more than what LaLonde makes and at this point every dollar under the cap counts for the Blackhawks.

However if Vishnevskiy does make the ‘Hawks out of camp what he would bring the Blackhawks is another puck moving defenseman who will easily adapt to the system and would also give them a second power play quarterback.

Training camp will certainly generate competition for the sixth and final spot along the blue-line, but when mentioning possible candidates for that final spot, do not count out the young Russian Ivan Vishnevskiy.

 

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Chicago Blackhawks’ Recent Trade Uncovers Opening Roster

25, Jul 2010

With the recent trade of the newly acquired Marty Reasoner, the Chicago Blackhawks have begun the process of filling a questionable roster.

The Blackhawks did acquire Jeff Taffe, but it’s a fair assumption that he’ll start with the Rockford Ice Hogs, the AHL affiliate of the Blackhawks.

The transaction allowed for another $600,000 to be possibly used in bargaining with Antti Niemi.

An arbitration hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 29th.

While Blackhawks’ fans wait, what has gone overshadowed is how the roster has begun to take shape for the opening of the 2010-11 season.

One thing’s for certain and that’s Jake Dowell centering the fourth line come October.

Dowell has played with the Ice Hogs since the 2007-08 season, but has had opportunities with the Blackhawks at times.

A Wisconsin native and University of Wisconsin graduate, he will bring a six foot frame that will provide the needed depth in the face-off circle.

Amongst other notable prospects in the system, it is obvious that Jack Skille will join Dowell at the NHL level.  Skille recently signed a cap-friendly deal that would allow the 23 year old a better chance at making the NHL squad.

Their familiarity with each other should bring a unique sense of camaraderie to an already close-knit team.

Dowell and Skille have not only served as teammates in Rockford, but also served as teammates with the Wisconsin Badgers.  There they played part of a 2006 National Championship squad, so success isn’t foreign to both.

Beyond the Badger duo, there are many other previous question marks that have been addressed.

Being cap stricken, means the Blackhawks will likely assume a 21-man roster.

This doesn’t allow much wiggle room for injury and the Blackhawks will most likely give John Scott at least an opportunity to begin the season.  Scott brings monstrous size, but most of all, he brings the unique ability to play a winger position. 

He’s not an established power forward like the ex-Blackhawk Dustin Byfuglien, but he sure provides the power on defense as well as the fore-check.

So who fills out the third defensive pairing now that the Scott is serving as the nightly fill-in?

The answer would be Shawn LaLonde and Jordan Hendry.

LaLonde is a young prospect and looked very smooth during the prospects’ camp.  While many believe that he still has a year or two to go before he becomes ideal NHL caliber, the time is now if he wants it.

With the attached $773,333 salary cap hit, that may be the sole reason Lalonde is kept in Rockford other than experience arguments.

Some like the possibilities of Brian Connelley and an $875,000 salary cap number will surely motivate him to stay an Ice Hog this season.

The latter half (Hendry) of the assumed pair is yet to be re-signed.

Many assume an eminent re-signing once the decision of Niemi is made.

Last year Hendry made $625,000, but current cap strains put pressue on him to resign for a similar salary.

Hendry has bounced between the Blackhawks and the Ice Hogs over the past three years.  Last year served as a major stepping stone in production as Hendry became much more of a dependable asset to the organization.

While playing primarily on the third line pairing this season, Hendry was able to gain some much needed experience.

The idea of Hendry and LaLonde as a pair on the NHL level doesn’t exactly make for much reassurance.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see mixing and matching amongst the second and third pairings in the beginning of the season.  With the progress Niklas Hjalmarsson showed under Campbell, could we perhaps see the same with LaLonde?

All will be made clear by Friday at the latest and though the arbitration date approaches, look for the Blackhawks to make a move judging by recent cap clearing transactions. 

The season slowly approaches, and if anything, the Blackhawks are focused on winning. 

Obviously the skeptics remain strong regarding the organization’s ability to produce as it did last season.  If the Blackhawks’ organization were truly in cap-cutting mode, there are moves out there that could have facilitated this process.

Instead of trading and moving on, Stan Bowman has done the direct opposite. 

The “core” players of the organization are here to stay. 

Not only proving through transactions already made, but Bowman has even gone to the extent of making statement saying players like Niklas Hjalmarsson and Patrick Sharp will remain Blackhawks.

How does that sit for the rumor mills? 

The last organization to be in question should be the Chicago Blackhawks.  It seems the front office knows exactly what they want to do and so far, they have been dead on.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Ilya Kovalchuk and the Top Contracts the NHL Should Have Denied

24, Jul 2010

With the rise and fall of the Ilya Kovalchuk contract fiasco, it gets you wondering what are the worst contracts in the National Hockey League.

With the Collective Bargaining Agreement the way it is, teams try to circumvent the system by signing players to a long term front end loaded contract that minimizes what would be a very sizable cap hit. Thus we are seeing many 10+ year contracts being handed out.

These deals are usually bad all around. Many times it ends up killing the team that makes the deal, but teams are still doing it more and more.

Another key problem some teams have, is when a player gets red hot before a contract is up, and the team ends up handing out big money only to see a drop in production from said player.

The following article delves into both problems, and analyzes the 10 worst contracts in the NHL.

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Chicago Blackhawks Sign Bryan Bickell To Three Year Deal

23, Jul 2010

The Chicago Blackhawks continued to make news as they signed restricted free agent forward Bryan Bickell to a three year deal worth and estimated $1.625 million, a cap hit of about $542,000.

Bickell spent the majority of the 2009-2010 season in the AHL with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate Rockford Ice Hogs, where he appeared in 65 games and recorded 16 goals and 15 assists.

However Bickell did spend some time with the Blackhawks last season, recording three goals and an assist in 16 games.

In those 16 games with the Blackhawks, Bickell spent some time on the top line with the likes of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, seeing success with them and provided them with a big body to drive the net.

Although Bickell only has six career points in 23 NHL games, he provides the ‘Hawks with added size that they desperately need, and could potentially replace the point production of Dustin Byfuglien, although that might be a bit of a stretch.

With Bickell showing he has the ability to play at the NHL level, it is not to far fetched to think he is almost guaranteed a slot somewhere on the ‘Hawks roster, likely on the ‘Hawks third or fourth line.

With the signing of Bickell, the ‘Hawks lineup is slowly beginning to fill up as it looks like the ‘Hawks have only one more forward position to fill. They will likely fill it in house with Igor Makarov, Jeff Taffe, Evan Brophey and Rob Klinkhammer as possible candidates.

The Bickell signing gives the ‘Hawks yet another quality, low price option to help fill out this revamped Blackhawk lineup and could turn out to be a real bargain just one year from now.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Blackhawks: Bryan Bickell Is Your New Dustin Byfuglien

23, Jul 2010

For all the bleeding hearts in Blackhawk Nation that pine for the days of the curly-haired, soft-spoken Dustin Byfuglien and his on-ice celebrations, fear not.

A new and improved version has been with the team all long. His name is Bryan Bickell, and he is what Byfuglien should have been.

At first glance, Bickell looks like nothing special, as his career point total is a massive six (five goals, one assist). Those stats have mainly been accrued on the fourth line and in garbage minutes when he was a fill-in.

If you look at his minor league stats, he has not lit up the world either. The most points he gathered in Rockford was 39 (Buff had a high of 44 in the AHL).

So what’s the big deal with him?

He is not the numbers guy you may expect big guns like Patrick Kane and company to be, but he is a big body who is full of energy and has a “can-do” attitude that a lot of guys with his talents tend to shy away from.

That same “can-do” attitude is what kept Big Buff from reaching his potential with the Hawks.

Bickell is built in the same mold as Byfuglien. The aforementioned big-build, solid skating, and board work got them both to the big show. Where Bickell matches and exceeds Buff is in scoring talent, hockey IQ, and flexibility.

Byfuglien was flexible in that he changed positions when asked, but he brought the same inconsistencies to the left wing that he had on the blue line. Unfortunately, there were numerous accounts of No. 33 dogging it in practice and games. If a player is not playing 100 percent during his shift, you can pick them out a mile away. That was Big Buff.

Bickell, since day one, has been asked to do as little as throw his weight around, and as much as play on the first power play unit. He has exceeded in all facets in limited time, and will now be asked to do more with around 15 minutes of ice time a game.

His role? Crowd the crease and clean up the mess. Or, what Big Buff used to do.

Another nice component to Bickell is that he comes cheap. A new three-year deal was agreed to today.

All 223 lbs. will now be obstructing views for around $1 million for three years, while Byfuglien will be doing the same thing for triple the price.

Sounds pretty good, right?

Expect more consistency from Bickell and similar, if not better results than Byfuglien’s 34 points next season. If Bickell surpasses those numbers, anything short of calling him a steal is in order.

Getting paid $3 million and only producing 34 points is what experts call being overpaid.

The Chicago Blackhawks have raised the bar when it comes to evaluating and producing talented players, and Bickell, albeit not a prolific scorer, fills a much-needed, and often sought-after role for the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

 

Check out more at http://madisonstreethockey.com!

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Marty Reasoner Trade Doesn’t Solve Chicago Blackhawks Cap Problems

22, Jul 2010

The summer of Chicago Blackhawks trades continued today as the ‘Hawks dealt Marty Reasoner, acquired in the Dustin Byfuglien trade, to the Florida Panthers for forward Jeff Taffe.

Last season, Taffe appeared in 21 games for the Florida Panthers scoring one goal and one assist while seeing most of his time on the Panthers’ fourth line.

A former first round pick of the St. Louis Blues, Taffe has never really panned out at the NHL level, appearing in 174 games and accumulating only 44 points.

Taffe will be expected to compete for a spot on the Blackhawks fourth line because of his low cap hit and experience in that role.

However, Taffe is not the real key to this deal.  Rather, the real prize of this deal is the cap space created by getting Reasoners $1.15 million cap hit off the books to put toward resigning goaltender Antti Niemi.

Although the trade for Marty Reasoner has helped the ‘Hawks gain more breathing room under the cap it still might not be enough to pay Niemi what he is demanding after his magical season with the ‘Hawks.

Currently the ‘Hawks have $138,000 under the cap.

However, that is still with Cristobal Huet on the roster—that will not be the case at the start of the NHL season so you can wipe his salary off the books.

So, we are looking at about $5,763,410 of cap space to add two forwards, two defensemen, and two goaltenders. 

After the ‘Hawks add the likes of Bryan Bickell, Igor Makarov, Shawn Lalonde, Jordan Hendry and Corey Crawford to the lineup the ‘Hawks will have $2.635 million left over in cap space to sign Niemi.

Now, the ball seems to be in Niemi’s court as the ‘Hawks have made an attempt to create more cap space to keep him in the Indian head sweater.  He could take a one or two year deal worth 2-2.5 million per season. 

But, if Niemi and his agent Bill Zito intend to get high dollars for Niemi it is likely that he will go to arbitration, and into free agency.

I do not blame Niemi for trying to get as much money as possible, but with goalie openings limited across the league and the ‘Hawks defense limiting the amount of rubber he sees, it might be the wise decision for Niemi to take a short deal with the ‘Hawks. 

He could seek a richer deal when there is more money to be had.

Although I don’t see this as a likelihood, it would be nice if the ‘Hawks exodus would come to an end once and for all.

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Jeremy Roenick Elected To US Hockey Hall Of Fame

22, Jul 2010

On Thursday, the US Hockey Hall of Fame announced the Class of 2010, and front and center is former Chicago Blackhawks superstar Jeremy Roenick .

The thought of celebrating Roenick’s career got the wheels turning… so many memories, so many great highlights, such an ugly divorce.

What do you remember most about the Jeremy Roenick Era of the Chicago Blackhawks?

Roenick was drafted eighth overall in 1988 and climbed to the NHL level late that season. He pitched in 18 points in 20 games and was effective in the playoffs his rookie season.

Roenick’s first full season in the NHL, 1989-90, saw him score 26 goals and 40 assists as the Blackhawks improved 22 points in the standings. He was starting to establish himself as a leader on an aging team that was going through some dramatic changes.

After the 1990 season, in part because of Roenick’s emergence as a scoring threat, the Blackhawks traded long-time fan favorite Denis Savard to Montreal for Chris Chelios and a second round draft pick. Roenick backed up the faith (or penny pinching) or management in 1990-91 by scoring 41 goals, 53 assists (94 points) and he was selected to play in the legendary All Star Game at the Chicago Stadium that season. The Hawks jumped another 18 points to win the Presidents’ Trophy.

During the ‘90-’91 season, Roenick led the team with 10 game-winning goals, and he teamed up with Steve Larmer (who had 101 points that year) to give the Hawks one of the most potent offenses in the league.

The next season, 1991-92, was magic for the Blackhawks, as they advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals. Roenick scored 103 points that year (53 goals, 50 assists). He played in his second All Star Game, and was firmly established as one of the elite scoring forwards in the NHL.

The two seasons that followed that campaign made Roenick a legend in Chicago and a league-wide household name. JR had back-to-back 107-point seasons. That total was the highest for a Blackhawks player not named Savard since Bobby Hull’s incredible 107-point season in 1968-69.

Despite the team’s successes of the early 1990s, this was a time filled with frustration from Hawks players and the fans. The trade of Savard for Chelios ended up bringing another eventual Chicago legend home, but unloading one of the best players in franchise history wasn’t the easiest trade to stomach.

Again in large part due to Roenick having established himself as the team’s top scorer, the team moved another fan favorite, Steve Larmer, with Bryan March to Hartford for Eric Weinrich and Patrick Poulin, on November 2, 1993. Larmer hadn’t missed a game, or the playoffs, in a Chicago uniform in over a decade, but Dollar Bill Wirtz was beginning to show an unwillingness to keep a great core together. Larmer wanted to win the Cup, and Wirtz wasn’t showing any signs of keeping the Hawks competitive.

The reasons for Larmer’s departure seemed to effect many of the young Hawks as they entered the mid-1990s. So did Wirtz being one of the most recklessly cheap owners in the history of professional sports.

That 1993-94 season was Roenick’s fourth All Star Game, and he set career highs in power play goals (24) and short handed goals (five). He was +21, and ranked by a number of major publications as one of the top players in the league. But the Hawks fell back further in the standings, something Larmer wanted nothing to do with, and it was appearing that an implosion of the roster was coming.

JR nhl 94

It was in 1994 that Roenick took another step in his evolution as a legend: NHL ‘94 made Roenick a god.

In the movie “Swingers ,” Vince Vaughn absolutely wrecks another guy on the game, referring to Roenick by name a couple times (including a supposed fight between Roenick and Wayne Gretzky on the great video game). It will be interesting to see if Vaughn, who was in attendance on Wednesday night at the United Center, makes another appearance for Roenick’s Heritage Night on Sunday.

Another development that began the erosion of Roenick’s roster status in Chicago in 1993-94 was the arrival of Tony Amonte. Just as Roenick did with Savard and Larmer, over the next couple seasons it would be Amonte’s talent, coupled with Roenick’s expiring contract, started to make the superstar expendable.

Roenick didn’t help himself, though. During the strike, Roenick infamously told the media that fans believing pro athletes were spoiled could “kiss my ass.” Unfortunately, pairing Roenick’s fan-directed comments with Wirtz was poison to a great fan base.

The final issue that would haunt the Blackhawks franchise was Wirtz’s disrespect for his players and the fans after the strike that shortened the 1994-95 season. Roenick scored 34 points in 33 games that season season (despite missing 15 games with leg issues), and the Hawks advanced all the way to the Conference Finals again. But 1995-96 was the final year of Roenick’s contract, and would be the end of his Chicago career.

Despite missing the final 11 games in 1996, Roenick led the team with 32 goals. When that season ended, Roenick ranked eighth all time with 596 points for the Blackhawks organization. His 267 goals were sixth all time (eventually eclipsed by one by Amonte), and he ranked in the organization’s top ten in assists as well.

That wasn’t good enough for Wirtz, though. Roenick wanted to get paid like a Top Ten hockey player, and Wirtz was running (and paying for) a Bottom Ten organization.

Roenick was traded to Phoenix on August 16, 1996 for Alexei Zhamnov and Craig Mills.

While the the organization tried to spin this as a move forward, it was clear that Bob Pulford and Wirtz were destroying what was one of the best young teams in the NHL piece by piece. Over the next three seasons, the Hawks would unload Ed Belfour, Chris Chelios and most of their paying fans in an effort to become an anonymous, losing franchise.

Roenick was sold as “washed up” and having lost a step on the ice, but Phoenix knew better. Roenick played in five All Star Games in the 12 seasons he played after leaving Chicago, and would prove to be a clutch playoff performer time after time.

Roenick would also continue stirring the pot after leaving Chicago. Even in his final season, one that saw him as an irrelevant player on the ice, Roenick made headlines when he claimed that Detroit head coach Mike Babcock hated American players, and refused to play Chelios because he was born in the US.

Do you remember Roenick for being a great scorer?

Do you remember Roenick for being one of those Chicago players that “got away”?

Do you remember Roenick for being a controversy waiting to happen?

Or…

Do you remember Roenick for being a god on NHL ‘94 ?

The point isn’t whether or not you remember Roenick, it’s how he’s placed in your memory. There is no questioning Roenick’s place among the great Blackhawks of all time, and now he’s part of the USA Hockey Hall of Fame .

For more great coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, check out CommittedIndians.com!

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Chicago Blackhawks Cut Payroll, Trade Marty Reasoner to Florida

22, Jul 2010

The Chicago Blackhawks announced on Thursday afternoon that they had dealt veteran forward Marty Reasoner, acquired from Atlanta in the deal that sent Brent Sopel, Ben Eager and Dustin Byfuglien to the Thrashers, to the Florida Panthers for center Jeff Taffe.

Taffe (pronounced TAYF) is 29 years old, and was originally the 30th overall pick in the first round of the 2000 NHL Draft, selected by the St. Louis Blues. He spent most of last season with the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL, where he accumulated 56 points (28G, 28A) in 61 regular season games, and added seven points (G, 6A) in seven postseason games.

He is listed at 6′3″ and 215 pounds, and has 44 points (21 G, 23 A) and 40 PIM in 174 career NHL games with the Phoenix Coyotes, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Florida Panthers.

Most importantly, Taffe has a $550k cap number, saving the Blackhawks $600k against the cap in 2010-11.

For more great coverage of the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks, check out CommittedIndians.com!

Read more NHL news on BleacherReport.com

Red Rising: Five Chicago Blackhawks Poised to Elevate Their Game

22, Jul 2010

No, hockey world, the Blackhawks have not banished themselves to the cellar of the standings thanks to their offseason acquisitions. Let’s take a deep breath, and briefly glance at reality.

The Hawks are still one of the most talented teams in the league. Regardless of what else transpires this offseason, the core of last year’s team is still pretty much intact, and the kids are one year older.

Chicago was the youngest team in the league last year, and guys like Niklas Hjalmersson, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews are only going to improve.

Holes need to be plugged, and the Hawks have the pieces to remain amongst the NHL’s elite.

Here are five players ready to break out and help keep the Hawks dominant.

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