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	<title>Blackhawk Up &#124; A Chicago Blackhawks Blog</title>
	<link>http://blackhawkup.com</link>
	<description>A Chicago Blackhawks Blog</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 29 Jul 2010 04:01:07 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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		<title>&#8216;Hawks present negatives on Niemi hoping for positive outcome</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I never understood the two-faced hilarity that is salary arbitration. The Blackhawks will tell a judge all the reasons they feel  Antti Niemi shouldn&#8217;t be compensated as he sees fit. Conversely, Niemi and his agent will explain why Niemi&#8217;s performance to date warrants a top-tier goaltender salary.
The &#8216;Hawks will attempt to prove why Niemi&#8217;s not worth the money, and Niemi&#8217;s agent will fight it. Yet the entire time, the Blackhawks want Niemi back wearing the Indian head &#8212; and from what we&#8217;re told, Niemi wants the same, but only for the right price.
It&#8217;s a back-and-forth process each side has dealt [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/28/hawks-present-negatives-on-niemi-hoping-for-positive-outcome/</link>
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		<title>Really, Kovalchuk? 17 years?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Just for the record, the 17 years indeed does NOT relate to the amount of time he spent making this decision. It&#8217;s the number of years apparently agreed upon by the New Jersey Devils and Ilya Kovalchuk. Holy. Piss.
Remember when the league made a big, gigantic stink over contracts during last season&#8217;s free agency period? Marian Hossa&#8217;s  now-modest 12-year, $62.8 million deal makes the NHL look stupid for even looking into it. Kovalchuk&#8217;s deal is reportedly worth upwards of around $150 million.
At the conclusion of the reported contract, Kovalchuk will be 44 years old and heading into  Chris Chelios  territory [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/19/really-kovalchuk-17-years/</link>
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		<title>If Niemi&#8217;s price is too high for Hawks, which team shells out the cash?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Capologists and &#8216;Hawks fans alike busted out the calculators in wake of  Niklas Hjalmarsson&#8217;s spankin&#8217; new 4-year, $14 million contract thanks to those sore-loser San Jose Sharks. While the past few days may not have rivaled &#8220;The Decision,&#8221; a la  LeBron James, the &#8216;Hawks considered a looming variable: Keep Hammer, and risk losing Chicago&#8217;s first Stanley Cup-winning goaltender in 49 years.
It&#8217;s widely speculated  Jarslov Halak&#8217;s contract with the St. Louis Blues &#8212; coming in at a $3.75 million cap hit &#8212; will be a benchmark for  Antti Niemi&#8217;s award following his July 29 arbitration hearing. It&#8217;s obvious this may be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/13/if-niemis-price-is-too-high-for-hawks-which-team-shells-out-the-cash/</link>
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		<title>Blackhawks match Sharks&#8217; $14 M offer sheet for Hjalmarsson</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
The Blackhawks made it official they will match the San Jose Sharks&#8217; offer sheet for  Niklas Hjalmarsson  and sign him to a 4-year, $14 million contract. The cap it will be $3.5 million over the next four years.
Antti Niemi&#8217;s  arbitration date is set for July 29, and we&#8217;ll have to see if the &#8216;Hawks let him walk after the St. Louis Blues gave  Jaroslav Halak  a monster deal and set the bar pretty high for a goalie of Niemi&#8217;s comparable experience.
I&#8217;ll have more later on this decision and what it means for the &#8216;Hawks chances of keeping Niemi, or if [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/12/blackhawks-match-sharks-14-m-offer-sheet-for-hjalmarsson/</link>
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		<title>Sharks ink Hjalmarsson to offer sheet</title>
		<description><![CDATA[TSN.com is reporting Niklas Hjalmarsson signed a 4-year, $14 million offer sheet from the San Jose Sharks. I&#8217;m not sure about you, but a $3 million-plus offer is not what I expected &#8212; and I doubt the Blackhawks expected it, either.
The Blackhawks have seven days to match the offer sheet. With Antti Niemi awaiting a contract, this may be difficult to swing.
More details as they become available&#8230;
]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/09/sharks-ink-hjalmarsson-to-offer-sheet/</link>
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		<title>Prospect Camp</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Well, the wedding season is here meaning I am out of town for the weekend attending the first of many this summer. If anyone is attending the prospect camp and would like to share their analysis, shoot me an email to jeffrey.bartl@gmail.com. I&#8217;ll post your write-up on the site and credit you however you please.
Have a great weekend!
]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/09/prospect-camp/</link>
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		<title>Head on up to Lake Toews, where the locals bathe in victory</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Go ahead, dive in. You&#8217;ll immediately feel like a winner. Let&#8217;s just hope the bugs in Manitoba aren&#8217;t so big you&#8217;ll be naming them  John Scott.
Per Puck Daddy, the Canadian province will re-name one of it&#8217;s 400 million lakesafter Blackhawks captain  Jonathan Toews.  The damn kid has everything else, might as well give him his own body of water.
As dumb as I think all of this re-naming shit is after athletes for one reason or another, this is a hell of a lot better than some of the idiocy going on in Canada. For instance, an Edmonton couple recently named their [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/07/head-on-up-to-lake-toews-where-the-locals-bathe-in-victory/</link>
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		<title>Stu Grimson remembers Probert: &#8216;Bob was both a friend and a foe&#8217;</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
The tragic passing of former Chicago Blackhawk and legendary enforcer  Bob Probert  brought out the soft side in some of his fondest sparring partners.
Ken Daneyko  referred to Probert as a &#8220;teddy bear&#8221; off the ice, and  Tie Domi  has spoken nothing but kind words since learning of Probert&#8217;s death. They shared his personal struggles and related to Probert, knowing Probert dropped the gloves far less times to throw fists on the ice than he did to wage wars with himself  off it.
Stu Grimson  needed some time to compose himself  after learing of Probert&#8217;s death, remembering Probert as a man he [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/06/stu-grimson-remembers-probert-bob-was-both-a-friend-and-a-foe/</link>
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		<title>Comparing the Blackhawks to the Florida Marlins is downright stupid</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I know. The Blackhawks are 23 days removed from winning the Stanley Cup, and  Stan Bowman is crossing faces off the team photo like  Ace Ventura. It&#8217;s a lot to handle for &#8216;Hawks fans to see pieces of a championship team sent packing by management for financial reasons.
Nobody wanted to see it, yet everyone expected it. Now, nobody wants to accept it. Well, get over it. Panic all you want, but you knew this was coming &#8212; and there may be more, too.
The Atlanta Blackhawks Thrashers will sport at least five Stanley Cup rings next season with  Dustin Byfuglien,  Brent [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/07/02/comparing-the-blackhawks-to-the-florida-marlins-is-downright-stupid/</link>
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		<title>Byfuglien, Eager, Sopel traded to Atlanta for picks</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Per Jesse Rogers, in the first of what may be many salary cap-related trades, Stan Bowman  sent  Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel  and  Ben Eager  to the Atlanta Thrashers for a first- and second-round pick.
More details later as they come in, along with analysis.
UPDATE:  &#8216;Hawks receiving the 24th and 54th overall picks in Friday&#8217;s draft, plus prospect Jeremy Morin and veteran Marty Reasoner.
ANOTHER UPDATE:  &#8216;Hawks prospect  Akim Aliu  is included in the deal.
]]></description>
		<link>http://blackhawkup.com/2010/06/23/byfuglien-eager-sopel-traded-to-atlanta-for-picks/</link>
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