Stan Bowman Blackhawks-GM

Today was a good day to go to work and not follow any trade deadline telecasts, because Stan Bowman is who we thought he is… And we don’t need to let him off the hook!  Anyways enough Dennis Green,  The one thing I read on Twitter during a the afternoon after the deadline passed was something to the extent we aren’t going to make a trade just to trade.  I have said that phrase many times to some of my friends but it usually goes along with the only reason you play fantasy football is to wheel and deal and make trades.  Stan learned from his father the best thing is to win over the long haul and not sacrifice long term success on a one trick pony.  The Hawks have a very good young nucleus of players and the goal is to continue to grow the talent around the nucleus of Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane.

The way you build franchises is through the draft and not by making deals at the trade deadline.  Look at the past season, the steal of the draft had to be Brandon Saad who the Hawk took in the 2nd round and oh by the way in the 5th round was Andrew Shaw.  This doesn’t even include the top one or two prospects in the organization Phillip Danault who was the first round pick of the draft.  This past summer the Hawks with the ablility to make a pick for the best player available made possibly for two years in a row the steal in the draft by picking Teuvo Teravianen. This is how you build by getting steals in the drafts or getting Nick Leddy as a throw in to a trade deal.

Is Michal Handzus exciting as our big trade deadline deal…NO.  Can he be a piece that fits with the rest of the Chicago Blackhawks that are 27-5-4? Absolutely! The Hawks still have the best record in the Western Conference and didn’t need an overhaul.  Would another solid defenseman been helpful? Sure but they are always in demand at the deadline and a rental is not in the long term plans! Would a #2 Center been nice? Sure but again the price was too high.

Another reason Stan didn’t want to deal is one of the biggest things about hockey there is and that is chemistry.  When healthy this Hawks team has it with all four lines playing hard and playing their roles.  If you add a bunch of pieces you never know what kind of chemistry will come out of that mix.

Stan’s legacy will be made come this summer with how the Hawks do in the playoffs.  Legends win Championships and that is the shadow Stan wants to get out of and one he wants to cast on his own.

Deadline moves and notes

- The Hawks made minor trade sending Rockford Ice Hog Rob Flick to Boston for prospect Max Suave

- Brandon Bollig was recalled to the Blackhawks.

-Patrick Sharp is probably not playing Thursday night

-Marian Hossa should play Thursday night.

-Handzus will wear #26

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Mar 1, 2013; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brent Seabrook (7) is congratulated by his teammates for scoring a goal for scoring the game winning goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during overtime at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Blue Jackets 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-USA TODAY Sports

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.” Anonymous 

Back in the 1960’s there was a TV series called Mission Impossible. Not the Tom Cruise movies, although these were loosely based on the original TV series that took us on a journey every week with the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) team.

The IMF team faced different villains and different obstacles every week while trying to accomplish their mission. The IMF team was comprised of different operatives that possessed different skill sets that were needed to achieve success on their missions.

Although I don’t think it was ever revealed who the IMF really worked for it was implied it was some branch of the US government. The missions were most definitely black ops requiring the most skilled technicians.

Sounds a little familiar to Chicago Blackhawk fans doesn’t it? Every game that the Blackhawks play presents new challenges and obstacles to be overcome by the team. Each game you have no idea what particular set of skills will be needed or employed or what situation will arise to be overcome.  You never know whose shoulders the brunt of the mission will fall on. There is a different hero each time.

No one can dispute that this run that the Blackhawks are on is remarkable and probably they themselves did not think that what they are achieving would be possible. Then again it really isn’t all that surprising due to several factors.

Stan Bowman has assembled a team built around a core that already knows that the impossible is achievable and what it takes to succeed. Credit him with keeping the right members in the core and obtaining the right pieces to complement them.

Joel Quenneville has made adjustments this year and has righted some of the problems of the past two seasons. There is no question this year the team is more focused on the defense and playing as a team and supporting one another on ice. It is under Coach Q’s and his coaching teams’ constant reminder to the team of the mission at hand and keeping the team focused.

Then there is the almost flawless execution by the team on a game in and game out basis. Each team member has their specialty and skill sets that they know when to employ and which skills will work against which opponents.

Whether it is Jonathan Toews power rushes to the goal crease, Patrick Kane stickhandling wizardry that mesmerizes the opponent, Patrick Sharp’s snipping shots, Marian Hossa’s power moves or the teams defense which is operating with special forces like tactical precision the teams skill sets are evident. Every member of this team has specials skills which are too many to list.

The one common element each member has regardless of their skills is their ability to not only achieve the impossible, but to make it look fun and sometimes a little too easy.

Like everything, this will end sometime but until then each game is like a new exciting mission with an opponent looking to stop this team in an unknown script but with the same results – points to the Blackhawks and closer to achieving their goal.

Until the next game “Your mission, Jonny and team, should you decide to accept it, is…  Good luck, Jonny.” – 1

1 Intro used at the beginning of every Mission impossible show. Mission Impossible ran from 1966-1973 and was created by Bruce Gellar.

March 20, 2012; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Rick Nash (61) looks to pass against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-US PRESSWIRE

Today’s hockey headline states that the Columbus Blue Jackets have traded Rick Nash to the New York Rangers!  Another win for the Hawks in this off season of doing nothing but lounging by the pool and watching their division rivals lose ground.  It’s not the fact the Columbus lost its Captain and only star, but the fact the Detroit(or any other Central Division team) wasn’t able to weasel in and somehow manage to make a deal for Nash.

The other big news of the week will be whether the Nashville Predators match Shea Weber’s restricted free agent contract that he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.  Weber was only the 7th restricted free agent to sign an offer sheet since the new collective bargaining agreement was signed in 2005.  If the Predators lose Weber they could be in line to get 4 first round draft picks back in return for compensation.  Losing Weber though, would mean losing both of their superstar defenseman this off season, and back to being boring and now starless without a great defense.  This would be a another huge win for the Chicago BlackHawks.

It’s like the golfer that’s way behind but doesn’t do much but just shoot pars and still wins the tournament because everyone else is blowing up around him.  Stan Bowman is pure genius by doing absolutely nothing!!  He has to have a lot of faith in the system he is building!

Minus a strike/lockout we are only 63 days away from the first pre-season game!! Let’s get this summer over with!!

What do you think of Stan’s lack of moves?

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!

Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

Who knew that the Blackhawks signing of Sheldon Brookbank might be the most significant move in the Central Division this offseason?  News has broken that Nashville Predators captain Shea Weber has signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers.  It is being reported that the contract is worth $100 million over 14 years.  The exact type of contract the owners are trying to outlaw in the new CBA. I fully expect the Preds to match this offer just because they have to, right?  There is no way general manager David Poile can let both Weber and Ryan Suter walk within weeks of each other.  If he doesn’t match the offer he can do himself a favor and just get in the unemployment line right now.

If Weber heads east the Preds become a team with a very average defense at best.  This helps the Hawks, big time! The Detroit Red Wings, who were expected to be a major player this summer, will lose out on another big name and yet again fail to improve their team.  The St Louis Blues have not made much noise this summer either.  Was last year’s 109 points a fluke? It looks like their management is satisfied in finding out if last season can be repeated with essentially the same group.  So the Hawks have improved their chances within the Central by standing pat so far. Stan Bowman has been getting hammered for not bringing in a big free agent but, at least he has done a good job at keeping his core players intact. I for one am huge fan of both Weber and Suter out of the division, sorry Smashville.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

The Blackhawks, or should I say Joel Quenneville, has hired Jamie Kompon as their new assistant coach.  Kompon comes from the reigning Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings.  He also spent 9 years in St Louis where he served as an assistant, along side Mike Kitchen, under Q.  Kompon was in charge of the Kings power play for much of last season.  The Kings were middle of the pack in PP% last season finishing at 17%, nearly 2% higher than the Blackhawks.  They scored 49 power play goals for the season, just seven more than Chicago’s 42.  I knew that this was going to be a Q hire back when the Hawks let go of Mike Haviland at season’s end. Haviland was in place when Quenneville took over the team and wasn’t on of his “guys.”  I wrote that Stan Bowman was going let Q bring in another buddy so he can give Joel even more rope to hang himself with.  There is no way that Bowman didn’t have thoughts of firing Quenneville last season.  Maybe it was during the 9 game losing streak.  Maybe it was during stretches of the season where the Hawks power play unit couldn’t find the back of the net with a GPS.  Maybe it was after another disappointing 1st round exit, but he had to have thought of making a change.  Now he has an out if things don’t improve.  He can say that the team is under the direction of Quenneville and the guys he brought in so it’s time for a change.  Hopefully things do not get to that point.  In the grand scheme of things, I don’t think assistant coaches are the difference between winning Stanley Cups and making the first overall pick in the draft.  The bottom line with this team is the players need to perform up to their full ability.

Thank you for reading, be sure to follow me on Twitter @SAMotherPucker

Mar 9, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (4) is defended by New York Rangers center Brian Boyle (22) during the first period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

Free agency starts this Sunday, and the biggest name that has been rumored to get traded to free up cap-space room before this season’s  free agency has been Niklas Hjalmarsson.  What are the odds that he actually gets moved?  If you look at all the trades that GM Stan Bowman has completed in the past calendar year, the odds are not very strong that Hjalmarsson gets moved.  Here is the list of all the trades that have affected the roster since July 1, 2011.

-traded Brian Connelly to the Calgary Flames for Brendan Morrison

-traded 2013 2nd and 3rd round draft picks to Winnipeg Jets for Johnny Oduya

-traded John Scott to the NY Rangers for a 2012 5th round draft pick

That’s it, since last years free agent signing period.  Three trades is all Bowman has done in 365 calendar days, so that the growing expectations that fans have that the Hawks are going to do some big moves are really unfounded.  Since bailing out the Hawks from salary cap jail, Bowman has not been a man of action, but a man that plans to continually build the roster from within while trying to add veteran guys to fill in the holes.  Here is the list of last season’s free agent signings at the July 1 date

-Steve Montador

-Jamal Mayers

-Sean O’Donnell

-Andrew Brunette

-Daniel Carcillo

Last season’s big splash were four old guys and a borderline lunatic on skates. Only Mayers came in and played to the expectations that were set for him which granted him another season in Chicago. The last part of the Bowman plan fails! The old veteran guys do not work out with the young core.

There are  stories circulating  that the Hawks ownership wants to shake out of the first round busts mode, and get back to the promised land of the 2010 Stanley Cup Champs.  Bowman seems to have a course set and it doesn’t look like he’s about to change that course no matter the speculation or expectations.  The problem with the course set by Bowman is that even though they are very young , the Hawks core continue to put NHL seasons and games in their rear view mirror.  Bowman must get these guys the right pieces to truly compete for the Stanley Cup in the 2012-2013 season.. If Bowman doesn’t find a trade to his liking for Hjalmarsson or Michael Frolik there will not be a lot of money to go after any free agents of significance.

Will Hjalmarsson get moved by July 4? or will there be any other trades announced in the coming week?  Time will tell but if recent history has anything to say about it #4 will remain wearing the Indian Sweater come October. What do you think will be the outcome of Hjalmarsson? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!

April 12, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; NHL linesman Lonnie Cameron (74) and linesman Shane Heyer (55) separate Phoenix Coyotes right wing Shane Doan (19) and Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) in game one of the 2012 Western Conference quarterfinals at Jobing.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE

There must have been assigned seating at the recently concluded NHL Players Union meeting in Chicago.  Jonathan Toews, after attending the meetings, spoke of his new bff at these meetings Shane Doan, and how he started to try to persuade the Phoenix Coyotes veteran to join him in Chicago. Doan is going to be a free agent come July 1.

This had to be music to the ears of Doan’s agent!  Another team and a young superstar trying to get Doan’s services.  Doan played his rookie season in Winnipeg before relocating with the team to the desert to become a Coyote.  I’m sure the organization will be hoping for the hometown discount, but when another team that loves having its “veteran presence” guys could be  showing interest, it can only drive up his final contract dollars.

Doan has been extremely consistent in his NHL career.  Since 1999-2000 he has scored at least 18 goals in each season and he has tallied between 49 and 70 points in those season.  Unfortunately for him, until this past off season, he was also consistent in never reaching the second round of the playoffs.  Mike Smith finally led the way out of the desert playoff wilderness for Doan and right into the conference finals, before getting defeated by the soon to be crowned Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings. Doan is a guy you hate to play against, but a guy you would like to have on your roster because he’s an agitator with offensive ability to put pucks into the net.

The negatives in Doan coming to Chicago is that he will turn 36 when the season begins in October.  The veteran presence approach of GM Stan Bowman and Coach Quenneville seem to be in love with also seems to fail each season.  It’s as if the Indian sweater is kryptonite for anyone over the age of 35 to wear.  Instead of a veteran leader its as if the jersey turns them into a WWII veteran and they become old and slow on a team that thrives on its speed and puck possession. Toews may like to have Doan on his team because the team lacks his kind of turd mind set with offensive skills, but if the Hawks were serious they would be trying to make room for other free agents (Zach Parise, Ryan Suter) that are younger and fit into the game that the Hawks thrive in.

Shane Doan would probably work out in a Hawks jersey, but in the end he probably will just finish his career in the Phoenix. It’s hard for old guys to change habits after 17 years. This is a perfect guy for Bowman, but it feels more like after days of listening to CBA talks that turned into fantasy hockey roster building for the Captain.  So don’t expect Doan to come out with I’m taking my talents to the Windy City anytime soon, or maybe Toews knows more than we think?  July 1 is just around the corner though!

LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!!

James Guillory-US PRESSWIRE

It’s time for Stan Bowman to make his mark on this franchise in a positive way.  The Blackhawks have gone from Stanley Cup champions, to a team that has lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of last two seasons.  I know this isn’t sitting well with Hawks season ticket holders and fans, so it sure as hell better be eating away at the Hawks upper management.  It is time to show the fans and the rest of the NHL that the Chicago Blackhawks mean business are not satisfied with the last two playoff runs.  The best way to send that message is to make a run at free agent Zach Parise.

There are many reasons why the Hawks should sign Parise that go beyond what he can do on the ice.  The first and foremost reason is to prevent the Detroit Red Wings from signing him.  The Wings are team that is getting older but have a ton of cap space to sign both Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter.  Bowman can not allow the Wings to grab these two young studs in the same offseason.  The Pittsburgh Penguins cleared a lot of cap space with the trades of Jordan Staal and Zbynek Michalek last Friday.  I think it is clear that the Pens plan on taking a major run at Suter, because after their playoff debacle versus the Flyers, they need a lot of help on the blue line.  If Suter goes to Pittsburgh, than the Wings will be going full force after Parise.

Speaking of cap space the Blackhawks should have plenty to play around with.  The cap has gone up to $70.3 million dollar per team.  This leaves the Hawks $8.2 million under the salary cap.  Parise made $6 million last year, so I would expect to get a raise with this contract.  The Hawks have been creative in spreading their money out over many years to ease up on the cap hit.  Take a look at the contracts of Marian Hossa and Duncan Keith.  I would imagine Parise will get a similar contract in order to give his new team some cap relieve.  It is no secret that the Hawks would love to move the contracts of Niklas Hjalmarsson, Steve Montador and Michael Frolik.  The Hawks have over $8.5 million invested in these three players.  If they can somehow find a taker for all three that will give the Blackhawks nearly $17 million in cap space.  That is more than enough to be a serious player this summer.  Stan Bowman needs to step up and show the hockey world that he has the stones to be a major force in the NHL.

Charles LeClaire-US PRESSWIRE

It is clear to me that Stan Bowman was looking to restock an already loaded farm system this weekend in Pittsburgh.  He choose some highly skilled, young talent that all need some time before they can be considered for a trip to Chicago.  Considering Rockford is full of guys who will be challenging for a spot on the NHL roster this is a smart strategy.  The Hawks have guys like Ben Smith, Jeremy Morrin, Brandon Saad, Brandon Pirri, Mark McNeill and Kyle Beach waiting in the wings there is no need to draft guys who need to be rushed through they system.  With the players StanBo drafted it makes me wonder if there are some trades involving some of these top prospects in the works.

The  first round of the draft proved how deep this year’s class of defensemen really was.  8 of the first 10 picks were blue liners, and a total of 13 were selected in the first round.  As I wrote on Friday morning, I wanted the Hawks to grab a defenseman.  The one player that kept falling was Olli Maatta, the Finnish defenseman from the London Knights of the OHL.  He might have been the most complete, all around defenseman in the draft and he was there for taking at 18.  When Brandon Saad announced the name Teuvo Teravinen I was a bit taken back and a little upset they didn’t take Maatta.  As I researched the newest Blackhawks I started to like the pick more and more.  A lot of experts said the Blackhawks got a steal by landing Teravinen and a couple even said he is talented enough to be a top 5 pick.  Bowman went for the best player on the board instead of going after a need and may have hit the jackpot.  Teravinen is forward who can play as either a center or winger. He is a solid scorer with very good playmaking and fantastic on ice vision. He has excellent hockey sense and is a very good puck handler. Teuvo is very creative and calm with the puck and effective on the powerplay. He is able to play his way out of trouble but needs to gain strength.  He will continue to play in Finland next season and is a couple of years away from competing for a NHL spot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAraQyGVB3c

The second day of the draft was a very busy day for the Blackhawks as they selected seven more prospects.  The Hawks picked offensive minded defenseman Dillon Fournier from Rouyn-Noranda of the QMJHL.  Fournier is an excellent skater.  He has good top end speed and quick acceleration.  He uses his edges well and makes tight precise turns and pivots.  Defensively, his plus-level skating allows him to take additional offensive chances in the QMJHL and still recover defensively.  Fournier has had some injury problems including being shutdown last March for a shoulder injury that required surgery.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71tJaQbCrP8

The Hawks selected winger Chris Calnan in the third round who is the nephew of Blackhawks great Jeremy Roenick.  Calnan’s stock rose in the combine as he finished in the top ten in of 14 of the 29 strength and endurance events and finished in the top 5 in 10 of those 14.  He has a big 6’2 frame who could fill out nicely.  The Hawks traded their 4th round pick to San Jose for an extra 5th round pick this year and a 4th round pick in the 2013 draft.  They used those two 5th round picks to draft winger Garrett Ross and defenseman Travis Ross.  Local prospect Vincent Hinostroza was drafted by the Hawks in the 6th round. The Blackhawks rounded out their draft by taking a pair of goalies, Brandon Whitney and Matt Tomkins, in the 7th and 8th rounds.

There are no Brandon Saads or Andrew Shaws in this draft class.  There is no one that is going to make a fast rise to the pros or make any type of impact in Chicago any time soon.  Bowman drafted some projects for the future who have some good skill sets.  There is no way to possibly grade this class for at least 2 years.  With a deep farm system full of many good prospects this was the smart way to draft this year.

Bruce Fedyck-US PRESSWIRE

As we get closer to Friday night’s first round of the draft the trade rumors are swirling around the interwebs at a rapid pace.  Friday night should be very interesting and exciting.  Not only will the night be filled with the stars of the future, but we could see some stars of today getting a change of scenery.  There are a lot of big names flying around this time of year, so with that being said, all of this article is pure speculation.

The most intriguing name that has come up in the last couple of days is Evander Kane  of the Winnipeg Jets.   It sounds like Kane and the Jets are not close to agreeing on a long term deal and they might be looking to move the 20 year old forward.  Of all the names that have come up the last week or so, this is the one that makes the most sense for the Blackhawks.  Kane is a physical forward who has a big offensive upside.  Kane set career highs this past season with 30 goals and 27 assists.  He is the right combination of offensive skill and toughness.  I think a line with E. Kane, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews would be a fantastic combination.  Kane will turn 21 and has 3 full seasons in the NHL so if he is truly available Stan Bowman better be making some phone calls.

Another interesting name that is reportedly on the block is Brandon Dubinsky of the New York Rangers. Dubinsky is coming off the worst offensive season of his career, which could be the reason the Blue Shirts want to move the 26 year old center.  Brandon only scored 10 goals this past season and added a mere 24 assists in 77 games.  I wouldn’t think the Blackhawks will have any interest in Dubinsky, despite the need for another solid center.  First off, the Hawks already have a Dubinsky on the team, his name is Dave Bolland.  And secondly, there is no way they would want to take his $4.2 million cap hit for the next three seasons.

Talked is heating up again that the Anaheim Ducks  are looking to trade Bobby Ryan.  Why in the world they would want to move their best young player is beyond me.  Reports say that the Ducks had a trade all but done with the Buffalo Sabres to send Ryan and goaltender Jonas Hiller to Buffalo for Ryan Miller.   The Ducks pulled their offer back after Miller suffered a concussion due to a hit from Boston’s Milan Lucic. It will be interesting to see if Buffalo tries to revisit this deal.  If Ryan is truly available he will be the prize offseason acquisition but will come with a very steep price.  Whoever can complete a trade for Ryan will be getting a 24 forward, who has scored at least 31 goals in each of the last 4 seasons, who is under contract through 2015.  He does come with a $5.1 million dollar cap hit as well.

The Blackhawks should look into acquiring either Kane or Ryan.  The have one of the highest rated farm systems that is loaded with prospects.  I have no problem parting ways with a Jeremy Morrin or Mark McNeill if that means getting a 30 goal scorer, in his early 20s, who has already proven themselves at the NHL level.  Some people question  Stan Bowman, whether or not he has the guts to pull off a big trade or not.  You would think the front office would want to make a big splash this summer after back to back 1st round exits.  The Hawks have plenty of young talent to be able to trade with anyone.  They will also need to get creative and try and move guys like Niklas Hjalmarsson and Michael Frolik. 

Friday night will be a very exciting night for hockey fans.  We might get a peek at the direction the Blackhawks and other teams are heading.  Will Rick Nash finally punch his ticket out of Columbus?  Will the disgruntled Roberto Luongo be sent packing?  It should make for a very fun night in the social media universe.  Be sure to check back all weekend as Blackhawk Up will have all your draft news covered.