What was Chicago thinking?

[BlackhawksFan 4]

When someone finds out, let me know.

[rage 24]

If they get Huet playing strong come playoff time, I don't any reason as to why they can't win the West.

[Selke13 0]

i made all the points to my buddy earlier who is a hawks fan. i gave him that link to that article from the examiner about hollands cap manipulations yesterday (was in another thread). told him tallons going to have some work ahead of him. huet/campbell salaries + hossa + toews/kane/keith getting paid = the rest 4th liners.

[Snazzy 0]

It appears that Chicago didn't upgrade, they just played musical chairs and got older.

Havlet put up more points than Hossa

Pahlson > Kopecky (haha! - great move Chi-town)

Madden? Isn't he like 40?

Now their gonna lose role players like Versteeg... and their future is in jeopardy

Not a good day if you're a Chicago fan.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Snazzy

[HadThomasVokounOnFortSt 878]

It appears that Chicago didn't upgrade, they just played musical chairs and got older.

Havlet put up more points than Hossa

Pahlson > Kopecky (haha! - great move Chi-town)

Madden? Isn't he like 40?

Now their gonna lose role players like Versteeg... and their future is in jeopardy

Not a good day if you're a Chicago fan.

They will just have to wait tell the season starts to face it, I guess.

[gcom007 1,465]

Everyone and their mother can see that this is going to get interesting after this season. First thing they said on TSN when reviewing this. Great, great deal for 1 year and ultimately a great price for Hossa, but where does this leave them after next year? In a lot of trouble.

But as some here and some writers have said, Hossa at a $5.2 million cap hit won't be hard to move if it comes to that. Hell, if they wanted to move Hossa, I'm sure the Wings would take him off their hands if they were willing to trade within the division. Our biggest cap issues exist heading into this year. We'll be in a lot better shape every year after this one. While it's silly to take the idea too far, somehow, I wouldn't be shocked if it wound up happening.

Bottom line again though, they're going to have a lot of big decisions to make next year. They're shooting for a Cup this year, no doubt. John Madden was a solid signing as well. And to those saying adding Hossa is a wash because they lost Havlat, don't kid yourselves. Havlat's frequent injuries are no longer a concern for the Hawks and generally speaking, Hossa's a much better goal scorer and two-way player plus he's got more strength and size than Havlat. Madden (former Selke winner) and Hossa will help tremendously in leading that team to play better team defense. So don't kid yourselves into thinking Hossa's not a major upgrade just because you're still bitter he didn't have the playoffs we would've liked to see from him. Expect the Hawks to also tighten up the defense as time goes on by trade as they have plenty of good offensive prospects they can afford to lose to tighten up the D. If Huet simply finds a way to play descent, they're likely to have a very successful year.

Again, don't forget who's got a hand in steering this ship. Scotty Bowman's all over the Hossa and Madden deals; two-way guys. They've got plenty of firepower and moving forward they're going to be more defensively responsible as well. I don't know if they'll have enough to win it all this year as their are still plenty of question marks, but you've got to be silly to not include them among the discussion of Western elite teams at this point...even with Huet.

[gcom007 1,465]

It appears that Chicago didn't upgrade, they just played musical chairs and got older.

Havlet put up more points than Hossa

Pahlson > Kopecky (haha! - great move Chi-town)

Madden? Isn't he like 40?

Now their gonna lose role players like Versteeg... and their future is in jeopardy

Not a good day if you're a Chicago fan.

Madden's older (36) but he's a solid guy still and he'll help influence this team to play two-way hockey and bring a lot of veteran, Cup-winning experience. He won the Selke in '01 and has come up 2nd in voting 3 times since, including in 2008. This is exactly the kind of guy you would expect a team that employs Scotty Bowman to sign. Think about how often the Wings brought in guys like this that people balked at. Especially considering Chicago's youth, Madden was a great pickup.

Edited July 2, 2009 by gcom007

[Snazzy 0]

Everyone and their mother can see that this is going to get interesting after this season. First thing they said on TSN when reviewing this. Great, great deal for 1 year and ultimately a great price for Hossa, but where does this leave them after next year? In a lot of trouble.

But as some here and some writers have said, Hossa at a $5.2 million cap hit won't be hard to move if it comes to that. Hell, if they wanted to move Hossa, I'm sure the Wings would take him off their hands if they were willing to trade within the division. Our biggest cap issues exist heading into this year. We'll be in a lot better shape every year after this one. While it's silly to take the idea too far, somehow, I wouldn't be shocked if it wound up happening.

Bottom line again though, they're going to have a lot of big decisions to make next year. They're shooting for a Cup this year, no doubt. John Madden was a solid signing as well. And to those saying adding Hossa is a wash because they lost Havlat, don't kid yourselves. Havlat's frequent injuries are no longer a concern for the Hawks and generally speaking, Hossa's a much better goal scorer and two-way player plus he's got more strength and size than Havlat. Madden (former Selke winner) and Hossa will help tremendously in leading that team to play better team defense. So don't kid yourselves into thinking Hossa's not a major upgrade just because you're still bitter he didn't have the playoffs we would've liked to see from him. Expect the Hawks to also tighten up the defense as time goes on by trade as they have plenty of good offensive prospects they can afford to lose to tighten up the D. If Huet simply finds a way to play descent, they're likely to have a very successful year.

Again, don't forget who's got a hand in steering this ship. Scotty Bowman's all over the Hossa and Madden deals; two-way guys. They've got plenty of firepower and moving forward they're going to be more defensively responsible as well. I don't know if they'll have enough to win it all this year as their are still plenty of question marks, but you've got to be silly to not include them among the discussion of Western elite teams at this point...even with Huet.

^ I disagree.

And how do we know Hossa's contact doesn't have a No Trade Clause? just curious

Edited July 2, 2009 by Snazzy

[A.T.Hun 0]

Everyone and their mother can see that this is going to get interesting after this season. First thing they said on TSN when reviewing this. Great, great deal for 1 year and ultimately a great price for Hossa, but where does this leave them after next year? In a lot of trouble.

That's it right there. I applaud them for going all-in for next season. When's the last time the 'Hawks made a serious push for a Cup? Even if they didn't sign Hossa they were going to be in cap Hades at the end of next season. Might as well strike while the iron is hot! The fly in the ointment as several have pointed out is Huet. It's expecting a lot for him to guide them to the Promised Land when he hasn't so much as won a single series in the playoffs.

Edited July 2, 2009 by A.T.Hun

[gcom007 1,465]

^ I disagree.

And how do we know Hossa's contact doesn't have a No Trade Clause? just curious

You disagree with what and why?

And I don't know about Hossa and a NTC. If anything, I hope he does. That would make it more likely that he could be traded to Detroit as he'd have a hand in determing where he goes whereas if he doesn't, the Hawks likely wouldn't trade him to a division rival if they needed to move him.

[Snazzy 0]

Madden's older (36) but he's a solid guy still and he'll help influence this team to play two-way hockey and bring a lot of veteran, Cup-winning experience. He won the Selke in '01 and has come up 2nd in voting 3 times since, including in 2008. This is exactly the kind of guy you would expect a team that employs Scotty Bowman to sign. Think about how often the Wings brought in guys like this that people balked at. Especially considering Chicago's youth, Madden was a great pickup.

But does he outweigh what they are going to lose?

Call me skeptical, but I'm not convinced that Chicago made a significant upgrade this offseason. In fact, they probably took a step back by losing their #1 goalie.

[Snazzy 0]

You disagree with what and why?

And I don't know about Hossa and a NTC. If anything, I hope he does. That would make it more likely that he could be traded to Detroit as he'd have a hand in determing where he goes whereas if he doesn't, the Hawks likely wouldn't trade him to a division rival if they needed to move him.

Pretty much all of it. It's hard to believe that Hossa didn't include a NTC in his contract. He said he wants to be on a team long term, a NTC buys him that reinsurance.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

They're thinking Chicago Blackhawks, 2010 Stanley Cup Champions.

Subtext: We'll worry about how the shrinking cap affects the impending RFA status of our top 3 players next summer.

[rage 24]

I can't believe we are talking about Hossa being traded to Detroit after this season, or at all for that matter!!!

He'll never play for the Wings again in his career.

Time to move on folks.

[Drake_Marcus 890]

When someone finds out, let me know.

Yeah, sorry dude. I just can't understand how Tallon decided that the youth movement, now that it was showing very clear benefits, no longer required his attention. I mean why should he worry about how he's going to sign his top two forwards and number one d-man next season under a shrinking cap? Cool stuff is available now! Tallon must have serious ADD.

[gcom007 1,465]

But does he outweigh what they are going to lose?

Call me skeptical, but I'm not convinced that Chicago made a significant upgrade this offseason. In fact, they probably took a step back by losing their #1 goalie.

I think adding Hossa and Madden indicates that Chicago is trying to get their forwards who already know how to score goals to think about both ends of the ice. They brought in a PK-specialist who's won a Selke and is freqently in the running and a superstar that is defensively responsible. That's going to change the dynamic of this teams offensive lines for the better without a doubt. They're forwards are going to be more well-rounded. So I say yes, it's worth it and I think the majority of commentators agree. Most have been saying it's hard to fault Chicago's moves today if you're just considering next year. After that, well, time will tell...

If they strengthen up their D through trade, that will just make them all the tougher. If they have stronger defensive pairings and a more defensively responsible offensive group, Huet won't have to be great for this team to win a lot of games. Scoring goals will not be an issue for the this squad. While I don't like it longrun and I'm not sure it can win a Cup, much like the Wings were this year, even if you can't help but give up 3-4 goals more often than not, if you score 4-5 goals, you're still going to win. And I don't think it will be that bad for them either. And who knows, Huet could come out and earn at least some of his contract money especially if given a bit more help in the defensive zone.

So sure, there are question marks, but if you look at the league, most teams have question marks. Like it or not, even the Detroit Red Wings have some question marks this year.

[Lovin Jiri Fischer 147]

I can't believe we are talking about Hossa being traded to Detroit after this season, or at all for that matter!!!

He'll never play for the Wings again in his career.

Time to move on folks.

Honestly, I think if he did have a say in where he was traded, Detroit would be his first choice.

[rage 24]

Yeah, sorry dude. I just can't understand how Tallon decided that the youth movement, now that it was showing very clear benefits, no longer required his attention. I mean why should he worry about how he's going to sign his top two forwards and number one d-man next season under a shrinking cap? Cool stuff is available now! Tallon must have serious ADD.

Yeah, I guess he really wanted to show Detroit by signing Hossa and Kopecky.

[gcom007 1,465]

Yeah, sorry dude. I just can't understand how Tallon decided that the youth movement, now that it was showing very clear benefits, no longer required his attention. I mean why should he worry about how he's going to sign his top two forwards and number one d-man next season under a shrinking cap? Cool stuff is available now! Tallon must have serious ADD.

If there's one person I trust more than Holland to put a team together, it's most certainly Scotty Bowman. He may not be the GM, but if anyone thinks he's in Chicago merely collecting dust, they're kidding themselves. I think his influence is pretty obvious when looking at who they signed, and that said, I don't doubt that they know what they're doing. I don't know what will happen and what direction they'll go in next year, but I've got a lot of faith in their management to figure it out so long as Bowman is involved on some level. Holland may win and deserve the best GM awards, but Bowman's still got the best hockey brain and that brain is currently employed by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Edited July 2, 2009 by gcom007

[Uncle Danny 155]

If there's one person I trust more than Holland to put a team together, it's most certainly Scotty Bowman. He may not be the GM, but if anyone thinks he's in Chicago merely collecting dust, they're kidding themselves. I think his influence is pretty obvious when looking at who they signed, and that said, I don't doubt that they know what they're doing. I don't know what will happen and what direction they'll go in next year, but I've got a lot of faith in their management to figure it out so long as Bowman is involved on some level. Holland may win and deserve the best GM awards, but Bowman's still got the best hockey brain and that brain is currently employed by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Bowman has proven himself to be the greatest hockey brain ever time and time again by adjusting the needs of the current market...from players as cogs to players as prima-donnas to, to, to...

One era he hasn't yet proven himself in is the cap era. This is new territory to him, at 70, just like it is to the rest of the NHL. A couple things have me questioning his ability to once again keep up with the times. The first is his age. The old adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks has to catch up with his Scotty-ness at some point. He's no spring chicken, after all. The second is that his prior stint as Gm didn't go so well... in fact, if I'm remembering correctly (and I'm happy to be proven wrong by those with more energy for Google than I have at the moment) it led to one of his few stints that led to zero Stanley Cups.

That's not to discount his importance in the Chicago think tank. I'm just saying, let's not get ahead of ourselves here proclaiming that he's fourteen steps ahead of Kenny, especially given that he holds no real title.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

One era he hasn't yet proven himself in is the cap era. This is new territory to him, at 70, just like it is to the rest of the NHL. A couple things have me questioning his ability to once again keep up with the times. The first is his age. The old adage that you can't teach an old dog new tricks has to catch up with his Scotty-ness at some point.

Considering he coached teams to the Finals 34 years apart, I think he's got a good handle on the evolving game.

He's no spring chicken, after all. The second is that his prior stint as Gm didn't go so well...

He was the GM of the Wings from 1994 to 1997, orchestrating the Shanny trade among other moves that made the foundation of the Red Wings dynasty that Kenny Holland then inherited. Before that, he was in the front office of the Pittsburgh Penguins, eventually stepping into the GM's role when Bob Johnson died, where they won their back to back titles.

[Theophany 110]

Pretty much all of it. It's hard to believe that Hossa didn't include a NTC in his contract. He said he wants to be on a team long term, a NTC buys him that reinsurance.

Hossa doesn't dictate what goes into the contract, FYI. That's why it's a contract.

If the Hawks didn't want to give him a NTC, it's unlikely that he'd get one. If there was a NTC involved, we'd probably know by now, since it's one of the biggest signings of the day.

[Snazzy 0]

Hossa doesn't dictate what goes into the contract, FYI. That's why it's a contract.

If the Hawks didn't want to give him a NTC, it's unlikely that he'd get one. If there was a NTC involved, we'd probably know by now, since it's one of the biggest signings of the day.

FYI Hossa can chose if he wants to sign the contract. So actually he does dictate what he wants. If want's a NTC, he doesn't have to sign and he can then go on to negotiate with other teams, and I'm sure there was a lot that had him in their sights.

It's hard to fathom Hossa would sign a contract with a trade clause. Especially since he wants "stability".

Edited July 2, 2009 by Snazzy

[Probie 7]

If Hawks are able to Move either Cambell or Huet anytime before they have to resign those players next year, they can get it done. It might be hard to move one of them, but if they sweeten the deal, add a prospect to the deal or a pick, it could be done

If i was Chicago i would have been all over Conklin as an insurance policy, things could get rough in the windy city.

[therock48880 14]

If Lidstrom retires after next season, I hope Holland throws a RFA contract at Keith. I'm sure he won't, but that would help shore up the D for a long time.