Give Pahlsson trade a chance
Why all the fuss about trading James Wisniewski? Because he's a character and a good guy?
He was also the Hawks' fifth or sixth defenseman who appeared to be less spunky than in the past, maybe because of his knee injuries.
I wish Sami Pahlsson could play right away too, but we're going to have to wait while he recovers from mono.
Did anyone think the Hawks could get through at least a round of the playoffs without a center to play behind Toews and Bolland? Kris Versteeg wasn't going to cut it.
Pahlsson is a terrific defensive center, and the Hawks are going to need him to play against guys like Sundin, Thornton and Datsyuk in the playoffs.
Dale Tallon is getting ripped by a lot of fans, but he didn't make this trade on his own. Scotty Bowman and Joel Quenneville both endorsed the deal and wanted Pahlsson.
This is a good trade, provided Pahlsson gets healthy in the next few weeks. We'll find out for sure in the playoffs.
As for the defense, Cam Barker has been playing better than Wisniewski. So has Matt Walker on many nights. Wisniewski was expendable.
Going to The Bruins Game Today,the 7th.... The Bruins are not looking to good in the last 12 games 3-6-3 so I hope we pounce on them for some quick ones..I think the B's are going to try to pound us... hopefully we can withstand there size, and give them a dose of there own medicine. GO HAWKS
This won't get the Hawks the Cup; it won't get them through the second round.
Go to NHL.com and look at goal scoring stats in this league. You won't find Hawks players listed...
They need a serious goalscorer on this team- game breaking goal scoring.
This trade didn't do it.
http://betweenthepipes.wordpress.com/2009/03/05/blackhawks-trade-leaves-...
I don't know Tim. I read it and re-read it, and it just looks like it was written sometime ago.
It's just that it reads like Skille plays in Chicago in 2009-10 no matter what, Crawford is gone, and Beach WILL also be a Hawk next season since he was "on the doorstep."
The post training camp quotes of tallon seem timely, except for the "We gotta get Hjalmarsson back here" quote.
I did find the Tallon quote on Crawford curious: "He (Crawford understood he is going to get a chance somewhere."
Does that mean his contract rights are traded at the draft?
I guess I wrote the story a couple weeks before it appeared. They want Skille to play here next year and if he doesn't, then I think he never will. Either Crawford or Niemi likely will back up Huet next season, as it stands now. Niemi might not re-sign as a UFA if he doesn't feel he will be the No. 2 guy. Why wouldn't Beach have a good chance to stick if he has a good camp.
I'm not sure if I answered what you were getting at.
While you're there pull up the team stats and you'll notice they're second in the NHL to the Wings in goals scored per game. Goal scoring is not there problem. Face offs and the PK has become there problem. That's what this trade is attempting to remedy.
If you look at the goals scored against Edmonton, Phoenix, Dallas and Colorado, that amounts to 66 goals! Almost half their total goal production is against 4 teams!!! If you cut the production against those four teams in half, the GPG drops to 2.79; 16th place! If you throw in a couple other laughers the Hawks had where they blew the other team away they’d fall further.
Check this out: In games where the Hawks scored 3 goals or less, they’re 13-15-6. In games where they scored 2 goals or less, they’re 2-13-4; 13 out of the Hawks 17 losses they scored less than 2 goals!!
The Hawks, my friend, suffer from the “all or nothing” syndrome. They have a tendency to score in bunches. If hey don't score more than three goals they have a tough time winning. In the playoffs, that's not a recipe for success.
66 goals of a total of 206 goals in not even close to half. You can't just remove games or pretend there outcome was different in order to make your point. It doesn't work that way. All the points your attempting to make can be said for every team in the NHL. Most teams lose when they score less than two goals in any one game. Do a little research on the Wings and see if you don't find a similar result. Find the four teams they scored the most of off, halve it and recalculate the GPG and see where they rank.
TSN reports that
"He is currently on injured reserve recovering from an abdominal strain and a viral infection."
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=269749
abdominal strains are notorious for being slow to heal & fully recover from.
I saw that on TSN. I checked with the Ducks beat writer at the Orange County Register and he said the ab strain was an old injury and not what was keeping him out now. Only the mono. He's supposed to report Sunday and maybe skate Monday or Tuesday.
hopefully he's in the lineup for the last 10 games to give Q time to figure out what linemates to give him and for him to get adjusted to his new teammates.
I think the problem I have with the trade is I think the Hawks panicked. I was watching NHL Live and it was being reported that Dominic Moore was coming to the Hawks and that was reported for some time and then Toronto denied it after that he goes to Buffalo. I don’t remember if it was said what Chicago offered, but I bet Brian Burke looked and it and then Buffalo offered a 2nd Round pick, which must have been better than our deal.
At that point I think the Hawks panicked, because they thought they would not get the center that they wanted and then over paid for Pahlsson. So if you go by reports the Hawks were after Moore first and then gave up more later to Anaheim to get Pahlsson then Buffalo did to get Moore (who is younger and has better numbers).
Let face it San Jose got better and Calgary got a lot better and let not forget Vancouver got their dead line guy in January when they signed Sundin. This might win us a round, if we don’t lose 4th to the Canucks. Even if we don’t a series with Vancouver is going to be a tough hill to climb. Oh, returning from mono isn’t easy, so he may to be 100% even in the playoffs. Then if we don’t resign Pahlsson then we got nothing for Wiz (he was a restricted free agents, which means we would have gotten something even if he signed with someone else).
who made Pahlsson available just before the Hawks were about to acquire Moore...
obviously the Hawks wanted Pahlsson over Moore, and paid Murray & Anaheim accordingly.
Pahlsson's playoff experience obviously gives him an edge over Moore, but what reassurances did the hawks get about Pahlsson's health before making this deal?
according to TSN, he doesn't just have mono, he also has an abdominal strain which can be very slow to heal - what happens if he doesn't fully recover and is ineffective down the stretch & in the playoffs?
if he is a flop the rest of this season, the hawks could have taken a run at him when he became a UFA without giving up the assets they did...
they took a gamble - if he helps them beyond the first round, it will be a success, if they don't get out of the first (which imo is a very distinct possibility), not only will this deal be suspect, but not getting something for havlat & khabi while the getting was good, will also be suspect.
If the hawks wanted Moore they could have given Toronto back the second rounder they recvd from Montreal that was the Toronto pick.
I don't think the hawks were paying with second rounder for a guy that was going to be difficult to sign like D Moore will be.
He is fourth year pro.
If everything I have listened to from podcast to interviews was true, the team was looking for a veteran presence, the best face-off man available and a guy they felt they could resign.
If you give a second rounder and don't sign dominic Moore you got nothing for your second round pick except a rental.
At present the hawks are renting pahlsson for a player who by his own admission says he(Wiz) probably would have been a tough sign with the arbitration rights he would have for the hawks to retain him.
Sj did get better with moen.
Calgary may have done so IF Jokinen fits, but you cannot the deny the goals he will score.
Vancouver is the team most likely to play the hawks and they needed to be prepared for the Sedins, and Sundin.
I have to believe that the entire league knows and respects the hawk backline and forwards quick strike ability and that the can win games with their puck possesion style, if they get the puck on the face off.
without being pompous, i really wonder how many fans really ever heard of Dominic Moore (former Havard ECAA all star + NCAA first team all-american) BEFORE the days leading to the trade deadline?
If he isn't going to be in your top six NEXT year, then he is taking up cap space. Our priority is to re-sign our top young guys in light of a possible smaller salary cap. The salary cap is particularly worrisome for 2010. Wonder if there is creative financing, in other words lowering the amount of salary per year -- but that usually means extending the length of contract. Nowadays it is a risk to invest too heavily in handsome contracts; no player should ever be given longer than a three - four year contract, solely due to the handicap a concussion causes. There is no guarantee that any player won't have this issue down the road. An attempt to improve the club while that player is out with a concussion will backfire if you acquire fill ins, then have to release those players when the player with a concussion returns. This past week Philly released Vanaanan and Metropolit. We don't want to surrender anmything we hold as a ways to improve our team, especailly if we will be forced to release players later on.
I know you realize there is going to be a trend, and soon all teams will copy, wherein most third and fourth line players, and the third defense pair is done on the cheap. There will be exhorbitant bidding for free agents, but teams will limit the number of players they bid for, yet still make enticing (even) killer offers. Getting back to Moore, just re-emphasizing that any money toward him is money not available for resigning our top young guys as well as hurting more any hope of a free agent sign.
It may come as a shock to Tallon, but I'm sure ST Bowman has mentioned to SC Bowman that at some point even next year Huet could be put on waivers. A team picks him up for half salary -- but is it half salary cap and half salary the duration of Huet's contract. If you want to go after anyone -- say a center or Hossa/Filuppula -- then we could choose to "create" available money by trading Bufuglien, Kabby gone, Huet claimed on waivers. If Havlat gone, then must make huge attempt to sign Hossa. If Sopel is released or bought out, do we save any at all toward salary cap? Would he accept assignment to rusian league, to avoid buy out and retain his contract for its duration?
As for Bowmeester, he likes his coach and direction Florida team is headed. Sending Boyton home as notice for sounding off in dressing room, shows team has a focas and the coach and GM are in control/unison. Bowmeester signs if they can offer enough money/believe he would like to sign if dollars close. Moore again: not a bad player, but if he was a top prospect the past few years, he would have received press as such and wouldn't play 3/4th line roles. He looks better than he is worth due to playing time received on a bad Toronto team. It is a moot point if he would be a better fit than Pahlsson since he is asking for too much money and is not better than Pahlsson at what we need most: shut down and face off. Pahlsson's age is NOT a plus, but REMEMBER we acquired what WE NEED MOST WITHOUT GIVING UP OUR BEST ASSETS. I define those assets as being necessary to use as plan for club to improve; the assets are our top draft choices and top prospects. By the way, I like Markov more than Skille as a scorer some day for this team. Hopefully Tallon can get him here on a first round entry contract, with bonus and on short term one/two year deal, so that Markov can negotiate for higher salary if he does well. Markov is our best talent insofar as a scorer goes -- and a scorer is what this team needs (along with a center and players with sandpaper/griitiness) as far as improving forward lines. On defense I am hopeful that if we retain Barker and Hjalmarsson, eventually their development will allow Tallon to ttrade some deenseman straight up for atough, nasty defenseman better than Walker. We have no choice but to see what we hae in Niemi with Huet and or Crawford. Fallon may be ok as a back up down the road/ not Unice.
I don't think there is a hidden thirty goal guy in the Hawks prospect lists, whether we mention Makarov, Aliu or Beach.
But it is intersting how confidence acn soemtime propel a guy and with the right linemates they suddenly blossom.
Hey TheREALWiz.............Gardner is moving up the ranking (?) toward first round consideration. NHL,com site had a link about why he is moving up in the ranking. Garner's team is a leading contender to win OHJL and go far in the Memorial Cup, which is a boost to his development and will serve to maybe cement his ranking in first round. Bobby Orr is quoted as saying that this is a small defenseman who can play and that size isn't necessarily going to hold him back.
And...whom is the better projection on ability/development for an NHL look: Sparrow or Stephenson?
To whom it may concern: Sorry to have so much blogging, it won't be a regular habit.
Sports Guy: will you be at Islanders game, at the Bud Light bar?
I've found out much lately about current state of affairs with Icehog personnel. Will look to hook up with Hawks61 anyone else later this month; I suspect it may have to be in Rockford.
HP..I'll be at the game that day..maybe 1 oclock at Bud bar..ps write what you want, no biggy, but I must admit I think your key board looks tired HAHA..see you on the 15th
H puck, I looked over over at this and it seems your talking junior defenseman.
The Windsor Spitfires have a solid team and the little guy from World Junior Ryan ELLIS plays there, could that be the guy you are thinking of, because the only other Gardiner (jake) who drafted by the Ducks and plays at Wisconsin.
I think at this point both Sparrow and Stephenson arre reaches as NHLers. Sparrow I would consider closer, but they both play an entirely different game. It would depend upon progress and what a team was looking for on defense...
Ellis is the player; I was thinking of other smallish defensemen. The Blackhawks drafted a smallish defenseman out of high school last year. Looked like he would skate all over the place in rookies camp, but not really super fast skater. Can't tell a lot on all players in rookie camp. Best to look at improvement from one camp to next, or any change in their skill exhibited. Also look at how used in college, their linmeates, strength of team, etc al to help form idea of what you want to lok at in thier second rokie camp. Just my thoughts on watching prospects in rookies camp. Look for Denis-Pepin to sign soon. Also look to determine how good is Charlebois, recently signed from college and playing at Rockford.
two goals in the first period, leopold with one, flames up 4-0 in philly...still in the first.
sutter had the best day yesterday by far, imo - the only thing he missed out on was a backup goalie.
Not sure what Toronto wanted from the Hawks for Moore, but you got to ask why he's been on so many teams in his young career? How many times has he been waived? What's his problem? Makes me wonder how he would have fit in on this team. Ya gotta believe the GM's didn't want to shake up the boys too much.
In Minny he was minus 11 and they couldn't use his on the 2nd or 4th lines, and just couldn't find space on the third line the only place he fit.
He is now with his fifth team in four seasons...
The reality is that economics is catching up to the NHL and forcing GM's to be smart when it comes to these deadline deals and future contracts. We're pretty sure the cap is going to shrink but with the economy hurting and the game treading water, how much? Tallon was quick to point out how much Bowman loved Pahlsson almost as a way to cover his ass. This trade really does nothing for me on either side. It doesn't deserve much more then a whisper compared to other deals that went down yesterday.
The Martin Havlat situation is where I probably differ from most people here. I would be EXTREMELY cautious in giving this guy a contract and personally would wait until the season is over to even sit down and talk about it. I'm not worried about other teams offers because with the cap and the economy I don't think there is big money to be had by Havlat. Yes, he has been playing outstanding but so do many players, in many sports when it comes to a contract year. This is the same player that essentially stole money from the organization with his injuries. He's also the same player that many say refused to play for Savard including Savard himself. I'm very leary and still probably against signing him. The emphasis should be on Keith, Toews and Kane. If Havlat signs do you really want almost $30 million tied up in 6 players after 2010? (Huet, Campbell, Keith, Havlat, Toews, Kane) Let him test the waters.
...if he truly doesn't want to stay at a lower number.
let's face it. No matter what we all think about Euros and their connection to win a cup, this guy based on his present this season numbers is gonna get offers (despite the 2 seasons that past) if he goes UFA.
Oh, I think the emphasis now and ahead is to sign the kids, continue to find low end cap AHLers to fill spots, and bring in Entry cap rookies who won't get to ask for the moon until they actually become impact players.
logan stephenson was an whl all star...this means absolutely nothing. kevin st. jaques scored 60 goals in whl and never played. i hope im wrong but logan stephenson will never play in the nhl.
4th line is good but will not see much ice time in the playoffs.
i think my problem with the trade is that it was the only one. we needed a tough dguy,scoring winger,2nd line center and all we got was pahlsson. and he may never play!
there were guys available who could have helped.
chris neil in ottawa
brenden witt on long island
antropov is better then buff or burish.
moore was had for a 2nd pick. the stats say hes better then sami.
guerin was had for a throwaway. hes veteran leadership if not the scorer he once was.
if yesterday read pahlsson, neil, and witt were now hawks i think some people would be happy with that. all three,minus mono, are upgrades over what we have.{brouwer,buff,burish,}
Just like Christmas you can't have everything.
I have listed the NINE MILLION dollars in contracts you wanted the Hawks to take on.
Guerin 4.5 mil (a rental I'll give ya.)
Neil 1.1 (and wants a raise next yr. as his quickness declined)
Witt (2.766 this year and 6 mil until 2011)
D Moore (900,000 whose agent demands was over a million dollars over what Toronto was willing to pay.)
The three Bs you wanted to launch from the salary rolls
Brouwer (675,000), Buff(3 mil), Burish (712,000) make a total that get you Guerin, and the isles Isles, (or Ottawa) would need to WANT the launched players,
or the Hawks would have to give picks, first and seconds, and if you spent anytime watching instead of ripping, you will notice how far fewer picks were exchanged because when those guys make the NHL they are set CAP numbers and every team needs lower salaries guys with the Cap.
brouwer will want more and in case you aren't watchimhe's a pretty strong presence that will only get better. Buff has his battles, but is still young, and although very overpaid, he can still flourish.
I don't see dominic moore ever being more than the checking line centre who presently with his outrageous salary demands just isn't worth it. I'll take Brouwer and pay him.
Witt type guys are easily added, in the summer. I don't see him as the answer because (a) he hasn't won anything. And neither have you with this inane shoulda coulda after the trade deadline.
So even if the affordable pahlsson isn't resigned, you have got the position of weakness filled for the playoff now.
And just exactly what non checking line is Pahlsson going to center?
Its about time someone put a good perspective on the goalie situation instead of the constant Huet bashing around here.
I already mentioned the flexibility to relieve the Halvat Bolland Ladd trio from having to check the top line with other two units (and primarily the Pahlsson line) to take over those responsibilities, but there will be a subtle change in how the goalies will play.
I hadn't noyiced this until the Niemi start.
Let me put it in perspective: when Belfour was brought in as a rookie, the coaching staff tells him (& all tyro tenders) to "just cover the puck up" when unsure or under heat by the opposition.
I noticed with Niemi that he went out of his way to try and keep the puck in play, bounce it out to his players, so I went back and watch Huet in a couple of the vids from the last two months.
He also seemed to be playing contrary to his usual ways,and was also trying to keep the puck in play in a far less conversative manner than I had ever seen him with Ottawa & hawks.
I think that the coaching staff, seeing the weakness in the face-off may have instructed the goalies to help to avoid unnecessary face-offs in the defensive zone. My view, no fact, just supposition.
This might be a figment of my imagination, but having a face off man who has taken 7600 in his career (a whole lot more than Moore) will remedy the weakness there besides the fact this guy is a just good ole defensively responsible pivot that adds to the ice contingency no matter what players you play him with.
I will say this for the third and last time:
Pahlsson WAS NEVER a MINUS player in any playoff series.
wiz are you in a romantic relationship with sami? you sure act like it.
are you his agent? you cheer like a 16 yr old girl.{with facts}
you are the most obnoxious poster on here. you replied to every post on here yesterday that was critical of the trade as if this was your blog. you congratulate yourself for "this is my deal"
do you work for dale? im pretty sure this wasnt your "deal"
you criticize people for spelling errors for gods sake. i looked at your 2 dozen posts and found no less then 3 misspells.
you think a small slow old weak center will take on sundin,thornton,datsyuk? you dont know.
i dont know you wiz but you come across as a shrill loser on this blog, which isnt yours to monopolize anyway.
im not one to reply or attack blogs but yesterday you made a complete ass out of the handle
therealwiz. notice i didnt capitalize your name. thats meant as indifferent disrespect.
Deadboyblows:
(How about that misspell?)
This "shrill loser" may know very little about hockey from the years of passion for it.
No agent , and don't work for Tallon.
I know this "old weak small" Pahlsson fits a need.
Monopolize? Just replying to the incorrect assumptions of many who thought there was room for more Hawk trade action, or have incorrect assessments. hey, you have as much right ot post as many times as I do, so enlighten us with hockey acumen.
Yesterday, my early posts (about trades, signings etc.)were all there as information because they hadn't hit the websites yet.
As far as my romantic life, that is a bit personal, coming from someone obviously incapable of one.
This hawk team very well may be ousted by Vancouver on the first round, but I dare say, the results of that series won't be altered with Wisniewski still being a hawk. The idea is to enter the play-offs no weaknesses, and plenty of areas your opposition must concern themselves with.
You keep watching hockey and grow with the experience,child.
TheRealWiz, FYI - Huet didn't play for Ottawa, he was a Hab last year and then sent to the Caps in a trade. Also if you watch Niemi, he puts his rebounds to the side not in the slot like Huet. I hope you have played the game and not just watched it. But you are right, with the Wis or not the Hawks are still a good team.
I was thinking of the tape i watched habs vs. sens.
The point, pang, was I think they were told to freeze the puck as little as possible.
You get that out of the post, because you don't have to suit up to understand the intent. and mine was not bad intention as yours!
No major!
oh, and i would not count Corey Crawford out just yet. When i was kid the goalies didn't come into the 6 team league until they were in their middle 30's laboring in the AHL, WHL for years honing their skills.
You are right though, that once a goalie makes the bigs, in that first three years they are either broken or continue to improve with experience, and many just are back-ups no matter what the hype was.
We yelled, Bring up, DeJordry, when Glenn Hall faltered late in his career, and when we finally got dejordy we wished we hadn't!
It could be a good trade even for just a playoff run. I think many fans were responding to the fact that we got Pahlsson instead of Moore. It also seems that Moore was there to be had. It would be interesting to know why Moore went for a 2nd round pick and Pahlsson required more. The fact that Moore will be an UFA shouldn't really play into it that much should it? Isn't Pahlsson going to be an UFA (I don't know).
I'm more than willing to wait and see how things pan out. My only complaint was that we have overpaid for Pahlsson. I realize Kontiola was probably not going to ever play for us as he just didn't seem to take advantage of the opportunities he was given.
I've heard people can sometimes have a tough time recovering from mono and that it can take a couple months to truly get your strength back. Everyone talks about Pahlsson being a "shutdown" centerman. If he's so "shutdown" why is he a -16 (which by the way was tied for worst on the Ducks team?
I'm all for a change of scenery so hopefully Pahlsson will find his game, regain his strength, and be excited about playing on a young hungry team.
Good luck Wiz!
I like the trade cause it meets what we needed most; a center who is physical and can win faceoffs. How many games where all we needed was to win a draw and clear the puck.
Sorry all you Wisniewski lovers out there but he was a 6th d-man who missed the net on the PP more then anyone I ever seen. We have a capable guy who's been watching the last couple months in Aaron Johnson.
Its really nice to be a buyer.
By the way, has any Hawk improved more this season than Walker? Barker's game is coming together, Bolland is a dependable center, Versteeg could be rookie of the year, but Walker was an almost complete non-factor whose roster spot was a big question mark for me. Now he's one of the most dependable stay at home guys we have.
Wiz was a great guy, he was one of the better D we had last year, but that is probably the best we see out of him. He'll regain his form and be a solid 4th or 5th guy. Pahlsson will make the Hawks better instantly - and that's the whole point of pulling the trigger on a deal, to make your team better.
I would say PR played more than a small role in this as well. Had the Hawks stood pat, they'd be saying "we might win a round with this squad, we might not, but we will get better next year". Making the trade says they are serious about getting at least 2 rounds under their belts.
Tallon screwed up the goaltender situation, and has painted himself into a corner in that Huet is going to be #1 in 09-10, but he did very well with this trade and even if it came from Bowman, it's a good omen for off-season moves.
Instantly as in if he ever even plays. He'll probably not even play for another month.....and that does not sound instant to me.
Hold on there before you praise Dale on this move. It would never have come to this if he didn't bungle the goalie situation at the beginning of the year , and used the money then for a center just as good as Pahlsson or better. Then we would still have Wiz, Kontiola, and more money available.
But I know what you're gonna say,,,,let's forget the past and move on.....Like I said yesterday I'm willing to see how this pans out,,,but Dale again has put himself on the hotseat, at the seasons end if this bubble bursts with a 1st round exit
What goalie situation got bungled? Put yourself in the GM's jock as the last UFA signing season opened up. As of then, the Khabby we had was not the same player as this year. Crawford looked ok for Rockford, but the series against the Wolves exposed his puck handling deficiencies. (Worse than Huet looked the other night) So there you are, a UFA goalie you won't probably re-sign, prospects that may or may not be NHL work horses, and you've got a young team you're building for the future. So as Karl Malden used to say, "what would you do?" You sign the best goalie available to a 3 yr deal, and try and unload your UFA. When that didn't work out, you ride the two until the trade deadline. If Khabby isn't hurt, he's probably gone yesterday. So now we hope that Khabby and Huet can carry us for a few rounds. If that happens, all this will be forgotten. If we bow out early, we hope the players get the taste of the playoffs and it makes them want more next year.
All I am saying is that as the GM he was trying to set up for the next few years. This team has the chance to be a very good team long term. Let's all enjoy the rest of the season and hopefully a long playoff run!
I agree with you Reg. I also think the team has been much better off this year to have two solid goaltenders, especially given that injuries are a part of the game and Khabby seems to have injury problems from time to time. Depth in goal isn't really a mistake when you consider what can happen when the #1 gets hurt, or like we've seen in the past, both goalies are hurt. I remember the painful stretchs in recent years where goaltender injuries have forced the Hawks to rely on some pretty bad goalies. Nothing against the guys in Rockford, but they haven't proven themselves yet in the NHL, so you don't really know what you'll get.
Playoffs are coming and so often it's goaltending that gets a team into the later rounds. Chances are that #1a , #1b or both will be playing well come playoff time (given how they have played this year) and it's good to know that goaltending isn't a concern.
I want to mention the Flames as an example. They made some big moves on deadline day and without a doubt improved up front. They also can't win a game without Miikka Kiprusoff in net. (total of 6 wins by their backups(GP = 31) over the last 3 seasons) If he is hurt, they are so far down the tubes. Bottom line, Hawks have depth in goal and it's great!
Maybe the goalie situation started out as a mess, but there's no way the Hawks are where they are today, sitting in fourth place in the West, without both of them.
What would the Hawks have done without Huet with Khabibulin now hurt twice. Neither Niemi nor Crawford would have won some of the games Huet did.
Is $12 million a lot ot spend on goalies? Yes, but it has been the strength of the team.
You people need to stop blaming Dale Tallon alone for the goalie problem. The pickup of Huet was motivated by several factors. First: the entire organization was getting tired of waiting for Khabby to start playing like a six million dollar goalie. From Savard on up to Rocky. Second: McDonough suggested strongly that a big free agent be picked up and quite frankly there was little to choose from. Third: The expectation was that Khabby was going to be shipped, waived, 'accidentally' killed in a car accident in Russia (kidding, sorry). Four: If we had let Khabby go we would have had Cory Crawford as the starter, we didn't even have Niemi yet. Five: There is nothing wrong with Huet. Give the guy the right amount of starts as a number one with the right kind of backup support and he will be fine. You have to take his experience in Montreal with a grain of salt, they find room to scrutinize an awesome save because for instance the guy should have gloved it rather than kicked it into the corner. Also, no goalie has ever walked into his first playoff series and won everything including the Smythe, except maybe Cam Ward of course. Give him more chances to get the experience and he will get better. Too bad we had to get a guy that was not Martin Brodeur, but give him a chance before you all write him off.
Big Pete, you forgot an important guy did it back in 1986, Patrick Roy. You made a point I have been saying for awhile. When in the past 3 years did Khabby have the backend support you have been speaking of? It has taken 3 years for Keith and Seabrook to develop into great d-men and before last year the Hawks scoring was not there either. You can give Huet all the starts in the world, but he is nothing more then a backup. He had a good first round with the caps, so they gave him a big contract for that. Khabby at least has a ring not to mention has been an allstar. Why would they not go after Hossa? He was by far the bestest free agent on the market. I will say this about Huet, he does have some very good games. But then he has games where you just shake your head. When the puck ends up in the net, no one looks at the other 5 players on the ice. They look at the man between the pipes. I gave Huet a chance since his blunders in training camp. We have 19 games left and I hope Khabby comes back strong, because without him the playoffs will be tough.
I know coming into this year i would've been just fine with Lalime and Crawford.
Lalime could've been the comeback player of the year.
Crawford played well in his chance late in the year.
Khabby was junk for a better part of the sason remember all the weak goals he allowed ?
Anything that's good enough for Scotty Bowman, is good enough for me!
Previously, a few guys including me have noted the need for not only a center but a physical presence in the slot. And while Pronger was on the radar for all of us, I always say we need the next Pronger, not the old expensive one, especially now with the cap. So here's hoping that Logan Stevenson is that guy that develops into the force in the slot. If so, this trade will play out as better than anyone could have imagined.
This is a trade that had to be made. We need a 3rd center no question about it. Wiz has had two serious knee injuries and would have been a restricted free agent. We also pick up someone who has WON the Cup. On a team with so many young players this is critical if we are to make a serious run.
That's assuming the Hawks even get to see the likes of Thornton or Datsyuk in the playoffs.