Big expectations starting for Hawks

I'm not so sure the Wings took as big of a step back as you might think, They have kids like Darren Helm who've been just waiting for the chance for a full time opportunity, still the best D in the West, Osgood WasGood enough in the playoffs.

I thunk the Hawks are the better team talentwise but they do have experience as I recall and something to prove which goes along way. It will be great to beat them but they won't go down easy.

Really enjoying the comments from some old Hawkey buddies and some not so familiar faces...shout out to Johnny J and The RealWiz.

I'm onside with Jacukel re: the goaltending. We've seen soooo many examples of goalies who come 'out of nowhere' in the NHL. Who knew about Steve Mason, Pekka Rinne, Jonas Hiller and Semyon Varlamov before they started pushing pucks out like the second coming of Jacques Plante?

Nobody knows yet what Niemi or Crawford will do if/when they make it into the rotation. Heck, nobody knows how Cristo will play...remember how everyone said Tim Thomas was just a flopper before he won the Vez? Anybody counting how many times Chris Osgood was considered roadkill? Did anyone see how Dwayne Roloson came back from the dead last year to win games where he made 50+ saves? How many critics said Marc Andre Fleury was too 'streaky' and let in 'too many softies' to win, let alone swipe the Mug? This is the year for Monsieur Huet to give his doubters the heave-ho, or be forever Mr 'Zut Alors'...

I believe that the Blackhawks have as much, if not more depth than any team in the Western Conference. There some seriously big young dudes on the front line this year who will mess up a lot of opponents. The fleet of trucks includes Brouwer, Byfuglien, Eager and Ladd--not to mention one Adam Burish. Add in Tommy Gun Kopecky and you've some mean mofos in the offensive zone.

Not that Jonny Toews is pintsize either...Tazer got some nasty into his game last year; and he should be even better both as a player and as a leader this time around.

Hossa, Sharp, Kane, Versteeg, Madden, Bolland...all guys who can change a game.

Chicago has four lines ready to roll...and some new talent that may push for a spot or two.

And we're not even talking about the skill and physical quality of the blueline.

These are "Those Big Bad Blackhawks" like the teams I remember from the 60s and 70s.

IMHO the Hawks just need to focus on t-e-a-m play. Discipline, poise and execution.

Kinda like those redshirts on the other side of the Division, eh.

When the Blackhawks play with the intelligence and ruthlessness the Wings have shown for years...which the Hawks can...they destroy their foes. We saw hints of that last year from the Kardiac Kids.

We'll see soon enough...if the kids are ready to become men.

Ready or not here come your Blackhawks, take the attack, the amazing Blackhawks ...ok, I don't know exactly how the words go for that old song they played when the team hit the ice right before the national anthem.

But all that really matters is that we get into the playoffs. Playoff matchups better than last year is hard to fathom. And in the playoffs goaltending is huge. Even should Huet be ok during the regular seson, I do not like his goaltending style and he does not inspire confidance if I'm a player on his team. Will he cut down on soft goals this year? He can dazzle with countless tough saves; those saves matter little if he lets in an inordinate amount of softies. I don't know how to pry loose and afford a top line goalie -- do we trade Versteeg and Huet -- only if some GM is foolish (won't happen). Maybe if Big Buff plays well enough and we include a prospect? Still have to figure out salary cap ramifications.

Meanwhile, I am hoping that Olsen needs only one year junior and steps in. I am hoping a veteran defenseman is acquired, so Hjalmarsson can progress smoothly. I expect Campbell will be better, at least in scoring. Other than that, improvement? How much, in that Hossa an upgrade over Havlat. Real improvement is possible if another sniper comes along. The only one I see is an issue of , does he have the right attitude if he is signed and comes over here. Will he do what Quenneville says? I say he would score here if playing with top players. Until Makarov actually comes here, its a pipe dream. It's also a pipe dream as for two other points: 1). Aliu is mature enough to handle regular NHL employment, and; 2). I'm concerned Blackhawks go as far as last year, given Huet is the man.

No way Niemi or Crawford are ready to step up. Skille is a descent checker with some versatility; he likely moves on if he doesn't get a chance this year. He has speed and heart, but he isn't a good enough scorer for top line NHL duty/a weak choice at #7 overall.

McDonough is a marketing genius....I don't understand the negativity towards him. Would all of you rather have this organization go back to the way things were run before he and Rocky took over? I didn't think so. Both men have repeatedly said that winning the Cup is the ultimate goal and they won't be satisfied until it's accomplished. How many times have those words been uttered when Dollar Bill and Pulford were pulling the strings? The Hawks will be the next team in town to bring home a championship.

Sox fans need to seriously chill out on the McDonough complaints. Blind Cubs hatred is really transparent. McMarketing is annoying but how much whining do we all have to endure? #1 in attendance, WCF, great future, and we get the crying. Sox fans will never be happy. Sad (negative) guys wear black.

The point about the publication being a month old is important. The issue that just came out this week has an "Editor's Notebook" column by Jason Kay with the headline "Upstart Blackhawks have to overcome a ton of bad karma and decisions to make THN '09-10 Yearbook look good." Mentions the Kane incident, the young roster, the naming of Bowman as GM, questions about Huet being a valid #1, the coming salary cap issue next season, and Hossa's injury.

Someone went on here yesterday about how the team's chemistry is now destroyed.

Living in my "own little world" I do hear some things from time to time.

One of the departed free agents, for example, threw a temper tantrum in the dressing room in 2007-08, over not having fresh bananas stocked (this story came from a Hawks' player), causing many of his teammates to roll their eyes at the latest of many such dramas. He redeemed himself a great deal last season in a contract year, but he was never seen as a leader on the team.

Another departed free agent allegedly pulled a Scottie Pippen on his teammates in the WCF. His replacement has never done anything but take responsibility for his teammates.

John Madden is seen by his ex-teammates and coaches as one of the greatest teammates and leaders they have ever had.

Marian Hossa has been a popular and respected teammate throughout his career.

The leaders on this team are: Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Andrew Ladd, Dave Bolland, Adam Burish and Troy Brouwer. Those are some solid kids who all play the game with heart.

Losing Matt Walker hurts the team, but Brent Sopel is also a great teammate.

There are still an less than loved character or two in the dressing room (and you'd be surprised who one of them is), but there are less now than there were a year ago.

Nearly all teams say or think they've improved since the last season ended so the pressure of higher expectations is out there for pretty much everybody. In terms of the Hawks division, if Detroit falls out of the top spot just about anyone who watched hockey last year would say that the Hawks have the inside track to replace them at the top. But be wary of St Louis.....I like a lot of their young players and I see them being a factor in the west this year.

As far as the Hawks training camp goes, the one big thing I'm excited to see play out is who will be the backup goaltender. Like last year the backup goalie is going to get plenty of playing time as Huet probably won't play more than 50 games or so this year even if he plays great. We've been hearing Crawford's name for years so if he's ever going to make it the time is now.

Confidence is something these young Hawks have now going into the season and it will pay off. Last year's run deep into the playoffs really let these guys know that they are legit. Guys like Bolland, Kane, Toews, Seabrook, Brouwer and Versteeg should continue to develop. Sharp should put up a solid performance and we know when he is back in the line up, Hossa will produce points and play great defensively. Kopecky is a good checking center, leading the Wings forwards in hits last year and holding his own defensively. Let's not forget adding John Madden at center also, which makes the Hawks depth at center a strength instead of a weakness like last year. Matt Walker was inflated and over-rated last year, so losing him on D really doesn't make a difference that much. I mean, at least we won't have his brutal turnovers and awful clearing attempts. Goal tending, well we can't deny that Khabby was pretty good last year, but Huet wasn't terrible either and it's really not a bad time to test the waters with Nemi or Crawford. At least one of the two back up candidates should be worthwhile to get ice time. Another thing to remember is that the Hawks will have a real coach in training camp this year, so much better chance that they will be hitting the ice ready to roll and playing a more complete game. We know they came out of the gate terrible last season. It's no doubt that the Wings lost depth, especially with Samuelsson, Hudler and Hossa leaving and you have to wonder a bit with some of their core getting a bit older. Hawks probably have their best chance in a long time to take the division and really aren't such a terrible prediction, but we know Detroit won't be push overs. Columbus has an outside chance to surprise some people and take it, but it's not likely. St Louis is probably another 2 years away and Nashville doesn't have a hope.

Can you believe it? After at least a DECADE of praying for someone to come to the rescue we have a glut or players who can play. I think we will win the division just because of De tiolets subtraction alone. No Hossa for a couple of months may have an effect, Havlat was a for last year, but we have also grown a year. This will be interesting to watch.

The only decent hockey magazine worth reading is McKeans. I have not seen it out yet this year but all the rest are duplicates of crap. The reason expectations are high is because the Hawks had a superb season last year and the team really jelled. Look at all the teams that won a stanley cup in the last few years to suck the big one the following year, ie Tampa, Carolina etc. I hope the Hawks do well but it is not a given. Eklunds Hockey Buzz is a joke as well, I would rather read players news in roto world and get a better evaluation rather than all Eklunds bullcrap. He is a joke with all his rumours that never happen. The only time he is right is after TSN has already reported it. Please note that every team has high expectations to start the year and that is the way it should be.

If they printed it a month ago or yesterday, they are not the same unbiased, quality reporters of yesteryear. I canceled my copy after many years a faithful reader and prefer to read online where i get many view points not just certain reporters Men crush on the Canadiens/Leafs or whoever is trendy.

Wiz may have something there on a slow start.... We must have a quick start but i have tempered my expectations over the last few months.

If the players want it...we will improve on next season bottom line.

but that's not say that they come back tired from the European trip and get in a rut.
The get back get out of the gate slowly due to an injury here or there, and maybe go 4 out of 10, and they have dug themselves a hole that the dumb shoot-out (and its 3 point yield) never lets them really close, so there is a constant nearby team in the standing breathing down their necks.
It is not to say they win 2 in Europe return and go on a big win streak and build a space ahead in the standings.

I am just pointing out that faltering early would significantly hurt them and place pressures they want to avoid until the real season begins in April.

Will we see any new faces on the team this year?
Do you think Beach, Aliu, Lalonde, or maybe Skille are ready for prime time?

I don't know if I quite agree with the Hockey News on picking the Hawks to win the division. I think with the players that the Wings lost the gap will close. We have to remember that Hossa is out untill Nov or December. Huet will be a question mark and if he falters it will be difficult for the Hawks to take first in the division.