Should Hawks have pursued Kovy?
Let the debating begin.
Should the Blackhawks have made a play for Ilya Kovalchuk?
There are no indications the Hawks had any interest in pursuing Kovalchuk, who was traded by Atlanta to New Jersey on Thursday night for John Oduya, a solid defenseman, promising forward Niclas Bergfors, prospect Patrice Cormier and a first-round draft pick.
Could the Hawks have made a better offer? Perhaps. But keep in mind the Hawks don’t have any prospects other teams covet. Sorry, folks, teams don’t want Jack Skille.
I wouldn’t have traded either Patrick Sharp or Kris Versteeg with Cam Barker for Kovalchuk, but that’s just me. And who’s to say the Thrashers would have jumped at such a deal.
Kovalchuk would have been strictly a rental, no doubt about it, and there are no guarantees he would have helped the Hawks win the Stanley Cup. You think Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello is going to pay Kovalchuk $11 million a year next summer?
Just because the Hawks passed on Kovalchuk doesn’t mean they will stand pat between now and the March 3 trade deadline. Their biggest need still is a defenseman (or two), and perhaps another center.
What if Anaheim defenseman Scott Niedermayer becomes available between now and March 3? He might make more of an impact with the Hawks that Kovalchuk would have. Anyone who thinks Niedermayer is over the hill, watch him play.
How would the Hawks’ playoff chances improve with a top five of Niedermayer, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjalmarsson on the blue line?
Why do some fans believe the roof is caving in whenever the Hawks lose a game or two? I see the e-mails and chats: they’re not tough enough, they’re too small, they aren’t gritty, they aren’t physical. Give me a break. How in the world did they get to be 37-15-4 then and on their way to winning the Central Division?
Personally, my gut says GM Stan Bowman will do something before the trade deadline, and it could be significant.
I don’t have a problem with not going after Kovalchuk.
I am pretty sure Stan Bowman can do simple math. Kovy wants too much money (which we already have tied up) and we score enough goals. We need a bruising blue liner and a better back up goalie!
Milton Bradley is available? Maybe he could tend goal for the stretch run?
Should be interesting to see if this greedy, cherry picking cancer buys into the Devils' program by beginning to play defense for the first time in his life.
I'm glad he's not coming.
As for attainable d-men...i'd love to have Scott Niedermayer and if SB can get him more power to him. Zdeno Chara would be the ideal addition but i think he makes more than Bill Gates. However, if Dallas slides out of contention, i'd like to see us make a play for onetime Hawk Stephane Robidas. He's a solid professional who is very low maintenance.
P.S. Vokoun's our man in the hemp hut discussion.
I cant imagine asking for the max and being known as a team guy in the salary cap era!!
I guess he didnt like Atlanta too much as to price himself out of Georgia despite what he said about "thrasher for life" !
BTW I tried my best to shift the focus away from Huet with other topics but none have stuck...this board really resents Huet!!
Guys who say they want to stay in whatever city then refuse to sign a deal. Just say, "The money is obviously more important. I'd prefer to stay, but only if the money is right," or don't say anything.
As for Huet, he concerns me, but he did not lose that game to St. Louis. Turnovers and a lackluster first two periods lost that game. Right now I'm more concerned about these turnovers, especially from our two "star" defensemen. When we are getting the puck out of the zone, and backchecking when it is in our zone, it doesn't matter who is in the net. There was a nice stretch where that was happening. I'll wait and see if that attention to defense returns. I think it will be there for the playoffs. It's a long season, we've hit a rut, no worries yet.
Kovalchuk's a sniper but he's obviously selfish. A friend sent me some footage of him just loafing on the backcheck and sulking if he didn't get the puck. We don't need that.
I have to think Kovy had the crystal ball out and could see the Thrashers are light years away from being a Cup calibre team and he wanted off the island. Who knows, in the off season, maybe he signs with Detroit or someone else for far less. We've seen that movie before. He wants to win and win now, but with his me first style i say good luck.
As for Huet, he might be a nice guy but i'll paraphrase Mickey Rourke who was talking about cops in the movie Barfly. "I don't hate cops, but i seem to feel better when they're not around." That's exactly how i feel about Cris-STIFF-al O'lay.
Boldy vs. the World Again. (No Offense, Boldy, because I see your side of it too).
Please, everybody, stop with the whole can't win a Cup with Huet thing. What's Osgood career GAA (Khabibulin's for that matter)?
Below .910.
But more importantly, Huet is here, good or bad. Yes, by God, play Niemi more, get them BOTH as coached up and ready as possible— and go out and improve the defense through trades.
The defense can and should be improved. There are pieces out there available. Do that, get the team some rest, and look how quickly the Hawks are leading the league in GAA again.
Its not me vs everyone..im just their spokesman!
there are more of us....besides what else are we going to discuss?
and very good post BTW
Boldy and Jackuel,
What has save % got to do with the price of beef in Guatemala?
Osgood has a sucky save %. He has his entire career. He also has 3 Cups with the Wings. Two as a starter.
The guy can play in May/June when save % don't mean squat.
Ditto with Khabibhulin (at least until he got hurt this year.)
Mike Vernon never had a good save %. He has 2 Cups as a starting playoff goalie.
Grant Fuhr never had a great save %. But come May/June when the Edmonton teams were swirling around the opposing net and giving up that odd man rush and breakaway, there was Grant Fuhr, coming up big. Ditto with Bill Ranford.
I know you guys think the Hawks can ride the wild Frenchman in the playoffs.
I will bet you a case of beer, that if the Hawks do think Huet is their guy, they will not get past the 2nd round using him.
Bet is off if Niemi enters picture in relief and stands on head.
Osgood's 3 Cups aren't 85% due to Nik Lidstrom and the the way forwards like Datsyuk and Zetterberg (and Hossa!) backcheck, well, I won't say.
I AGREE save percentage is NOT the issue!
Go back and read this blog the last couple of days and Huet's .904 save percentage is all anyone can talk about.
Hockey is played with six men on a side at a time. For every halfway decent goalie whose won 3 Cups (Osgood), there are "great" goalies who haven't (Luongo).
Making it all about the goalie is not seeing the forest for the trees. And yes, "goaltending wins in the playoffs" is an inaccurate cliche'. Defense and goaltending win in the playoffs.
And if the Hawks do get knocked out in the 2nd round, are you going to blame it on Huet— even though Campbell and Barker coughed the puck up all the time, Keith missed his man around the net and no one cleared the crease?
Huet is what he is. There are better goaltenders. And there are worse. I am not convinced yet Niemi is that much better right now, though I think he can be in the future.
I am not making that bet, because I don't have a fixation one way or the other on Huet. He's not a money horse, and I'm really not even defending him here, but it's about more than the goalie. If the Hawks defend like Detroit did against them last year in the WCF, I'm not worried too much about Huet or Niemi.
There is no way of telling how Huet will perform in the playoffs just as the same is true for a goalie we trade for!
Its a crapshoot and none of the goalies you mentioned are on the block so unless you have other examples of tradeable goalies that have cup experience , i really think this conversation is moot!
Money post, Swisscheese.
Stats don't mean crap....one of the best modern day playoff performers in hockey? Claude Lemiuex....what regular season stats can he hang his hat on? Nothing.
They just don't see Huet like every other blogger, or Network analyst, or other GMs in the NHL do.
Chris Osgood damn near won a Con Smythe trophy last year. He was Detroit's best player without question in the playoffs.
Funny how one less save does turns him into an average goalie in the eyes of Jackuel and Boldi, but that is cool. Opinions vary.
They will not take my bet though. That says something. What I do not know. They are smart hockey guys so I'll just shut up.
Thanks Steve Rain.
Because goalies are so fickle (much like pitchers and WRs) only the truly elite are consistent from year to year! Osgood is now #2 and having an inconsistent ok horrible regular season like last year when he was almost released..yes there was talk about it!
BTW Swiss i prefer Bold or Rev
Hawks fans worry because we care -- which you should see as a good thing as it brings up your readership and the interest in your blog and the activity on your site -- and because when we look up at the rafters we see 3 banners where 10-15 should be hanging so we have a history of having the rug pulled out from under us as Hawks fans. I can't say I didn't take a half-decade hiatus and I can't say I won't again if things get as bad as they had gotten. When an organization can take as rabid a fan base as there is in all of sports and turn them into walking zombies who purposely stay away from the team they love, you know there's been some extreme mental cruelty perpetrated on Hawks' fandom. Like an abused puppy, I think we all whince a little when a car backfires, so watching our team lose games to other teams that have no business being on the same ice as them and losing games where you almost double the shots on goal of your opponents is reason for Hawks fans to perceive the sky may be falling. Just a little food for thought... Go Hawks!
Ok, I'm know I'm new to this board but allow me to throw a couple cents in. I'm expecting to get plowed for this idea but here goes. We obviously all agree we need a defenseman who can hit, keep the slot clear and play with passion. How bout we give Cheli a call? I'm sure he has some good games left in the tank and he could teach these young guys how to leave it all out on the ice night after night. He definately wouldn't do any worse than Sopel or Barker. I'm sure he could play a solid 15 minutes per game as a third line defenseman. It wouldn't cost a lot of money at all and we could unload some cap money. Also number 24 is available (haha) and he has hoisted the cup before. Another thing is that now that he's older and hopefully wiser he wouldn't be a bad influence in the locker and could teach some of these kids to "commit to the Indian". OK boys, I said it and I'm man enough to take your verbal bashing.
And let's get Belfour, he's got to be better than Huet.
And let's get Roenick, he's got so much passion he's got to be better than Fraser.
If Chelios could still play NHL hockey, don't you think he would be playing NHL hockey right now?
Im still not done with mine...
Name the goalies that might be available that could win the cup..in your opinion!
at least this way i might be able to see your point!!!
So Niemi needs to play more, he's shown glimpses of being very very good. Huet is not the answer, he never was, and probably never will be. That's the only point.
There is no answer outside of the organization at goalie.
TIM, we are not worried when the Hawks lose a game or two. We are worried when we kept the opposition to under 20 shots against in 5 games recently, and WE LOSE EVERY GAME. I don't care how many Niedermayers you pick up. If you're goalie is average at best YOU WON"T WIN THE CUP.
Do you think the Penquins win the cup last year with Huet in goal ?
Something has to be done.
Beyond improving the defense in front of these guys.
1. We will not win the cup with Huet in goal. (Who knows about Niemi since he hasn't played enough nor do we have any track record to go on, although he has certainly looked better than Huet through and through.)
2. It's sad when we we've gone 5-4 over the past 9, and have outshot every single opponent.
3. It's a disgrace when we give up 3 or 4 goals on 18 shots.
4. It's even more telling when the opposing goalies play out of their minds each night (It appears recently) stopping redirects, point blankers, and hard slaps from the point. While we make excuses for Huet's rather apparent lack of reciprocal skills for our players.
5. The Hawks defense has been turning the puck over in our zone more frequently then the first 3 plus months during this stretch, however.....any of us that watch hockey knows this occurs in this game. I like what Hossa said today about the Hawks "Being too cute with the puck," which they certainly do from time to time. But this is no excuse for Huet to be as bad as he's been.
6. The guy (Huet) needs to man up, and Niemi needs to be the main goalie going forward at least for now until the Hawks can see up close what he has to offer for a stretch period. There is no goalie available that makes my tingle all warm inside, nor are the Hawks going to be grabbing anyone else. This is what we have and is what we're going to have to roll with on the rollercoaster ride that these playoffs will be if nothing changes.
If Huet is Average with his numbers what would you call a below average goalie!
or Ball park for me please where his standing is compared to other goalies in the league in your opinion!
I rank the elite in the top 6 or 8 and than the goalies between 9 - 25 are pretty similar in skill and performance!
Boldi, you use statistics the way Obama does and people react about the same.
People see something overwhelmingly obvious and someone trying to put his spin on it comes out with facts that, while true, just don't convince anyone. Using facts to put Huet - a 'C' student at best - in league with class 'A' players just doesn't wash. It's on par with "creating or saving 2 million jobs".
A true fact can be used to the point of absurdity. Fact: If a goalie does his job and stops the puck from going in the net his team will never lose. The fact is true but totally absurd.
After reading posts regarding Huet it all comes down to this:
He makes people nervous when he gets the start, often leaves people feeling crappy after the game and doesn't inspire any confidence he can win a Cup. All the spin in the world doesn't change this.
What does our commander-in-chief have to do with a discussion about the Hawks? I guess you were trying to be funny so, ha ha...
WTF?
Sorry, boys.
I was trying to make the point that stats can be spun to the point of absurdity. No one does this better than politicians.
Lies, Damned Lies and (most deceitful) Statistics is a famous quote by Mark Twain (originally it came from a British pol) and recently used on West Wing.
We have enough to argue about without introducing another lighten rod.
BTW, how do you feel about Man-Made Global Warming?
Stats....when someone brought out the save percentage ranks you never said a word prob because it supported your argument something Bush would do!!
but the GAA clearly does not and you never offered your opinion there!
and I get what everyone is saying about Huet..really i do but does constantly harping on it make it so?
and a few others are a risk! I heard the name Vokun mentioned and he is the example of inconsistent. Most goalies named on here have had so many ups and downs that it would be crazy for a team with decent goaltending already (like us) to think they would win a cup for us.
How can anyone make the assumption with a straight face that Turco, Rolson, S Mason, Giguere etc would win a cup for us over what we have???
Win a cup is one thing. Providing a team with a better shot is another. We are still waiting for the Frenchman to win this team a game on his own. Go back to last years playoffs on youtube and watch the highlights against Calgary. Habby saved that team numerous times by making MULTIPLE big saves, not just one here or there.
He had a nice save against Kariya to keep them in the game on Weds...but you have to admit a .902 save percentage is not "decent" goaltending. Yes, he doesn't face many shots, but you are assuming he would make those saves if he did. I don't see the logic.
He's not going anywhere, but lets call a spade a spade here.
so tell me who you think would fit that description....
as per cheese`s examples im not convinced
The only reason I posted is because I respectfully disagree with your assessment of Huet being decent. He is a major liiability on their team and the Hawks are between a rock and a hard place. I'm not a GM and will not pretend to be one. I get my info from those who know more but you don't have to be "in the know" to realize Niemi is about to get a ton of starts due to the inconsistent play of Huet.
I have a studied the history of The NHL/WHL including stats, records personal stories etc going back to the late 1800s and I have never seen a comparable goalie with his numbers stacked against the rest of the league called average!
His pedigree (if i can properly steal a word from Orchard Creek) has been inconsistent throughout his career however not this year!
People are just speculating about the playoffs and cup because they dont know....no one does. He stood on his head for Montreal in the playoffs one year!
why cant he do it again? and why can we count on a trade giving us a goalie that has done it before to do it again !
we cant!!!
He's been inconsistent this year.
They need to get both of these guys ready for the playoffs so they have one they can ride.
BUT, make the defense as good as it can be so it's not as much of an issue!!
I never said i didnt believe in a 2 goalie system (just didnt have the chance to state it) too busy defending Huet I guess
Lets just say I disagree in you disagreeing with me..because I agree!
You cannot! I fart in your general direction. But, since I didn't make up the word and have no ownership of it, you can certainly use it... I think most people want to see Huet be the guy because they know he IS the guy but most people also get an uneasy feeling with him between the pipes and can't get the thought out of their heads that he's not good enough to win us a cup. My feeling is I hope like crazy he is good enough and I'd love to see him go on a little tear so that the fans and his mates can feel like he can be the guy to lead us to the promised land.
i think your agreeing with me......did it have to take this long?
Ok....we shall see. I seem to think you may be as big as a Huet fan, as Khabibulin39 was of Bulin. Always defending him. I'm glad you have so much passion.
However, you'll have a hard time convincing a ton of guys on this board to have faith in Huet, when all they see is the pattern of weak goals, and bad fundamentals.
The Hawks aren't asking him to win games by himself by making 30+ saves a night, but at the same time they cant have him being outplayed by the opposition regularly either.
Who was the better goalie Wednesday night? Mason. He WON that game for St. Louis. Huet didn't lose it, but he didn't do enough to win either. D left him out to dry a lot, but I can point to a lot of games where Huet cost this team points (Both Dallas games, San Jose game, Minnesota game) just to start with.
I have tried to tell you many times that i dont especially like Huet.....OK
having said that (LD ref) I defend him because i would defend anyone who is playing well that isnt getting any respect!!!
Its really that simple for me
I hear you.....like somebody else said. It's just a matter of opinion. I just get a queezy feeling with him in net and the game on the line.
i hope he gets hot, and carries this team.
Every year, there is always "that" goalie that carries a team and steals wins...lets hope Huet can find his confidence, his game, and get on a roll.
where he isnt the answer or is traded you can believe i wont be crying but I believe in a team effort and i hope for the samething....
I've attended about a dozen games in the last year and a half, usually sitting in the second row of the 300 level where from behind us we hear a steady flow of fan comments during the games and it's clear that most are longtime Hawk fans. Lots of discussion comparing this team to those of the early-90s, early-80s and early-70s. Mostly guys, and mostly my age (40s) or a bit older.
What's striking to every single person who comes to games with me is the repetitiveness of the commentary from the longtime fans: it's always about hitting. It's just a steady drumbeat of "they don't hit anybody" and "knock him down!" and "________ you p***y, play the body!!" (the ______ is most often Campbell or Buff but can be almost any Hawk, e.g. Keith was being featured a lot on this theme on Tuesday night.) What makes this broken record hilarious at times is that it has nothing to do with what's actually going on in the game before us -- the Hawks can be laying out bodies all over the ice for a shift and then one D will swerve away from a hit and all the same comments rain down. Last game my friend who hadn't been to a game since the 1990s was busting a gut by the second period when we got the 7th iteration (from the same fan!) of a sarcastic "Oh look FINALLY they hit somebody!"
The couple of times I've sat in the 200 level this hasn't been true, the fan commentary there seems much more related to the actual game being played. But up in the 300s it's just on autopilot.
That is dead on. My brother and I hear that all the time. Guys would rather see 3 fights, a lot hitting, then a 5-1 win.....Very sad.
I'm also PRAYING that the Hawks get rid of that song, Chelsea Dagger, as it's turned into a circus. Drunk clueless woman dancing around and spilling beer everywhere, does not make me appreciate goals any better. I can only imagine the view from the press box.....
Um, drunk clueless woman dancing around is proof that God loves us... and is a man, baby! Yeah!
Steve..good post. The Dagger sucks, many fans hate it. Some players too. You would think
that if the Hawks were going to use a beer commercial theme to play after goals are scored. It would be from a real beer. The last time a waitress suggested to a friend of mine that he have Amstel Light, he told her I want beer...not piss water. Who knows maybe the Wirtz beverage distribution company has the Amstel account.
As for Kovy..no Kovy no big deal. I didn't want him anyway. But that crying you heard from 1901 W. Madison street, was the rookie GM yelling all the way to Tampa...DADDY HELP ME.
I wonder if any deal will get made by Mar. 3......then again we might get Andrew Ebbett back.
Glad your back, sports guy.
Without turning this into a "Cubs" thing, but the damn Cubs song is ridiculous with people waving flags, dancing around, etc. Now we have the dagger blaring after every goal...
Whatever. I'm not in marketing. I stand and applaud, with an occasional fist pump, when the Hawks score, and then sit back down when the dance party begins....
That Dagger song is hilarious.
Patrick Kane said it best: "The UC is a party atmosphere and we feed off that, wanting to provide a show to the fans."
As much I as long for the buidling shaking, bone rattling thunder of the Old Barn, that Dagger song gets the unknowledgable folks into it....and I am always for a full house into the Hawks.
Yea I'm with Swiss on the song, it works.
The Fratellis have actually more or less broken up, according to my rock-geek teenager, but if the Hawks do manage to win the whole thing then Rocky should offer them whatever it takes to fly in and play for the big celebration at the Grant Park bandshell. Imagine them rocking that thing while the team walks onstage carrying the big hardware, would be a scene to go down in Chicago sports history for all time. I'd be carrying a crying towel and know I wouldn't be the only male fan of certain age who needed one....
And by the way it was being used by the Hawks before it got picked for the beer commercial.
I will go along with all of you in your misguided bloodlust for Huet!!!
Deal?