The Blackhawks have the best record in the Western Conference, they’re receiving strong contributions from all four lines, and they’re playing arguably the best team defense in the NHL. It just can’t get any better for Hawks fans, can it?
In the last 36 hours, Blackhawks fans have received a lot of good news from their injured reserve list. It looks like both Adam Burish and Dave Bolland will be back after the Olympics.
So wait… one of the challengers for the President’s Trophy is playing without their second line center and one of their better fourth line grinders, and both of them might be back in time for the stretch run toward the playoffs? You have to be kidding me. That’s great news! Right?
Well, not completely.
When Bolland comes back, he’ll likely slide back into his position as the center on the second line. What hasn’t been determined yet is how that will impact the rest of the lines; Patrick Sharp has been doing a solid job filling in for Bolland, but he’ll shift back to his familiar wing position as soon as coach Joel Quenneville can afford to make that move. The dominoes that will roll after that are where things get interesting for Quenneville and GM Stan Bowman.
Currently, the Hawks offense is rolling as well as any team in hockey. As the lineup stands today, it looks something like this:
Last year, Sharp played on a line with Kane and Toews, and all three had a great season. Considering that Quenneville appears to be content with Hossa on a second line, there’s an opportunity for Sharp to move back onto the top line. However, Brouwer is having a great season; he already has a career high in goals and is among the team’s leaders in hits. He has brought a physical force to the top line with the two 21-year olds, and Quenneville might not want to mess that chemistry up.
The third line has also developed great chemistry, with the speed and puck handling of Versteeg, the size of Byfuglien and the always-in-the-right-place Madden. It’s doubtful that Sharp would slide to the third line considering Hossa and Kane are both right wings and Sharp plays on the left side. If Quenneville decides to leave Brouwer’s physical presence on the top line, Sharp would make a lot of sense opposite Hossa next to the recovering Bolland.
If this hypothetical scenario unfolds, that would push Andrew Ladd to the fourth line. Or could it push Ladd out the door?
It’s been discussed more than health care reform to this point, but in case you missed the memo, the Blackhawks are going to need to move some of their payroll for the 2010-11 season off the roster before next year begins. There have been a number of scenarios discussed, ranging from a deal as simple as Brent Sopel being dealt for a prospect or two all the way up to a package including Cam Barker and Versteeg being dealt for superstar Ilya Kovalchuk. The great mystery isn’t whether or not the Hawks will make a deal, but who’s headed out the door and when.
The calendar might play a role in Bowman’s decision making process as well. The trade deadling is on March 3 this year, which comes less than a week after the end of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. During those Olympics, the NHL will be under a self-imposed trade blackout, eliminating the possibility of any players leaving their teams for the Olympics and keeping their bags packed after the games end. So if the Hawks are going to make a move, it will either be before Feb. 10 or quickly in the four days that follow the Olympics.
From a schematic perspective, if a deal is made during this season, bringing a new face in before the two week break would make assimilating the new player into the roster easier (assuming the new face isn’t an Olympian). That would give Bowman roughly five weeks to make something happen.
Now rewind to the reality that the Hawks will have at least one important member of the offense, Bolland, coming back. If we roll under the hypothetical scenario presented above, the lines could look like this:
It looks like there are two players too many on that list. So who goes? Obviously Bowman will look for the best value in return, but also won’t want to upset the apple cart too much. Age, value and future financial consideration will all play a role when Bowman looks to make a deal, whether it’s during this season or after. Let’s take another look at the lines above with their current age and 2010-11 salary cap number for each player following their name.
Obviously, there are players on this roster that aren’t going anywhere either during this season or next summer. Toews, Kane, Bolland and Hossa figure to be untouchable, but as you can see, there are a few players on the roster that are providing great value for their salary. Brouwer, for just $1 million, is a young player that has really started to come into his own this year. It’s doubtful that the Hawks would want to move him.
As you can see in bold, there are two unrestricted free agents on the roster currently – Burish and Madden – and three restricted free agents -Ladd, Fraser and Eager - that the Hawks will have to made a decision on either during this season or next summer. Madden took a pretty substantial paycut to come to Chicago on a one-year deal, and it’s doubtful that he would return next year; that takes care of the oldest and most expensive of the group. The rest are why Bowman will have his calculator and phone with him for the next five weeks.
Eager is the enforcer on the current roster, spending over 27 percent of his “active” time in the penalty box; he’s played 205 minutes on the ice this year, and served 77 minutes in the penalty box. Considering the more efficient, less penalized physical style of play Brouwer has presented this year, it’s doubtful that Eager will return next year. However, considering Eager has only six points this year, the limited value the Hawks could receive to move his presence off the roster likely wouldn’t offset the loss to the team dynamic. Eager’s probably here for the rest of the season.
Fraser is another player that, like Eager, doesn’t fill the stat sheet but his role on the team outweighs the value the Hawks could likely expect in return in a trade. He’s been a key player on the Hawks’ PK this year, and has played solid hockey in the limited minutes he’s received. Whether or not he’s back next year is a separate issue, but it’s doubtful that Fraser goes during the season.
Which brings us to Ladd.
Ladd’s a bigger forward who has 16 points so far this year (seven goals, nine assists), and is young enough that he could make an impact on another team for a few years in the future. The fact that he’s a restricted free agent also means that, if he’s dealt during the season, the receiving team would have first crack at negotiating a contract with Ladd. At 6′2 and 200 pounds, Ladd could be a top-six forward on many other teams in the league, but is already struggling to get more than 13 minutes per night and will only see his role shrink when Bolland returns.
When you add his current salary – $1.65 million – to the equation, the likelihood is that Ladd will be looking for a multi-year deal in the neighborhood of $1.5-2.0 million per season, numbers the Blackhawks certainly wouldn’t spend on a player they can replace from within for half of that cap number.
If the Blackhawks look to move another salary off their books for next season, perhaps Sopel and his $2.333 million cap number, before the Olympics, adding a young forward like Ladd to the mix might entice more teams to approach the table. There are a number of veterans that could become available soon that would present the right combination the Hawks are looking for: an expiring contract and a desire to win a championship.
Because of his size, age, contract and the reality that he’s replaceable, Ladd might be the most likely player on the Hawks roster to be dealt during this season.
As the Blackhawks prepare to host the Nashville Predators Friday night, there’s an awkward silence coming from Chicago.
Yesterday, obviously, was one of the most important days in Blackhawks’ history, as the team announced contract extensions for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kand and Duncan Keith. The excitement leading up to that announcement, and the anticipation of the potential the future could bring with these three young stars locked up, was something the Hawks fans have been begging for since 1962.
But the other side of the excitement was the rumors that the Blackhawks had to make a deal to make the three contracts happen during the season. The “tagging” rule was an issue the Blackhawks allegedly had to deal with, and it was reportedly going to force GM Stan Bowman to move at least one, if not two players before the ink was dry.
Reports on Friday morning, however, are that Bowman and others from the Blackhawks’ front office met with NHL officials to review the Hawks salary obligations in 2009-10 and beyond, and received league clearance to finalize the three new contracts without being obligated to cut payroll.
That means the trade rumors swirling around Cam Barker, Patrick Sharp and, especially, Brent Sopel should die down for at least a little while.
However, just because the league was OK with the Hawks new deals happening new without a deal doesn’t mean the Hawks are in a financial position without issue moving forward. Adding the three new deals puts the Blackhawks’ salary cap number at $60.6 million heading to next year before addressing the pending free agencies of players like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager, John Madden and Adam Burish. Expectations are that the NHL will lower the salary cap for 2010-11 from the current $56.8 million.
Which means the Hawks will need to move salary just to put a complete roster on the ice next year, much less have any depth.
There’s no doubt that rumors will continue to swirl around a number of Blackhawks, including Barker, Sharp, Sopel, Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg, all of whom are signed through next season. Realistic expectations should be that two players from this list are not with the team next year because of salary constraints, and those players might still be moved during this season.
But what’s important now is that, if the Hawks opt to keep the current roster together through the playoffs, they can do so. The way these Hawks are playing, that’s a relief.
Are the Hawks interested in Canes' center Matt Cullen?
This past summer, especially after Marian Hossa signed with the Blackhawks, the team became a favorite in everyother trade rumor. A young team with lots of good players, both in Chicago and not yet in the NHL, that also happens to be suffocating on the salary cap is prime for speculation, and the Hawks have certainly had their share.
As the issues in goal and injuries started to hit the Hawks in October, the whispers again began. On November 3, we reported that there were a number of trade rumors swirling around with the Blackhawks involved. The next day, a response from a Blackhawks’ beat writer, ironically one that had printed rumor mill material back in August, brought further speculation to whether or not Stan Bowman would make a move before Christmas.
Over the last couple weeks, the Hawks have settled their goalie situation and the full return of Jonathan Toews, Brent Seabrook and Ben Eager have brought the mojo back to the Blackhawks.
Their mounting concern over the power play has subsided, their PK has stayed among the best in the league, and the Hawks rank third in the league in their ability to win faceoffs. So why would the Hawks start popping up in trade rumors again?
When Dave Bolland had surgery on a herniated disc in his back, it presented the very real possibility that he won’t be back at 100 percent this season. The doctors have estimated a three to four month recovery, which (counting on my fingers) puts him back on the ice in the middle of March.
Looking back at the summer, and the early parts of this season, Bowman did a nice job of presenting coach Joel Quenneville with options to fill in for faceoffs. Toews currently ranks third in the NHL in faceoff win percentage, and John Madden is also in the top ten. After that, the Hawks have added Tomas Kopecky (as a free agent with Hossa) and Andrew Ebbett (off waivers from Anaheim early in the regular season).
Kopecky, Ebbett, Kris Versteeg and Colin Fraser have all spent time in the circle in the past couple weeks, each with varied levels of success.
Versteeg has not only the best ability on the ice, but the biggest price tag among the group. He figures to best serve the team from his natural wing position.
Fraser has had some stretches recently where he’s been incredible in the circle. On November 6 in Denver, Fraser won nine of his 10 faceoffs.
The problem with Kopecky, Fraser and Ebbett is that none of the three has established a firm niche with the offense yet this year. Fraser, for all of his success in the circle and quality work on the PK, has taken some stupid penalties and is seen sprinting for the bench after many even-strength faceoffs. Kopecky has started to find a role in front of the net, but hasn’t been effective yet anywhere else on the ice.
Which makes the great question mark Ebbett. On a number of occassions in the last couple weeks, Ebbett has centered between Patrick Kane and Versteeg. That line is as fast on their skates as many of the fastest lines in hockey, but none of them is taller than 5′10; the obvious concern is that they can be pushed around the ice because of their size.
Ebbett’s ice time has drawn some speculation that the Hawks might make a move to bolster the center position via trade. And, circling back to the rumors from early November, the Carolina Huricanes are coming up again.
The ironic thing, again, is that the columnist that called out the rumors as being pure fancy on November 4 is now the one claiming there’s some validity, and potential, to a Hawks deal with the Canes.
In Sunday’s edition of the Daily Herald, Tim Sassone writes that the Hawks might have interest in Canes center Matt Cullen. A couple weeks ago, Hockey Buzzreported that the Hawks and Canes had spoken about trade options; Sassone quickly called these rumors false and dismissed the reports within hours of their publication. Yet now, just ten days later, it’s Sassone apparently confirming such a conversation between Chicago and Carolina.
Whether or not the Hawks make a move likely won’t happen until after Hossa returns to the ice, and Quenneville is able to feel comfortable with his bounty of forwards. Hossa, for what it’s worth, has spent some time at center in practice since he started skating with the team last week, but seems to be a distant option to play the position at length in games.
If Cullen were considered, there would need to be some salary concessions made to fit his $2.875 million salary onto the roster. Rumors out of Carolina have been that the Canes are looking for a defenseman to quarterback their power play. A logical fit with a similar salary would be Cam Barker, who has a cap number of $3 million; Barker’s name has been mentioned in previous rumors with Carolina.
In July, Patrick Sharp was allegedly drawing interest.
As we discussed on CommittedIndians yesterday, there has been some trade speculation centering around the Chicago Blackhawks recently that’s starting to draw some attention from all over the media world. Two specific writers, though, appear to be keeping tabs on each other’s work.
In yesterday’s article, it was noted that John Jaeckel is reporting for Hockey Buzz that the Hawks have had discussions with both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes regarding a laundry list of players. The most prominent name on the list has been defenseman Tomas Kaberle of Toronto.
Jaeckel begins his piece, dated Nov. 3, by saying “This is what I am hearing from a reliable source.”
Today, in what appears to be a direct response to Jaeckel’s blog, Tim Sassone of The Daily Herald has come out with an article of his own, categorically denying the rumors. He says Toronto GM Brian Burke has not spoken with the Blackhawks about any potential deal, and that the Hurricanes don’t have any players that make sense for the Blackhawks to add (which I agreed with yesterday).
“A blogger writes the Blackhawks are on the verge of making a major trade, citing a reliable source, and all heck breaks loose Wednesday,” Sassone says. “I think somebody needs to check his reliable source.”
This banter is particularly intriguing because one of the first reports to bring suspicion to a potential Hawks-Leafs trade was from Sassone himself, back in early July. In that piece, Sassone connects the dots between the Leafs having a bounty of good defensemen, including Kaberle, and the Hawks having a plethora of forwards, many of whom could entice Burke and Toronto.
In fact, Sassone quotes Burke directly in the July article, and references rumors from the summer that then-Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon and Burke had been linked. Sassone points out that Kaberle’s salary cap number ($4.25M) is just a quarter-million more than Patrick Sharp ($4M).
Now Tallon is no longer the Blackhawks GM, and Sassone is denying any of the rumored talks he found to be a firm enough allegation to report on just four short months ago.
Whether or not discussions have taken place, or to what level those discussions have progressed, is up for discussion. What hasn’t changed, though, is the apparent fit of the two teams in question.
Are the Blackhawks interested in Toronto defenseman Tomas Kaberle?
Something that has been pretty well established by any number of NHL analysts is that, once the Blackhawks are healthy, they have more talented forwards than there is ice time to satisfy. Adding Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews to an already-productive group will give the Hawks two more elite players to put in the mix.
As we discussed here on CommittedIndians yesterday, there are some decisions to be made by management as the injured players continue to get healthy. In that article, we discussed some of the younger players that might be on the fringe between staying in Chicago in a nice suit or heading to Rockford for the weekend.
However, Hockey Buzz is now putting more flesh to a couple rumors that have been hinted at for months.
John Jaeckel is reporting for Hockey Buzz that the Blackhawks are in talks with two teams: the Carolina Hurricans and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Something going down with Carolina might be a long shot, but the rumors between Toronto and the Blackhawks aren’t anything new.
The Toronto rumors center around the apparent interest the Hawks have in defenseman Tomas Kaberle. The Blackhawks would likely need to move a blue liner back to Toronto to make this deal happen, but the Leafs’ interest is reportedly in some of that bounty of young forwards coach Joel Quenneville has at his disposal.
Kaberle is off to a staggering start, scoring 17 points already in just 12 games. When you consider the Leafs have only scored 31 goals, Kaberle’s involvement in the offensive flow for Toronto is astounding.
Any move the Hawks would make right now has to be viewed through two lenses, though. One is the immediate impact the trade could make on the 2009-10 season, and the other is the implications on the Blackhawks’ salary cap flexibility next summer when Duncan Keith, Toews and Patrick Kane need new paper.
With that in mind, Kaberle’s contract has a cap number of $4.25 million, which matches his salary, and runs through the 2010-11 season. If the Blackhawks add a number in that range to next year’s payroll, they’ll likely need to move a player off that payroll. That would seem to cloud any alleged interest Toronto might have in Andrew Ladd, who’s a free agent next summer like Keith, Toews and Kane.
Going somewhere?
Ladd might be a valuable chip in the trade, but the Hawks would need to move someone under contract next year to make room for Kaberle’s salary and ice time. That might be where a name like Cam Barker enters the mix. Other names that have been whispered in Toronto rumors include Kris Versteeg and Patrick Sharp, both of whom are signed through next year.
Toronto is off to the worst start in the entire NHL, having won just once in 13 games. They’ve been outscored 52-31 so far, so moving Kaberle off their blue line would be a move intended to bolster their offense as much as it would be to use Kaberle’s great value to perhaps get a younger player back on their defense as well. Kaberle will turn 32 in March.
The rumors surrounding Carolina haven’t been nearly as direct as those regarding Toronto and Kaberle.
Moving soon?
From Carolina’s perspective, they need a defenseman to lead their power play. To most Hawks fans, that screams Brian Campbell (and his enormous cap number), but they might have interest in Barker as well. Carolina GM Jim Rutherford has dealt with the Hawks in the past, as recently as moving Ladd to Chicago in the spring of 2008 in exchange for Tuomo Ruutu.
The players in whom the Hawks would allegedly have interest in these rumors are forwards. Ray Whitney’s name has come up in a couple of rumors, as have Joe Corvo and Rod Brind’Amour. None of these players brings nearly as much to the table as Kaberle, so, considering the Hawks’ depth up front, deciphering who the Hawks and Hurricanes would be discussing has been a little harder.
These rumors aren’t being reported as through there’s a trade awaiting league approval, though scenarios with Toronto do appear to have more weight than anything with Carolina. We’ll keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the internet to continue bringing you the latest news and rumors surrounding the Blackhawks.
