Blackhawks Sign Tanner Kero
On Thursday, the Blackhawks announced the club has signed Michigan Tech forward Tanner Kero to a two-year contract. Kero’s contract begins at the start of the 2015-16 season; he has agreed to an ATO contract and will report to Rockford for the rest of the season.
Kero, 22, posted 46 points (20 goals, 26 assists) in 41 games during his senior year. He led the WCHA in points and was named the conference’s Player of the Year.
Kero is represented by Acme World Sports, which also represents Blackhawks forward Teuvo Teravainen and defenseman Kimmo Timonen, as well as Hawks prospects Alex Broadhurst, Ville Pokka and Vince Hinostroza.
5″11 180 shoots left, so not a big guy. Had a real nice year his sr. year – was an attendee of the MN Wild prospect camp last summer. They’re stockpiling bodies for Rockford next year – I’d expect some promotions and I presume a few guys will be moved out from Rockford too.
Can’t say I’ve seen him play but you have to give Stan and company credit. He has signed Baun, Kero, Hinostraza and Paliotta in the last 2 weeks. I realize the latter 2 were Hawk draftees, but they outbid other teams for Baun, Kero, Matt Carey and Drew Leblanc. That’s very encouraging. It appears the Kevin Hayes snub was an aberration.
Great, another sub 200lb player. Just what the Hawks need.
The Blackhawks not only have a style of play they have adopted over the years, but it has grown into a brand of hockey which is not only interesting to watch, but highly successful as well. Whereas their lack of size sometimes hurts them, they make up for it in skating skill, speed, and finesse. They now have a good sample of different styles on the team and if these new signees fit in, then it doesn’t matter if they weigh 184 or 197.
The Hawks style with the smaller faster guys was to stick handle into the zone with a Dman (usually Leddy or Keith). Now it is almost all dump and chase. Now your asking these little fast guys to go in the corners and dig the pucks out. This isn’t an “interesting” style, it’s “inefficient”. One of the problems is the biggest guy, Bickel, is not interested in playing like a big guy. This style keeps the fast guys standing still at the blue line waiting for the puck.
I agree with the Train. Speed and talent is great to have but you have to have the bigs that play like bigs to protect the talent. Size and speed to compliment speed and talent would work. A C Stewart would have been the call. Dejardins looks like he knows what his role is and once Vermette gets going should be clicking on all cylinders. I also want to see the teams reaction when someone lays a hand on Kaner when he is skating again.
11 responded right away when 16 got hit from behind into boards.
After 2010 Bowman drafted a lot of centers since we had no depth there in the Farm. In recent years he collected several good Defenseman and some FW with size. It takes 2 or 3, sometimes 4/5 yrs for these guys to be ready. Their coming and theres a lot of ’em.
When we reload again, we will have more then 2 Defenseman with size, we might have 4. Role players will be nasty two-way players with speed and good checkers.