Report: Brian Campbell Will Return
Nothing can become official until tomorrow, but Campbell’s return is all but inevitable at this point. https://t.co/M03NMSlbZZ
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) June 30, 2016
Campbell told the Chicago Tribune:
“I will take a discount to play here in Chicago… But it’s got to be something I can be comfortable with. Now I just have to wait till Friday to get something done.”
NHL free agency officially opens for business at 11 AM CST on Friday, July 1.
Campbell would likely slide back into the Hawks’ top four, skating with Brent Seabrook. The return of Michal Rozsival gives the Hawks veteran depth as well; new addition Michal Kempny is the wild card, likely slotted for an NHL roster spot with his one-year contract.
What this all means for Erik Gustafsson, Viktor Svedberg and Ville Pokka is something to keep an eye on as the summer progresses. Rockford’s roster looks to be packed on the blue line as well, and the Chicago roster is out of room if/when Campbell signs.
Its all going to depend on dollars and terms.
Very pleased by this.
Keith – Seabrook
Campbell – Hjalmarsson
Kempny – van Riemsdyk
Rosival
Panik (ugh) – Toews – Kane
Panarin – Anisimov – Schmaltz
Motte – Kruger – Hossa
Hartman – Hinostraza – Mashinter
Also like that Rosival is back. He will serve as mentor to Kempny in all likelihood and help bridge the language barrier. Bringing back Rosy telegraphs to me that they must like Kempny to make this roster.
Mashinter is cheap depth. Plays a role and can bounce back and forth to Rockford.
Hi Big Earl. I agree with you on Rosival but I seriously doubt Mash will spend anytime in RFD. Coach’s #1 pet. If 53 gets sent down (so we can actually develop some younger/competent talent on the NHL stage that can actually skate) I will deem this upcoming season a success and a stepping stone for the next few years. Otherwise more of the same but I sure pray that I’m wrong if 53 remains on the big club.
No doubt the Hawks will have nice depth on the blue line. Soupy slots in nicely for the club. I like TVR and Kempny as the 5th and 6th guy. If Kempny is as advertised the Hawks 1-6 will have a deep blue line which help the Hawks stay fresh for when the minutes matter most. If only SB can do something to get some talent to skate next to Toews. I like Panik but he is just a guy. I like Hossa but he has lost a step. The 2nd line is fine and the third and forth line can be solved from within or with minor moves. hopefully the dollars for Soupy wont be crazy.
Except that the Blackhawks are largely devoid of any real young forward talent right now beyond Motte and Schmaltz. Hinostraza, Hartman, McNeil, Kero are all dubious at best NHL prospects.
And Quenneville has proven time and time and time again that capable young talent DOES play for him. All the screaming at Quenneville for never giving an honest break to Pirri, Jimmy Hayes, Morin? Well, he has been soundly vindicated on all of these type guys. And Saad, Leddy and Shaw all broke into the NHL under Quenneville and the only reason they became ex-Hawks was because the team could no longer make their salary demands fit under salary cap. Hjalmarsson, van Riemsdyk, Kruger also successfully broke into the NHL under Quenneville. So I don’t want to hear any more of this bullcrap that Quenneville doesn’t play the youngsters, or that he has an irrational hard-on for roster filler like Mashinter. Until something comes along that is better that Mashinter in the role the Hawks are seeking to fill, then all this talk of him being irrational on playing Mashinter is bullcrap. Let the dubious likes of Hartman, Hinostroza, McNeil or Kero actually beat out Mashinter for a role.
What kind of role, if any, do you folks Desjardins will play? He’s 29 with a year left at $800K on the cap. I don’t see him as a guy that’s going to be going to Rockford, for sure. He’s been a serviceable guy, but I don’t think he fits in with the team this coming season.
Do you think the front office will keep him, try to unload his money soon, or wait until the scrapping for spots is over prior to the season and then make some final move?
The top 4 dmen are cup worthy. Some smart deadline moves and we’ll be a serious contender again this year.
Keith – TVR
Campbell – Hjalmarsson
Seabrook – Kempny
Seabs is starting to grate on me with giving up on plays and allowing one-on-ones in his zone. He needs to be with someone who has a better motor and doesn’t give up on plays. Essentially a babysitter, or some youth.
This is where I miss Stephen Johns.
I think Seabrook will have a “better” year in 16-17. Reason: With Rosy, Campbell and Kempny, his ice time will be reduced by 3-4 minutes per game. Seabrook is a big guy who simply can not go all out 25 minutes per game anymore. He is a great defender and gives the D some size. Cutting him back to 21-22 minutes will be a huge relief for him.
BI, I think Desjardins can make our 4th line tough to play against.
I know Q has other plans but………….
Panik, Kruger, Desjardins would be a great 4th line
And consider that line’s Cap hit is under $5mm, more than acceptable.
Lots of guys getting bought out. Seidenberg, Carle, Matt Greene, Barret Jackman…
Seabrook not having to babysit the kids will give him a better year. When Keith went down, Seabrook was an absolute horse. Keith comes back and he has to keep an eye on Svedberg and Gustafsson
Keith – Seabrook
Campbell – Hjalmarsson
Kempny – van Riemsdyk
Rosival
Panik (ugh) – Toews – Kane
Panarin – Anisimov – Schmaltz
Motte – Kruger – Hossa
Desjardins – Hinostraza – Mashinter
Hartman
That 4th line is ridiculously weak. And Panik anywhere but a 4th line is indicative on just how hard the 2016-17 season is going to be. This is a new era. Don’t fool yourselves on that. Just hope and pray Bowman can rebuild on the fly and we can get back to Cup contention in a couple seasons.
Feathers, You ever seen Johns play for the Hawks? Know how many games he’s played for the stars? Points? +/-? , Did you know he took a pay cut on his stars extension?
Bringing Stephen Johns up does absolutely nothing except get my sleep deprived sorry ass riled up.
Earl, the get your daycare license back?
That lineup looks a lot better if you can beg Vesey and put Panik on the 4th line where he belongs. Going with last years numbers, I like Desjardins at center. Hinostroza doesnt do much for me.
4th of Panik Desjardins and Hartman.
I like this a lot. Hope it really does happen tomorrow. And agree that Seabrook took a beating this year playing babysitter. Put him back with Keith, Soupy with Hammer, and we’re in business. And if Kempny can do what we all hope he can do, then we’re really in business.
I was personally pleasantly surprised with Panik and thought he actually looked pretty good at the end of last season. Had the playoff stretch lasted a bit longer I think he finally would have clicked and made an impact. Had good energy, grit, and offensive ideas. Seemed like he was always by the puck. Anyway, I don’t see him as a 4th line only player. And after seeing so many players come and go without really seeing their potential (tikhinov comes to mind), I am excited to see what he can bring next year
Another bought out d-man joins the list. James Wisnewski. Got hurt his first shift of the year last year and that was his only appearance for the canes before they bought him out.
Big Earl again hit it on the head!
I disagree with the “new era” blather. It’ll be a new era when The Captain and Kaner are done. In the meantime, we’ll still be a cup contender for at least a couple (maybe a few) more years. That said, everyone take two shots!
Salud…. Salud.
yippty fricken skippy, I can hardly wait. A older no “D” defensemen, another stimulating move.
where’s Pokka in his development?
I hope SB is atleast contacted Eric Staal. It would be a nice move to play next to Toews if money isn’t a huge deal. It was rumored at the deadline that money was a driving issue for him. I guess we will find out in alittle over 12 hours
SSHM- he said he’s willing to take a pay cut but…he wants to play a top 6 role…as a center.
Kubs has shown he’s in idiot in both his spelling and hockey sense.
I like this move – hope it happens. Soupy can still skate and play and will be an upgrade over anyone else after the 2-4-7. Maybe Kempny will be the real deal but until he plays an NHL game it is not guaranteed. TvR is positionally sound but lacks the quickness to be a good top-4 d-man.
Keith-Hjalmarsson
Campbell-Seabrook
Kempny-TvR
… has a chance to be one of the top d-corps in the league and a definitive improvement over last season.
Good thinking Ebony- all you ‘new era’ and we are screwed for a couple of years dudes listen up.
Ganderhawk is right about Panik. I think he can play. Let’s give him a chance.
What I love about the Campbell “get” as well, is that we beat out Dallas. There is no doubt that Jim Nill got one over on us last summer. In the end both the Hawks and Stars lost in 7 to the Blues. But the fact they had Oduya and Johns skating in their
top 6 was a real kick in the you know where.
If Campbell slides into the Hawks top 4 and not Dallas’, score one for Stan and company over the Stars.
Hope this happens. If it does, We need 1 or more legit, honest to goodness centerman and there’s a team on our hands. To my knowledge Schmaltz is as much a C as TT was. Desi? Why has he taken so few faceoffs the last 2 years? Bad wrist or something? I think someone mentioned Staal on one of these posts… The thought of that makes me physically aroused, but I’m going to guess that that is because it is a completely impossible fantasy.
Panik was given a chance…last year. He will be 26 during this season. Even with a “career year” last year as far as ppg go, he was still only at .3 ppg. And that includes .5 ppg in the playoffs.
He’s a bottom 6 that may have to play top 6 because they have NOBODY else.
Staal is intriguing but I think he’ll ask for more than 1 mil.
6 points in 25 games for the Rangers. 33 points in 63 games for the Canes.
The Eric Staal of the 2015-16 season had virtually zero left in the tank. I take a hard pass.
to clarify i meant to say, Staal wasnt looking at just money. I heard Thomas Vanek being rumored as a low cost addition. Id much rather have Staal. This is a pretty weak fa market.
Here’s some perspective on salaries.
NBA/Bulls free agent Noah is set to make $18M a year… Let that settle in…$18M!
Yeah I know apples -oranges, but how does a guy like that make that kind of dough, while guys like #19 get the living snot beat out of them every game & make a paltry $10M…?
Hockey players historically make far less than other sports. And I believe they take more physical abuse on a continual basis.
IMHO the salary cap is much too low… These guys (NFL too) risk catastrophic injury on every shift… And unlike NFL, NHL players travel is extreme.
They deserve to get paid…
Ernie- Re: Panik… pretty much agree… But I liked his skating/effort…
also- I think he improved drastically ( but still is terrible on the “Cycle/possession game”) this is probably why He was let go by Babcock???
+ skater, + size, ok hands around net… yet he sucks on cycle… as if he is scared to get hit… I have said this before- Stalberg absolutely sucked when he started w/ Hawks in cycle/board game… got way better in year/2… Panik improved too… but is still weak there… if he worked on it all summer… he might actually be ok on top 2 lines (and if given 80 games there… would pot 20 goals- like a Stalberg)…
Not a perfect player… but what do you want for under $1M???
I always wonder- who improved Stalberg’s cycle??? Coaches or Players…
Not- saying Stalberg is/was great… BUT- when he started w/ Hawks–guy was flopping/falling around like Runblad on the Boards.
Why is nobody slotting in Gustafson is he not a hawk anymore?
Campbell coming back. 1 year 2 mil
NBA has what 10 guys on a team? And 5 guys that play 85% of the game.
Gus is under contract for one more year at $667,500. It would be great if he were waived and another team claimed him.
I belive gus can be sent to RFD.
If Campbell is 1yr &2million im good w that
Gustafson is exempt from the waiver process on 2 accounts. Since he signed for his age 24 season he will no longer be exempt after 2 years from signing OR after he has played 60 total regular season or playoff games.
He has played 46. Once he hits the 60 game mark he will no longer be exempt