(I just got the news on the passing of Bob Probert this afternoon. Bob was one of my heroes, not just for the way he played the game, but for the honest, up-and-down battle he had with the disease of addiction. May he rest in peace and my condolences go out to Bob's wife and daughters. I will devote a blog to Bob's life and career tomorrow or later tonight).

All's Quiet at 1901 W. Madison.

But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot going on behind the scenes. With this front office, your guess is likely as good as mine. But it does seem like there are some things we can, errr, ummm, extrapolate from what isn't going on (publicly).

The most recent public statements by the Hawks point to a desire to get their own restricted free agents signed. And there's a whole parcel of them, ranging from "core" players like Nik Hjalmarsson and Antti Niemi to players likely ticketed for Rockford next year— and a few, like Jack Skille and Bryan Bickell, who fall somewhere in between.

Sure, this makes sense. But like the fans of 29 other teams, Blackhawk fans are waiting for some sign of movement, and not getting any, as of 3:47 PM Central time, Monday July 5.

Are the Blackhawks, like every other team, hamstrung from making their next move(s) while waiting for the Kovalchuk domino to fall? It's possible.

And here lies the big question for the hawks. According to statements by GM Stan Bowman as recently as Thursday evening, Niemi and Hjalmarsson "aren't going anywhere."

We don't have a ton of track record by which to judge Bowman's comments. But what little we do have indicates to me he's deadly serious about getting those two signed and in the fold.

In fact, it would seem the excessive bloodletting of the last couple of weeks, in particular the most recent trades of Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd, would seem to indicate Niemi and Hjalmarsson are a priority for the club.

Now, that said, there has been some scuttlebutt from fairly reputable sources (and in spite of the comparison by some of the Hawks' cap situation to the U.S. national debt), that the Hawks do intend to sign at least one veteran free agent, possibly including a goalie.

If the Hawks can afford to do this (and my guess is any veteran skater signed is going to be in the range of $1 million or less per year), I think it is a smart move. Regardless, I think Bickell is on the Hawks this year. The real question lies with a player like Skille, who will need to adjust his game to a third or fourth line role (grinding, defense-first, physical). If he can't do that, then he is better off back at Rockford, with a veteran role player assuming that position on the Hawks.

And there are those in Hawk Nation who are ready to populate the third and fourth lines with "the kids" from Rockford, including the likes of Kyle Beach and Shawn Lalonde, who have less than 10 pro games between them).

But if the Hawks are at all serious about making any kind of effort to defend the Cup this year and (as I said previously) they can at all afford it, they should be trying to add as many budget veterans for their lower lines, or at least a look-see in training camp. And the way this free agent market is stacking up, not to mention the allure to veterans of playing for a Stanley Cup Champion, that strategy might just work.

MISSING PERSSON:

In spite of reports in the Russian media a few weeks back that the Hawks had signed KHL veteran Niklass Persson, it turns out Persson signed with the Lightning the other day. This leads me to wonder if Persson's signing wasn't also (like the rumored signing of Antti Niemi around that time) a casualty of the late-occuring perfoamnce bonuses the hawks had to pay.

Regardless, this is one more hole the Hawks will need to fill on their lower lines.

GREAT SCOTT:

One veteran signing the Hawks did make last week was giant W/D John Scott, most recently of the Minnesota Wild. Those who've been clamoring for a legitimate enforcer to protect Pat Kane et al, have their guy in the 6'8", 260 pound Scott. Now, the question becomes how good is Scott and how many minutes can he legitimately skate per night. My guess is Scott is going to be used situationally— a 13th forward/7th defenseman.

STAY TUNED:

With the Kovalchuk logjam set to break today, I suspect there will be a flood of signings and trades (perhaps even some involving the Hawks). Even if they don't involve the Hawks, they might clarify the money picture surrounding their free agents, which will in turn dictate what they have to fill in with budget UFAs (if possible).

Thanks for reading.


JJ

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