Give Gary Bettman credit for one thing: he's found a way to limit "dead time" in the NHL calendar. But clearly, right now, it's kinda dead. I mean, to my mind, outside of handing awards to guys we knew were going to win the awards, As The JayBo Turns, and the earth-shattering Steve Reinprecht deal, this is a pretty quiet time in the NHL and the hockey world in general.

But it is getting close to the draft and free agency, and there are a few subjects to cover.

THE DRAFT:

First, the Hawks pick 28th in the first round this year.

It's been a while since Hawk draftniks had to dig deep enough to weigh the relative values of the likes of Joonas Naatinen and Dmitri Orlov. I guess that's a good problem to have.

And, it can be argued the Hawks have no huge organizational needs (though I would — and will — make the opposite point in a minute).

After round 1, the Hawks have a pick in each round (except the 6th) and two picks in the seventh round.

I believe the Hawks really lack quality goaltending depth throughout their system. Unfortunately, this is a bad year for goalies, as not one prospect ranks in the top 30.

That said, there are three "second tier" prospects who could all potentially play in the NHL: Edward Pasquale of Saginaw and Matt Hackett of Plymouth (OHL), and Olivier Roy out of the QHL. Of these kids, the one I really like is Hackett, who came out of nowhere to unseat top U.S. goalie Jeremy Smith as the #1 netminder for the Whalers last season. If he's there at #59, I'd like to see the Hawks grab him. His 3.04 GAA is nothing special, but Plymouth goalies saw a ton of rubber this year, and he had a good .913 save percentage. And if the name sounds familiar, yes, he is the nephew of former Hawk netminder Jeff Hackett. Matt Hackett has good size (6'2") and if he develops anything like his uncle's leg strength, he could be an NHL netminder someday.

In the first round, there are a lot of ways the Hawks could go. If a defenseman like John Moore (Chicago USHL) fell to them, they'd likely take him. There are a slew of good Center/Wing prospects ranked by the ISS in the range where the Hawks pick: Drew Shore, Scott Glennie, Zach Kassian, Kyle Palmieri, Chris Kreider, Jordan Caron, Ethan Werek, Jeremy Morin and the aforementioned Naatinen.

I have not seen all of these guys. A few who stand out are Kassian (big, rugged, power forward who projects as a third or fourth liner), Shore and Palmieri (products of the US National Program, always a plus in terms of development), Kreider (bound for Harvard) and Werek.

Of these kids, one I really like is Werek; he's tough, physical and has very good hands and puck skills.

Reader Pepino Pampelmoose adds this:

"Cody Eakin.

Ranked 29th. Very underrated pick. Put up decent numbers while playing a limited two-way role with Swift Current last season.

Played on the top line at the top prospects game with Tavares and potted two goals.

Might not have the size, but the kid has tons of heart. Similar to a young Sami Kapanen. He's a speedster who's responsible in his own end, but can put the puck away when he gets a chance. Will get top line minutes in Swift Current next season."

I've heard a little bit about Eakin. And along with the Hawk scouting department, I am a big fan of WHL kids generally speaking anyway.

But obviously, there is no clear pick, or clear need, so the Hawks could go a lot of different ways.

DUDLEY MOVING ON:

With his name linked to at least three open NHL jobs, Rick Dudley has left the Hawks. Announced as a resignation to pursue other interests, his leaving appears to be a move to limit the distraction within the Hawks' front office at an important time of year. Duds did a great job in Chicago and will no doubt do well wherever he ends up.

MARTY HAVLAT, ETC.:

Andy Strickland intimated yesterday that some news was forthcoming within days on this situation. Well, that could mean a lot of things.

While I have no insight, my gut tells me the Hawks have decided what they want to do. And perhaps Marty has too. I suspect, as is often the case, there's a gulf between what Marty and Alan Walsh think he's worth and what the Hawks are willing to do.

There's a rumor/wish floating about cbh.com that the Hawks have a deal done and are waiting to announce it at the fan convention. This doesn't make any sense to me from a timing standpoint. That's nearly a month from now and it would be hard to keep that under wraps much past June 30.

My guess is Marty's going to go UFA on July 1 and he and the Hawks will see what's out there. He could return. He just as likely won't.

It's hard to replace a near point-a-game player who's also +30. That said, Havlat played on the Hawks' third line last year (albeit a very, very productive third line). There have been whispers of the Hawks being interested in a veteran like John Madden or Jere Lehtinen. Neither brings anything close to Marty's offense, but both have won Cups, bring a lot of leadership, versatility and toughness, and both are well-suited to a third line role.

Still, there could be an announcement soon of a Havlat deal. Which would be welcome news to most in Blackhawk Nation.

As for Nikolai Khabibulin, I believe he is gone. His stock is probably higher elsewhere in the NHL right now than it is in Chicago, and without a deal to move Cristobal Huet (which is highly unlikely), #39 is probably playing elsewhere next season.

Beyond that, the Hawks have not announced qualifying offers yet on restricted free agents, Dave Bolland, Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg. Again, are the Hawks playing it close to the vest (I believe so; this gives other teams less time to formulate plans), or are they paralyzed?

I believe, of the three, Barker is most likely to depart. He is a 5th defenseman on this team, yet clearly, he could provide value to a lot of other teams around the NHL. Many feel, and I agree, the Hawks could use a big two-way defenseman, preferably right-handed shooting, like Steve Montador, to play with Bryan Campbell. Still, free agent acquisitions need to be paid for. A lot of Hawk fans would like to keep all the kids together, but money is going to be a problem.

Finally, I would love to see the Hawks retain Matt Walker. He would be a nice partner for Nik Hjalmarsson on the third pair. However, Brent Sopel is signed for two more seasons at $2.5 million per. Walker and Sopel are somewhat similar players: limited mobility, smart, right-handed shots. One possibility is signing Walker at say a million per season and buying Sopel out, thus possibly even saving a bit on the cap. That said, as tough and likable as Walker is, it is questionable whether he is a better player than Sopel, who also brings leadership, as well as some needed experience.

PROSPECT CAMP:

I will be blogging from Johnny's Ice House July 8. Anyone in the area, please stop by and say hello.



JJ

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