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The 2nd Half of the Summer |
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Just got back last night from my annual Michigan camping trip (tons of fun as always, lotta work too). For the first time in 5 years, I had LTE service most of the time while there. Couldn't blog, but kept up via my browser and Twitter as best I could.
What I heard/saw more than anything while I was gone were a lot of tweets for followers and PMs asking: are the Hawks done for the summer? Is this . . . it?
So let's take a brief inventory of where we are—and then look at what we might expect.
One important sort of guiding principle I think we should all remember is something Stan Bowman said on draft night, when asked about whether he'd obtained "replacements" for the players he'd traded, essentially: "you can't look at it that way. These are different players, with different skills."
On the negative side, the Blackhawks lost 3 proven warriors this summer in Marian Hossa, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Marcus Kruger. A top scoring left winger in Artemi Panarin. They lost the defense depth they had (such as it was).
On the positive side, they got younger, faster, more cost-controlled and strengthened the lower half of the forward lines with guys who have NHL experience in those roles.
The kind of horse trading Stan Bowman had to do this summer can't really be measured in simple math. Sometimes, it is about improving the chemistry and moving to a different playing style.
Without question, the latest first round playoff elimination showed the Hawks had to, at least, get faster and more physical. I believe they have.
As I wrote here repeatedly in the post-playoff lead up to the draft, Bowman was going to make major changes—and try to do all of the above while also making the team more competitive in 2017-18.
I don't know if he's accomplished that last part. Yet. In fact, a pretty strong argument can be made, he hasn't.
There are big questions about the defense after Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook. I personally think Connor Murphy is going to be fine, sooner or later. I'm also a believer in Michal Kempny's athleticism and willingness. But, at best, as composed, the Hawk blueline is going to be a work in progress much of the season.
With Kruger's departure, there is no center other than Jonathan Toews who approaches 50% in the face-off dot—no easily discerned center to take over Kruger's role on defensive zone and penalty kill draws.
Although some are ready to crank the way back machine to 2013 and declare Patrick Sharp at the top of his game again—it would likely be prudent to wait and see on a 35 year old player coming off several injuries and a major surgery who everyone couldn't wait to get rid of two summers ago.
So if Bowman can make another addition or two that might really help get this newly-concocted chemistry experiment to full boil.
So where are the moves?
What I have been hearing is it all comes down to cap space, and that seems to come down to the possibility of moving Marian Hossa's contract to a cap floor team—the most likely being the Carolina Hurricanes.
In all likelihood, Hossa will, as I was told last night, go on LTIR at some point. But that needs to be fully confirmed in some manner by the league before another team will take on the contract in trade. Makes sense.
The last trade conversation I heard about involved a prospect and a pick being added as sweetener by Chicago, with the Canes sending some defensive depth back.
Much can change, including trading partners. But this kind of maneuvering is what I am told would be necessary before the Hawks make any more significant moves this summer.
Then again, it has been a summer full of surprises. So we will all have to wait and see.
All I have for now. Will update as I hear more,
JJ
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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