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The No-Fun Convention Begins |
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Just two years ago, the Chicago Blackhawks were the toast of the hockey world: young, brash, loaded with talent and Stanley Cup rings on the way.
Today, after two consecutive first round playoff exits, they appear to be in disarray, with rumors circulating that, among other things, they are no longer an organization that other players want to play for.
And in an offseason where all GM Stan Bowman has to show is the signing of Sheldon Brookbank, results (or lack thereof) speak volumes.
While I felt the Hawks would be players in the end for Ryan Suter—and they were more so than the “experts” predicted—no one really expected the Hawks to land Suter or Zach Parise, much less both.
So it’s hard to be really disappointed that the Hawks didn’t.
But what is more disappointing and perhaps a larger concern is that the Hawks have failed (thus far) to address the obvious team needs this offseason: center depth (or a true second line center), goalie and more physicality.
And rumor has it numerous 2nd and 3rd tier free agents have turned the Hawks down cold.
In response, Bowman’s already channeled his inner George W. Bush: building a team through free agency is “hard.”
To fix an inexplicably bad power play (in light of the Hawks’ on ice talent), Joel Quenneville did what many predicted: went out and hired as assistant coach yet another old St. Louis crony named Jamie Kompon—who L.A. Kings fans were overjoyed to see leave their organization.
Or you can go by what a source told me recently, a former pro player who speaks regularly with many in the game:
“Kompon is a terrible choice.”
Ouch.
What I am also hearing is that the Hawks, as a result (and as they always do), are looking for a positive spin and “other answers” to pump up the fanbase at this weekend’s Fan Convention.
Those answers appear to be:
1) 19 year old Brandon Saad will possibly make the team (ostensibly in the top 6) this season
2) Corey Crawford is “the man” in net
3) A full season of Andrew Shaw and Dan Carcillo will really help
Quoting a piece by Adam Jahns recently in the Sun-Times:
“It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Hawks start pitching (Brandon) Saad as their next young star. He not only has won over Bowman, but also coach Joel Quenneville. Saad also could be seen chatting with Hawks brass Monday, including team president John McDonough and scouting director Mark Kelley.
“I think [Saad is] going to be pushing for a big role on our team,” Bowman said recently.”
Granted, a portion of the fanbase continues to lap up the Saad hype like a dog does spilled gravy.
“This kid ‘s ready," someone said recently.
Really? What have you seen of Saad, other than using his advanced physical maturity versus boys, that tells you he is ready to play a top 6 role on what is supposed to be a Stanley Cup contending team, against men, and against whom he has no physical advantages?
Answer: Nothing.
And of more concern, neither have the Hawks. He didn’t show it in a couple of games early last season or in the playoffs. He was just there. So he comes in and sort of sleepwalks through Prospect Camp this year (the way I hear it)—and something’s changed?
Sure, those diehard One Goal true believers will point to Saad’s outstanding junior numbers last year, as though he—and not hundreds of guys who eventually became bartenders—is the only player to put up big numbers in junior.
But Saad was specifically cited by some as a disappointment on a disappointing U.S. team in the 2012 World Juniors.
He fell out of the top 10 in the 2011 draft—and to 43rd overall—at least in part because of a belief among some scouts that he could excel against younger, smaller players (like in the OHL), but not so much against bigger, better talent (like the World Juniors).
30 GMs passed on the Great Saad just one year ago, some of them twice. But from the sound of things, the Hawks want you to believe they are the geniuses.
Just like when I was accused of having an “anti-Skille” agenda, back when I had to explode all the ridiculous Jack Skille Hype (remember that?), let me say this: I have nothing against Saad. He’s probably going to end up (in 2-3 years) being a pretty good player. And better than Skille.
I just refuse to get reeled in on all this nonsense that a 19 year-old second round pick who has really never played any pro hockey is going to be a transformative, or even measurable, difference in the Blackhawks this year.
Not. Buying. It. And nor should you.
It’s time to call a spade a spade: Bowman is in over his head.
Or maybe more accurately put, an organization that was so full of itself just two short years ago is finding out that it isn’t the most popular girl—in fact far from it— at the dance. And they don’t have an answer.
Because what else is there? Brookbank? Shaw? Carcillo? A “rebound” (and that is to say a “good” rebound) season by Crawford?
Remember, it’s all about One Goal—and you have to assume that applies to 2012-13 as well.
And if we know one thing about Bowman, he has no difficulty selling off proven men for unproven boys–and turning around and telling you that the kids are alright.
We also know that his praise for his prospects always seems to coincide with, or to be offered in response to, fan impatience with his inability to acquire NHL talent.
Watch what transpires at the Convention. Barring an unforeseen meaningful move to improve the team in the next 24 hours or so, that is what you will hear.
Cue Whitney Houston: “I believe the children are our future.”
But Stanley Cups are not won with kids. They are won with men. Sorry to be cliché’. But the beards matter.
And Saad isn’t a center (or a goalie) and never will be—although the Hawks actually tried to hint that the kid wanted to try center during Prospect Camp.
Ugh.
Sure, Shaw and Nick Leddy are two acorns Bowman has turned up in his tenure. But that and the promise of Saad and some other draft picks are not a lot to show for Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd, Kris Versteeg, Niemi, Troy Brouwer, Brian Campbell and Brent Sopel.
Again, look at the results. Two first round exits, the last, getting physically manhandled by a Phoenix team who also exposed Bowman’s hand-picked goalie, Corey Crawford.
Of course Crawford, like so many other current Bowman players, was a default, a fallback—after the GM himself wrongly claimed in the summer of 2010 the superior Niemi wasn’t “going anywhere.”
Meanwhile Jonathan Toews gets another year closer to unrestricted free agency and Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa to age 35.
What Bowman and McDonough fail to remember is that Hawk fans have been sold this bill of goods before.
Early in the previous decade, “the near future,” filled with the likes of Mikhail Yakubov, Anton Babchuk, Matt Keith and Pavel Vorobiev, was going to be awesome. And we know how that turned out. It was another five years, after Dale Tallon took over and really cleaned house, that things got turned around.
Bowman is, by all accounts, a nice guy, who Team President John McDonough elevated to GM— because McDonough apparently couldn’t work with a real hockey man and the architect of the Stanley Cup team, Dale Tallon.
The story of Stan Bowman’s tenure as GM has been trading away, or just losing (see Niemi, A.) NHL talent and replacing it with draft picks and prospects. Prospects like, Ivan Vishnevskiy, Chris DiDomenico, Phillippe Paradis, Jeremy Morin. Remember them? Aside from Morin, I bet you have to stretch a bit.
But this isn’t an organization in growth mode anymore. It’s an organization that appears caught in the inertia of entropy: overloaded with front office functionaries, many of whom lack significant hockey bona fides. Too soft on the ice. Rumored at times to be divided in the dressing room. And clearly better, to this point, at moving NHL talent out than bringing it in.
I don’t know a lot about much. But I do know the longterm Hawk fan and their psyche quite well. I believe they will make their displeasure known loudly at the Annual Lovefest known as the Fan Convention this weekend.
And they should hope Rocky Wirtz is listening.
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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