So Sharp is out. Yaaaawwwwwwnn. He's easily the most replaceable member of the $5.0+ club. Better him than 19, 88, 81, 2, or 7. Hopefully he'll be ready the next time the Hawks desperately need to hit a post.
- Ogilthorpe2

predictable.....

predictable.....
- bogiedoc

And accurate. No extra charge.

I still think it's going to be a few weeks before teams start selling off. There's too many teams in each conference that are only 1-4 pts out of the 8 spot and many GM's will have delusions of grandeur and think because the Kings won the Cup as the #8 seed, anything is possible and they might be very hesitant to sell off even though they should (I'm looking at you Jay Feaster). Right now the only teams that I see as true sellers are Columbus and Florida.

To be quite honest I think this might be a very slow and weak trade deadline, however I think the off season with teams needing to clear cap space/buyouts/etc will be fascinating.

You're right, it's just my opinion just like it's your opinion the Hawks are in love with him.
- Beaver-Warrior

So if you don't want those guys, and they are in the prime of their career, why would you not trade them? What would you get back trading them versus buying them out? Rhetorical question....the answer is a TON more.

Anyways, on to something more in the realm of reality.

And accurate. No extra charge.
- Ogilthorpe2

Guess we'll see just how good he made that 2nd line now.

So Sharp is out. Yaaaawwwwwwnn. He's easily the most replaceable member of the $5.0+ club. Better him than 19, 88, 81, 2, or 7. Hopefully he'll be ready the next time the Hawks desperately need to hit a post.
- Ogilthorpe2

as much as I like Sharp Ogie you are bang on!

I forgot to ask earlier who else besides me LOVED the sequence where Seabrook takes a big hit,Lays a big hit then has a bomb for Shaw to score on the pp? My wife told me to settle down as I was yelling then fist pumping moments later

as much as I like Sharp Ogie you are bang on!
- RIDELIKEHELL

After last night's game I'm ready to start piling on Sharp as well. I think that he's been kept around for the sake of team morale since he was the best player on the Hawks when #19 and #88 were getting their feet wet. He's good for the locker room, but for what he's getting paid, he needs to produce. He can't play defense, doesn't pass(scoring opportunity) and can't bury the biscuit. When his legs are healthy, his speed opens up the ice but we're getting that from Stals at 1/4 the price. I wonder how short the list is of acceptable teams that he will allow a trade to.

Saw McNeill play for the 2nd time last night. He had a nice assist and a pp goal in a 4-3 loss at home to Calgary. Got a chance to meet him and get a pic after the game and did the same with our old buddy Dave Manson, who is serving as an assistant for his former junior club in Prince Albert.

I asked Charlie if there was any truth to the rumor that he and fellow tough guy Ken Baumgartner, used to antagonize the opposition in the warm up by drinking from their water bottles. He confirmed that it was true and added...'until the WHL stopped us'....lol.

Manson has permanent voice damage as a result of taking a punch in the throat from Sergio Momesso back in the day. Great guy. Very kind to hook a fan up. I'll post the pics at a later date.

Back to McNeill. Nice hands, very comfortable handling the puck and he even tried a Kaner type spin'r'rama on one rush...without the desired result.
He made a real play on his assist, digging the puck out from behind the goal line and putting it on the tape to a mate who buried it. On his goal, he was stationed inside the left ring and one-timed a sweet feed into a gaping net, but didn't appear to get good wood on the shot.

Outside of that...i was a bit disappointed in his lack of physicality and lack of appetite for it. Though he has thrown down in his junior career and proven to be a decent fighter, last night he was content to float on the perimeter and execute a lot of fly by's when he could have stapled more foes.

I'd give him a C+/B- for the night even though he was named the game's 3rd star.

Folks, I hate to sound like Ogi here, but jeepers. It's STALBERG. Call him Stals all you want, but it's not Stahls, Stahlsy, or Stahlberg.

Matt Hendricks is my guy. Washington Caps.

Grit, great speed, great in shoot out. will fight...kill penalties. Perfect bottom 6 guy.
- TrueGrit

What about Eric Fehr?

Just saw the game hilites and Sharpie was flying out there...generating some nice chances for mates and himself, but again, making it too easy for the goalie by either shooting it straight into his torso or showing a trademark lack of finish when in tight.

Hope the GLUE GUY makes it back soon.

Just saw the game hilites and Sharpie was flying out there...generating some nice chances for mates and himself, but again, making it too easy for the goalie by either shooting it straight into his torso or showing a trademark lack of finish when in tight.

Hope the GLUE GUY makes it back soon.
- philco28

Two things that sharp does that drive me crazy...
1. He comes down that left board, gets to the goal line and then works himself into a corner with no real 'out'
2. Pick a friggin corner and let 'er rip. He's always burying the puck into the G's chest. Tazer needs to show him how to go 5-hole.

Just saw the game hilites and Sharpie was flying out there...generating some nice chances for mates and himself, but again, making it too easy for the goalie by either shooting it straight into his torso or showing a trademark lack of finish when in tight.

Hope the GLUE GUY makes it back soon.
- philco28

He may have had his best game of the year last night without getting on the scoresheet. I honestly think they gave Hossa the night off. Maybe he was feeling fatigued and needed the night off. Coach Q said nothing serious.

What about Eric Fehr?
- paulr

Maybe not bad, but I like to target the ideal guy. Hendricks is that guy. he has the speed to play Hawk Hockey imho.

Two things that sharp does that drive me crazy...
1. He comes down that left board, gets to the goal line and then works himself into a corner with no real 'out'
2. Pick a friggin corner and let 'er rip. He's always burying the puck into the G's chest. Tazer needs to show him how to go 5-hole.
- eburgio

i can't remember a 5-hole goal of his. Avg 30 goals a yr for the last 3 or 4 yrs but I am sure he has but that is not his style of shooting.

After last night's game I'm ready to start piling on Sharp as well. I think that he's been kept around for the sake of team morale since he was the best player on the Hawks when #19 and #88 were getting their feet wet. He's good for the locker room, but for what he's getting paid, he needs to produce. He can't play defense, doesn't pass(scoring opportunity) and can't bury the biscuit. When his legs are healthy, his speed opens up the ice but we're getting that from Stals at 1/4 the price. I wonder how short the list is of acceptable teams that he will allow a trade to.
- Dieselhead

Okay really? Signing a guy to 5.9 million dollar contract to "just keep him around for team morale" has to been one of the dumbest things I have ever read on this board. Has he struggled at times this year...yes he has but for the first two periods he seemed to be the only one creating chances for himself, granted none of them resulted in a goal but the way Varlamov(sp?) was playing last night that could've been anyone. His defense is not as bad as most people make it out to be. He has 13 assists so your theory of him not passing is delusional. Last year he was almost a point per game with a +/- of 28. I guess we all need someone to pick on......

Maybe not bad, but I like to target the ideal guy. Hendricks is that guy. he has the speed to play Hawk Hockey imho.
- TrueGrit

He's deadly in shootouts as well. Could be that #3 shooter the Hawks so desperately need.

Folks, I hate to sound like Ogi here, but jeepers. It's STALBERG. Call him Stals all you want, but it's not Stahls, Stahlsy, or Stahlberg.
- eburgio

I'm insulted. Why wouldn't you want to sound like me?

After last night's game I'm ready to start piling on Sharp as well. I think that he's been kept around for the sake of team morale since he was the best player on the Hawks when #19 and #88 were getting their feet wet. He's good for the locker room, but for what he's getting paid, he needs to produce. He can't play defense, doesn't pass(scoring opportunity) and can't bury the biscuit. When his legs are healthy, his speed opens up the ice but we're getting that from Stals at 1/4 the price. I wonder how short the list is of acceptable teams that he will allow a trade to.
- Dieselhead

THIS. If stals had been playing with Kane this season he would definitely have the numbers sharp has at least, probably better, and no way Sharp does as well as Stalberg on the third line. The guy doesn't play defense anymore either.

Screw it, let's go all in. Detroit will not win the Cup in the next few years based on the age and talent level of their roster.

Pavel Datsyuk has this year and next at 6.7M. UFA after 13-14. Let the Wings have their pick of 3-4 from Rockford, and maybe someone off the roster. Then team Pavel up with Hossa and Kane with the Captain.

He's deadly in shootouts as well. Could be that #3 shooter the Hawks so desperately need.
- eburgio

That's a bonus, but until they start deciding playoff games with shootouts, the Hawks third shooter deficiencies are the least of my worries.

Dare I ask where in the world Gorilla Salad derived from?

After last night's game I'm ready to start piling on Sharp as well. I think that he's been kept around for the sake of team morale since he was the best player on the Hawks when #19 and #88 were getting their feet wet. He's good for the locker room, but for what he's getting paid, he needs to produce. He can't play defense, doesn't pass(scoring opportunity) and can't bury the biscuit. When his legs are healthy, his speed opens up the ice but we're getting that from Stals at 1/4 the price. I wonder how short the list is of acceptable teams that he will allow a trade to.
- Dieselhead

Not for much longer...Stalberg will command around $3 million in the summer. I have no issue keeping Stalberg over Sharp, heck it would allow us to keep Bolland too. But it won't happen, Sharp isn't going anywhere.

THIS. If stals had been playing with Kane this season he would definitely have the numbers sharp has at least, probably better, and no way Sharp does as well as Stalberg on the third line. The guy doesn't play defense anymore either.
- rollpards19

Until Stalberg starts averaging close to a point per game then you can make this comparison. With that being said I view Stalberg as being very underrated and one of the reasons why the team is where they are today. But I remember last year when he was on one of the top lines he would disappear at times and was inconsistent. I think the 3 is the right spot for him on this team. As far as Sharp not playing defense, I think he plays more than people give him credit for.....like last night when he blocked a shot and turned it into a breakaway.