I think Bolland has drifted away from Qs favor a little this year.

We saw in the playoffs that Bolland basically worked himself down to 4C in Q's lines. Call it a move for depth, but he opted to drop him lower in a year when Bolland was supposed to be our 2C
- FourFeathers773

Nah, it had a whole lot more to do with Bolland getting back in condition to play fast and more about they knew hossa would work well and make Handzus work harder...

That was so awesome.

He was like phuck the last 50 seconds !! We won female dogesssss !! !!!
- mrpaulish

I read where he said Boychuk or McQuaid was holding him and that's the only way he could get loose....nice spin job Bolly

Only guy i want of Florida is Jack Skille

- philco28

Oh no, not him again!

@Aportzline: #CBJ have signed C Artem Anisimov to a three-year deal.

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=53&id=260727&navid=DL|NHL|home



Awesome moment .. He says "WHERE IS MY BIG BOY ZEUS ?????"

Neither do I, everyone is so quick to deem Bolland expendable, but CHI doesnt win this cup without him:
-Bolland SCWG
-Bolland laying out Andersson leading to Seabrooks GWG vs DET
-Bolland trucking M.Richards and knocking him out of the series almost

those are all HUGE, series changing, if not ending events
- FourFeathers773

Those are exactly the reasons I hope he is back next year

Oh no, not him again!
- EKolb13

Wonder if DT feels he got fleeced and will try to exact a higher price than normal in any future dealings with us ?

Andrew Ference will not be resigned by Boston per their twitter.

Only guy i want of Florida is Jack Skille

- philco28

I would rather go to Toronto with Leddy and Bolland and replace those guys with toughness. Bickell wants to get paid or he wants to win, we will find that out shortly. But if Bryan Bickell leaves then Stan needs to use Bolland or Leddy to get a big body replacement. The issue is time. Leddy needs to be moved before the draft, and an understanding and update n the contract talks w Bickell need to be known by the GM.

I have also heard that big number 33 in Winnipeg may be available. Wouldnt hate to see him back!!!!

I read where he said Boychuk or McQuaid was holding him and that's the only way he could get loose....nice spin job Bolly

- philco28

When you look at the replay you can tell Boychuk was holding his stick and glove,so Bolly let go and pulled his hand out,and the. Flung the other glove...So I believe him,I actually thought that was the reason even before he said it when I saw the replay

From a Florida perspective...actually from sunshiny central Florida, I think Dale Tallon realizes that the idea of loading prospects and playing for a future is not the best formula. Look at Edmonton. The only way DT trades his pick is if he gets some experience that can come in now and make his team better. To augment the young guys he currently has playing on his roster. That is how you get better. Adding one more potential high end guy, and not add some leadership or veterans to your team is not the forumula for growth.

That is why the trade partner may very well be Edmonton. No doubt Bolland fits a huge need for them. He can be a leader there and give teh team some poise.

In the end, my gut still thinks Leddy stays in Chicago. He will be willing to give it 2 years. Not sure if he can become a free agent after that, or will have to play one more contract. 2 years would be great around 2.5 and would allow time for cap to go up.

I have no doubt that the team will find someone to center second line this upcoming year. Does Kruger get a shot at it?
- TrueGrit

I love the guy, but I think he's a year or two away from being a 2C, if he ever develops into one at all.

I would rather go to Toronto with Leddy and Bolland and replace those guys with toughness. Bickell wants to get paid or he wants to win, we will find that out shortly. But if Bryan Bickell leaves then Stan needs to use Bolland or Leddy to get a big body replacement. The issue is time. Leddy needs to be moved before the draft, and an understanding and update n the contract talks w Bickell need to be known by the GM.

I have also heard that big number 33 in Winnipeg may be available. Wouldnt hate to see him back!!!!
- nickmo2699

I'd be the 1st person right behind JJ doing the dance of joy if the hawks could get Big Buff back, but besides us fans and the players, i just don't think management wants him back

Owners of professional sports teams wouldn't stay in the business of owning professional sports teams if they didn't make money. I'm sure the Hawks are profitable, but clever accounting makes it look like they aren't. I've often heard that Dollar Bill charged the Blackhawks very high rent for the United Center, just to transfer profit from the team to the stadium, which are technically separate businesses. I wouldn't be suprised if Rocky continued to do the same. The first rule of business is to never let on how successful or unsuccessful you really are.
- Lash8

BINGO.

It's all about spinning it to the media to offset the fact that they are constantly raising ticket prices....I have no issue with it. Wirtz can run HIS team how he wants, but as you stated, sketchy accounting can paint a completely different picture....Forbes, by the way, had them at 10-20 million in the BLACK last fall. That report comes out every fall. With the playoff revenue, etc....they'll be above it.

I would rather go to Toronto with Leddy and Bolland and replace those guys with toughness. Bickell wants to get paid or he wants to win, we will find that out shortly. But if Bryan Bickell leaves then Stan needs to use Bolland or Leddy to get a big body replacement. The issue is time. Leddy needs to be moved before the draft, and an understanding and update n the contract talks w Bickell need to be known by the GM.

I have also heard that big number 33 in Winnipeg may be available. Wouldnt hate to see him back!!!!
- nickmo2699

I'd love to have Buff back...but his contract is fat and so is he...AND...he'll still want to play defense i bet. Lot of non-starters there.

You are missing the point. WHEN?!
- John Jaeckel

>JJ, another wonderful year of great info from you, gracias
>Lots of chatter about how drafting a Dman high is much riskier than a forward -- see Erik Johnson, etc.
>Any idea WHO the Hawks might be targeting? (big center Barkov?)

I'd be the 1st person right behind JJ doing the dance of joy if the hawks could get Big Buff back, but besides us fans and the players, i just don't think management wants him back
- captainserious

I share this thought with you Captain. It's too much money to constantly worry which Buff your going to get, 1. On the first day of camp in terms of lb's. and 2. His track record of playing well for 35% of the Regular season.

>JJ, another wonderful year of great info from you, gracias
>Lots of chatter about how drafting a Dman high is much riskier than a forward -- see Erik Johnson, etc.
>Any idea WHO the Hawks might be targeting? (big center Barkov?)
- SnapitUpstairs

He said they love Jones,Drouin and Nurse...But that doesn't necessarily mean Flarida is dealing their pick? What time is the draft on Sunday?

Those are exactly the reasons I hope he is back next year
- Maggie

I love Bolland. Good soldier who willing to give it his all. However, he's injury prone and his salary is not conducive for the Hawks, especially for a 3rd line center. I'd love to see Bolland stay, but at the money he's making, he's become more of a luxury rather than a necessity.

I've heard the draft is not as deep as once thought or as everyone has said. I'm not a draft expert .
- golfbard

All I am gonna say is that IF ANY OF you regulars have insulted me by NOT spending at least an hour at

http://www.draftsite.com/nhl/mock-draft/2013/

to see all I have profiled there, I am insulted!

I would love for you to read the DRAFT TIERS article at the top of the NHL page.

...then go look at some of the RE-Drafts I have done.
You will find that some drafts do not yield and entire draft of NHL players, while others yield almost THREE rounds of players.

This one is strong in the top three tiers, and the 4th TIER is extremely thick with players who need to get there but have big time parts.

Just comparing to last year which we all agreed had a thick third tier (in the late first and second) the THIRD tier this year is not only thicker, it doesn't start until the third round!!!!!!! That is because ALL the TIERS are THICK!
Unheard of.

...so the talk about Not as good as we thought are being spewed by posers. Whomever stated that write theri name down and discount all their new opinions

Guys that in most years are destined to be picked in the start of the middle of round one of this one and FILL slots all the way to the MIDDLE of the second round, and the amount of really solid "not finished guys almost extends to the edn of the draft.

I have over 500 possibles and obly 211 spots...this HAS NEVER happened.
It is all about this birth year and the undrafted 2nd & 3rd yr. eligibles being very attract long term guys who can also make rosters..."if" they improve, egt the kinks out.

Some drafts you were banking on get the kinks out guys before the second rrorund was over.

The % of who makes the NHL in each year is bulll.

EACH draft is an entity in itself.

Next year is nor very good (as of now) and 2015 is really another good class , maybe another special one...

When you look at the replay you can tell Boychuk was holding his stick and glove,so Bolly let go and pulled his hand out,and the. Flung the other glove...So I believe him,I actually thought that was the reason even before he said it when I saw the replay
- captainserious

I do too after watching it closely....AMAZING TEAM WORK in the buildup too

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yz2VfZDKFI

Bye bye Karlsson:

Corey Pronman ‏@coreypronman
#Hawks goalie Henrik Karlsson off to Skelleftea in Sweden http://www.svt.se/sport/i...ckey/svt...for-skelleftea

Signed a one-year, 200k contract

Nick Cotsonika ‏@cotsonika 1m
Bergeron has a small hole in lung, Chiarelli told repoters via @GlobeFluto

I share this thought with you Captain. It's too much money to constantly worry which Buff your going to get, 1. On the first day of camp in terms of lb's. and 2. His track record of playing well for 35% of the Regular season.
- nickmo2699

Unfortunately you are right...Amazing talent,great in the dressing room,but not the type management likes..And with his cap hit,I don't see how the Hawks could afford him

No way they afford Leddy and Bickell then also keep Crow and Hammer next year, making Kane and Toews fit after that.

If Leddy doesn't sign for 2-3 years at 2 million or less, he is gone.
- Bjm84

CC's a goner after next season. There's no way they're going to pay him what other teams will pony up. Hell, the way they hate to spend on goalies, it's probably eating them alive that they're spending 3.5M on CC & RE combined. The most important position in the game, and they do crap like letting Niemi go for no return while paying Bolland nearly what they pay CC & RE combined. It just ain't gonna happen. Either the wonder Finn starts in 2014-15 or they get someone else's used-up cast off for a 1 year, 1M contract, per their MO.

Bye bye Karlsson:

Corey Pronman ‏@coreypronman
#Hawks goalie Henrik Karlsson off to Skelleftea in Sweden http://www.svt.se/sport/i...ckey/svt...for-skelleftea

Signed a one-year, 200k contract
- ikeane

Darth mentioned something about that yesterday. He was pretty much gone when Raanta was given a contract.