In Boston, on the same line as Iggy!
- WEWANTCUP

They should have signed Handuz to center Iggy and Jagr, could have called it the Snail Line.

In Boston, on the same line as Iggy!
- WEWANTCUP

If Iginla is getting $6 million, Jagr isn't coming back to Boston.

Remember when Carcillo was on a line with Hossa and Tazer to start the season.....

- Jagbears

Yeah, and there went his knee....

Fun times.

Darren Dreger ‏@DarrenDreger 5m
@TSNRyanRishaug. Performance based for Iginla. 1 year $6 mil with Bruins.
- Lido_Shuffle

1 year at 6 million?

These f'n owners!!! Makes me even more po'd at the lock out. Look at these contracts thrown around today. OMG...

Hawks are in good shape. Now lets get them rested and healed up. Teams will be hunting us big time next year... Bring it on...

If Iginla is getting $6 million, Jagr isn't coming back to Boston.
- EKolb13

That's some crazy money being thrown around today.....I really, really like how our team is looking for next year......I guess it pays to have a Finance Major as our GM!

Who, Carruth? He's 3 to 5 years away, at least. If he makes it at all.
- EKolb13

My big concern with Carruth. Wasn't he the oldest player in the CHL? My reasoning is his stats might be construed to being the tallest midget/dwarf/little person in the room. I know goalies are a different breed but not being to put him somewhere after two years in Portland makes me a little leery.

ThenHawks would need to get a good DUI attorney on retainer.
- GoHawks63

I am not worried. Kane will convince him to take cabs with him......

Sorry I had to go there.

My big concern with Carruth. Wasn't he the oldest player in the CHL? My reasoning is his stats might be construed to being the tallest midget/dwarf/little person in the room. I know goalies are a different breed but not being to put him somewhere after two years in Portland makes me a little leery.
- sgt1480

Not sure he was the oldest, but he was in his last year of eligibility. Turned 21 late (March) so he could play as a 21 yo. since he started season as a 20 yo. Many guys go this route, or turn pro and slot into an ECHL, or AHL position.

He'll propably be at Toledo this year and we'll see how he does.

Iginla to Boston...


Awkwardddddddd
- CBHawks88

Clearly Boston wanted to match the Hawks speed just in case they face each other in the Cup again.

lineup looks pretty decent

bickell/toews/kane
sharp/brandon pirri/hossa
saad/kruger/shaw
bollig/handzus/ben smith

with guys like carcillo on the bench and jimmy hayes, jeremy morin, and perhaps joakin nordstrom, danualt, mcneil, and others from rockford able to be called up and sent down as needed.

I know Handzus will be used all over the place, 2c, 4c, etc., along with Shaw and Kruger, Which should allow them to break Pirri in slowly if they need to.

As others pointed out, some of those vets might miss the start of the season, which isn't awful because it gives some of the kids a chance to get more experience before going back to Rockford.

And while we wait for Rozy's cap hit number, we know they'll still have room to make a deal if needed during the season if the kids disappoint or an important vet gets a major injury.

So overall, the outlook is pretty good, especially compared to after the 2010 Cup.
- Hemingways

I think if Sharp centers line two Saad is on line 2. Otherwise it will be Shaw or Kruger on line 2. Pirri best fits as a wing IMO, as I have stated earlier.

@Real_ESPNLeBrun Iggy deal: $1.8M base salary, $3.7M games played bonus, $500,000 goal scoring/team playoff performance: total $6M

Dont we have a goalie coming up in Juniors that had a great year?
- Maggie

Whitney? Far away too

1 year at 6 million?

These f'n owners!!! Makes me even more po'd at the lock out. Look at these contracts thrown around today. OMG...

Hawks are in good shape. Now lets get them rested and healed up. Teams will be hunting us big time next year... Bring it on...
- z1990z

Jacobs in Boston is one of the real hardliners too...along with that tool Leipold in Minni...

Already been mentioned but I think Stan has the team in good shape...sure you'd like to land a big prize when everyone else is going crazy...but we got the Cup.
Love the Rosy and Zeus reups...solid vets for low prices...but man some of the deals out there - yikes.

Kruger up next?

Start slow this year let the kids get some heavy minutes and then tweak at the TDL if needed.

@Real_ESPNLeBrun Iggy deal: $1.8M base salary, $3.7M games played bonus, $500,000 goal scoring/team playoff performance: total $6M
- Hemingways

Even still.. if he plays lights out then 6 mill he gets. Its just the contracts today. These owners nearly wiped out a season over money issues.. then they do this. As the great Philco would say..

PHUCK THEM OWNERS!!!!

And with a little research, very similar to CC's career path.

Unless they surprise us and sign one of the 40 year-olds, the Blackhawk back-up goaltender starting the season will be Henrick Karlsson. He has played well in his 20+ NHL games (SV% over .900).

Raanta will get the bulk of the workload in Rockford to familiarize himself with the NA style of hockey/rink size. If he does well, Raanta will play some at the end of the season, to be available during the playoffs if needed.

Now the goal is to keep Crow healthy, if no vet like Razor is around to step in during an elongated absence.

Pirri best fits as a wing IMO, as I have stated earlier.
- BearsnHawks

Just curious, but how did you come to this conclusion, or opinion?

Not sure he was the oldest, but he was in his last year of eligibility. Turned 21 late (March) so he could play as a 21 yo. since he started season as a 20 yo. Many guys go this route, or turn pro and slot into an ECHL, or AHL position.

He'll propably be at Toledo this year and we'll see how he does.
- ArlingtonRob

Eerily similar to CC

Unless they surprise us and sign one of the 40 year-olds, the Blackhawk back-up goaltender starting the season will be Henrick Karlsson.
- scottak

Sorry, you're wrong.

Karlsson signed to play in Sweden next season.

Unless they surprise us and sign one of the 40 year-olds, the Blackhawk back-up goaltender starting the season will be Henrick Karlsson. He has played well in his 20+ NHL games (SV% over .900).

Raanta will get the bulk of the workload in Rockford to familiarize himself with the NA style of hockey/rink size. If he does well, Raanta will play some at the end of the season, to be available during the playoffs if needed.

Now the goal is to keep Crow healthy, if no vet like Razor is around to step in during an elongated absence.
- scottak

As has been written 100 times, he signed a contract in Sweden and is gone

lineup looks pretty decent

bickell/toews/kane
sharp/brandon pirri/hossa
saad/kruger/shaw
bollig/handzus/ben smith

with guys like carcillo on the bench and jimmy hayes, jeremy morin, and perhaps joakin nordstrom, danualt, mcneil, and others from rockford able to be called up and sent down as needed.

I know Handzus will be used all over the place, 2c, 4c, etc., along with Shaw and Kruger, Which should allow them to break Pirri in slowly if they need to.

As others pointed out, some of those vets might miss the start of the season, which isn't awful because it gives some of the kids a chance to get more experience before going back to Rockford.

And while we wait for Rozy's cap hit number, we know they'll still have room to make a deal if needed during the season if the kids disappoint or an important vet gets a major injury.

So overall, the outlook is pretty good, especially compared to after the 2010 Cup.
- Hemingways

Don't like that 4th line at all. Gotta do something a little more. Maybe sub in Morin for Bollig.

Don't like that 4th line at all. Gotta do something a little more. Maybe sub in Morin for Bollig.
- vabeachbear

It always amazes me when people start arguing over lineups written on paper. It doesn't matter where the names are, it's the 23 man roster, Q will juggle it constantly so what we think or who we favor means nothing.

Hell, write Mikita's name in there as the 2nd C and people will complain, "he's too old", "where's the helmet?"

I wouldn't have signed Zus.

I would have signed one of the other available bottom 6 centers.


Other than that I'm cool going into 2013-2014 ........

Unless they surprise us and sign one of the 40 year-olds, the Blackhawk back-up goaltender starting the season will be Henrick Karlsson. He has played well in his 20+ NHL games (SV% over .900).

Raanta will get the bulk of the workload in Rockford to familiarize himself with the NA style of hockey/rink size. If he does well, Raanta will play some at the end of the season, to be available during the playoffs if needed.

Now the goal is to keep Crow healthy, if no vet like Razor is around to step in during an elongated absence.
- scottak

Try to keep up.

Not sure he was the oldest, but he was in his last year of eligibility. Turned 21 late (March) so he could play as a 21 yo. since he started season as a 20 yo. Many guys go this route, or turn pro and slot into an ECHL, or AHL position.

He'll propably be at Toledo this year and we'll see how he does.
- ArlingtonRob

Hawks don't have highly regarded goalie prospects, but they did have quite a few in the system last season, so spots were hard to come by. Remaining in Portland allowed Carruth to see alot of rubber.

Hawks also have...

Brandon Whitney (19) who plays in Victoriaville QMJHL.
Matt Tompkins (19) who will play at OSU this fall.
Kent Simpson (21) will likely be in Rockford this fall.
Antti Raanta (24) new guy from Finland.
Alec Richards (26) still floating around. Likely in Toledo this fall.

I keep saying this, but if they don't have one the Hawks need one...

...a full time scout for Finland and Scandinavia, with an emphasis on finding goaltenders.

Finland seems to develop the best. Rotate them in until they're up for a huge payday and let someone else overpay for the long term.

I like the idea of a goaltending duo using at most 4-5M AAV.