totally agree with your assessment. it is funny, we probably could have signed Bickel for 1.5mil or less during the season. But the assumption is that Bickel is worth 4mil plus because of a strong playoff series. he did come up big playing against the other teams weaker lines (not sure if always the case) or maybe we should say advantegeous matchups. Bickel did move up to the first line against boston and was ok, but he did not put up the numbers (but was also hurt). He also seem to be up against tougher checking lines. Overall, Stan did well and was super lucky with Hjammer. Do we really need a 2mil cap hit goalie? Ya, can we say leddy's 2.7mil for a #6dman is a little pricey. But i like the kid, he can skate. He needs to be a little more consistent. I would rather keep Leddy over Frolik anyways.
- Topshelf2010

Leddy was pricey, but I believe that he was re-signed in belief that he would be a top 4 defenseman by the end of this deal. If Leddy develops as he should he would make a nice tandem with Hjlamarsson.

$2 million is pricey for Khabibulin, no doubt about that. I'm not complaining about signing the Bulin Wall but he wouldn't have been my first choice. Assuming everything goes to plan Raanta will be the back-up next year for a lot less than what Khabibulin makes.

In the cap era a team will always need some players (usually young guys) to outperform the value of their contracts. Last year it was Bickell, Kruger, Saad, Shaw, and Crawford. It's a bit early to say who will do it this season, but my money is on Shaw and Saad again, if we get lucky maybe Nordstrom, Smith and Kostka can as well.
- DarthKane

not sold on Kostka yet - defense is ok. but his exit passes have been leaving a few players out to get damaged. i am sure he will improve and be a great asset.

Al...have you heard any internal rumblings about management's thoughts on Hayes, Smith and Nordstrom? Realistically I know it's too early to draft any real conclusions, but that doesn't mean management isn't thinking about planning around these three rookies.
- DarthKane

My guess is....Nordstrom fits into the long term plans and Hayes & Smith do not....

Do you really think after seeing player after player get top dollar signing Bickel for a little less would've got the deal the done??? Bickel took a huge discount to stay with the hawks. As for Frolik...he was a luxury and you can't keep a player like this who is significantly overpaid in a year of a hard cap....and again you and a few others are making the assumption the Hawks will miss him on the PK after two games....one of which was against the best PP unit last year....the other game the PP goal was a gift....and both teams the Hawks hadn't played in two years......this is maddening...

The board is already in midseason form.....
- UnnamedSource

really? a huge discount?
by the way, the pk was horrid the previous two years before last season. I don't want to go there again especially with the pp languishing.
We could have kept Frolik if management wanted, but they gambled with good reason, there are some cheaper prospects to fill the spot. Now it depends on Q.

I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for Michael Frolik love all year....


....as it was Rusty Olesz last year......

...Getzlaf trades the year before.....
- UnnamedSource

It is baffling.

I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for Michael Frolik love all year....


....as it was Rusty Olesz last year......

...Getzlaf trades the year before.....
- UnnamedSource

Those were great. Getzlaf is a classy player. You could never put "Getzlaf" and "douchebag" together in a sentence, especially not joined by "is a massive". Let's trade both Kane and Toews for him as they have lower cap hits!

really? a huge discount?
by the way, the pk was horrid the previous two years before last season. I don't want to go there again especially with the pp languishing.
We could have kept Frolik if management wanted, but they gambled with good reason, there are some cheaper prospects to fill the spot. Now it depends on Q.
- Topshelf2010

PK success seems to be more tied to the system in place. Unfortunately they have changed pairings and are working on breaking a new player into a new system at a significantly higher level. It will take games for this to get sorted out.

This is neither surprising or worrying. Should be fine by December.

really? a huge discount?
by the way, the pk was horrid the previous two years before last season. I don't want to go there again especially with the pp languishing.
We could have kept Frolik if management wanted, but they gambled with good reason, there are some cheaper prospects to fill the spot. Now it depends on Q.
- Topshelf2010

Yes really...or maybe you didn't see what David Clarkson got. Right or wrong Bickel played himself into big money with a monster post season and teams would've line up to pay a player of his size 5 million plus......

Yes the PK was horrid the previous two seasons but the roster was putrid after the Cup in 2010 and players hadn't developed yet in 2012 so a rather unfair comparison.

Why would management want to keep a significantly overpriced player who is in the last year of his contract and could bring an asset or two in return if traded? Why would management want to keep a player who was getting paid to score goals but never did? Why would management want to keep a player with whom they had no plans on resigning and run the risk of losing a player on a defensive unit that was the deepest in the league? This is silly.....

I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for Michael Frolik love all year....


....as it was Rusty Olesz last year......

...Getzlaf trades the year before.....
- UnnamedSource

you forgot the love of the 2010 purge victims.

Those were great. Getzlaf is a classy player. You could never put "Getzlaf" and "douchebag" together in a sentence, especially not joined by "is a massive". Let's trade both Kane and Toews for him as they have lower cap hits!
- prd797

nevermind the fact they are in the same conference.......but hey that didn't stop anyone.

Here is the main reason Frolik is gone and why people need to stop thinking the Hawks could've kept him....


THE CAP WENT DOWN TO 64 MILLION!!!


You can't keep a player like Frolik when this happens.......and run the risk of losing...

Bickel....or

Leddy.....or

Rosival.....or

Handzus....

and still have to fill 3-4 roster spots...possibly 5 if you keep Frolik.....

PEOPLE STOP THE MADNESS!!

Here is the main reason Frolik is gone and why people need to stop thinking the Hawks could've kept him....


THE CAP WENT DOWN TO 64 MILLION!!!


You can't keep a player like Frolik when this happens.......and run the risk of losing...

Bickel....or

Leddy.....or

Rosival.....or

Handzus....

and still have to fill 3-4 roster spots...possibly 5 if you keep Frolik.....

PEOPLE STOP THE MADNESS!!
- UnnamedSource

THIS

I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for Michael Frolik love all year....


....as it was Rusty Olesz last year......

...Getzlaf trades the year before.....
- UnnamedSource

Thems is fighting words!!

Last year we had fun with Rusty, but Frolik will actually be missed. I agree with you that Nordstrom will likely be in the team's long term plan. Most likely he'll fill the role Frolik had as a 4th liner / PK specialist. I don't think Nordstrom will be as effective this season, but that's to be expected as he grows and develops. Next year however, it will be interesting to see what type of player Nordstrom has developed into.

By no means is Frolik irreplaceable, but last season he accepted his role and excelled at it.

Thems is fighting words!!
- DarthKane

Last year we had fun with Rusty, but Frolik will actually be missed. I agree with you that Nordstrom will likely be in the team's long term plan. Most likely he'll fill the role Frolik had as a 4th liner / PK specialist. I don't think Nordstrom will be as effective this season, but that's to be expected as he grows and develops. Next year however, it will be interesting to see what type of player Nordstrom has developed into.

By no means is Frolik irreplaceable, but last season he accepted his role and excelled at it.

Put up them dukes ..I don' know how to use red font.


No one should ever dispute this...

Put up them dukes ..I don' know how to use red font.


No one should ever dispute this...
- UnnamedSource

Sad, so sad.

Thems is fighting words!!
- DarthKane

Last year we had fun with Rusty, but Frolik will actually be missed. I agree with you that Nordstrom will likely be in the team's long term plan. Most likely he'll fill the role Frolik had as a 4th liner / PK specialist. I don't think Nordstrom will be as effective this season, but that's to be expected as he grows and develops. Next year however, it will be interesting to see what type of player Nordstrom has developed into.

By no means is Frolik irreplaceable, but last season he accepted his role and excelled at it.

I'm really excited about the future. We will have great offensive players in the top 6 like Toews, Kane, TT, and Saad. The bottom 6 will be great 2-way players with great hockey sense in guys like Kruger, shaw, Danault, Nordstrom, and maybe McNeill. And these are all Hawk picks. A lot from rounds 1 and 2. That is how u become Cup champs

Sad, so sad.
- Beaver-Warrior

I fail.

The hawks just are fast so they will always look fast. What I am talking about is the give everything type of pushing that I'm just not seeing in their play. On the other hand it looks like they've been told to just go out and have fun. Frankly, they look a lot more creative than last year while still holding onto the defense first mentality. Home ice is nice, but its never really been a problem for this team.
- Walky

This group hasn't ever lost a series with home ice. They've lost three series on the road, won only two. Home ice does matter

Here is an idea....let's table the PK sucks this year until 10-12 games have been played.....just saying.

I guess I need to mentally prepare myself for Michael Frolik love all year....


....as it was Rusty Olesz last year......

...Getzlaf trades the year before.....
- UnnamedSource

Give me heads up for the Olesz bobble head day in Rockford, may make it up for that one.

Perhaps NHL trade deadline fortune cookies, where whoever's cookie correctly predicts where Ryan Getzlaff is traded to, gets ...uhm...you pick the prize...

Here is an idea....let's table the PK sucks this year until 10-12 games have been played.....just saying.
- UnnamedSource

I'd like to add that we table any comments on Crawford's performance for the same time frame.

Give me heads up for the Olesz bobble head day in Rockford, may make it up for that one.

Perhaps NHL trade deadline fortune cookies, where whoever's cookie correctly predicts where Ryan Getzlaff is traded to, gets ...uhm...you pick the prize...
- TrueGrit

Used pretzels....

I'd like to add that we table any comments on Crawford's performance for the same time frame.
- DarthKane

Agreed...10-12 games, you start to worry and have valid concerns....20-25 games is the this is your team period of the season.

My guess is....Nordstrom fits into the long term plans and Hayes & Smith do not....
- UnnamedSource

I'll agree with you on the latter two, but it's still way too early to be promoting Nordstrom as some long term solution anywhere on the team. Typically, yhe bottom end of the forward lines get different personnel cycled in every couple of years. I can't see (at this point, anyways) where Nordstrom fits in on one of the top two lines.

I know you love the kid, but you can't nominate him for sainthood like DarthKane has done with Frolik. Not yet, anyways. He's got to do a hell of a lot more before that happens.

I wonder if the NHL allowed players to renegotiate their contracts (like the NFL does) who on this team do you think would have stepped up and renegotiated theirs to have kept Fro on this team (or Buff, Ladd, etc in past years)?
- powerenforcer

Nobody. Would you take a pay cut at work to keep one of your buddies around? Plus Buff and Ladd wanted to be "the guys" on a team, and that's respectable