Who ever gets #12 next needs to be referred as "Whitey"
- Beaver-Warrior

What a good little defenseman he was. Malik about a solid shutdown pair, he and Bill White.

Marotte was also part of the Phil Espo deal with Boston.
- Beaver-Warrior

I was bypassing that Beav.

I was bypassing that Beav.
- Elbows15

May Tommy Ivan burn in hell for making that deal.

May Tommy Ivan burn in hell for making that deal.
- Beaver-Warrior

Wirtz forced his hand. Espo wanted a raise. But yeah.

They weren't that dominant in the playoffs last year (except against the Kings), either. Let's go back two summers, after two straight first round exits - I bet some here are happy that Stan ignored their calls to "bust it up" then, too.
- mohel

You are 100% wrong their shot differential, goals per game and shots on goal were much higher last year. But ill post again this stuff:

2014 FF 46.2%
FF Close: 48.9%
SOG\60: 25.6
SAG\60: 28.6

2013 FF: 53.3%
FF Close: 54.9%
SOG: 31.3
SAG: 26.9

Huge difference. Kind of a big deal for a team that plays possession. Talent gap in top players and an awesome Crawford got them to the WCF.

Kane has had prolonged dry spells playing alongside the best center in the game.

I would argue that while Kane is electrifying, and often times provides the only scoring we need in a game... we need Toews more.

When Kane doesn't score he's a liability. When Toews or Hossa doesn't score they still keep the puck 200 feet from their net.
- busmaster

Which center... pretty close to PPG with Toes...

Wirtz forced his hand. Espo wanted a raise. But yeah.
- Elbows15

Heard a couple versions on why Espo got 86'd. Both are centered on the fact that Phil would say what he felt at the moment. One version He mouthed off to Ivan and the other the victim was Billy Reay.

You are 100% wrong their shot differential, goals per game and shots on goal were much higher last year. But ill post again this stuff:

2014 FF 46.2%
FF Close: 48.9%
SOG\60: 25.6
SAG\60: 28.6

2013 FF: 53.3%
FF Close: 54.9%
SOG: 31.3
SAG: 26.9

Huge difference. Kind of a big deal for a team that plays possession. Talent gap in top players and an awesome Crawford got them to the WCF.
- fattybeef

Mumbo jumbo. They played like crap against Minny last year, and were damn near ousted by a weak Detroit team. Use your eyes. What about the second point I made - did you wanna tear up the team in the summer of 2012 after two first round exits?

Still think Plekanec will go to hawks.
- Frank0721

This guy will never be, never was anything but a third line centre.

i totally agree with Phil on Oduya...you don't let a true top four guy go for any of the names mentioned here...you suck up the one Cap year because by 2015-15 that Cap is gonna be at least 85-90 million.

if you are gonna try to decipher JJ's trade rumors, start with what our trade partner's team really needs.

Speaking of over-reliance on stats, where the hell is Rollie?

Heard a couple versions on why Espo got 86'd. Both are centered on the fact that Phil would say what he felt at the moment. One version He mouthed off to Ivan and the other the victim was Billy Reay.
- Beaver-Warrior

Years ago, Bobby told me it was all about Billy Reay going to management about how Espo was the Tyler Sequin on the team AND when Billy knocked on the door after he came in, Phil telling him to go frank himself....

all the key players on that 66 team felt they lost in the playoffs that year because in the playoffs Reay decided to change up the lines and stuck to it after it wasn't working...

As a full blown six team expansion was about to take place the hawks felt that they would let aging glenn hall go and that they needed to fortify the position...the only issue was the Bruins had FOUR goalies who the hawks didn't get....Eddie Johnston, Gerry Cheevers, Bernie Parent and Doug Favell (the last two were who the Bruins quickly lost is the expansion draft and allowed them to keep most of their forwards and the very fact the 18 year signed Bobby Orr was arriving big time.

someone in the Hawks organization thought Jack Norris was the future and the bruisn sold the very young Gilles Marotte as a tough all around defenseman (which he nevere panned out to be) because the Bruins had too many defenders and figured they could parlay these to with Pit Martin for for two centres (Phil, Freddie Stanfield) and a huge wing in Ken Hodge.

The best player was Esposito by a mile. Pit Martin was a Detroit farmhand that the Bruins ahd acquired earlier and he did have a great burst and was a good generator but the Hawks didn't replace the crease presence that Phil had.

When this deal happened a 16 year old Wiz just couldn't reconcile three forwards with one as the return...

Heard a couple versions on why Espo got 86'd. Both are centered on the fact that Phil would say what he felt at the moment. One version He mouthed off to Ivan and the other the victim was Billy Reay.
- Beaver-Warrior

He did have that blow-up on Canadian TV after game 4 (I think) of the Summit Series in 1972.

They are at 5.8 per, nearing the less productive side of their career, coming off a playoff performance where we needed him to show up before game 7 of the WCF, you have his potential replacement (Saad), has a tradable contract and you can still get value for him.

Plus there was that thing where he wouldn't share his tots with Kane.

After the purge of '10 I think there's a few of us here who don't want to see any more Ladd for Ivan Vishnievsky type deals.
- HawkintheD

Thissssssssssss

I thought Marotte was a part of that deal. Thanks, Beav.
- Elbows15

The other deal Marotte was part of was the worst trade in Chicago sports history...

This guy will never be, never was anything but a third line centre.

i totally agree with Phil on Oduya...you don't let a true top four guy go for any of the names mentioned here...you suck up the one Cap year because by 2015-15 that Cap is gonna be at least 85-90 million.

if you are gonna try to decipher JJ's trade rumors, start with what our trade partner's team really needs.
- wiz1901

You mean Mathias Ohlund isn't going to win the Norris Trophy any time soon?

Leddy for anything they can get. Sharp will be traded for a couple of guys who we won't recall in 2 years.
- Elbows15

You mean for two guys whose names we will be cursing repeatedly for all time. This board doesn't ever forget the bad trades.

The other deal Marotte was part of was the worst trade in Chicago sports history...
- Al

He was the guy the Cubs got for Lou Brock?

Years ago, Bobby told me it was all about Billy Reay going to management about how Espo was the Tyler sequin on the team AND when Billy knocked on the door after he came in, phil telling him to go frank himself....
- wiz1901

Espo's story is he went to a team gathering after they were eliminated in the playoffs with Hull and both were feeling no pain.

Espo went up to Tommy Ivan and said we should win here, we have a vg team but that man will fck things up...And pointed to Billy Reay.

I don't always agree with Espo but he was dead on with his assessment....

The other deal Marotte was part of was the worst trade in Chicago sports history...
- Al

Why does everyone keep reminding me? I KNOW.

He was the guy the Cubs got for Lou Brock?
- mohel

Ernie Broglio - a twenty game winner two years before the trade.

He was the guy the Cubs got for Lou Brock?
- mohel

That's #2....Brock
#1...
Espo-Hodge and Stanfield...For Martin-Marotte-Norris

Much worse of a trade....and led to 2 Cups for the Bruins and if the team got more than 4 hours of sleep each night probably would have led to a few more Cups.

Ernie Broglio - a twenty game winner two years before the trade.
- StLBravesFan

I was making a funny....

Speaking of over-reliance on stats, where the hell is Rollie?
- mohel

Probably married a Mexican hooker and is currently doing the stats on the feasibility of a donkey farm.

He did have that blow-up on Canadian TV after game 4 (I think) of the Summit Series in 1972.
- StLBravesFan

He should have.

Mumbo jumbo. They played like crap against Minny last year, and were damn near ousted by a weak Detroit team. Use your eyes. What about the second point I made - did you wanna tear up the team in the summer of 2012 after two first round exits?
- mohel

No that is math and it is awesome.

They bossed Phoenix, another team that had no business in ins WCF and dealtvwith Toews Hossa and Keith injuries. Rough year all around and it was obvious that team was a piece or two away. They are 3 or 4 now and have a bad cap situation again after next year. Time to retool, add some depth and get better up the middle with cash in hand to pay the superstars and the man child.