Not happy about losing out on Kesler, but Bowman wouldn't move TT or Saad. No way you're going to move Saad. The kid is going to be a beast. As mentioned the Ducks sent Bonino a good young center with a very low cap hit back to Van.

For the Hawks the center position still remains the glaring weakness and Kesler fit that need like a glove. I can certainly understand why fans are upset myself included. But Ducks had cap space to deal with and we didn't and that is the reality.

At the same time where's the aggressive creative GM that we need? Bowman's the capologist - the one who overpaid Bollig/Bickell/Crawford and hands out NMCs like they were a free lunch.

Cap comes in at 2mil lower than most thought...something has to give today one would think...moving a player or three to give them some flexibility to look at some depth signings...or maybe Stan plays the we like our team route again...

Didn't understand moving up last night...wanted them to take Bleackley, instead a real head scratcher...hopefully Stan makes some moves today - we'll see how it all shakes out.
- DK002

Morning DK. I was a bit bummed at first too about Kesler; thought a line of 20 17 88 would be a good one.

Upset's ok. Raving lunatic, the sky is falling, drop and roll, they'll never win anything again before the new season's even started gets a bit old.

Of the contracts you mention, Crawford's maybe the term not the $ not great but the goalie pipeline for the Hawks is a bit weak right now. Bickell? I'd like to give the guy a full season of being healthy to see what he does during the reg season. He definitely brings it in the playoffs. Bollig? His is the only contract I'm less than thrilled with but maybe he can take another step again this year.

As far as the draft, the kid they got sounds like he has some big time skill but is at least a few years away from NHL hockey; if ever who knows? The draft class last night was reportedly one of the weakest in recent memory by most accounts so hopefully the scouting dept turns up a few diamonds in the rough.

I would imagine they at least pick up a bottom 6 C in FA but maybe Stan has something else up his sleeve...or maybe it's just his arm.

Not happy about losing out on Kesler, but Bowman wouldn't move TT or Saad. No way you're going to move Saad. The kid is going to be a beast. As mentioned the Ducks sent Bonino a good young center with a very low cap hit back to Van.

For the Hawks the center position still remains the glaring weakness and Kesler fit that need like a glove. I can certainly understand why fans are upset myself included. But Ducks had cap space to deal with and we didn't and that is the reality.

At the same time where's the aggressive creative GM that we need? Bowman's the capologist - the one who overpaid Bollig/Bickell/Crawford and hands out NMCs like they were a free lunch.

Cap comes in at 2mil lower than most thought...something has to give today one would think...moving a player or three to give them some flexibility to look at some depth signings...or maybe Stan plays the we like our team route again...

Didn't understand moving up last night...wanted them to take Bleackley, instead a real head scratcher...hopefully Stan makes some moves today - we'll see how it all shakes out.
- DK002

I have seasons ticket to the Oshawa Generals games so I see every single OHL player at one time or another during the season. There is no way I can accurately assess OHL players,let alone players in other leagues and in other countries. I think we have to trust the Hawks scouting staff and not the 2 paragraphs about each player in a hockey publication.

I'd be interested to hear why SB didn't get Kesler. It's not like the asking price was too high when the Ducks didn'tgive up any of their top 7 prospects. The loser in all this is Vancouver who have very little to show for one of their, some would say best, player.
- paulr

More to it than Kesler just wanting out and not being part of a rebuild IMO. Benning was careful with his words but my guess there might be personal issues involved as well.

The hip injury and other assorted bumps and bruises since ....... not getting the 2011 Ryan Kesler.

Jj said he likes his blog and there's no need to make changes......

Jj said he likes his blog and there's no need to make changes......
- southernhawk

Good morning, Mo, Hawk, Paul - up early on this fine Saturday morning - eagerly awaiting the days (non?) events?

Perhaps you're right, Mo, about the moves they didn't make - and maybe we're looking at Shaw starting at 2C, and an alter-cocker hanging on at 4C (please leave Smith at 4W) - and we should be looking at a transition year or two coming up until the cap catches up with the cap hits, and McNeil, TT, Hartman, whomever prove reliable players.

Could get surprised with Shaw, Morin, whoever at 4C and go for a nice run the next two years.

But as long as 88/19 are resigned, and go along with whatever the plan is....
- StLBravesFan

Good morning Sage. What's an alter-cocker? Slang for an aging vet or something like that?

I certainly hope that SB and Q sent Morin some detailed video of Versteeg, so he can study up on his defensive awareness, positioning and decision making. Maybe send over a few clips of Handzuis and his stellar positional play as well (it is not by accident you are unable to get on the scoresheet skating with Kane, and that -8 in the playoffs, not including the mediocre PK does not happen by accident.). YOu could make a tutorial series so that we can all learn and understand the genius of Q and what he demands from his system.

Meanwhile, we will sit thru another season of watching the hawks skate 2.5 lines every game. Hear about how players, who are not even allowed on the ice to fail, let alone succeed just are not NHL players...because....well....Q said so.. Or hear how every point is critical for home ice....when after Q decided Zues>Pirri in December, you go from 1st in NHL to 3rd in your division. Genius. Then we go up against a Kings team, who received key contributions from Tofoli and Pearson, who were allowed to cut their teeth during the all important regular season.

And in the end, we will watch more of this same stupidity chase away Patrick Kane.
Anyone thinking that TT, who needs ID to see a rated R movie, is what Kane is after and excited about skating with may as well suit up and play wing on that line.

Jj said he likes his blog and there's no need to make changes......
- southernhawk

That is Gold!

Good morning Sage. What's an alter-cocker? Slang for an aging vet or something like that?
- HawkintheD

Yes - Yiddish for an old fart.

Like me.

Like Handzus - but sometimes (like 2013) the fire can get turned up for a period of time.

Jj said he likes his blog and there's no need to make changes......
- southernhawk

Apparently not - 113 pages and over 2800 posts.

Yes - Yiddish for an old fart.

Like me.

Like Handzus - but sometimes (like 2013) the fire can get turned up for a period of time.
- StLBravesFan

Cool! I've got a new name for Elbows!

Apparently not - 113 pages and over 2800 posts.
- StLBravesFan

No newssssssssssssssss.

RIP Bobby Womack - one of the great early soul singers.

I read some random samples of last night's comments and couldn't believe the level of panic some Hawk fans showed. It's June 27, the draft isn't complete, free agency is around the corner, we don't know what moves, if any, are in store and one would think all other teams, not just the Sharks, have passed the Hawks by. Anaheim getting Kesler is still not a better team than the Hawks. No team boasts the core the Hawks have, yes some teams have more depth up the middle but those same teams do not have the strength on the wings and on defense the Hawks have.

As much as I despise the man, Brian Burke got it right when he said the most mistakes are made in situations where there is a deadline, like draft day, free agency and the trade deadline. The fact that Bowman doesn't buy into the panic is a good thing, or it may be a good thing, I think judging Bowman should happen after next season so we can accurately assess all his moves, and non moves.
- paulr

Everyone needs to realize, they can't do everything, all the time, every season. Do we want them to max it out for maybe one more Cup, or have a run like Detroit enjoyed. Granted, I understand most of that was without a cap, but at some point tough decisions need to be made, one goal poster children will be sent away, and they need those kids on the farm to step up.

Mornin' fellas - Paul, D...

love Crawford but thought a mil less per would have been sufficient...I know the argument for the going rate for a top notch goalie these days. Bickell - school's still out...but he was a no show it seemed against the Kings and would be tough to move at this point based on his lackluster performance. And another guy with an NMC...along with Rosy and Oduya.

We'll see what Stan is able to do today...

Hopefully JJ will check in at some point with some news...

Morning DK. I was a bit bummed at first too about Kesler; thought a line of 20 17 88 would be a good one.

Upset's ok. Raving lunatic, the sky is falling, drop and roll, they'll never win anything again before the new season's even started gets a bit old.

Of the contracts you mention, Crawford's maybe the term not the $ not great but the goalie pipeline for the Hawks is a bit weak right now. Bickell? I'd like to give the guy a full season of being healthy to see what he does during the reg season. He definitely brings it in the playoffs. Bollig? His is the only contract I'm less than thrilled with but maybe he can take another step again this year.

As far as the draft, the kid they got sounds like he has some big time skill but is at least a few years away from NHL hockey; if ever who knows? The draft class last night was reportedly one of the weakest in recent memory by most accounts so hopefully the scouting dept turns up a few diamonds in the rough.

I would imagine they at least pick up a bottom 6 C in FA but maybe Stan has something else up his sleeve...or maybe it's just his arm.
- HawkintheD

This is the contract that bothers me the most. Wonder what he would be getting if we chose to wait until today to resign him? Bollig, Versteeg contracts are not significant enough to impact us as much as Crawford's.
Also why do we need a goalie pipeline if we have Crawford for the next 6 years????

Fun times last night. Goal for today is to trade away Kris Versteeg for some used Zamboni oil.

Fun times last night. Goal for today is to trade away Kris Versteeg for some used Zamboni oil.
- kwolf68

Overpay?

This is the contract that bothers me the most. Wonder what he would be getting if we chose to wait until today to resign him? Bollig, Versteeg contracts are not significant enough to impact us as much as Crawford's.
Also why do we need a goalie pipeline if we have Crawford for the next 6 years????
- 67hawks

Hear ya but think you missed the point. If the Hawks had a stocked pond of NHL ready goalies in the pipeline, it's not likely Crawford would have gotten $36mil over 6yrs. Maybe, maybe not.

Edit - It would also be nice to have one to have the ability to trade him and his contract if there were someone ready.

Hear ya but think you missed the point. If the Hawks had a stocked pond of NHL ready goalies in the pipeline, it's not likely Crawford would have gotten $36mil over 6yrs. Maybe, maybe not.
- HawkintheD

Should've made sure Waite was still going to be here if he was going to hand him that contract.
I think CC regressed this year. Seemed to back to flopping all over the place and out of position often. Last year, he seemed to stay in his crease more. Don't think its a coincidence that he had a new coach, who has been let go.
Guess we'll see what new coach brings.

I just re-read my blog about the draft and who would be their for the hawks at 27, and never had a word about Schmaltz, lol!

It's not like I thought he would be a target - convinced myself there wasn't going to be a highly skilled big framed quicker offensiev player on the radar.
I thought they'd take Kempe if he was there , or just settle for a developmental defenseman who be a Stephan Johns type....

I love how the first response out of everybody on this board who doesn't like Bowman is "you're drinking the kool-aid" when all of you guys are really just the ones drinking JJ's doom and gloom kool-aid. Sure it would nice to add a player of Kesler's calibre but the truth is, in a salary cap world, the smart move is to add a solid vet C who doesn't cost so much and wait for Teurovainen, or McNeil, or Leblanc or whoever to develop, or until the cap gets higher and another option presents itself. No one has to drink any kool-aid to see that the Hawks were just one lucky bounce from going into the finals, which they probably would have won, in a year and playoffs when they really didn't play all that well. Kane and Toews were coming off of injuries, and Sharp, Hossa and Oduya were obviously playing through injuries against the Kings, not to mention that LA got more lucky bounces and good calls than I have ever seen before. The Hawks were coming off the shortest off-season ever, and many of them played in the Olympics to boot. Shaw looked pretty damn good centring Kane and Saad in that final series and through most of the season when they played together, and Kane said that he likes playing with him, said that Shaw and Saad were opening up a lot of space for him. I know it's not much fun, but the sensible thing to do has always been to be conservative and have some patience. The only real weakness that needs to be addressed on this team is their powerplay. That's the real reason they didn't win the cup.

Should've made sure Waite was still going to be here if he was going to hand him that contract.
I think CC regressed this year. Seemed to back to flopping all over the place and out of position often. Last year, he seemed to stay in his crease more. Don't think its a coincidence that he had a new coach, who has been let go.
Guess we'll see what new coach brings.
- vabeachbear

Maybe they saw some of the same you mention and is why Weeks was let go.

I disagree about the regression though. If anything, to me he took a step up. One of the biggest knocks on Crow, here or elsewhere, (other than his glove hand) was his ability to win a game by himself.

You could easily argue the Hawks aren't playing in the third round this year if not for #50. He had two clear goalie wins in each of the 1st two series and I would argue two more where he held the fort in the second period for a game in each of those series that allowed the team to go into the third period tied.

2824

2824
- mrpaulish

***crickets***