That has become the tag line for all the simplistic media guys....really is a moronic statement.

Hell they were one bounce away from being eliminated in the 1st round as were the Kings.

Plus "one bounce goal" in the WC finals does not win them the cup...they needed to WIN FOUR MORE...but i guess such trivialties escape these guys
- bogiedoc

I think I may be guilty of that statement. I didn't mean it as "Our team is perfectly fine, no moves need to be made" though. But I'll own up, I was one of the guilty parties the last couple of days. Hope to see some team strengthening though today.

One bounce away from losing to Detroit 2 seasons ago.... WTF kind of statement is that ?
- mrpaulish

And had that happened - what kind of sell-off would we have seen last summer?

One bounce away from losing to Detroit 2 seasons ago.... WTF kind of statement is that ?
- mrpaulish

It's a way to calm the masses....and add a positive outlook if they miss.

I am not buying it....the battle to get past STL and Minny was a helluva lot tougher then they anticipated and they can't get buy with just a great core.

Nobody in this town has a clue in the meida. Just do what Faber tells them.

Smith is a great - 4th liner - that's what he's proven so far.

He was good in SHORT STINTS in some 3rd and 2nd line situations, but he has not proven to be any kind of LONG TERM solution top-6 skater. Right now he has proven to be a good energy-player, 4th-line asset.

Raanta is a baby - and needs a lot of Rockford attention (IMO, of course) - he can get that now at an NHL salary - but my guess is he's playing 90 miles east of Screw City for next year.
- StLBravesFan

Smith bongs on the bottom 6.


Raanta could play 20-25 games , been here a year now , I expect nice improvement . Give Crawdaddy a break on all those back to backs .

It's a way to calm the masses....and add a positive outlook if they miss.

I am not buying it....the battle to get past STL and Minny was a helluva lot tougher then they anticipated and they can't get buy with just a great core.

Nobody in this town has a clue in the meida. Just do what Faber tells them.
- SteveRain

Its awful.

And had that happened - what kind of sell-off would we have seen last summer?
- StLBravesFan

I have no idea .

Maybe Zus wouldnt have been back
Maybe Crawford not signed.


Im not sure but I digress

Have you noticed you are the only one that wants to trade Crawford?
- BearsnHawks

im ok with it

No thank you.
- pspork

You must not follow Montreal then.

Pacioretty is 25 years old, scored 39 goals this year, and has a $4.5m cap hit until 2020.

If a Sharp for Pacioretty deal was on the table (highly doubtful) you take that deal in a HEARTBEAT.

Im not sure Raanta can be plugged in as a starter at this point without a substantial drop off. His second half was fairly brutal and ending the season with a .897 save percentage playing behind this defense does not inspire confidence. I think he may be better served getting a bit more seasoning in Rockford for a portion of next season. His pay cut also means that his entire salary can be buried if necessary.

And say what you want about Crawford being the product of a strong defensive system, he's shown a propensity to step up in big moments over the past two years. The thought of relying on a rookie during a playoff run next year is scary.
- DrunkenMidget

IMO, he would be a DISASTER: doesn't know his crease yet - when to stay back, when to come out; gets lost at the side of the crease too often, can't get back to the other side (he gets too far out to the side, then looks to the other side before making his move back); in general, has trouble going post to post; has trouble covering up a post; doesn't control rebounds very well yet.

But then again - he didn't get any playing time after Crawford returned from his injury. Raanta needs to play more than watch at this point in his career.

Smith is a great - 4th liner - that's what he's proven so far.

He was good in SHORT STINTS in some 3rd and 2nd line situations, but he has not proven to be any kind of LONG TERM solution top-6 skater. Right now he has proven to be a good energy-player, 4th-line asset.

Raanta is a baby - and needs a lot of Rockford attention (IMO, of course) - he can get that now at an NHL salary - but my guess is he's playing 90 miles east of Screw City for next year.
- StLBravesFan

And he's not being paid as a top 6 player either! I think his salary is very fair, considering what he contributes. Strong on the PK, good puck possession, not afraid of physical play, versatile enough to play C, Wing, and move between 2nd, 3rd, and 4th lines...while still being productive. Compared to Bickel at $4m, Smith's consistency in what he does/can do is a steal...

Nobody thinks $1.5 mil for Smith was a bit of a surprise? At least Raanta took almost a half mil pay cut, so between the two they're still only making what most people thought the two combined would make.
- Hemingways

I think it's what he was always going to get - maybe $1.250, but not less than that nor more than $1.5.

I think it's what he was always going to get - maybe $1.250, but not less than that nor more than $1.5.
- StLBravesFan

Once Stan handed out 1.25 to Bollig, you knew Smith was getting that, or more.

Have you noticed you are the only one that wants to trade Crawford?
- BearsnHawks

I think that's partly because most have accepted the reality that his $6M/6yr deal is untradeable, at least right now. Not sure people WANT to trade him but they accept that it's unrealistic so it's rarely brought up.

Smith bongs on the bottom 6.


Raanta could play 20-25 games , been here a year now , I expect nice improvement . Give Crawdaddy a break on all those back to backs .
- mrpaulish

Come on, Paul - you don't really know if Smith "bongs" or not - did you get that from Sam Fels?

Yeah, wild speculation and diarrhea of the mouth are my preferred methods of communication.

I haven't watched True Detective, but I want to. We just finished up Silicon Valley, which is an easy series to watch. Have you see that?

Btw...you need to have a PSA when you change your avatar. I didn't know who was hollering at me until I noticed the GoT.
- eburgio

As a rule I hate PO-leece dramas but TD was so compelling. Had to watch each episode twice because I missed some subtle details the first viewing.

IMO, he would be a DISASTER: doesn't know his crease yet - when to stay back, when to come out; gets lost at the side of the crease too often, can't get back to the other side (he gets too far out to the side, then looks to the other side before making his move back); in general, has trouble going post to post; has trouble covering up a post; doesn't control rebounds very well yet.

But then again - he didn't get any playing time after Crawford returned from his injury. Raanta needs to play more than watch at this point in his career.
- StLBravesFan

yep he got exposed after January last year....makes those athletic saves but his positioning and tendency to over play became very obvious...also his small stature hurts him on seeing through screens...

Lazurus can argue that point that they were a bounce away from going back to the Cup and most likely winning it, on the other side you can also argue that if the Hawks had addressed the #2C role last year they would've disposed of the Kings and eventually the Rangers as well.
- dan9189

Hawks were gassed. 4 and 27 may not have played one game in the finals due to injuries. Loss to LA goes a lil beyond one #2 C. Need depth and a roll of 4 lines to keep guys like 19 81 88 fresh when it matters. Good signing bringing smith back. Hoping Stan finds more C help.

Come on, Paul - you don't really know if Smith "bongs" or not - did you get that from Sam Fels?


- StLBravesFan

Not a fan of Fels !! Or at least to follow on twitter he gets too political for me.

I knowwwwww Ben Smith is a very good hockey player . To me he is Kruger with more offensive upside. Very nice depth player. Only concern for me is concussion history. But at 1.5 not that much of a concern.

I think it's what he was always going to get - maybe $1.250, but not less than that nor more than $1.5.
- StLBravesFan

raanta and smith got slotted right where they needed to be...but no question smith is a much better player bolig...

im ok with it
- ChicagoDave

Who takes his spot?

Trevor Linden is a liar ! LOL



Mark Lazerus ‏@MarkLazerus 1m

#Blackhawks RT @VanCanucks: Linden on Kesler: "Ryan's an important part of our team, there's no timeline for anything." #Canucks

Just heard that on the Score.
- HawkintheD

I didn't know people still listened to the score

Come on, Paul - you don't really know if Smith "bongs" or not - did you get that from Sam Fels?


- StLBravesFan

LOLOLOL .


Stupid skimming ! Thought you said "belongs"


LOL if he didnt BONG he does now since he is a millionaire now !

I didn't know people still listened to the score
- Fistafury17

XM is better but most folks are at work and cant get XM during the day

Hawks were gassed. 4 and 27 may not have played one game in the finals due to injuries. Loss to LA goes a lil beyond one #2 C. Need depth and a roll of 4 lines to keep guys like 19 81 88 fresh when it matters. Good signing bringing smith back. Hoping Stan finds more C help.
- z1990z

Agree but it didn't help the cause especially because the Toews and Kopitar lines canceled each other out. Hawks centers after that were Shaw/Zus/Kruger, Kings centers were Carter/Stoll/Richards. That is what I like to call a mismatch. But you're dead on about having the ability to roll 4 lines.