LOL. The Rangers have a good team, it's a great hockey market, it's close to home, Vesey gave it a lot of thought and did what was best for him. The petulant childishness over his decision by many in here is embarrassing to the Hawks fan base.
- kwolf68

Great hockey market. Rabid fans....but they turn quickly. The Rags are definitely on the decline. They've got some ugly contracts that will be tough to work around. They missed their window and are a fringe contender at best.

I don't understand how the kid passed on Chicago or Pittsburgh if he wanted to win and set himself up for a big payday.

I think Hudler will be a Blackhawk soon. That will be a good thing too. Proven scorer.

Didn't take long for the trade CC crowd to show up That only happens in video game GM world. You don't give him up without finding an equivalent replacement, and news flash - Darling aint that guy.

Next year would be an even worse time to move him, as the other 29 teams will have their #1s protected for expansion. So we would be shopping at slot #31 for his successor.

Aaaaaaand the NMC....

How about if Q and the coaching staff make something out of a few of these kids in Rockford, and/or find a new system that plays to the strengths of the team they have to work with.
- Return of the Roar

Amen, ROR

Well....looks like the kid's focus on that second contract miiiiight have been a bit fuzzy.

Hell with it, then. Can't hate on the kid for making the choice he felt was right. He, Hayes and the rest of us can debate his wisdom forever. What's done is done. Hudler will be a Hawk tomorrow. Book it.

Source: My gut. And I had a ton of Taco Bell for dinner, so it's quite chatty.

1) So have Darling play closer to half/half if you want to see him more in action because he had some bad stretches last year. There is nothing outside of a 3 games span in the playoffs that suggests Darling could back the Hawks fully. Make the decision on who to keep after you've got a bigger sample size, like closer to a full starter work load for the guy.

2) No, it's really not. Like, waiting too long is obviously bad and has bitten the Hawks in recent years, but shooting your load too soon is just as bad, dude. No one likes the mess.

3) We have no idea the degree of which the Hawks are up against the cap next year because, you know, no one knows what the cap will be. We don't know who else could be gone in the expansion draft (Kruger ), if Hossa will want to continue playing, if Anisimov is a better option for a trade, etc etc. We do know that the market for goalies is pretty crap rn.

One of the biggest advantages the Hawks have in the west is they have the most consistently good goalie of the past 3 years. Like I said, Crawford may ultimately be the most likely choice, but moving him in-season is silly if it's for cap relief in a different year. Unless they're getting back a JVR type player, it's better to sit until the variables are know to make an informed decision.
- L_B_R

Your argument seems to be "play the kids" - and I'm saying I don't think the Blackhawks have a roster that wins a cup this season. Add Hudler, maybe. MAYBE, provided a couple of "the kids" step up and contribute. But we're going to know that two or three months into the season. MAYBE there is a way to add a vet or two in a trade in-season that could position the Hawks for another cup run and if so, great. But I have my doubts.

We KNOW that no significant contract is expiring after this coming season. We know that the cap hasn't increased much in the past few years and we don't have any reason to believe that trend is going to change any time soon. Maybe a couple of months into the season we do learn something, then you change plans. You're right that we don't know who Las Vegas will pluck from the Blackhawks roster, but I don't think it is wise to sit back and hope that it is Kruger, when his contract alone probably wouldn't be enough to re-sign Panarin, and I think they really need to keep Panarin.

My suggestion is not to "shoot your load too soon." I'm in no hurry to trade Crawford, I just think that the Blackhawks roster needs to change if they are ever going to win another Cup and he seems like the most likely to go. I don't think 19, 88, 81, 2, or 4 will get traded. That leaves 50, 7, 16, and 15. It might be hard to trade CC because there isn't a lot of demand for goalies but if a team has an otherwise solid roster but lacks goaltending to make a deep run in the playoffs, that would be the time to make the move. The only reason it would be "silly" to move Crawford in season is if they were good enough to make a Cup run. I hope they are. I doubt that they will be.

So be it...

Onward.
- ArlingtonRob

to what???? that is the question

What the friggin hell.....do some of you read what you say before you hit submit. Pretty embarassing way to go about trashing a player when he doesnt sign with your team. The Rangers as a pick is questionable from the outside... but why.... why not the blackhawks type stuff....

Jesus, the hate is strong here. so a FA picked NY over Chicago? Big deal. He wanted to play with his buddy. Motte was in the 3 finalists for hobey baker with Vesey. He could be just as good in the end. We don't know

Have to give Rutherford credit yet again in Pittsburgh. They added a legit bottom 6 center in Thomas De Pauli, a high energy player who has the look of an NHL player given his 2-way playing ability and his skill on the faceoff dot. Not as sexy of a pick as Vesey, but a hell of a nice depth move for Pittsburgh to cover for injuries in their bottom 6. I see no reason they won't remain the favorites to win the Cup this year.
- kwolf68

Couple of real nice posts this evening Kwolf...Vesey picked his team lets move on.
Best of luck to the kid...

And perhaps the bloom is off the rose a bit more. While the Hawks continue to be the model franchise and treats their players great, the economics have made it very tough. Seabrook's deal being the latest. I still hate the Saad trade - a true power forward (who are extremely hard to come by). Meanwhile the Hawks still need to replace secondary scoring with now Shaw and Teuvo the latest casualties.

So where were the Hawks on this kid? He's out of Notre Dame - Stan's alma mater...interestingly enough the local site sportsmockery.com actually brought this up...

http://sportsmockery.com/...e-their-next-best-option/

Oh well.


Add Hudler and lets go !!
- mrpaulish

I'd be happy with Hudler, I'd expect he'd get a Vrbata type of deal.

https://www.capfriendly.com/players/radim-vrbata

Great hockey market. Rabid fans....but they turn quickly. The Rags are definitely on the decline. They've got some ugly contracts that will be tough to work around. They missed their window and are a fringe contender at best.

I don't understand how the kid passed on Chicago or Pittsburgh if he wanted to win and set himself up for a big payday.
- madmike71

Mike. Yea, they turn quickly, but don't think for a second Chicago or Pitts fans don't either. I live in the Burgh...awesome place, but this city is freaking bipolar. Just like a lot of other places

In the end, the kid made the decision he made. The Rangers are no worse off than the Blackhawks. The Hawks just have the skins on the wall.

The Penguins could very well be setup to win another Cup or two if things fall right for them. They are a deep team and the move to get the kid from Notre Dame was absolutely brilliant...if Cullen wakes up and realizes he's 40 that kid may step right in and do just as well if not better. If nothing else he gives you center depth....I think the Pens, Caps and Lightning are still the best in the East and Vesey going to NY doesn't change that for me.

Jesus, the hate is strong here. so a FA picked NY over Chicago? Big deal. He wanted to play with his buddy. Motte was in the 3 finalists for hobey baker with Vesey. He could be just as good in the end. We don't know
- JRoenick97

Have to agree JR...pretty embarrassing on our blog tonight...best of luck to the kid.
If folks want to be upset be upset with the hard cap which has robbed this team of talent repeatedly the last several seasons.

Without the flexibility it makes everyone's job tougher...Bowman can't make Bickell type mistakes because it can cost you a Saad. You have a veteran core group making top dollar and have no room to overpay or even at times pay market value for a supporting player. By moving young cost controlled talent - Dano and Danault at the TDL and Johns in the Sharp mess - Stan put his team possibly farther behind long term...

Would Vesey have been a nice add sure... and another PR prize for McD and Co. but it didn't happen. Meanwhile we have several kids: Motte, Hartman, Schmaltz etc... among them - who will get a chance - maybe just without the fanfare that Vesey would've.

Couple of real nice posts this evening Kwolf...Vesey picked his team lets move on.
Best of luck to the kid...

And perhaps the bloom is off the rose a bit more. While the Hawks continue to be the model franchise and treats their players great, the economics have made it very tough. Seabrook's deal being the latest. I still hate the Saad trade - a true power forward (who are extremely hard to come by). Meanwhile the Hawks still need to replace secondary scoring with now Shaw and Teuvo the latest casualties.

So where were the Hawks on this kid? He's out of Notre Dame - Stan's alma mater...interestingly enough the local site sportsmockery.com actually brought this up...

http://sportsmockery.com/...e-their-next-best-option/
- DK002

Thanks DK. Yes, I did see where the Hawks were in on the Notre Dame kid, but it appears they thought they had a better shot at Vesey and directed their attention there. Pittsburgh, whether it was lucky or just smart, focused on this kid and got him.

Now mind you I do not think Di Pauli will ever play top 6, but he has ALL the makings of a very good bottom 6 center. I think he will eventually be very much like a Marcus Kruger type (strong 200 feet, good on the dot) and those type players are not bad to have around.

I NEVER balk at D or C depth so I wouldn't have minded Bowman getting him, but they made a run at Vesey. They missed. It happens.

Now it's time to get to Plan B....I fault Stan for TONS of poop, but missing out on Vesey isn't one of them, he gave it a good run. Vesey wanted to play close to home, that was obvious...the fact the Hawks were 2nd in the race show Bowman and staff gave it a good try. Lets move on.

Mike. Yea, they turn quickly, but don't think for a second Chicago or Pitts fans don't either. I live in the Burgh...awesome place, but this city is freaking bipolar. Just like a lot of other places

In the end, the kid made the decision he made. The Rangers are no worse off than the Blackhawks. The Hawks just have the skins on the wall.

The Penguins could very well be setup to win another Cup or two if things fall right for them. They are a deep team and the move to get the kid from Notre Dame was absolutely brilliant...if Cullen wakes up and realizes he's 40 that kid may step right in and do just as well if not better. If nothing else he gives you center depth....I think the Pens, Caps and Lightning are still the best in the East and Vesey going to NY doesn't change that for me.
- kwolf68

I disagree about Rangers and Chicago. Things may have gotten a little stale in Chicago and they may need a piece or two, but they still have a few super stars. Rags don't have any other than Hank, and to be honest, he's not the same player while his contract is brutal.

JMO but there's at least 4 players (probably more) I would take off the Hawks before even thinking of any players from the Rangers.

I see the Rangers as a 7 or 8 seed at best for at least a couple years.

My suggestion is not to "shoot your load too soon." I'm in no hurry to trade Crawford, I just think that the Blackhawks roster needs to change if they are ever going to win another Cup and he seems like the most likely to go. I don't think 19, 88, 81, 2, or 4 will get traded. That leaves 50, 7, 16, and 15. It might be hard to trade CC because there isn't a lot of demand for goalies but if a team has an otherwise solid roster but lacks goaltending to make a deep run in the playoffs, that would be the time to make the move. The only reason it would be "silly" to move Crawford in season is if they were good enough to make a Cup run. I hope they are. I doubt that they will be.
- matt_ahrens

Like I said, unless the player coming back is a JVR type, it's not worth moving Crawford for cap relief for future problems. Worry about Panarin's cap hit when we know his actual cap hit. Too much focus on the future means misses the present sometimes. Sorry, I just think you're premature. We can agree to disagree.

I think Hudler will be a Blackhawk soon. That will be a good thing too. Proven scorer.

Didn't take long for the trade CC crowd to show up That only happens in video game GM world. You don't give him up without finding an equivalent replacement, and news flash - Darling aint that guy.

Next year would be an even worse time to move him, as the other 29 teams will have their #1s protected for expansion. So we would be shopping at slot #31 for his successor.

Aaaaaaand the NMC....

How about if Q and the coaching staff make something out of a few of these kids in Rockford, and/or find a new system that plays to the strengths of the team they have to work with.
- Return of the Roar

Tell it

This ought to be interesting, everyone here thinks Jiri Hudler is just gonna , " okay, where do I sign", yeah but now his agent is in the drivers seat and gonna probably play some teams against each other, Hudler signs soon..........with Vancouver!
I want to see Stan sweat this out, put his eggs in this kids basket all the waY on August 20th when he could have taken care of the left side in late June, Early July, and once again he drafts kids as big as 5th graders, that ought to suit JT just fine when he has to look down this fall to find his LW. Right now , we miss the playoffs, to many holes up front and those kids everyone is plugging in right out of school ain't goddam ready yet either! WTF Vesey!

Let's get this Hudler deal done and dusted! I think he sees some time playing with Kane. I think he adds some dynamic to the offense and PP.

This ought to be interesting, everyone here thinks Jiri Hudler is just gonna , " okay, where do I sign", yeah but now his agent is in the drivers seat and gonna probably play some teams against each other, Hudler signs soon..........with Vancouver!
I want to see Stan sweat this out, put his eggs in this kids basket all the waY on August 20th when he could have taken care of the left side in late June, Early July, and once again he drafts kids as big as 5th graders, that ought to suit JT just fine when he has to look down this fall to find his LW. Right now , we miss the playoffs, to many holes up front and those kids everyone is plugging in right out of school ain't goddam ready yet either! WTF Vesey!
- wonthecup10

You guys are way too hard on your team. The Hawks will have no problem making the playoffs. Every team has holes.

Let's get this Hudler deal done and dusted! I think he sees some time playing with Kane. I think he adds some dynamic to the offense and PP.
- 93Joe

Joe, he's close to a deal with theCanucks, his agent just wanted to wait and play the teams against each other for a few extra dollars. Bowman is walking back to the dugout as we speak with his bat in his. Hand.

Interesting tidbit on Twitter tonight, given the topic of $$/respect for/media time/etc etc. for the NHL v. the other professional sports leagues is raised here quite often. Just an example from the gaming / fantasy world:

Jeff Veillette ‏@JeffVeillette 3h3 hours ago
The answer btw: EA has over 6000 scouts contributing reports towards FIFA player ratings. The NHL team uses one guy.

You guys are way too hard on your team. The Hawks will have no problem making the playoffs. Every team has holes.
- madmike71

Seriously. Way too much overreaction. The fact remains, there are surprises every year both good and bad. To say any one team will or won't make the playoffs right not is just silly.

Let's let the rest of the summer play out. You also have the World Cup (or whatever they are calling it). There are injuries, and new chemistry to work out on every team -although much less on the Pens - lets at least get some guys on the ice before anything is proclaimed.

Joe, he's close to a deal with theCanucks, his agent just wanted to wait and play the teams against each other for a few extra dollars. Bowman is walking back to the dugout as we speak with his bat in his. Hand.
- wonthecup10

Are the Canucks trying to acquire him? I didn't see a report regarding it. I could have missed it.

Are the Canucks trying to acquire him? I didn't see a report regarding it. I could have missed it.
- 93Joe

Yep , one of those western Canadien web sites, this ought to be just dandy to see who they march out there this year with 19, plus payback time by some teams who the Hawks handled recently, I see a lot of teams rubbing dog crap in their faces this year, then again, this is prolly engineered by the Hawks brain trust to get a lotto pick next year with the draft being in Chicago.

Are the Canucks trying to acquire him? I didn't see a report regarding it. I could have missed it.
- 93Joe

posted last night:

Sonny Sachdeva
‏@Sonny_Sachdeva
Spoke w/ Jiri Hudler's agent, Petr Svoboda, earlier tonight – was told Hudler will choose next team by end of this weekend. #NHL #FreeAgency

and lots and lots of tweets from a week ago and resurfacing now w/Vesey decision that are similar to this one:

purplegrimace ‏@Demitra_Van 12h12 hours ago
Jiri hudler close to signing with canucks. Likely 2 year deal