Now, finally will Beavus Commisioner Bettman do something about concussions. What if Crosby's career hangs by a thread after he suffered another brutal crosscheck.

Who gets in Bettman's face - the owners?

Why shouldn't Niskanen sit out as long as Crosby is sidelined.

Crying foul here may fall on deaf ears, just like the absence of a strong voice shreiking, not right, unfair after dropping down in the draft lottery. A divergence of opinion smacks us as hard as that crosscheck to Crosby. The response to date over such crimminal action appears to be, Cane me again..and again please i will just take it.

Its the ways of the world. Finishing last or just seeing another team leapfrog over you to an earler pick creates excitement because everyone lives for the excitement of a lottery! Oh, he's a wimp if he cannot bounce back from a concussion.



Really. Have you ever had a concussion.Have you experienced a co worker unfairly be promoted over you?

Like i said, Bettman has no pressure to act upon these despicable events.. oh well.. This is it, make no mistake about it......there is only so much integrity in the game. Powers that be like it how it is. Wretched mess that draft lottery, concussion reprisal and let me include the shoot out too.

For all that you suck Bettman
- jhawk59

Bettmsn oversee -r! ? Shanahan and Colin Campbell are tools.

I expect Hossa to start playing only 55-60gms a year

Here's the "dream" moves to make -
Trade Panarin for Simmonds
Trade Anisimov, Schmaltz & Forsling for Duchene
Sign Joe Thornton 1yr 3-4mil - cue the tears, but he still wins faceoffs, has size, played with Kane in the Swiss league
Re-sign Oduya
Hope/get LV to take Kruger
Trade Paniks rights for a pick

Duchene-Toews-Simmonds
Xxxxx-Thornton-Kane
Xxxxx-Kero-Hossa
Xxxxx-Rassmussen-Hartman

- PatShart

Stop it. In every case but the wonderfully developing Panik for picks, you're making the Hawks older. They need to start trusting the kids in the system like the Pens have been doing.

Not trade them all away for age and salary.

Would you sign Panik to a Calle Jarnkrok type of deal?
- DarthKane

Just had to re-look that Jancrock contract up... forgot about that one.

It was weird that a player would sign for 6 years(!) for only $2M. Either he only thinks of himself as a 1 million dollar player now with little upside or he's just a nice guy.

I would consider it IF... IF there is not a NTC included because $2M is very manageable and easier to trade/bury.

Now, finally will Beavus Commisioner Bettman do something about concussions. What if Crosby's career hangs by a thread after he suffered another brutal crosscheck.

- jhawk59

I guess I'm in the minority here (along with Edzo, Keith Jones, and Mike Milbury) but that wasn't a "brutal cross check". He was bracing himself for contact and Crosby lost an edge.

I guess I'm in the minority here (along with Edzo, Keith Jones, and Mike Milbury) but that wasn't a "brutal cross check". He was bracing himself for contact and Crosby lost an edge.
- RollingPuck

Watching the replay, it looked to me like he got hit in the head from one Caps player, was starting to go down and then got the crosscheck to the head from another Caps player with sufficient force to dislodge his helmet.
The second head hunter should be suspended as long as Crosby is out, plus more games after Crosby's return. COMPLETELY avoidable.

Are you kidding? Stan is crucified for trading him away and Q is for not playing him.
- DarthKane

Yeah, I mean, we did get Scuderi (who we were still paying this year) and all. And if they kept Daley, we probably never coulda re-signed Unkle Rozy!!

Geez, what a bunch of complainers around here!

I guess I'm in the minority here (along with Edzo, Keith Jones, and Mike Milbury) but that wasn't a "brutal cross check". He was bracing himself for contact and Crosby lost an edge.
- RollingPuck

It was brutal and Ovi's slash to the head keeps getting missed by many. Watch it in the slo-mo feed and you will see Nishknan swing his arms and stick in a baseball hitters process before Sid slid near him. Intent is clear, and he had no business hitting a defenseless player who DID NOT have the puck. The head shots have to stop. There were two on this play.

It was brutal and Ovi's slash to the head keeps getting missed by many. Watch it in the slo-mo feed and you will see Nishknan swing his arms and stick in a baseball hitters process before Sid slid near him. Intent is clear, and he had no business hitting a defenseless player who DID NOT have the puck. The head shots have to stop. There were two on this play.
- riozzo

Have not heard anything about punishment but in light of the details and especially the victim I would expect Niskanen to get a long break.

Kind of agree that Sydney may have lost an edge, but with that being said, I am in the total minority here, Ya wanna clean it up, take away the instigator rule, watch how fast some of these so called chicken crap a holes that play out of their shoes will think twice before acting.
Still , seems like way to many concussions and cheap crap in today's game.

MY PERSONAL TAKE IS THIS:

This team probably only had a 2 year window. (Jj's qoute )


Really? I don't get it. Toews, Kane, Crow, Keith, Seabrook, Hammer, Hossa, (plus anyone I forgot.), this personnel makes up a losing roster???

Please, are you serious?

My question is why. What was the problem? Injuries? Bad locker room? (I can't imagine it being too loud after losing guys like Shaw. The core seems quiet.) Did they think too much of themselves and think they could turn it on anytime? A mixture of all these, probably. That and bad dot %.

They need a bunch of Shaw/Bickell types as complementary players. Physical, unafraid rah rah types. Guys that are hungry. There are 29 other teams that want it. It's not a cakewalk but the talent we have is legendary. If the window is only open for 2 more years I'm at a loss but, if the organization is pointing fingers around the room like this blog is, the window is already shut. Also, a coach hires his own assistants, no? If you don't like the assistants you fire the coach. Bad blood won't fix things.

GO HOCKS (Find your collective muse.)

- hocktock[url]

Combined 8 million in salary... or 4 million each... Not really affordable types of players.

The window is Keith's legs and if those aren't there then the window has closed.

I guess I'm in the minority here (along with Edzo, Keith Jones, and Mike Milbury) but that wasn't a "brutal cross check". He was bracing himself for contact and Crosby lost an edge.
- RollingPuck

I'm with you. As Crosby came toward Niskanen his stick came up. So Niskanen put his up. Bang bang play and it just so happened that Crosby was on his way down so his head got in the way. The only intent I saw was for Niskanen to brace himself. What's he supposed to do, put out a red carpet?

It was brutal and Ovi's slash to the head keeps getting missed by many. Watch it in the slo-mo feed and you will see Nishknan swing his arms and stick in a baseball hitters process before Sid slid near him. Intent is clear, and he had no business hitting a defenseless player who DID NOT have the puck. The head shots have to stop. There were two on this play.
- riozzo

Here's another news flash for ya - the game ain't played in slo-mo.

The NHL Review process is laughable. How do they review it once and it's a good goal, then watch the EXACT SAME REPLAY 90 seconds later and it's No Goal???!!!!
- EnzoD

It's a joke... if there is a review, review the play to make sure you get it correct, all the way through. Don't make it a chess match and force each coach to challenge a separate part of the play. Get the call right, move on.

Kind of agree that Sydney may have lost an edge, but with that being said, I am in the total minority here, Ya wanna clean it up, take away the instigator rule, watch how fast some of these so called chicken crap a holes that play out of their shoes will think twice before acting.
Still , seems like way to many concussions and cheap crap in today's game.
- wonthecup10

To me it comes down to the refs calling the penalties. How many times did we see Suban cross checking Toews in the back. If they call the cross check a couple of times he'll know it can't get away with it and knock it off. Of course the way the Hawks PP was going they probably wouldn't have capitalized anyway....

MY PERSONAL TAKE IS THIS:

This team probably only had a 2 year window. (Jj's qoute )


Really? I don't get it. Toews, Kane, Crow, Keith, Seabrook, Hammer, Hossa, (plus anyone I forgot.), this personnel makes up a losing roster???

Please, are you serious?

My question is why. What was the problem? Injuries? Bad locker room? (I can't imagine it being too loud after losing guys like Shaw. The core seems quiet.) Did they think too much of themselves and think they could turn it on anytime? A mixture of all these, probably. That and bad dot %.

They need a bunch of Shaw/Bickell types as complementary players. Physical, unafraid rah rah types. Guys that are hungry. There are 29 other teams that want it. It's not a cakewalk but the talent we have is legendary. If the window is only open for 2 more years I'm at a loss but, if the organization is pointing fingers around the room like this blog is, the window is already shut. Also, a coach hires his own assistants, no? If you don't like the assistants you fire the coach. Bad blood won't fix things.

GO HOCKS (Find your collective muse.)

- hocktock[url]

Bowman has to fly under the radar and do some homework on some of these kids league wide, seeing if he could pluck one away from another team, one kid I would possibly start with, Lawson Crouse in Phoenix, don't know if the kid GM out there considers him a building piece or not, but Dale drafted him high originally and had to give him up together rid of a contract much like the Bickell TT scenario. Kid would be a perfect bottom six Matt Martin type player if he developes as planned. It's moves like that, that Bowman seems to have a knack for.

Have not heard anything about punishment but in light of the details and especially the victim I would expect Niskanen to get a long break.
- John Jaeckel

No supplementary discipline for Niskanen (per many reporters on Twitter).

Are you kidding? Stan is crucified for trading him away and Q is for not playing him.
- DarthKane

I don't have a problem trading him but for SCUDS? trade him at the deadline for a pick or at least a EXP contract.

To me it comes down to the refs calling the penalties. How many times did we see Suban cross checking Toews in the back. If they call the cross check a couple of times he'll know it can't get away with it and knock it off. Of course the way the Hawks PP was going they probably wouldn't have capitalized anyway....


- jhawk159

Your right Jay, but that's where in years past, Eager, Burrish, Carcillo , even Bickell at times would have sent some sort of message back the other way. Sorry but this years team, and I wonder how they got so many points at times , but once playoff hockey started, either they thought they were gonna just waltz right through everyone or teams called their bluff and started to hit em and take runs at them , sorry calling it like I see it, the team is SOFT, and I gotta believe McDonough AND Bowman , believe it or not also saw this , and , dont ask me how, WILL address that this summer.
I'm gonna beat the drum one more time, Everything is on the table, starting with the 2 soft Russians and a kid like Nick Schmaltz ,especially if I could get a freight train back LIKE a Saad, Hall, or others type back in return. Ibelieve Bowman will get that done this summer

Just had to re-look that Jancrock contract up... forgot about that one.

It was weird that a player would sign for 6 years(!) for only $2M. Either he only thinks of himself as a 1 million dollar player now with little upside or he's just a nice guy.

I would consider it IF... IF there is not a NTC included because $2M is very manageable and easier to trade/bury.
- TyCamScore

Deals like that are definitely not the norm but the Preds have done something like this before. They signed Josi to a 7 year deal for $4 million per and that was before he was really established. I questioned the move at the time but it was clearly the right decision.

To me it comes down to the refs calling the penalties. How many times did we see Suban cross checking Toews in the back. If they call the cross check a couple of times he'll know it can't get away with it and knock it off. Of course the way the Hawks PP was going they probably wouldn't have capitalized anyway....


- jhawk159

I'm sure their passing would have been pristine. On a side note how about the Pen's PK pressure? (I realize the Capitals scored the OT goal while on the PP). But reflecting back to regulation (3rd period I believe) I thought their pressure on a particular kill was outstanding. Can we lure their PK coach to come over to the Hawks?

I don't have a problem trading him but for SCUDS? trade him at the deadline for a pick or at least a EXP contract.
- kmw4631

Nobody wanted Scuderi, but I think that move was more about saving cap space than anything else. The Hawks saved $1-$2 million (can't remember the exact number) from the Daley deal last season and this year. The way Daley was playing in Chicago he probably didn't have much value. Acquiring Daley from Dallas was the bad move, trading him to Pittsburgh was just minimizing the damage.

Here's another news flash for ya - the game ain't played in slo-mo.
- 6628

Apparently the refs dd not need slo-mo to get the call right so what is your point... I pointed out the slo-mo to assist those that cant seem to grasp the brutality of both hits to 87's head.

No supplementary discipline for Niskanen (per many reporters on Twitter).
- DarthKane

He and Ovi should get a few days off

Completely agree--if Keith can't be the 25 minute+ driver anymore, the window is closed.

Also, Panik's agent knows he can get at least $2M/year based on his stats this year, so it is likely the Hawks will trade him, unless there is a major overhaul and management likes him that much.

I agree with JJ that Panik may never again quite reach the output he had this year.

The window is Keith's legs and if those aren't there then the window has closed.

$925,000 per season. Likely Rockford fodder but time will tell.
- DarthKane

The real question is long term will a prospect be able to supplant someone because brass liike his ability and or cheaper. What role. For example, can A Luis be an effective 2nd or third line wing, doing things they ask beside scoring. Btw he is one of few who might make the NHL grade. This Czech......you r correct, wait and see. Maybe wiz or someone else can enlighten. Prospect reports only offer a hint because once you have an older prospect who has euro or swedish league time pit in, you have to judge him wherever he lands after camp. AHL probably. But know this: Icehogs have absolute crap, offensively, at centerice position most of last couple years. Now they will get that Hightower(sic ?) Quebec League junior plus some better offensive forwards. Dent would have been enabled to coach LOL At least scrap heap imho guys like iocopolla can shoot and is not an ECHL board man, slow forward like too many Dent used last few seasons

that is all iocopola can do i surmise. Show me more, iocopola, because you are a Ron Seddlebauer AHL type based on only two samples of watching him
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