After the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets exchanged seven players and a draft pick yesterday—in a trade no one saw coming—the trajectory of the reactions went from shock to outrage to acceptance to finally, some mild excitement.
I myself assumed at first that the Hawks would eventually flip Artem Anisimov. And they may well do that in spite of the public rhetoric from GM Stan Bowman that they’re working to extend him.
As we’re now even more aware: Bowman ‘says’ a lot of things. He is starting to think and work well outside the box. And to my mind, that’s good news for the future of the Chicago Blackhawks.
I know a lot of Blue Jackets fans and they’re over the moon. Brandon Saad has the kind of star power the Jackets have lacked for a long time.
I won’t go into some of what I have heard about the circumstances leading to the deal—I’ve been asked not to. But Bowman had a contingency plan in place in the event that things went south in the Saad negotiations. When it appeared that things were heading toward an offer sheet (or sheets), Bowman pulled the trigger on a deal he’d had in his back pocket for a while. The clincher being Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen’s inclusion of rookie forward Marko Dano.
And in light of the circumstances and timing, Bowman got a lot in return. I heard fomr someone who spoke with an NHL GM yesterday who felt bowman did very well—in particular with acquiring Dano.
I’m not sure what, if any, impact Jeremy Morin or Corey Tropp will have on the Blackhawks next year. The 4th round draft pick the Hawks received? Well, that’s a lottery ticket.
The keys to this deal for Chicago were Anisimov who, even if he’s not playing in Chicago in 2017 (he’s UFA next summer) is a serviceable 2-way forward who may still have some untapped offensive potential, and Dano, a young Slovakian speedster, who, unlike Saad, really is sort of a young Marian Hossa.
Dano hails from the same hometown as Hossa, Trencin. His father Jozef, is a veteran player who goes way back with Hossa and his family in the Slovakian national program. And although smaller than Hossa, Dano’s game is somewhat similar. A lefty shooter who is much more effective on the right wing, although he can play all three forward positions. A great shooter and puck handler with some defensive instincts.
Hawk fans, this kid, along with Artemi Panarin, could be part of a very exciting future in Chicago. Here’s some proof.
I will stick by what I blogged yesterday: that a picture is emerging of what the Hawks are trying to do. And that is gain long-term cost certainty with young players who have upside. The Niklas Hajlmarsson and Duncan Keith contracts are really ideal models of what the Hawks are trying to do.
And the Hawks still need to cut, by some observers estimation, about $8 million from their payroll.
Dealing Saad, as shocking and painful as it was, now takes some pressure off of Bowman.
I would expect a Marcus Kruger signing very soon.
I was told yesterday by a source I don’t know very well, so take it for what it’s worth, that some kind of deal has essentially been agreed upon with the Washington Capitals for Bryan Bickell. The completion of said could be dependent on an evaluation of Bickell’s knees. But, as I said, this rumor is tough to evaluate due to the nature of the source and some missing details.
Johnny Oduya is, in all likelihood, gone. A wafer thin top 4 is about to get really thin. As in it’s now a top 4 with only 3 legitimate members. David Rundblad is not the answer, nor in all likelihood is Stephen Johns. So not only does Bowman need to cut salary, he might also need to take some on at the same time.
More than one big salary is going to need to be moved.
Bowman still has a lot of work to do. Patrick Sharp will probably yet be traded. And if yesterday’s activity is any indication—and all I’ve heard about a very wide range of possibilities Bowman has explored—we may all be surprised what else happens.
Thanks for reading, more as I have it.
JJ
Check out Hockey Streams. See NHL, AHL and CHL streamed in HD right to your computer, tablet or gaming device for a small donation: http://www.hockeystreams.com/ref/51981