To be fair to Elbows, he was sh*tting on the idea of Regin as soon as the trade was announced, if not before that in private.
- prd797

Don't forget PBJ. I was poopting all over him too. What can I say? I had Mexican.

Today's article..
Olympics end with a thud for Kane and Team USA, lose to Finns 5-0. Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/1gYNPfD

On Twitter @AlCimaglia

Seems like something is coming with Kostka on waivers...
- Al

I am sure you did your usual stellar job Al. Watching that fiasco was bad enough.

Don't forget PBJ. I was poopting all over him too. What can I say? I had Mexican.
- Elbows15

I can relate. I had my own mini rant on Pierre Marc Concussión last blog. He's the bigger bum of the two, if it was a competition.

I am sure you did your usual stellar job Al. Watching that fiasco was bad enough.
- Elbows15

lol....I will give you just a piece-Finishing fourth in the Olympics shouldn't be compared to kissing your sister, it's more like not getting a handshake.

Today's article..
Olympics end with a thud for Kane and Team USA, lose to Finns 5-0. Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/1gYNPfD

On Twitter @AlCimaglia

I can relate. I had my own mini rant on Pierre Marc Concussión last blog. He's the bigger bum of the two, if it was a competition.
- prd797

After a certain level of bumness, does it really matter? But hey, maybe a guy who has done absolutely nothing in his NHL career will suddenly wake up with ability. Maybe Jennifer Aniston is going to walk into my life and say. Yes. You are who I have been looking for.

After a certain level of bumness, does it really matter? But hey, maybe a guy who has done absolutely nothing in his NHL career will suddenly wake up with ability. Maybe Jennifer Aniston is going to walk into my life and say. Yes. You are who I have been looking for.
- Elbows15

Nah - she seems perfectly happy with our relationship - such as it is.

Nah - she seems perfectly happy with our relationship - such as it is.
- StLBravesFan

Well there goes hope right out the (frank)ing door. Thanks.

Pirri hasn't proven he belongs on the team let alone on the second line. Next week the Hawks are making the strectch run to the playoffs and barring injuring Pirri will not be part of it.
- paulr

This is a totally valid perspective and empirically that of Q; however, I disagree very strongly. Brandon Pirri is a very good hockey player. I understand that the AHL and NHL are incomparable in terms of average skill; nonetheless, top line duties in the AHL with league scoring title, "+" play and all-star game mvp performances incline me towards the belief that 37s incredibly short leash with the hawks has him anxious and oppressed. He needs to be brought up and told by management "look, you're in for the next ten games, take a deep breath, relax and show us what you can do." The hiccups he has at zone entry and d zone positioning are due to the speed change and his almost masochistic over analysis, which is plain to see. In short, the guy is probably beside himself with the situation and needs to be given some playing time without Q-style consequences, just to get his confidence established. Otherwise I'm afraid we're going to burn ourselves out on a player who I would not be surprised to see put up a couple 60+ point seasons in his career.

If we can't provide that sort of opportunity then we need to trade him at the deadline or this summer, we'll only depreciate him more if we keep him hogside like this.

- leonkennedy

Did this fulfill your life the way you thought it would? Did it make you stand straighter? Walk taller? Get the girl of your dreams? Have Mommy and Daddy tell you they love you? If so, as Americans we always hope that people can strive to feel better about themselves and rise above the oppression of the places they are from. You go girl.

Today's article..
Olympics end with a thud for Kane and Team USA, lose to Finns 5-0. Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/1gYNPfD

On Twitter @AlCimaglia

Seems like something is coming with Kostka on waivers...
- Al

Blech ... Bowman's usual late season garbage picking. Got to get a Curley to go with the Moe and Larry the Isles dumped on him.

Not sure we've scratched Chicago off the list - just recognizing how hard it's going to be, and why.
- StLBravesFan

This. Absolutely no one worthy of Hawkdom will accede to this nonsense about the Blows until and unless they actually win it. St. Louis is an awful place, their team is certainly the most bro-tastic in the NHL and I do not see them getting past the second round. They match up horribly against the Cal. teams and despite the first 3 games this year I do not think they could handle 7 with the blackhawks and therefore, despite the pundit circle jerk on their "contender status" I really can't say that I think they're much more than a solid regular season team. They're best d-man has fewer than 10 playoff games, they're probably the most overrated team in nets in the league and they are riding on several career seasons popping off simultaneously. I really hope they get eaten by a wildcard L.A. in the first round.

Blech ... Bowman's usual late season garbage picking. Got to get a Curley to go with the Moe and Larry the Isles dumped on him.
- Q...argh

Stan can be a mixed bag, but:

Late season acquisitions the last 2 years brought Oduya and Handzus.

I assume few here think the Oduya acquisition wound up being "garbage picking" - or that Handzus didn't contribute to last year's Cup.

This is a totally valid perspective and empirically that of Q; however, I disagree very strongly. Brandon Pirri is a very good hockey player. I understand that the AHL and NHL are incomparable in terms of average skill; nonetheless, top line duties in the AHL with league scoring title, "+" play and all-star game mvp performances incline me towards the belief that 37s incredibly short leash with the hawks has him anxious and oppressed. He needs to be brought up and told by management "look, you're in for the next ten games, take a deep breath, relax and show us what you can do." The hiccups he has at zone entry and d zone positioning are due to the speed change and his almost masochistic over analysis, which is plain to see. In short, the guy is probably beside himself with the situation and needs to be given some playing time without Q-style consequences, just to get his confidence established. Otherwise I'm afraid we're going to burn ourselves out on a player who I would not be surprised to see put up a couple 60+ point seasons in his career.

If we can't provide that sort of opportunity then we need to trade him at the deadline or this summer, we'll only depreciate him more if we keep him hogside like this.
- WJDiedrich

Would you rather the Hawks be the best team they can (in the eyes of Q and Stan he's not good enough) or to give Pirri a "fair chance"? Played 70% of his shifts with Patrick Kane and scored at the same rate as Kruger does playing with all d-zone starts against harder competition with Bollig and Smith. 28 games isn't a small sample when you're 22 and have been a pro for three seasons.

Well there goes hope right out the (frank)ing door. Thanks.
- Elbows15

Should have PMd you, instead of bringing it out in public.

Stan can be a mixed bag, but:

Late season acquisitions the last 2 years brought Oduya and Handzus.

I assume few here think the Oduya acquisition wound up being "garbage picking" - or that Handzus didn't contribute to last year's Cup.
- StLBravesFan

Really isn't much he can do given the salary cap and their propensity to hover near the limits. Unless he trades one of the big guns. We got a whiff of how well that would go over.

Should have PMd you, instead of bringing it out in public.
- StLBravesFan

I'll survive.

Today's article..
Olympics end with a thud for Kane and Team USA, lose to Finns 5-0. Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/1gYNPfD

On Twitter @AlCimaglia

Seems like something is coming with Kostka on waivers...
- Al

Are the rosters unfrozen yet?

Would you rather the Hawks be the best team they can (in the eyes of Q and Stan he's not good enough) or to give Pirri a "fair chance"? Played 70% of his shifts with Patrick Kane and scored at the same rate as Kruger does playing with all d-zone starts against harder competition with Bollig and Smith. 28 games isn't a small sample when you're 22 and have been a pro for three seasons.
- rollpards19

Yet we continually preach patience where Leddy is concerned. I'm not sure what Pirri needs right now, but I think he will have a career somewhere in the NHL.

Are the rosters unfrozen yet?
- NewToHockey

I would think not until Monday.

Today's article..
Olympics end with a thud for Kane and Team USA, lose to Finns 5-0. Fox Chicago:http://bit.ly/1gYNPfD

On Twitter @AlCimaglia

Yet we continually preach patience where Leddy is concerned. I'm not sure what Pirri needs right now, but I think he will have a career somewhere in the NHL.
- NewToHockey

But "we" aren't Q, Stan, maybe even Scotty (hopefully not McD or Blunt): we don't see what they see on video everyday, or in every practice.

Not saying they are infallible, or that we shouldn't question their apparent evaluations and decisions - but the have determined that Pirri does not fit on this team.

He very well may have a productive career somewhere - but it probably worn be here.

Would you rather the Hawks be the best team they can (in the eyes of Q and Stan he's not good enough) or to give Pirri a "fair chance"? Played 70% of his shifts with Patrick Kane and scored at the same rate as Kruger does playing with all d-zone starts against harder competition with Bollig and Smith. 28 games isn't a small sample when you're 22 and have been a pro for three seasons.
- rollpards19

Look back at the early seasons of Patrick Sharp's career. He happened to make it, just not with the Flyers who have no patience with developing players - to their detriment. He could have been out of hockey by the age of 24 of 25.

28 NHL games at 22 is much really. The real assessment has to be made by a hard ass hockey man - has Pirri got the ability to play in the NHL for 6-8 seasons or not or is he a fringe player ala an Andrew Ebbett? If he isn't going to make it long term in the NHL, move him. If he just needs more time, put up with the slow maturation.

Yet we continually preach patience where Leddy is concerned. I'm not sure what Pirri needs right now, but I think he will have a career somewhere in the NHL.
- NewToHockey

That's certainly not coming from me. I'm one of Nick's harshest critics around here. I don't doubt it. He can probably be Sam Gagner, score some meaningless points on a bad team. I don't think his game is good enough right now to be part of a contending team, but I'd love to be wrong.

Look back at the early seasons of Patrick Sharp's career. He happened to make it, just not with the Flyers who have no patience with developing players - to their detriment. He could have been out of hockey by the age of 24 of 25.

28 NHL games at 22 is much really. The real assessment has to be made by a hard ass hockey man - has Pirri got the ability to play in the NHL for 6-8 seasons or not or is he a fringe player ala an Andrew Ebbett? If he isn't going to make it long term in the NHL, move him. If he just needs more time, put up with the slow maturation.
- RickJ

You're looking at it career wise, and what you're saying is certainly true, I'm looking at it in the scope of this season. Ideally, with the way Q coaches, he could be our third line center of the future.

With Kotska being waived any one know what the real salary availability is ? 1m ?