Yup, Shaw was up and down thru the season so I have nothing to refute your lack of conditioning thought. I do think he played with some rib issues for a good part of the year. I remember seeing him get crunched behind the net at the UC. And then the leg injury sustained when Stoner hit him in the playoffs, probably shouldn't have been playing against the Kings.

But he's a gamer, good teams don't ditch those kind of players.
- RickJ

Don't think I would ditch him either....just be in better shape. Let's face it...last summer was a time to celebrate and he was young....so I get it....but next year will be different and Im hoping he learned......

The canes have three top 2Cs in staal staal skinner

I wonder if the new gm would swap one of them to add a scoring veteran like sharp

Id take any of them and if by some magic we get skinner, yea he is small but he is dynamite on offense and just had an awesome year. It would ensure a competitive team for years

The canes have three top 2Cs in staal staal skinner

I wonder if the new gm would swap one of them to add a scoring veteran like sharp

Id take any of them and if by some magic we get skinner, yea he is small but he is dynamite on offense and just had an awesome year. It would ensure a competitive team for years
- FourFeathers773

I'd be concerned about those Canes centers, in a way. They all have a big ?. Eric = $8M hit and better on the wing. Jordan = $6M and an under performer. Skinner = Highest upside, but small and concussion prone. He's had at least 3 so far.

With all the talk about TT moving, or having his path blocked by Hossa and Kane, it might not be too far down the road that hoss could be a 3rd liner. In two years, they can have TT at 2RW and Hoss at 3RW and can make that work with the cap

I wouldn't be surprised to see Stan go off the board to address our need for more depth down the middle. That's typically how Stan's done things lately.
- DarthKane

Teams can now (Wednesday) talk to pending UFA players, right? Where is Stan right now? I'm hoping at 12:01 Eastern he was ringing Stastney's bell hoping for a nice talk in person.

WTF?

This site is (frank)ed.

Or maybe Nielsen AND 1 of Eller or Vermette.
- DarthKane

You're such a tease

Teams can now (Wednesday) talk to pending UFA players, right? Where is Stan right now? I'm hoping at 12:01 Eastern he was ringing Stastney's bell hoping for a nice talk in person.
- NewToHockey

Yes please.

Anyway Hawks resign Kevin Hayes and he becomes part of a deal for Kesler?

The first shoe to drop could be a trade which nets the Hawks, Ducks, Penguins or a team out of left field a top 10 Draft pick.

The Ducks already have the 10th selection...

Have to think the 3 piece requirement I heard today is correct....2 players (younger players) and low draft pick is the asking price for Kesler.

On Twitter@AlCimaglia
- Al

Are you speculating that the Canucks want that draft pick so they can package it with their #6 pick for floridas #1?

I remember lots of talk about how Tallon loved TT. What would be more attractive to Tallon? #6 and anaheims #10 or #6 and TT? I don't know the answer but that could be the deciding factor perhaps on where Kesler goes?

Sam Bennett did not complete even one pull up at the NHL Combine. What does that tell you?

Obvious answer would appear, how can he play NHL if he is in such poor shape and or a weakling. But why exactly did he fail to complete one pull up? More to this than first thought? On his maybe sliding in the draft?

Remeber TT slid to Chg. Not that I want Chg to select Bennett. But if he slides then others will also move on everyone's list.

I do not foresee Chg moving up in the draft, although one rumor has that possibility. This Glover who Wiz has for Chg in his mock draft actually sounds like a good choice.

With Nordy....Danault...McNeil.....and maybe Hartmann......one of those will be the 3rd line center of the future.....so I don't see someone else's young player coming back as a return....reason being....cap issues in the future.......


Thats why I've always believed a Frans Nielsen or that type of player with a small cap hit/contract length is the perfect type of player.....

.....and if the return for Sharp is a high draft pick....with the depth of this years draft being questioned.....even if we acquire Keslerio......the Hawks did not improve their team overall....
- UnnamedSource

McNeil could very easily be a winger

Yes young players are cheap but...TC....do you think a cup contending Hawks teams will have more than 2 young/rookie players on it???

Defeats the purpose of making a big trade for Kesler.....


Bottom Six...

Versteeg.....health is the concern
Smith....Solid...no issues
Kruger....solid no issues
Shaw....consistency dumb penalties...needs to be in better shape
Bollig....will he improve?
Morin.....will he get the chance?


Lots of question marks...especially with Steeger.
- UnnamedSource

I think bollig improves....versteeg will start off healthy.....not sure how he finishes

Probably how it goes.

About post immediately above. Hockeybuzz site did not include the text I was referring to. There are some things the site needs to fix

I agree, Kesler is not the 2C you are looking for. *waives hand*

Nielsen is the 2C you really want.
- DarthKane

That's a neat trick considering Nielsen isn't close to being an every game 2C.

No more bottom 6 plugin's for 2C that only disappoint.

Teams can now (Wednesday) talk to pending UFA players, right? Where is Stan right now? I'm hoping at 12:01 Eastern he was ringing Stastney's bell hoping for a nice talk in person.
- NewToHockey

Isn't Stastny looking for like 7M a year? If he called Paul, I'm sure it was a brief conversation.

Anyway Hawks resign Kevin Hayes and he becomes part of a deal for Kesler?
- 2_8sRBettrThen1

To "resign" he'd need to actually sign something first. The Hawks window to negotiate with their draftee is closing following his graduation from BC. I believe the Hawks have sole negotiating rights until August 15, after which Hayes becomes a free agent and can negotiate with any club.

I get that Sharp is the most movable piece, but why does anyone care that he's supposedly "not a nice guy"
If the hawks had won the cup this year, would anyone care? did anyone care after '10 or '13?
My theory, and it might be wrong, is that locker room or team "chemistry" only becomes an excuse when you lose.
No one ever says "this team won in spite of poor chemistry."

regardless....

redfont

Sharp for a solid 3/4 D prospect & picks to whoever takes him
Leddy for a bottom 6 c, and picks
offer sheet ROR. (give Col the picks)
sign Mike santorelli.
Play brookbank.

endredfont?

6 cups in a row, maybe 8 if steve ott can come, too...

no,nowendredfont

True.....but here are some thing top consider....let's say Sharp goes/Keslerel comes..

Saad is still young......most smart hockey people feel he will be a stud....but more or less he will have to replace 30+ goals on the wing..still hasn't scored 20 in a season. Sure, acquiring Keslerer means he will also have an impact on scoring.....but will Saad also take the next step.

Bickel.....will he play like plays in the playoffs......no injuries this offseason......needs to play like a 4 million dollar player all season....has yet to.

If both those players are up on the top 6 our bottom six has NO size outside of Bollig.....

ANd don't discount defensive depth...it is the engine that drive the system of the Hawks....without it CC is an average goaltender...
- UnnamedSource

You know, if Sharp were currently on another team we'd be excited about the prospect of getting his intensity and points on the team. For much of the season, setting playoffs aside, Sharp was one if the more intense and productive guys all year. We now think we are going to improve the team by losing him and adding Kesler? Certainly would improve if we kept sharp and added Kesker but it's a net loss if we add Kesler and lose sharp.

Further, fail to see the justification if all the Shaw love here. He is a bottom six guy with a penchant for stupid plays when it's least affordable. His style of play is welcome on a team where it's rarely seen and sorely needed. He'd be good trade bait if we could get a smarter return.

And future plans where Versteeg and Bollig are included is accepting mediocrity. Dump then both for what you can get. These guys are taking roster spots that could be used to develop rookies with potential.

Bickell? He needs to go. His $4m is a waste.

Finally, we seem to marvell at the quality of our prospects and when opportunities arise we dump them or keep them languishing too long in RFD. Use them or trade em for talent we can play now. Otherwise it seems the staff in RFD is not up to the task of developing or readying our prospects for the NHL.
[img][/img]

So to sum it up

Hawks get:
Kesler and maybe a draft pick(2nd-4th round hopefully in next years draft) or a prospect

Canucks get:

Leddy or Bickell

and

Nordstrom or Morin or Danault or McNeill or Clendening

and

2014 1st round pick

You know, if Sharp were currently on another team we'd be excited about the prospect of getting his intensity and points on the team. For much of the season, setting playoffs aside, Sharp was one if the more intense and productive guys all year. We now think we are going to improve the team by losing him and adding Kesler? Certainly would improve if we kept sharp and added Kesker but it's a net loss if we add Kesler and lose sharp.

Further, fail to see the justification if all the Shaw love here. He is a bottom six guy with a penchant for stupid plays when it's least affordable. His style of play is welcome on a team where it's rarely seen and sorely needed. He'd be good trade bait if we could get a smarter return.

And future plans where Versteeg and Bollig are included is accepting mediocrity. Dump then both for what you can get. These guys are taking roster spots that could be used to develop rookies with potential.

Bickell? He needs to go. His $4m is a waste.

Finally, we seem to marvell at the quality of our prospects and when opportunities arise we dump them or keep them languishing too long in RFD. Use them or trade em for talent we can play now. Otherwise it seems the staff in RFD is not up to the task of developing or readying our prospects for the NHL.

- fvineze[img][/img]

If you do not have replacements for those you want to get rid of, then you cannot move them out. To be sure replacements must provide some sand and grit, some aggressiveness, and someone has to be able to throw 'em.

Your comments about Shaw is going to get some reaction on the board.

And lastly, the farmhands that were in place in Rockford were not good enough or ready yet for the NHL FOR THE MOST PART last couple seasons. That may start to change with a nice bumper crop in Rockford now. Moreover, remember too that Bowman does not like rush them. They need to be versed fairly well in most aspects of the game. If lacking, see Morin or Pirri's fate. They were not everything Q or Bowman wanted to see.

You might get your wish if Bowman moves his crown jewel prospect aka TT. Hard to guess the outcome of the Kesler sweepstakes. I am really wondering if Bowman might even decide he could part with either Bickel or Shaw, however, since he wants to see TT make it. If Bickel or Shaw is moved, though, I do not know whom replaces them. It would be against the conservative Bowman nature to make a lot of moves just insofar as having the ability to retain TT.

That would be a huge overpayment for a guy with maybe two good years left in the tank.

If you do not have replacements for those you want to get rid of, then you cannot move them out. To be sure replacements must provide some sand and grit, some aggressiveness, and someone has to be able to throw 'em.

Your comments about Shaw is going to get some reaction on the board.

And lastly, the farmhands that were in place in Rockford were not good enough or ready yet for the NHL FOR THE MOST PART last couple seasons. That may start to change with a nice bumper crop in Rockford now. Moreover, remember too that Bowman does not like rush them. They need to be versed fairly well in most aspects of the game. If lacking, see Morin or Pirri's fate. They were not everything Q or Bowman wanted to see.

You might get your wish if Bowman moves his crown jewel prospect aka TT. I am really wondering if Bowman might even decide he could part with Bickel or Shaw, however, since he wants to see TT make it. If Bickel or Shaw is moved, though, I do not know whom replaces them. It wouldn't be against the conservative Bowman nature to make a lot of moves just insofar as having the ability to retain TT.
- jhawk59

Fact alone that I posted will likely get a negative reaction

I really don't get the drool fest over Kesler. The returns people are talking about on here are crazy.

And the goof who compared him as "offensively similar" to Spezza is out to lunch

Kessler- 0.59 PPg reg season, 0.67 PPg playoffs
Spezza- 1 PPg reg season, 0.97 playoffs

And they've played relatively the same amount of games in both reg season and playoffs, and have missed almost the same amount of game due to injury.

And spezza appears to be a better character guy, if you believe the rumours about Kesler being a Richard in the room and to the media.

If our owner wasn't a broke bastard refusing to spend money to make the team better Spezza wouldn't be available. He shouldn't be available.

He's going to send one team over the top. Thinking about him playing with Kane should give other teams shivers. That would be a completely ridiculous top 6.

Kesler is this years Clarkson.

Fact alone that I posted will likely get a negative reaction
- fvineze

Between the hockeybuzz alternately choosing to post or not post, and the darn tablet guessing words differently than typed, it screws up a post. I cannot hit post immediately even if I think I typed correctly. Auto check for spelling is a farce. Unless there is a better auto spell out there. Your response was so quick before I could correct a few words.

Yeah, I would rather take Neilsen just because I too agree Kesler is a two year player. But thevNYI cannot afford to be moving centers. You would have to give them a center in return, and probably a draft choice to entice them. If Snow thinks any other way he is a fool and should not be a GM.

Blackhawks doesn´t have to be deperate to get Kesler. Offer them Leddy + 1st´14 and one of these; Hartman, Danault or McNeill or Leddy, Bickell and 3rd round pick´14. And if it´s not enough then move on. They shouldn´t give their best prospect Teräväinen for a two year rental player.

There is going to be (again) lot of disappointed and maybe angry fans if Kesler ain´t coming to Chicago. But it is not the end of the world. Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don´t make. Of course Hawks need to add in center but they can make this team better in lot of different ways that serves organisation going forward in short and long term.