Everything Else

Well, Stage 1 of this week’s offseason circus is now in the books. What are we left with?

The big news is obviously the trades of Dave Bolland and Michael Frolik for five picks. Bolland comes as no shock. He’d become to expensive for the role he had, and there are many options as replacements. Frolik was a bit of a surprise, just because it felt like he would have slotted perfectly into Viktor Stalberg’s role on the 3rd line. But again, a $2.2 million 4th liner is not a luxury you can afford for long. Frolik has been an underrated asset, sometimes criminally so, as he’s always driven possession no matter what role he was asked to play. And he’s been asked to play a lot of them in his time here.

Everything Else

In news as shocking as finding out Mondays suck (for those of you with real jobs, at least), Dave Bolland found himself the center of a draft day trade to Toronto. The Hawks received the Leafs 2nd and 4th rounder this year and their 4th rounder next year, essentially recouping what they gave up for Johnny Oduya last year. The second round is where Stan might have done his best work, so getting that is a bonus (Saad, Clendening, Johns).

Bolland gets a chance to play for something of his hometown team, as he’s an Ontario boy. Bolland can also slot in behind Kadri and Grabovski in his comfortable #3 center role, at least until round moron Randy Carlyle inexplicably boxes Grabovski up despite all his plus possession numbers.

Everything Else

Could get a little wild, either with or without the Hawks. Will Bolland be shipped for picks? Someone else? Will the Hawks move up or down? We shall see. Discuss all the goings on here, and we’ll be posting stories as they happen, if they happen. Follow along on Twitter as well, @realfansprogram.

 

Everything Else

Thank god I don’t have to come up with any more band quotes. At least for like, a minute.

Anyway, first a couple announcements:

-First, there will be a Commemorative issue of the Indian. It’ll be out next week, and like in 2010 there will be a digital version and I will be printing and mailing out hard copies as well. Details on how to get them will come out when it’s finished somewhere next week. So look for that. If you signed up for a season long subscription you’ll get a free digital copy, but if you want the hard copy mailed to you I think it’ll be $5. So keep your eyes peeled.

-Second, the Indian will go year round just like it did last year. So digital subscriptions for the ’13-’14 season will open up soon, just not exactly sure when. Maybe around free agency day? I’ll probably combine the draft and free agency summer issues, we’ll have our Convention issue, our Bears Preview at the end of August, and one more in August that could be just about anything (Lollapalooza preview/review? I really have no idea). Again, keep an eye on this space.

Everything Else

We here at C.I. are having a little trouble putting our thoughts into words. So we asked Michael Jordan to help us out, as we were inspired by his overly gracious and in no way vindictive Hall of Fame acceptance speech.

I’m so glad the guys at The Committed Indian have asked me to be here today and provide such a glorious service. There are so many people out there who made winning this Stanley Cup so special, I hope I can remember them all.