Kruger waits: PHT
So does Johnny: ESPN Chicago
Meanwhile TVR locked in: CSN
Shaw crashes a wedding: PD
McDavid burns some bums: NHL
Please Marc:Lets Go Hawks
Wake up the echoes:Chicago Tribune
On to the next one:Blackhawk Up
It begins:TSN
No pressure:Sportsnet
It must be a pretty dizzying summer for Patrick Sharp. From Cup win to near certainty he would have been shipped at the draft, then he wasn’t, then Saad was, and then he might stay, then he might not, then a few of the possible destinations he would have had on his list dried up. The question is what happens now.
On the surface, there are legit hockey reasons to keep Sharp around. If Bickell is indeed flogged to anyone who will take him, along with Versteeg, the Hawks simply won’t have anyone to play the left side. Whichever of Dano or Teuvo doesn’t play center would be more effective on the right (seen it with both of them last season already). Viktor Tikhonov is probably going to play on the left, or at least will be tried there in camp. Panarin also plays left wing, but you would be hard pressed to think Quenneville is going to go to battle with two inexperienced kids as his only scoring left wings.
In a bit of positive holiday weekend news, word was released that Andrew Desjardins was brought back to the tune of $800,000 for two years. Now if only he’d change his number back to 69 to give back Jeremy Morin 11.
12 deep:ESPN
Meet the new guys:Blackhawk Up
For your viewing pleasure and ad revenue:CSN
Wouldnt you be? Chicago Tribune
Au Revoir:TSN
Fitting and poor Brouwer:Sportsnet
Now that the siege of July 1 is over and the Hawks have picked their lot, we’re left to sit and wait out the rest of the summer as the Hawks bleed out the rest of the moves they’re going to make. So just want to clean up some thoughts as we begin to hit down time.
-The Hawks only made one move, signing Viktor Tikhonov, which is interesting if nothing else. He has first round pedigree, and was somewhat unlucky to be promoted to the NHL too soon and under coach Gretzky, which you’ll remember was not a very pleasant experience for anyone. That clearly stunted his development. I don’t know that his numbers in the K make anyone spit out their drink, and he may just end up Rockford depth. But it’s clear the Hawks are going to give themselves plenty of options on the wings.
The only wings for sure on next year’s roster are whichever of Teuvo or Dano isn’t used as a center, Kane, Hossa, Panarin and Shaw. Any or all of Sharp, Bickell, and Versteeg could be gone. And Danault (also could be a center), McNeill, Morin, Tropp, Tikhonov, Hartman and maybe one or two more are going to scrap for what could be as many as three spots open or as little as one, depending on who’s traded. Someone’s going to earn it, that’s for sure.
Saad, sad: ESPN Chicago
Conference call transcript, a fact lost on the commenters: CBJ
CBJ perspective: Cannon
Artem the answer?: CSN
And another Russian: PD
Its a business: CST
Look ahead: Blackhawks
Any depth left?: PHT
It’s rare that the Hawks do something so large that we need a full day to clear out all the feelings and stories from it. But here we are with Brandon Saad’s trade to Columbus.
A day later, I think it tells us a lot when Stan Bowman comes out and says that they weren’t even close in negotiations. Because look at Bowman’s record on this sort of thing: Kruger (possibly twice), Hjalmarsson, Oduya, and even Sharp and Seabrook for what they are have all signed deals probably below market value to stay in Chicago (you could argue Kane and Toews as well, if you really want). When Stan wants to get this done, if it’s in any way possible it almost always gets done. When he tells you they were miles apart, they were probably miles apart.
Let the frenzy begin:USA TODAY
Oh it already did:TSN
Probably not, or not on purpose:SunTimes
So Close:Pensburgh
Qualifiers:ESPN
Slovakian Primer: The Columbus Dispatch
Raanta’s Replacement:Chicago Tribune
Paid:NESN
Oh:PuckDaddy
Fingers Crossed: Sports Illustrated
Ok, this won’t be too hard to try and get our arms around, will it?
Let’s all breathe. It’s not too hard to figure out what went down here. We said just a few weeks ago that hometown discounts are generally things agents and unions frown upon. Secondly, this is a weird kind of negotiation, where the Hawks wanted a bridge deal and Saad’s camp wanted long-term big paper. The problem with that is there really isn’t any middle ground. You can’t sign a four-year bridge deal. You don’t get much relief by paying Saad over $5.5 million for two years. It’ s kind of one or the other. The Hawks had an idea of what they wanted to do. It’s obvious Saad’s camp had quite another.
