Faxes from Uncle Dale

Recent Posts

  • What Are You?

    What Are You?

    It’s been just about a week since the Hawks signed Brad Richards, and thanks to other commitments and the holiday I haven’t really had time to get in up to the elbow on what the Hawks have taken a flier on here. We’ve got time today. So roll up the sleeves, Hondo.

    What they’ve gotten is clearly a player on the decline. Richards had 91 points with Dallas the year the Hawks won the Cup the firs time. He then went to 77, 66, a 60-point pace in the lockout year, and 51 points last year. So none of that is going to be encouraging, especially when he switched to the easier Eastern Conference and continued to put up less points.

    Are there some mitigating factors? A few but hardly nothing major. He was bounced around the lineup a lot by John Tortorella, and Torts was allergic to offense. But the introduction of Alain Vigneault didn’t help much either.

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  • Morning Links 7/7/14

    Nothing doing yet: ESPN Chicago

    Of course Vancouver: PHT

    Lockout looming?: PD

    Filthy: THN

  • The Shortest Straw

    The Shortest Straw

    With the aquisition of Brad “Religion” Richards, even at the cap friendly number of $2 million dollars for this season, the Hawks are now currently around $2.2 million dollars over the cap while carrying 22 players on the active roster by opening night.

    This means that someone is going to have to be voted off of the island in short order, particularly with the Convention coming up in a couple of weeks. If there’s one thing that McDonough and Blunk are conscious of it’s optics, and they’d hate to have a player kissing hands and shaking babies all weekend at the Regency just to have someone’s favorite player launched, even if they technically don’t have to until opening night in October. Add that to the cover that the long holiday weekend will bring tomorrow, as well as the tendency for media types to try to bury bad news on a Friday afternoon, and it would not be the least bit shocking to see someone go tomorrow.

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  • Morning Links 7/3/14

    Morning Links 7/3/14

    Man-Child by the numbers by numbers I Mean Flippin FANCY STATS: NHL

    Movement on the horizon? Chicago Tribune

    Jim Nill..Heartbreaker: TSN

    More central center depth: ESPN

    Well it may be they just aren’t that good: PD

  • July 1 Post Mortem

    July 1 Post Mortem

    McClure took you through the local hockey club’s actions on the opening day of free agency, as I was too busy passing out from every Belgian attack (I passed out a lot). So I thought I’d clean up what went on around the league.

    Central Matters

    First, it’s probably best to look closer to home and that’s in the Central division. The big move was Jason Spezza going to the Stars for pretty much nothing. One aspect that didn’t get mentioned a whole lot is how this move slots The Ginger Ninja, Cody Eakin, down into the 3rd center role. That’s where he’s supposed to be and don’t be shocked if he becomes one of the better 3rd centers in the West.

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  • Morning Links 7/2/14

    Morning Links 7/2/14

    Three years ago today I was in Vegas wanting Stan to sign this guy: SunTimes

    Well they did for a perfect stopgap: Chicago Tribune

    The Dane returns! ESPN

    Big D could once again be a big problem: DMN

    My contract sucks: TSN

    No Paul, anywhere else….Sportsnet.ca

    The beats will all have columns when the Hawks play the Panthers: MH

  • At The Center Of It All – Hawks Bring Back Peter Regin, Sign Brad Richards

    At The Center Of It All – Hawks Bring Back Peter Regin, Sign Brad Richards

    Today Stan Bowman took further steps in Quenneville proofing his forward group by bringing back step-child Peter Regin for one year and $650K, and Brad Richards, in a career reclamation move predicted on this very site about 24 hours ago.

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  • Free Agency Open Thread

    Probably best to just let the mess settle and comment afterward. Have at it here.

  • Morning Links 7/4/14

    More money, more problems: ST

    5 questions: CSN

    The law of conservation of meatballs named Brandon: ESPN

    They never learn: TSN

    Not a bad idea: PHT

    For a brief moment I won’t mock ‘nucks fans: PD

    Hahahahahahaha: Sportsnet

  • Lost In The Supermarket – Free Agent Shopping

    Lost In The Supermarket – Free Agent Shopping

    After a mostly silent draft from a trade standpoint, even if Stan Bowman and Doug Wilson made a lot of teal and red clad sphincters audibly clench when they approached the registry table, it appears that Bowman is going one of two directions. The first option is that he’s going to allow this group, which for all of their faults were a goal away from another Cup Final berth against an inferior opponent, another crack at the Chalice minus some deadweight and augment as the deadline approaches. Or he’s going to let the market get set tomorrow in a barren UFA market place and parlay some of his cost-controlled assets into greater return and/or cap space.

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