Everything Else

Chief_Blue_Meanie vs oldschool

Game Time: 7:00PM Central
TV/Radio: CSN, WGN-AM 720
BROHIO!: The Cannon

Now that the Great Trade Deadline of Aught-14 has come and gone, it appears that as usual, Stan Bowman and the Hawks like their people and will move forward for the most part with what brought them here, despite a pretty obviously glaring need for some kind of center capable of pivoting a scoring line other than Jonathan Toews. But it’s never been a concern they’ve seriously addressed in five years, so why start now. The final iteration of the 2013-2014 Hawks will take the ice for the first time this year against former division opponent Columbus for their only trip to the UC this season.

Everything Else

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

In the end, it turned out to be a pretty flaccid trade deadline for the Hawks. It makes sense. They’re capped out and would have had to get awfully creative to acquire another center, which is what they need. And you can understand if not agree running for the shelter of going with last year’s team that won instead of risking fucking it up by tearing off a piece to get another.

But therein lies the problem, at least for me. The Hawks are basically standing still, and the rest of the West aren’t. The Blues, Avs, Ducks, and Sharks are unquestionably better than they were last year (and it’s not Ryan Miller’s acquisition for the Blues, but the growth of Jaden Schwartz and the unholy performance of Alex Steen among others). The Kings might not be better, though Gaborik helps and they might not be as beat up this spring as they were last.

Everything Else

We’ll wrap it up when it all ends this afternoon, but until then discuss all the goings-on here. Be sure to follow me on Twitter too, @realfansprogram. Back to sensing we’re in for another letdown, but you never know.