Everything Else

The news of the day is that the Hawks have extended Andrew Shaw, who was due to be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, for two more years at a $2 million cap hit. It’s another bridge deal from Stan Bowman, using the complete lack of leverage a prospective RFA has to get a key player in at a very reasonable rate.

Shaw joins Kruger and Leddy on the list of those who are being asked to help out with the cap situation for a couple years before hopefully being rewarded. Shaw’s deal will expire the year after Kruger’s and Leddy’s, and in Kruger’s case should make for interesting watching as they could be competing for the same spot then depending on the development of some other prospects (namely Phillip Danault, who has said the Hawks have literally told him to be another Kruger). It would also be the same year that Brandon Saad would be a restricted free agent, but there’s utterly no chance that Stan is going to let Saad get anywhere near free agency and he will get a two or three year extension.

Everything Else

This past weekend, the best defenseman in Hawks history went into the hockey Hall of Fame. And nary a word was mentioned around town. Or at least that’s how it felt. Sure, there was a Bears game and the Bulls have started. But we know that’s not the reason. But instead of trying to improve on what my brother The Ombudsman wrote in yesterday’s Indian, I’ll just provide it here.

Everything Else

Suppose it doesn’t come down to much more than “job done.” The Hawks were sloppy for most of tonight’s game. They were uninterested for a portion. They played just long enough to beat the West’s worst team, which for them isn’t all that long. Basically the end of the 2nd period (a period which they were outplayed) and most of the 3rd. It was enough, and I guess on the second of a back-to-back that’s enough. But maybe we should aim higher.

Whereas last night it was the Hawks top line that saw them have just enough against a huffing and puffing lower tier team, tonight it was the second line, be it Brandon Saad or Patrick Kane moonlighting on the 3rd. This is probably where I say that’s the mark of a good team, in that it’s someone different every night. Nothing revelatory about the win, but it’s a win. Let’s get to the bullets.