vs. 
FACEOFF: 7:30 PM Central
TV/RADIO: CSN, WGN Radio 720
YEE HAW!: Defending Big D
Here we go. The curtain raiser on the sometimes confusing, sometimes frustrating, sometimes slog, 82-game story of the 2014-2015 season. And while the Hawks certainly have some new parts to show and some questions to answer, the excitement will mostly be contained on the other side of the ice.
I do this every year, basically so you lot have cudgel with which to beat me over the head in April. I’m here for you people. So let’s get to it.
Hawks Points Total – 108. They are capable of 115 or 116 but I doubt they escape the injury bug and there’s always the March doldrums they seem to go through that limits their output. Where that puts them in the division? Probably 2nd as I’m guessing the Blues go all out to avoid the Hawks in the 1st round (putting them in prime position to lose to Dallas in the 1st round). Which almost certainly means another tussle with Minnesota. Fun times!
Good-Bye Sweet Prince: Chicago Tribune
Salad is bad: ESPN
The Dragon has been caged: CT
Yet this pisses me off the most: PHT
Just wait: The Score
This was the last pre-season game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the the New York Rangers.
Have to clean up the stuff from last night’s game, so let’s do that.
-The first thing that was obvious is that last night’s bottom pairing of Michal Rozsival and Kyle Cumiskey absolutely drowned against what was basically Montreal’s bottom six and a bunch of Hamilton Bulldogs. No Gallagher, Galchenyuk, Desharnais, Patches, Plekanec, and yet whoever was out against this pairing had their way. Look, I know Rozsival will never look fast, and especially in training camp, but it was hard to not be alarmed. Yes, the games he does play, which won’t be all of them obviously, will be weighted with easy zone starts and opposition. But that doesn’t make me feel better right now, especially with the strong chance that Leddy isn’t going to be around to push the play the other way and save him.
They keep telling me Cumiskey is the surprise of camp, and I see that he can skate pretty well, but he’s playground recess in his own end. His gap to Drayson Bowman was simply awful while Rozie was getting beat to the front of the net, and had it been better maybe that pass is never made. Maybe they’re pumping Cumiskey to soften the blow of any Leddy trade, and he plays the same side unlike Rundblad. But based on what I’ve seen this preseason, that’s not an answer to any question I’m asking.
Watched most of the Hawks dance in Saskatchewan with the Oilers online yesterday, perhaps in an attempt to use anything to wash that Bears taste out of my mouth. Although the feed was pretty poor, taken straight from the scoreboard there, a couple things worth noting.
-Unless there’s a trade of him, I’m guessing that Versteeg-Shaw-Bickell combo is probably going to be your third line on Opening Night. I still find it pretty curious how much they’re pumping Versteeg through the media. The whole thing smacks of “methinks the lady doth protest too much,” but it could be he actually does look good another year removed from knee surgery. He’s still completely superfluous on this team and his salary makes him kind of a millstone. But whatever. He does look better.
I also find it fucking hilarious that even the Oilers radio team was on an “EARN YOUR MONEY BICKELLMAN!” rant during the game. I don’t know what people expect from Bickell during the regular season, but he was more than fine last year despite what his coach thought. Anyway, the unit looks fine for now.
As Stan Bowman gets closer and closer to his meeting with the Salary Cap Bobs, by now you’ve heard most of the names that are likely to go. Oduya, Leddy, Versteeg, with the latter two being the most likely, with whispers of Rozsival and Bickell behind that.
But should Andrew Shaw be part of this discussion?
The straight numbers wouldn’t be enough like they would be with Leddy, Versteeg, and Oduya. Shaw makes an even $2 million and the Hawks would have to shed a little more, possibly also packaging him with Versteeg. And yet it’s not a name you hear much. But what is Shaw worth to the Hawks, and what might he be worth to another team?