With actual blades hitting actual ice today, and the temperature dropping below Bikram yoga in hell, it actually feels just a little bit like hockey is pretty close. Not so you could reach out and touch it, but soon enough.
Today I’m going to make up my own question to answer, because that’s just the guy I am. And it addresses who the Hawks will miss most that is gone from last year’s team.
They’re heeeere: Suntimes
Back to work: Chicago Tribune
Another Cup, but the carousel still turns: Daily Herald
Captain Excitement: Comcast
What a dumb slogan: New York Times
So this is what the market dictates: PuckDaddy
Getting ahead of ourselves: Blackhawk Up
Since he smiled this year, Stan is looking forward to camp: Blackhawks.Com
Master Plan is different this time around: Daily Herald
Blake Geoffrion sadly makes it official: TSN
This is getting weird: Sportsnet
New Leadership in Philly? Maybe Sam will get his cheesesteaks: CBC
Time for camp: Chicago Tribune
Players to watch: SunTimes
Welcome to the future: Daily Herald
Free Agent Recap: Cheer the Anthem
A good place: ESPN Chicago
Corsi and Moneyball:The Leafs Nation
This kid is something else: TSN
Emery returning? Chicago Tribune
Prospects ready to pounce: Daily Herald
So this column has a terrible title: Suntimes
Not a surprise: ESPN CHICAGO
Key Vote: TSN
Duh! Sportsnet
They still have no defense or a Goalie: TSN
Now is the time for the youngsters to step up: CSN Autoplay
The Hartman scouting report: Blackhawks
Hockey and Golf are forever intertwined: Globe and Mail
Centers of Attention: Sportsnet.ca
Penguins are top heavy: Ottawa Sun
More crazy goalie money: Columbus Post Dispatch
NHL stars lose millions in a financial scam: NY Daily News
Well, Stage 1 of this week’s offseason circus is now in the books. What are we left with?
The big news is obviously the trades of Dave Bolland and Michael Frolik for five picks. Bolland comes as no shock. He’d become to expensive for the role he had, and there are many options as replacements. Frolik was a bit of a surprise, just because it felt like he would have slotted perfectly into Viktor Stalberg’s role on the 3rd line. But again, a $2.2 million 4th liner is not a luxury you can afford for long. Frolik has been an underrated asset, sometimes criminally so, as he’s always driven possession no matter what role he was asked to play. And he’s been asked to play a lot of them in his time here.
In news as shocking as finding out Mondays suck (for those of you with real jobs, at least), Dave Bolland found himself the center of a draft day trade to Toronto. The Hawks received the Leafs 2nd and 4th rounder this year and their 4th rounder next year, essentially recouping what they gave up for Johnny Oduya last year. The second round is where Stan might have done his best work, so getting that is a bonus (Saad, Clendening, Johns).
Bolland gets a chance to play for something of his hometown team, as he’s an Ontario boy. Bolland can also slot in behind Kadri and Grabovski in his comfortable #3 center role, at least until round moron Randy Carlyle inexplicably boxes Grabovski up despite all his plus possession numbers.
Please be careful: Chicago Tribune
Enjoy it: Suntimes
A helpful guide: Daily Herald
I didn’t realize Tampa had 32.67 million lying around: TSN
Clearly Kris Letang has Scott Boras as his agent: Sportsnet
Meet your new coach for Sochi: USA TODAY
To the surprise of exactly no one with a functioning brain, it’s been announced today that Stan Bowman will use the Hawks’ two “Compliance Buyouts” on Steve Montador and Rusty Olesz.
Bowman: Steve Montador and Rostislav Olesz will be bought out if not claimed on waivers. #Blackhawks
— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) June 27, 2013
This will free up some much needed cap room, and these two players were the two obvious choices. But Bowman can’t and won’t stop there.
