A banner night

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

What a night it was on Tuesday as the Blackhawks kicked off their regular season by raising their 2013 Stanley Cup championship banner, and then proceeded to beat the Capitals 6-4 in what was a thrilling game. I was lucky enough to be there, and it was a night that I’ll never forget.

The festivities began outside the United Center on Madison Street, where the Blackhawks held their annual “Red Carpet” event in which all of the Blackhawks players arrived in limos and proceeded to walk down a red carpet into the stadium. Fans lined the red carpet and cheered on the players as they walked by. Many players high-fived the fans as they made their way into the stadium.

As for the banner ceremony itself, let’s just say it will be tough for any team to beat. Every fan was given a wristband with a computer chip and LED lights inside of it. These wristbands then all lit up in unison as the ceremony began and were synced to the different songs and moments of the ceremony. I had never seen anything like this before, and I have to say it was amazing. Along with the wristbands, the United Center ice was used as a mega wide-screen TV as video clips and pictures were projected onto the ice during the ceremony.

Duncan Keith was the first player introduced, and he skated onto the ice with Lord Stanley in hands before placing it on a small table at center ice. Jonathan Toews, the last player introduced, skated to and lifted the Cup up over his head one last time before setting it back on the table.

The banner was presented by a group of youth hockey players who were supposed to signify the Blackhawks when they were kids, as well as the future Blackhawks players. After taking a team photo with the banner hanging behind them, it slowly ascended to the United Center rafters where it will remain forever. It was a very emotional, yet cool ceremony.

Once the banner ceremony ended, there was a game to be played.

Brandon Bollig, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, Brandon Saad, Johnny Oduya, and Marian Hossa scored the Blackhawks’ six goals in the game. Mikhail Grabovski recorded a hat trick for the Capitals, and Alex Ovechkin scored their other goal.

All in all, the Blackhawks played a decent game against Washington. Corey Crawford looked a bit shaky early on, but came up with some massive saves late in the third period while the Capitals had a 5 on 3 powerplay. The offense of the Blackhawks looked pretty unstoppable, just like they did last season. Not much is different there compared to last year’s team. Depth-wise, I think it will take some time to figure out just how deep this team is. I’m not sure that Tuesday night’s fourth line will be the same fourth line that we will see in another 2-3 months. Joakim Nordstrom looked just okay in his first NHL game, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses.

The biggest weakness that I saw from the Blackhawks against the Capitals was their penalty kill. The Hawks allowed 3 powerplay goals to the Caps, which is something that almost never happened last season. Granted, Washington had the league’s best powerplay just a season ago, but the Blackhawks also had the NHL’s third best penalty kill. Joakim Nordstrom was handed the assignment of replacing Michael Frolik on the Hawks’ top PK unit with Marcus Kruger, and it was obvious that this was something Nordstrom will have to get used to.

More than once, I noticed Kruger and then Rozsival pulling Nordstrom aside and giving him directions and advice as to what to do while on the PK. Even during the middle of the action, Marcus Kruger could be seen waving Nordstrom to skate at the puck-carrier for Washington. It will be a work in progress with Nordstrom on their top penalty killing unit, and hopefully it will work itself out.

I still think it is too early to really gauge how good the Hawks will be this year. Opening night is sometimes misleading because teams are still rusty and getting used to playing real games. However, I will say that the Blackhawks will once again be a top team in the NHL this year, and they have a very solid chance at repeating as Stanley Cup champions.

Their next game is Saturday night at home against the Lightning.

The ring of rings

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Today the Blackhawks received their 2013 championship rings, just 2 days before opening night. Honestly, all I can really say is wow. These things are amazing.

ring-4210015443_slide

To compare the two rings, here is the face of their 2010 Stanley Cup ring:

Personally, I like this year’s ring a bit better. Not that there’s anything wrong with the 2010 ring, it’s just that I like the red rubies on this year’s ring. It’s also pretty cool how they inscribed each opponent and the outcome of each series from the playoffs on the inside of the finger hole. These will be tough to beat.

Blackhawks’ final roster almost set

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

With just three days remaining until the opening puck drop to the 2013-14 season, the Blackhawks still have some key decisions to make regarding their final roster. Currently, Ben Smith, Jeremy Morin, Jimmy Hayes, Brandon Pirri, Joakim Nordstrom, Michael Kostka, and Ryan Stanton are all battling for the remaining three open spots on the Blackhawks’ roster. All seven of those guys are worthy of playing in the NHL, but only three will begin the season in Chicago.

There has been a lot of talk all summer long about who may get the number two center job with the Blackhawks this year. For a quite a while, it was looking like Brandon Pirri would be the guy. However, it is looking more and more like that potentially may not be the case. While he is certainly still a candidate, other guys like Ben Smith, Joakim Nordstrom, and Michael Kostka are proving this preseason that they belong on the opening night roster. If those three were to make the team, then that leaves Brandon Pirri headed back to Rockford (for now at least). It is possible that the Blackhawks may not keep 8 defensemen on the roster like they have right now. They may choose instead to hang on to 3 forwards, which would be a good thing for Pirri.

As training camp came and went and as the preseason has come and (almost) gone, Joakim Nordstrom has really stood out as the possible replacement to Michael Frolik on the fourth line and top penalty-killing unit. Joel Quenneville has commented that Nordstrom has looked really good on the PK with Kruger, and Kruger has voiced the same opinion. Nordstrom has made it clear that he is willing to do whatever it is going to take to make the team, and right now he seems to be doing the right things. His hustle and defensive awareness have apparently really stood out to the coaching staff.

Right now, I would pencil in Ben Smith and Joakim Nordstrom on the opening night roster. The last open spot will most likely go to either Pirri or Kostka, based on how things have played out this preseason. Personally, I would keep Brandon Pirri on the roster. That would mean that someone like Brandon Bollig would have the be a healthy scratch, but I am okay with that. Pirri is a better all-around player than Bollig.

Regardless of what the Hawks’ coaching staff and management decides to do with the remaining three empty spots on the roster, this is going to be a good team. Almost everyone from last year’s team is back, and the rookies who do make the team should fit in just fine. The Blackhawks’ have done a real good job of developing their minor league prospects in recent years, and because of that they have a number of young guys who are more than capable of playing on the NHL team.

This should be another fun season.

Minnesota Wild’s new road jersey

Posted on September 16, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Well I said in my NHL jersey rankings post that if the Wild could get some better road uniforms that I’d have them ranked higher on my list. As it turns out, they have come up with new road jerseys since I made my rankings. I have to say, they’re a lot better than the ones they wore a year ago.

I really like how they added more green to the jersey on the elbows and near the waist. I also love the lacing at the neck. I wish more teams would use that look. This is a significant improvement from their previous road jerseys.

NHL Eastern Conference predictions

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Here’s how I think the Eastern Conference will play out this season:

Metropolitan

The Penguins are consistently one of the best teams in hockey during the regular season with all of that talent. I see no reason as to why that will change this year. The playoffs, however, are a different story with this team.

After a couple of down years, I expect Washington to be back near the top of the league this season. Ovechkin found his form over the course of last season, and I think he’ll stay hot heading into this season. However, this team seems to always have the potential to disappoint.

This will be their first season under new head coach Alain Vigneault, and I think it could go one of two ways; good, or really bad. I don’t see an in-between with the Rangers. Henrik Lundqvist is always a key factor in this team’s success, and while I expect him to be an elite goalie again this year, I am not as sure about the rest of the team. For now, I’m saying they take third in this division.

Last year was a season to forget for the Flyers. They greatly under-performed. Now that Bryzgalov is gone and Ray Emery has taken his place, there should be less off-ice distractions, which will help, but I don’t think last year was a fluke. Teams don’t just go from the top of the conference to the bottom in one year without there being more than a few problems. Having said that, I think Philadelphia has the potential to finish in the top 3 in this division.

The Hurricanes somewhat remind me of the Oilers in terms of their potential. Edmonton has more talent, but both teams are better than what they showed us last season. Like the Oilers, I think Carolina has the potential to make the postseason as a wild card team, but I won’t be surprised if they don’t.

6.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I should have the Islanders ahead of the Hurricanes or not. They could go either way. Last year was a major surprise for the Islanders as they made the playoffs for the first time in a number of years. John Tavares is becoming one of the best centers in the game, and he’ll probably be named team captain sometime this month. Still, I don’t think this team will replicate what they accomplished last year.

For the first time in a long time, the Blue Jackets are not projected to be the worst team in the league. If they were still in the Central Division, I might have them placed higher in the standings. Unfortunately for the Jackets, this division may be the toughest in hockey. While they will be a solid, possibly above .500 team, I don’t see them making the playoffs in this conference.

There isn’t a whole lot to look forward to with the Devils. Kovalchuk is gone, Clarkson is gone, and Brodeur is slowly on his way out. They did acquire Corey Schneider, Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Clowe, and Michael Ryder, among others, but there are still a ton of question marks with this team, especially on defense.

Atlantic

This is my big prediction for this upcoming season. While I’m sure others have the Wings finishing first in this division, I don’t think I’m in the majority. Daniel Alfredsson and Stephen Weiss were big acquisitions for the Wings that will greatly help. I feel that a line with Datsyuk/Zetterberg and Daniel Alfredsson could be a major threat to opposing teams. Aside from their big name players, the Wings also have a lot of young talent that really looked good in last year’s playoffs. The big question mark here is their defense. I’d expect the Wings to upgrade on the blue line via trade at some point this season.

They lost Horton, Seguin, Peverley, and Jagr, but acquired Loui Eriksson and Jarome Iginla. Their offense should be pretty comparable to what it was last year, and their defense remains arguably the best in the NHL. The Bruins will contend for the top spot in the East again this season, but for now I have them finishing second in their own division.

This is where the Atlantic Division kind of falls to a lower level. The Wings and Bruins, in my opinion, will be elite teams in the NHL. After them, however, I don’t see another solid lock for the postseason in this division. The Maple Leafs have the best shot of the remaining teams, and rightfully so. They made some big moves this off season by signing David Clarkson and trading for Jonathan Bernier and Dave Bolland. If James Reimer begins to show some weaknesses, expect Bernier to be named their new starting goalie. My fear with Toronto is that they are expecting too much out of Dave Bolland. They have really hyped him up since they traded for him, but he’s not the offensive player that they’re making him out to be. The Leafs will be good, but not great.

They made a big move by acquiring Bobby Ryan from the Ducks, but they also lost their captain via free agency. Last year the Senators surprised a lot of people by not only making the playoffs, but by advancing to the second round. In all honesty, I think Ottawa is going to be pretty similar to what they were last season. I think we’re probably looking at a wild card spot for the Sens, but they have the ability to miss the postseason as well.

This is kind of a “wild card” pick for me. The Lightning were not good last season, but I think they have the talent and potential to be better. Stamkos will continue to be one of the best players in hockey, St. Louis will stay productive, and the signing of Valtteri Filppula will prove to be bigger than people think. They have a decent offensive team, but their defense is still suspect. Matt Carle needs to bounce back after a couple of down seasons since signing in Tampa, and Viktor Hedman needs to play up to his potential for this team to be decent again. Along with their defense, goaltending is another foggy area with the Lightning. I’m not totally sold on Ben Bishop, but only time will tell with him.

I felt all of last season that this team was overachieving. I thought for sure that they would choke near the end of the year and either fall to a bottom seed in the East playoffs, or miss the postseason all together. They did neither. This year, I think their record will be a bit more indicative as to how good the Canadiens really are. I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs, and I think they could end up even lower in the standings than I have them here.

While they’re not as bad as the Flames, this team is in a rebuilding phase just like Calgary. They’ve had some good talent over the past few years, but nothing ever panned out the way that they wanted it to. Tyler Myers has regressed a bit since his rookie campaign, and guys like Drew Stafford haven’t really improved much over the past couple seasons. Ryan Miller is coming off of one of his worst seasons in the NHL, but I think he’ll be better this year.

The Panthers shocked everyone two years ago when they made the playoffs, and there’s a reason for that. They weren’t/aren’t that good. They have a ton of young guys who could turn out to be good hockey players, and they have Jonathan Huberdeau who seems to have a promising future. Still, there are way too many unknowns with this team. Defensively, they have a bit more veteran depth, but they’re not great in that area. Expect another last place finish for Florida.

Playoffs

Metropolitan Division:

1. Penguins 2. Capitals 3. Rangers

Atlantic Division:

1. Red Wings 2. Bruins 3. Maple Leafs

Wild Card teams:

1. Flyers 2. Senators

NHL Western Conference predictions

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

With the 2013-14 NHL season now just a month away from beginning, I thought I’d offer up my predictions as to how the regular season will play out. With the new divisions and playoff format coming into play this year, it should be interesting to see which teams benefit and which teams do not.

Here are my Western Conference division predictions.

Pacific

The Kings have enough talent and skill to be one of the best teams in hockey. The past 2 seasons they have really disappointed in the regular season, so maybe this will be their year.

I had a tough time trying to decide where I should place the Ducks. The loss of Bobby Ryan will hurt, but their acquisition of Dustin Penner will help. Also, they have Selanne back for one more year. Personally, I think this team will go as its goaltending goes.

The Sharks got off to a hot start last season, and then faded off a bit until the playoffs came around. In the postseason they got hot again and were one win from the WCF. This team is getting old with guys like Thornton and Marleau, but they still have some elite talent.

I think we’re going to see the Canucks fade a little bit this season. There is just too much uncertainty with them right now. How will John Tortorella do in his first year there? Will Luongo have a “bounce-back” season? They have a ton of skill, but I don’t know that they’ll put it all together.

This is a team that could finish higher than I have them placed here. Edmonton has been stockpiling high draft picks for quite a while now, and I think this could be the year that they finally turn the corner and put together a winning season. The acquisitions of Andrew Ference, David Perron, and Boyd Gordon should help a lot.

I think it may be a while before we see the Coyotes back in the postseason. They had their run if you ask me. However, anytime you have Mike Smith as your starting goalie, you have a chance to win.

The Flames are in a definite rebuilding phase right now. Don’t expect much from them for a few years.

Central

The defending champs will return this season with pretty much the same roster that they won the Cup with last season. Losing Bolland and Frolik will force new guys to step up on the PK, but I don’t think they’ll have a problem with that. Brandon Pirri could be a very key piece to this team’s success, and Corey Crawford’s play will once again determine just how good this team can be.

Many people have the Blues winning it all this season. I don’t. They’ll be a very good team, but I still don’t think that they have the offensive firepower that is needed to overtake the Blackhawks in this division or win the Cup.

The Wild were a big disappointment last season for most people. To me, they did just what I thought they’d do. Prior to getting Parise and Suter, they were a mediocre team. With those two, they were a bit better than the year before. This season, they’ve added Keith Ballard to the blue line (a big acquisition in my opinion), and they signed Matt Cooke to be replace Cal Clutterbuck. They’ll also have Jason Pominville for the entire season, barring injury. If Backstrom and Harding stay healthy in goal, the Wild could be a good team.

I feel like the Stars are being underrated by most NHL analysts. Most experts are predicting a bad year for Dallas, but I think this team could be a possible playoff contender. They lost Loui Eriksson via trade, but they added Tyler Seguin and Rich Peverley in the same deal. Peverley is a good faceoff center, and Seguin has a ton of potential upside to his game. Not to mention they signed Shawn Horcoff, whose past leadership role in Edmonton should help with this team. Their biggest weakness is their defense.

This will be the Jets’ first year in the Western Conference, and I’m still unsure as to whether or not that’s a good or bad thing for them (on the ice). They made a push for the playoffs last season, but came up short over the last few weeks. Their team this season is much better than last year’s with their acquisitions over the summer, but I am not ready to put a whole lot of confidence in the Jets just yet. They are somewhat of a mystery team to me at this point.

Here’s another case of a team with a lot of young talent that under-performed last season. I don’t think they’ll be a playoff team, but they should be better than they were a year ago. I’m excited to see how Nathan Mackinnon does in his first NHL season.

Every year the Predators seem to be underrated by everyone. And every year Pekka Rinne almost single-handedly gets this team into the playoff race. This year will be different. I don’t see Nashville having a whole lot of success in the improved Western Conference this season.

Playoffs

Pacific Division:

1. Kings 2. Ducks 3. Sharks

Central Division:

1. Blackhawks 2. Blues 3. Wild

Wild Card teams:

1. Canucks 2. Oilers

I’ll have my Eastern Conference predictions posted sometime in the next few days.

NHL jersey rankings

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

With the 2013-14 NHL season slated to begin in less than two months, I thought I’d rank all the NHL jerseys from best to worst. Here we go…

1. Chicago Blackhawks

The reds are often regarded as the best jersey in sports, and the indianhead logo is also considered one of the best in all of sports. These jerseys speak for themselves. I only wish that they’d bring back their alternates from 2010.

2. Boston Bruins

Their logo has hardly changed over time, and their jerseys are one of the most classic in sports. Tough to not like these.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs

Again, this logo has rarely been changed, and the jerseys are simple, yet great. True classics.

4. New York Rangers

The diagonal lettering on the front of their jerseys has been the Rangers’ signature look forever. I love the stripes going across the front and back sides of the shoulders on their away jerseys. Their third jerseys are one of the best in the NHL.

5. Edmonton Oilers

I was quite happy when they finally dropped their navy blue look and went back to their classic colors from the Gretzky days.

6. Detroit Red Wings

This has to be one of the more recognizable logos in sports. The winged wheel has not really changed at all over time, nor have the jerseys themselves. The arched lettering/font used on the nameplates is truly unique.

7. Vancouver Canucks

Much like the Oilers, the Canucks made a good move in ditching their navy blue look. The green and blue on these jerseys go together really well.

8. Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens’ logo has been pretty consistent throughout time, but their jerseys have changed a bit more frequently. Still, a real classic look.

9. Pittsburgh Penguins

Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of their logo, but the jersey as a whole looks good. I’d be in favor of bringing back their old yellow and black look form the Mario Lemieux era.

10. Buffalo Sabres

A couple years ago Buffalo decided to use their original logo and colors again. That was the best decision they have made in a long time, because the jerseys they had before these were horrendous.

11. Los Angeles Kings

I might actually like their whites better than the blacks. The logo isn’t very creative, but the overall look of these jerseys isn’t bad by any means.

12. Minnesota Wild

They wore their green alternates at home in the playoffs this past spring, which make up for their pretty weak away jerseys. The home red unis are pretty nice in my opinion. If they could figure out a way to make their whites more interesting, I’d have the Wild higher on my list.

13. Washington Capitals

In yet another instance of a team bringing back their classic look, the Capitals’ current uniforms are the best they’ve had.

14. St. Louis Blues

These jerseys haven’t changed much over the past decade. The two shades of blue, black, and yellow/gold all go well together. Their alternates are some of the best third jerseys in hockey.

15. New Jersey Devils

The Devils’ jerseys are rather simple and unchanged in a long time. I see no reason for them to change their look anytime soon.

16. New York Islanders

Again, just another example of a team bringing back its classic colors. Even though I have the Islanders in the bottom half of my rankings, these jerseys are much better than what they were wearing just a few years ago.

17. Colorado Avalanche

I don’t like the white/blue trim that cuts down the jersey from the shoulders to the waist. I hate when the “C” or “A” patches are placed over trimming. The logo is a bit weak as well.

18. Winnipeg Jets

I’m not saying that these jerseys are bad by putting them at number 18. The reason they are this low is because they could have been better. When the Jets came back to Winnipeg 2 years ago, they could have modernized their original look instead of creating a whole new logo.

19. Columbus Blue Jackets

I’ve seen enough of this look since the Jackets came into existence just over a decade ago. I really don’t like the red pants/white sweater look.

20. Phoenix Coyotes

The Coyotes have tried multiple times to make their uniforms/logo look better, and this is probably the best look they’ve had. Still, there’s not much to it.

21. Carolina Hurricanes

The Hurricanes will be wearing a new uniform set this year, as you can see in the pictures. These new jerseys just look too bland for me. I liked their unis from the past few years better.

22. Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay decided to switch up their jerseys heading into the 2011-12 season, and that slightly strengthened their appearance. They’re still nowhere near the best in the league.

23. Calgary Flames

Here’s another case of me liking their road uniforms better than their home uniforms. I think the Flames should just make their alternates their permanent home uniform.

24. Ottawa Senators

The logo isn’t bad, but the rest of the jersey is pretty weak. It’s time they switch up their look in Ottawa.

25. Florida Panthers

A pretty typical Florida uniform set. Really bright colors that don’t look very well on a sports jersey.

26. Philadelphia Flyers

I’m going to assume I’m in the minority on this one, but I don’t like the Flyers’ uniforms. The different-colored nameplates just look bad, and the stripe going down the sleeves doesn’t look good.

27. Nashville Predators

My first instinct when I saw their home jerseys for the first time was, “Are they serious?” I don’t know why anyone would ever consider making their jerseys yellow like Nashville did. Their whites aren’t bad, however.

28. San Jose Sharks

These are the new jerseys that San Jose will be wearing this year. They’re awful. They look like practice jerseys. Why they decided to ditch their previous look confuses me. Even with those (and the new ones), I don’t understand why their primary logo needs to be present on the jerseys in 3 different spots: the chest and both shoulders. Couldn’t they develop a secondary logo by now?

29. Dallas Stars

This is the third new set of uniforms that we’ll be seeing this season, and I have to ask, what was Dallas thinking? These look like they belong in the AHL or some junior league.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Easily the worst jerseys in hockey. I’ve hated these since day one. Their third jersey should become their new home jersey, and they should design a white one based off of that look.

Predators trying to “Keep the Red Out”

Posted on August 19, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

The Nashville Predators announced last week that they have placed restrictions on tickets to Predators home games against the Blackhawks. In an attempt to lessen the amount of Chicago fans that attend Predators – Blackhawks games in Nashville, the Predators are not allowing any fans, Predators or Hawks fans, to purchase single-game tickets to these games. If anyone wants to see the Predators take on the Blackhawks in Nashville, they must also purchase tickets to at least one other Predators home game. This plan has been named “Keep the Red Out” by the Predators.

I believe there are a few ways of viewing this move by the Predators organization.

First, this will in fact most likely lessen the amount of Blackhawks fans that attend games in Nashville. Unless someone is truly a die-hard hockey fan, the only people buying tickets to an additional Predators home game will be actual Preds fans. I don’t think any Chicagoans want to be purchasing tickets to a Predators game that doesn’t involve the Blackhawks.

Second, if you’re a Blackhawks fan like me, you might feel a bit proud of this whole ordeal. The fact that Hawks fans have made an opposing NHL team adopt a plan like this is pretty impressive. We should be proud of ourselves for how well we represent the Blackhawks on the road.

Third, and from a casual fan’s perspective, this plan almost seems like it will hurt the city of Nashville when it’s all said and done. If you’re familiar with how many people from Chicago flock to Nashville when the Blackhawks or Bears are in town, then you have an idea as to how much additional revenue Chicago fans provide for the local hotels, restaurants, and bars. By trying to keep Blackhawks/Chicago fans out of Nashville, the Predators are in fact hurting the local economy. Obviously the economic affects of this plan over an an entire year won’t be much at all, but those affects will be noticed when the Hawks are in town and not as many of their fans are.

If you were planning on traveling to Nashville this season to see the Blackhawks take on the Predators, there are still ways of getting single-game tickets. Websites like StubHub, for example, will still be selling single-game tickets to these game. The only downside of using the secondary market to buy tickets is that they will probably be more expensive than their face value. Personally, 90% of the sports tickets I buy are from StubHub anyways, and I’m sure I’m not the only one like that.

My prediction is that a large number of Blackhawks fans will still migrate to Nashville when the Hawks are in town. Because of the increasing popularity of the secondary ticket market, I feel that plenty of Blackhawks fans will still find their way into Bridgestone Arena. I hope I am right, because I would love nothing more than to see this Predators’ plan fail.

Blackhawks trade Bolland, Frolik; Sign Bickell

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

Just 6 days after the Blackhawks fourth line scored the game-winning goal in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, two of the three players on that line have been traded. Today, Stan Bowman sent Dave Bolland to the Maple Leafs in exchange for the 51st and 117th picks in today’s draft, as well as a 4th round pick in next year’s draft. He also traded Michael Frolik to the Winnipeg Jets for the 74th and 134th picks in today’s draft. While these moves are definitely disappointing for Hawks fans, they are smart moves. On the bright side, it was just announced that Bryan Bickell signed a 4-year, $16 million contract with the Blackhawks.

Okay, so a lot to digest here. Let’s start with the trades.

By moving Bolland and Frolik, the Blackhawks gained about $5 million in cap space for next season, increasing their total cap space to over $13 million according to CapGeek.com. With the signing of Bickell for a reported $4 million per year, that cap space now drops to around $9 million for next season. Obviously, people are going to be upset seeing the names Bolland and Frolik being traded. However, you need to look at the numbers in this trade.

Bolland and Frolik were a combined $5 million cap hit next season, which is an awful lot of money to be spending on 2 fourth line players. The Hawks knew that in order to sign someone like Bryan Bickell, they needed to free up some cap space. Trading Bolland did just that, and the Hawks wasted no time in extending Bickell. By trading Frolik, the Blackhawks have gained even more cap space to re-sign a guy like Nick Leddy. There have been talks of the Hawks trading Leddy, but I now doubt that will happen. Leddy is due to become a RFA this summer if the Hawks do not extend his contract.

So, now what do the Blackhawks do with their remaining $9 million?

They could do a number of things. My best guess is that they are going to re-sign Nick Leddy, and maybe even Ray Emery. They will also do what they did last year and sign some role players and depth players. I am not so sure that they will make a big splash by signing someone like Briere or any other big name, although that is not out of the question. It is no secret that they need a true number 2 center, and with their now high cap space, they could acquire a decent center.

Brandon Pirri

One thing is for sure, however. Guys like Ben Smith and Brandon Pirri are going to get their fair shot at becoming impact players on the Blackhawks next season. Ben Smith will most likely be on one of the Hawks’ bottom 2 lines to start the season, and Pirri could even find himself as the second line center. Personally, I don’t think it is a good idea to put a rookie into that much important number 2 center position. I believe that going out and acquiring a good, veteran second line center would be the better option.

A lot can happen now with the Blackhawks. They have a ton of money to spend, even after signing Bickell. The question now is whether or not they will spend all of that money, and if they do, how will it be spent? On role players, or on a big name or two? Either way, Stan Bowman has really been working hard here the last 24 hours, and I am confident he’ll make the right decisions moving forward.

CHAMPIONS

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Kurt Schwerman

After nearly 2 months of grinding out every second of every shift, sacrificing blood, sweat, and broken bones, the Blackhawks can once again call themselves Stanley Cup champions. It is only fitting that they would clinch the Cup with one of the most dramatic endings to a game in Stanley Cup history. This team was presented with challenge after challenge over the course of this postseason, and they came out on top each time.

Think about everything that the Blackhawks had to overcome in these playoffs to win the Cup. They were down 3-1 in their series with Detroit and battled back to win the series in a crazy 7th game. They were without Duncan Keith in Game 4 in L.A. and found a way to win without him. In Game 1 against Boston, they were down 3-1 in the third period and scored 2 goals to tie the game before winning it in triple overtime. Even in Game 6, the Blackhawks found themselves down 2-1 with less than 2 minutes to go, and somehow scored 2 goals in 17 seconds to tie and win the game, and the Cup.

All year long, the Blackhawks have proven people wrong. I’ll be the first to admit that I did not think this team was built to win a Stanley Cup. So many times I have criticized Stan Bowman for not doing more at the trade deadline. So many times I have stated that the Blackhawks “are too small” and “not physical enough” to win the Stanley Cup. I was wrong. This team had too much heart to lose. Regardless of what challenge was thrown their way, they found a way to overcome it. Whether it was a major deficit in a series, or a relentless physical pounding from Boston, the Blackhawks battled through it all and can now call themselves champions.

This team plays like its captain. Jonathan Toews is the most competitive player in hockey if you ask me. He does anything he can to will his team to victory. Maybe the best example of this was when he scored short handed from his knees to tie Game 7 against Vancouver in 2011 with about 2 minutes left in regulation. He never gave up on the play and wasn’t going to be denied. Last night, he displayed this same effort in the final seconds of the game.

With Boston trying to get the puck into the offensive zone, Jonathan Toews was all over the ice making plays on the puck. As the final seconds ticked away, it was Toews who was sprawled out on the ice clearing the puck back into Boston’s own end. Watch it here:

Aside from Toews’ efforts in Game 6, Duncan Keith was all over the ice as well. He played maybe his best game of the playoffs, and it paid off.

I said coming into Game 6 that the bottom two lines for Chicago are what would win them the game, and I was right. It was the fourth line for the Blackhawks that got the winning goal with 58 seconds left in regulation. Johnny Oduya’s shot made its way to the net, and Dave Bolland knocked in the rebound for the game-winner.

While Game 6 started out in Boston’s favor, it was Corey Crawford and the Blackhawks’ penalty kill that kept them in this game. Crawford came up with number of huge saves, and the PK unit was 4-4 in killing off penalties.

This Blackhawks team should go down as one of the greatest in NHL history. They started the season by going 24 straight games without a regulation loss, and finished the season by winning the President’s Trophy with a record of 36-7-5. Yes, it was a shortened season, but this team dominated from start to finish like no one has before.

Looking forward, you can’t help but think that this could be the beginning of a dynasty. The Blackhawks already have 2 Cups in the last 4 years, and if their core can stay intact, who knows what they could do down the road.

I can’t wait to find out.

Cue the Dagger

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