Tag Archives: NHL

Message received: Blackhawks need to be physical

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167241861_slideI’ve been saying it all season, and I’ll say it again. The Blackhawks are not a tough team, and they are not a physical team. Last night’s game in Vancouver proved just that. The Canucks were on a mission to hit anyone wearing a white sweater, regardless of the name on the back. The result? A 3-1 pounding of the Blackhawks. If anyone out there was looking for a prelude to what the playoffs may be like, or how to beat the Blackhawks, just go back and watch a recording of last night’s game and focus on the blue team.

About a week and a half ago, the Blackhawks won a big game on a Sunday afternoon in St. Louis. At the time, it looked as though the Hawks were capable of playing through intense physicality from the other team. The Blues were taking runs at the Hawks the entire first period of that game, but the Blackhawks were able to work through it and come away with a good win. Last night, however, proved that the Blackhawks can’t always rely on their skill and speed to get them through tough, physical games.

The Canucks outhit the Hawks 37-23, and in the process sent a clear message: “If you guys (the Hawks) want to make it through the playoffs, you need to be physical.” Well Vancouver, the message was received. The NHL playoffs take physicality to an entirely new level compared to the regular season. Teams who can play physically and with skill tend to do very well. Just look at the 2010 Blackhawks for proof.

This year’s Hawks team was not built to be physical. They were not constructed to outhit their opponents on a nightly basis. However, that doesn’t mean that they should just sit back and let their opponents obliterate them all night long with hard, bone-crushing hits. 167232269_slideLast night, the Canucks destroyed the Hawks with their physicality, and there was virtually no response from the visitors. Sure, about half way through the third period and down 3-0 some Blackhawks players started hitting, but that was way too little, way too late. So my question is this. Why did it take the Hawks two and a half periods to start hitting? Also, why didn’t anyone step up and respond to guys like Ryan Kesler who were taking runs at the Hawks’ star players all game long? When you see someone taking borderline cheap shots at your captain, it’s time to go out there and respond by either doing the same thing to their stars, or go after the guy(s) delivering those shots. Pat Foley and Eddie Olczyk mentioned this a few times as the game went on.

With the playoffs starting in about a week, the Blackhawks need to figure out how to handle teams like Vancouver who can combine skill and toughness to win games. The first round will be physical for the Hawks, but none of their potential first round opponents are nearly as physical as Vancouver. At some point, however (if the Hawks advance in the playoffs), they are going to meet a team like Vancouver, L.A., or St. Louis who will use their toughness as a primary weapon, and the Hawks are going to need to respond.

The Blackhawks and us fans cannot rely on Brandon Bollig, Daniel Carcillo, and Jamal Mayers to be our “big hitters” for the playoffs. Those guys see little ice time each game, and at least one is a healthy scratch each game. This means that guys like Bickell, Stalberg, Shaw, Handzus, Seabrook, Rozsival, Keith, and maybe even Saad or Toews need to become more physical to counter their opponents. It needs to be a team effort, not just one or two guys.

Maybe last night was a good thing for the Hawks in that they are now fully aware that they need to alter their game in order to beat a very physical team in the postseason. At least one thing is for sure, however, and that is the Blackhawks received a very stern message from one of the league’s better teams. If this team is going to go on any type of run in the playoffs, they need to step up and respond to other teams’ physicality. That’s a fact.

Blackhawks’ potential first round opponents

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166440366_slideWith the NHL regular season coming to an end, it is time to start thinking about the playoffs. The Blackhawks have already clinched the Central Division and first place in the Western Conference. They are not far off from clinching the best record in the league and winning the President’s Trophy for doing so. It would seem that the Hawks are in position to make a good run in the playoffs, but in order to do so, they must get by the first round, which they haven’t done in three years. So now the question becomes, who could they play in the first round, and who do they want to play in the first round?

The 7th and 10th spots in the West are only separated by 4 points. That means that virtually anyone currently sitting in one of those spots or between there could end up with the 7th or 8th seed in the West. Right now, Minnesota holds the 7th seed with 51 points (44 games played), and Columbus has the 8th seed with 49 points (45 games played). Detroit and Dallas currently sit 9th and 10th in the conference respectively, both teams with 47 points (Detroit with 43 games played, Dallas with 44 games played).

A lot can happen over the next couple weeks here, but I’ll say that Minnesota and Detroit end up making the playoffs as the bottom 2 seeds in the West. I will also predict that Minnesota hangs onto the 7th seed (they won’t pass the Blues, who are currently 6th), with Detroit finishing 8th. Detroit has played 2 fewer games than Columbus and are only 2 points behind them in the standings.This would mean that Detroit would play the Blackhawks in the first round.

Of the possible first round opponents for the Hawks at this point, Detroit, Dallas or Columbus (assuming the Wild hang on to the 7 spot), I think that Dallas would be the one 166692550_slideteam the Hawks would rather play. Dallas is not a very deep team, and they recently traded away Brendan Morrow (their captain), Derek Roy, and Jaromir Jagr. Those were 3 of their 4 best players. They still have Jammie Benn, and they still have Kari Lehtonen in net, but that won’t be enough to scare the Hawks. In the three games that these two teams played against each other this regular season, the Blackhawks won all three and outscored the Stars 16-5. Two of those games were before Dallas traded away Morrow, Roy, and Jagr…

Pavel-DatsyukThe Detroit matchup isn’t one that worries me too much either, to be honest. Yes, they are still the Red Wings, which is always scary, but they aren’t the same team that they have been over the last decade. With the loss of Lidstrom and Holmstrom after last season (among others), the Wings really lost a lot of talent and leadership. This year, they have barely stayed in the playoff hunt and have had to rely on a lot of young players to get them through the season. They still have Datsyuk and Zetterberg, and they still have Jimmy Howard in net, but the Hawks have proven this year by going 4-0 against Detroit that they are way too much for the Wings to handle, especially in a 7-game series.

A Hawks-Jackets series is one that concerns me. If there is any team that has given the Hawks big problems this year, Columbus is it. The Hawks might have a 4-0 record against 160127648_slidethem this season, but all four of those wins were by just 1 goal. With the way Sergei Bobrovsky is playing in net for the Blue Jackets (he’ll be a Vezina Trophy finalist), I wouldn’t want to face these guys in the first round. Not to mention the work ethic of the Blue Jackets, who are one of the hardest working teams in the league. Yes they traded away a handful of players at the deadline, but  they got Marian Gaborik in return. He hasn’t had his best season this year, but he is still one of the most dangerous and prolific scorers in the game. If you take all of that into consideration, plus the fact that they are playing good hockey right now (7-3-0 over their last 10 games), this would be the toughest matchup for the Blackhawks in the first round.

I am anticipating that the Hawks will play Detroit in round one, but that is just a guess. The players will never admit which team they would prefer to play, but I can guarantee you it is not Columbus. The playoffs are almost here, and I can’t wait for them to begin.

Blackhawks pass big test in St. Louis

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166605874_slideMost people knew that today’s game between the Blues and Blackhawks was going to be a good one, and was it ever. For the Blackhawks, this was a big test for them to see if they could handle playoff-like toughness from a tough team. As for the Blues, they came into today’s game needing every point they could get as they continue their push for the playoffs.

The first period was very much like a playoff game. Right off the bat, the Blues were running around trying to hit any player in a red jersey into the third row through the glass. The Blackhawks on the other hand, didn’t hand out many hits. It’s just not in their DNA. They demonstrated most of their physicality after the whistle. Games between these two teams are always physical, but the first period today took physicality to a new level. In the end, no goals were scored through the first 20 minutes.

Early in the second period, Bryan Bickell put the Hawks in front 1-0 with a goal off of his own rebound. This was a huge goal because it put St. Louis on their heels and gave the Blackhawks the momentum. From that point on, the Blues became much less physical and allowed the Hawks to start controlling more of the play.

The rest of the second period remained scoreless, and the Blackhawks took their 1-0 lead into the third.

About six and a half minutes into the third and on the penalty kill, Marian Hossa took a one-time slap shot off the faceoff to beat Brian Elliot and make it a 2-0 game. This appeared to be a set play as Hossa was lined up right behind Toews for the faceoff.

The Blackhawks and Corey Crawford were able to hold off the Blues the rest of the way and won the game 2-0. This was the Blackhawks’ NHL-leading 7th shutout of the season (they were the only team to not record a shutout last year).

Today’s game proved to me that the Blackhawks are ready for the playoffs. I was very anxious to see how they would respond the St. Louis’ physical play, and they responded just the way I wanted them to. All year long, I have been saying that this team is not big enough, not tough enough, and too small. Today, the Blackhawks made me eat my words, and I couldn’t be happier.

Rather than laying down and caving in during the Blues’ physical onslaught in the first period, the Blackhawks stuck to their game plan, weathered the storm, and didn’t back down.

Their team defense lately, and especially today, has been fantastic. They are getting back to playing the way that they did during their big streak to begin the season. It is performances like today that prove why the Hawks have allowed the fewest goals in the NHL, and it is performances like today that really help their goaltenders get into a zone, which is what they’ll need in the playoffs.

The powerplay for the Hawks has turned into a disaster, ranking 21st in the NHL. A team with that much talent should not be that bad with the man advantage. The penalty kill, however, has really helped make up for the lack of success on the powerplay.

The Blackhawks are ranked 5th in the league on the PK, which will become an even bigger stat come playoff time. If you are not scoring powerplay goals in the playoffs, then you better not let up many either. If you look at the fact that the Hawks have allowed the fewest goals in the league and have the 5th best PK in the league, you can’t help but feel confident about their chances in the playoffs, regardless of their powerplay numbers. Remember, “defense wins championships.”

As for the goalie situation with the Blackhawks, Joel Quenneville has a good problem on 166605886_slidehis hands. Both Emery and Crawford are playing great right now, much like they have all year. I was a little critical of Crawford in an earlier post (and I still stand by what I said there), but he is really playing well right now and making a strong case as to why he should be the starting goalie in the playoffs. Deep down, I think it will end up being Crawford that gets the nod for the playoffs. Having said that, he might have a short leash.

We’re down to just 7 games remaining on  the Blackhawks’ schedule, and it would appear that they’ll take first place in the West, and possibly the NHL. The playoffs can’t come soon enough.

Crawford or Emery for the playoffs?

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2012-2-29-Crawford-and-EmeryIt is getting to that point in the season now where people are starting to wonder who will be starting in goal for the Blackhawks come playoff time. Unlike most teams, the Blackhawks have two goalies who could start in net during the playoffs: Corey Crawford and Ray Emery. Both have comparable statistics this season, but only one can be named the starter.

Corey Crawford is 15-4-4 on the season, while Emery is 13-1-0. Emery ranks fourth in the NHL in lowest goals against average, and Crawford is fifth. In terms of save percentage, Ray Emery is tenth in the league while Crawford is eleventh. Other than their records, these two goalies are very similar in terms of their statistics.

Lately, Crawford has been in a bit of a rut. He has allowed 14 goals in his last 5 games 215px-Coreycrawfordplayed and has gone 2-2-1 over that stretch. While he started off the season playing with a ton of confidence (which showed in his play), he seems to have lost some of that confidence over the last few weeks or so. A good example of that came against the Predators last Monday night when Crawford let in two goals in a row that should have never ended up in the back of the net. It reminded me a lot of the bad goals he allowed in overtime of last year’s playoffs against the Coyotes.

I think that my main point here is that Crawford, while he can have some very good stretches of play, is too weak mentally. If he is named the starting goaltender for the playoffs, all it might take is one bad goal against or one loss to really mess with his confidence. Ray Emery on the other hand, is a little different.

When you look at Emery’s stats this year, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be the number one goalie for the playoffs. I mean heck, he’s only lost one game this year! His Ray+Emery+Closeupgoals against average is a mere 1.95, and his save percentage is .923. Those are very respectable numbers. Even though Corey Crawford does have playoff experience, and even though he did have a good series against Vancouver two years ago, Ray Emery not only has more experience, but he led the Senators to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007. Come playoff time, experience is huge.

Even though Emery did not win the Stanley Cup in 2007, he still got there as the starting goalie in Ottawa. That experience cannot be overrated. Having played on the highest stage in the NHL, Emery knows what it takes and what it is like to get to the Cup Finals.

After saying all of that about each goalie, if I were Joel Quenneville and the playoffs started tomorrow, Ray Emery would be my starting goaltender. There is still time remaining in the regular season for Crawford to prove that he deserves another chance at leading the Hawks through the postseason, but he is really going to have to step up his game physically and mentally to do so in my eyes.

I am very interested to see how this all plays out over the last few weeks of the season. Emery shut out the Predators yesterday and those two teams square off again in 2 hours. No announcement yet as to who will start in goal tonight for the Hawks, but if it is Emery, that might be a sign on things to come.

Stay tuned.

Blackhawks stand pat at the deadline

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ct-spt-0113-haugh-blackhawks-chicago--20130113-001Well, the NHL trade deadline has come and gone, and the Blackhawks’ only move of significance (if you want to call it that..) was acquiring Michal Handzus from the San Jose Sharks on Monday. Other than that, they made a couple of small deals involving some minor league prospects. The rest of the contenders in the NHL, however, were rather active.

Let’s start by listing some of the players acquired by contending teams at, or before this year’s trade deadline:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins: Jarome Iginla, Brendan Morrow, Jussi Jokinen, and Douglas Murray.
  • Boston Bruins: Jaromir Jagr and Wade Redden.
  • Vancouver Canucks: Derek Roy
  • Columbus Blue Jackets: Marian Gaborik
  • Minnesota Wild: Jason Pominville
  • New York Rangers: Ryan Clowe, Derick Brassard, and Derek Dorsett.
  • Anaheim Ducks: Matthew Lombardi

Those are not all the deals that were made, but the significant ones. As you can see, most contenders made some bold moves to strengthen their teams in the last few days, especially Pittsburgh and Boston.

Meanwhile, Stan Bowman went out and got Michal Handzus, who was a healthy scratch for San Jose the last 6 games before being traded. I hate to rip on Handzus, but the guy is really not going to make a big difference for the Hawks. Other than his ability to win faceoffs, he provides little else to the team. If you compare that acquisition to any of the ones I listed above, it seems very insignificant.

Teams like Anaheim, who have proven that they will give the Hawks all kinds of problems if they meet in the playoffs, legitimately got better. The Ducks traded for center Matthew Lombardi today who was with the Coyotes. Lombardi is not a big name or an elite player in the league, but he is a guy who when placed on a team with a lot of talent (like the Ducks) can be an effective depth player.

It would appear that the biggest reasons the Hawks did not make any significant trades were because Bowman did not want to break up the team chemistry, and he didn’t want to trade away any “decent” prospects.

How long is it going to take Bowman to realize that you need to be willing to trade away some prospects to get a good player in return? He has overvalued his “prospects” since the day he took over as GM of the Blackhawks, and it is going to come back to haunt him come playoff time, again. You, Bowman, cannot sit there and tell me that you could not have gotten Derek Roy or Jaromir Jagr.

The Canucks got Roy in exchange for a prospect and second round pick. The Bruins got Jagr for 2 prospects and a conditional second round pick. If Bowman is not willing to give up a prospect and draft pick in an attempt to really make his team better, than what good is he doing? If his plan is to wait 3-5 years for all of his “prospects” and draft picks to blossom into their full potential, then that plan better work, or else he just possibly blew away another chance at making a Cup run. Instead of going for it this year and adding a quality player/center to a team that could really use one, he is banking on the potential of his prospects 3 years down the road. At some point, Stan, you have to look at here and now and make a move accordingly.

The Blackhawks have some noticeable holes in their lineup, and only one was slightly covered up (faceoffs). I still think that they should make it to at least the second round this year in the playoffs, but the postseason is a whole different animal compared to the regular season. Teams are going to take advantage of the Hawks’ lack of size and potential weaknesses on the back end.

I guess the bottom line here is that Bowman could have improved his team, but instead chose to overvalue and hang on to any decent prospect in the organization, which is what it takes in this league to complete a trade…

The next Hawks’ game is tomorrow night at home against the Blues. Hossa is expected back in the lineup, but Sharp is still doubtful.

Hours from the NHL trade deadline

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We are 5 hours from the NHL trade deadline, but most of the big trades have already happened (Morrow, Iginla, Roy, Jagr). All eyes will be on Mikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo today, as it is believed the Maple Leafs are pushing hard to acquire one of them.

The Blackhawks may not make anymore moves after trading for Handzus. They did make a minor deal involving Philippe Paradis going to the Lightining’s minor league team, which opens up a roster spot in the organization. This could mean that the Hawks might make a move today, but no one really seems to know for sure.

I will try to write an updated post after the deadline. Check back.

Blackhawks acquire Michal Handzus from Sharks

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handzus-10-8-225x300TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported this afternoon that the Blackhawks had traded a fourth round draft pick to San Jose in exchange for center Michal Handzus. As I said here before and as was made obvious by the Blackhawks themselves, they really wanted to address their faceoff issues by acquiring a center who can win at the dot on a consistent basis.

Handzus, who is listed as 6’5″, 215 lbs., has won 55.6% of his faceoffs this year, which immediately makes him the second best guy at doing so on the Hawks’ roster. As for Handzus’ stats, they are not great to say the least. He has 1 goal and 1 assist this year, both of which came in the same game earlier this season (it was actually a game against the Hawks).

I’m not sure that Handzus is the number 2 center that the Blackhawks and us fans were looking for, but he adds depth and another option at the center position. It is unclear as to what line he will play on, but I can almost assure you that he will center their second powerplay group. With his ability to win faceoffs and his large body, he is a perfect guy to insert into that number 2 powerplay unit. I’d have to imagine that he will be used in front of the net to screen the goalie and clean up the rebounds.

Aside from his faceoff percentage and inevitable role on the second powerplay grouping, Handzus provides some much needed size to the Hawks’ lineup. His 6’5″ frame makes him the tallest guy on the Hawks and a tough guy to play against. I think that his physical stature will really become noticeable come playoff time.

TRADE RUMOR

I read earlier today that the Blackhawks were talking to Dallas about possibly making an offer for Jaromir Jagr. Like with Derek Roy, it sounds like the Stars want a prospect, draft pick, and roster player in return for Jagr. That’s a lot to give up, but if the Blackhawks think that it will be worth it for Jagr, he would be a huge addition to the lineup. This is only a rumor, so who knows what will happen in the next 48 hours.

Keep checking back here for any updates.

Blackhawks down Wings; Trade deadline nears

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165122333_slideSunday afternoon, the Blackhawks absolutely obliterated the Detroit Red Wings at the Joe Louis Arena by a final of 7-1. The Hawks are now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games in Detroit. After a tough 3-game homestand that saw the Blackhawks take just 2 of a possible 6 points, one could say that the Hawks were due for a game like this. They needed a non-stressful game too.

Rookie call-up Jeremy Morin started the scoring early in the first period by notching his third career NHL goal. Shortly after, Brandon Saad and Dave Bolland both scored to make it 3-0.

In the second period, Jonathan Toews and Brandon Saad scored just seconds apart to improve their lead to 5-0 over Detroit. It was Saad’s second goal of the game, and third point of the day.

The third period saw two more Blackhawk goals; one by Bolland (his second of the game), and another by Nick Leddy. The Red Wings Cory Emmerton also scored with under a minute left in the game to break up Corey Crawford’s shutout. Crawford ended the day making 33 saves on 34 shots.

This was a good win for a still shorthanded Blackhawks team. Both Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp were once again absent from the lineup. Like I said before, the Blackhawks needed a game like this after not playing well at all in either of their last 3 games, all at home. Yes, they beat Calgary 2-0 on Tuesday, but that was not a great game for the Hawks.

This week, they will play the Predators 3 times (twice at home, once on the road), as well as one game with the Blues at the United Center. Playing a team 3 times in such a short period always makes for some intense and physical games. Nashville has not been playing great as of late, but Pekka Rinne always has the ability to win a game on his own.

TRADE DEADLINE

With the trade deadline now just a few days away, more and more rumors are beginning to surface regarding the Blackhawks. It was reported in the Daily Herald on Sunday that the Hawks are talking with the New York Islanders about Frans Nielsen and possibly Mark Streit. Nielsen is a 28 year old center currently under contract through the 2015-2016 season. He has a cap hit of $2.5 million this year and next year, and then that increases to $3.5 million for the last 2 seasons of his contract. Mark Streit is a 35 year old defenseman in the last year of his contract.

Obviously the Hawks are looking at Nielsen because he is a center. In 35 games this year, he has registered 18 points (3G, 15A). While those numbers aren’t necessarily bad nor good, they are not the biggest thing that jumps out at me when analyzing this potential acquisition. He is 45.2% at the faceoff circle, and that is what catches my eye. The Blackhawks desperately need a number 2 center who can consistently win faceoffs (Dave Bolland is not the guy). A guy who wins 45% of his draws is not really a “good” faceoff man, which is why I am a bit confused as to why the Hawks are targeting Nielsen.

As for Mark Streit, I don’t really understand this one either. Streit is listed as being 5’11” and weighs 191 lbs. Bottom line, he is not a big dude. While he does have a history of producing a good amount of points (47 last year), I don’t think those attributes will help the Blackhawks. The Hawks need a big, physical, defensive defensman. Not a small offensive defenseman. It is odd that this is even up for discussion considering how well the Hawks’ D-men were playing just a month ago, but things have changed lately.

Johnny Oduya was a -8 over his last 4 games heading into today, and according to Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald, the Blackhawks front office does not feel confident with Oduya as the number 4 defenseman heading into the playoffs. Hence the reason they might be looking at Mark Streit.

If I were Stan Bowman, I would not make either of those deals with the Islanders. Instead, I would focus on guys like Brian Boyle of the Rangers (center), Derek Roy of the Stars (center), and maybe a guy like Lars Eller of the Canadiens (center). I have seen those names linked to the Hawks in more than one place on the internet, as well as on TV.

Boyle_B_0123_Ins1Brian Boyle would be a nice fit with the Hawks I think. He is 6’7″, 244 lbs, and has a faceoff percentage of 57.8% this year as the Rangers number 3 centerman. His numbers (1G, 1A) are not great, but no one on the Rangers is playing that well this year. A change in scenery and line mates may be what Boyle needs. The Hawks could really use is faceoff skills as well as his size in what is one of the lightest lineups in the league, weight-wise.

NHL: Phoenix Coyotes at Dallas StarsDerek Roy is more of a skilled center than Boyle. While Roy has won just 46.8% of his faceoffs, he provides more of a true number 2 center’s skill-set. This year, he has 22 points in 29 games (4G, 18A). However, in the 2007-2008 season, Roy recorded 81 points (32G, 49A), and in the ’08-’09 season he recorded 70 points (28G, 42A). I’m not saying that he would return to putting up those numbers with the Hawks, but playing on a line with Kane and Sharp wouldn’t hurt…

Lars Eller is another center that the Hawks could ask about. He is 6’2″ and weighs 209 lbs. This season he has 17 points (4G, 13A) in 32 games and has won 49% of his faceoffs. Ideally, you’d want a guy who wins over 50%, but 49% isn’t bad (nor great). I feel like Eller is more of a true number 3 center (like Bolland), but he could be useful in the Hawks lineup. Again, they need anyone who can consistently win faceoffs.

As for the Blackhawks’ potential need on defense, I am really not sure what they might do there. They are already carrying 7 defenseman on their current roster, and they have played pretty well as a unit most of the season. Oduya has shown some signs that he can be a very good defenseman in this league, but he has also shown the opposite as of late and in last year’s playoffs. I can understand the management’s concerns about him moving forward, but I don’t know what they think they can do to upgrade. I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one.

Keep checking back throughout the week for updates on possible trades that may take place.

Thanks for reading.

Iginla to Pittsburgh

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174Jarome_Iginla._2008What just happened? I think that was the reaction of most hockey fans this morning when we found out that Iginla had been traded to the Penguins overnight. As of last night at midnight (CT), Iginla had been dealt to Boston according to TSN’s Aaron Ward. Many other writers and analysts on Twitter were reporting the same thing. After waiting all night to hear that the deal was official, I went to bed once I heard what Ward had to say. Wrong move on my part.

It was reported by numerous people all night last night that Iginla had been dealt to the Bruins in exchange for two prospects: Alexander Khokhlachev and Matt Bartkowski. Along with Iginla, both Khokhlachev and Bartkowski were late scratches from the lineup before their game last night. Understandably so, this led many people to believe that a deal with Calgary was done, or almost done. Apparently the latter is what was true.

As the night progressed, more and more people began saying that Iginla was a Bruin. Heck, even Claude Julien (Boston’s head coach) said in his postgame interview after last night’s loss that he pulled a few guys into his office before the game to notify them that they had acquired Iginla. It was still later in the night that Aaron Ward said the deal was “official.”

Then, around 1:30am (Eastern time I believe), Pittsburgh apparently made one last offer to Calgary for Iginla. The odd part is that Pittsburgh’s offer was not as good of an offer as the one the Bruins put together. Yet, Calgary at the last minute backed out of its talks with Boston and accepted the Penguins proposal. Calgary will receive prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski, both still in college, as well as Pittsburgh’s first round draft pick in this summer’s draft.

So why would Calgary accept Pittsburgh’s offer? Well, it is being reported that Iginla wanted to be a Penguin all along during this whole process and that Calgary was trying to use the other 3 teams on Iginla’s “list” to get the Penguins to make a better offer. If the Flames made it look as though they were seriously considering trading Iginla to Boston, Chicago, or L.A., they were hoping that Pittsburgh would be forced to increase their offer. I’m not sure that that’s what actually ended up happening, but nonetheless, Iginla is a Penguin.

After trading for Brendan Morrow and Douglas Murray earlier this week and now trading for Jarome Iginla, I think it is safe to call the Penguins the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. That team is stacked. They got tougher, they got bigger, and they got more skilled (yes, that last part apparently was possible). Odds are that they will place Iginla on their second line with Evgeni Malkin who is a better center than anyone Iginla had ever played with in Calgary.

While I am definitely disappointed that my team, the Blackhawks, did not get Iginla, I can only imagine what Bruins fans are going through right now. The last 15 hours for those people have not been good, to say they least. First, they lose in a shootout to their biggest rival, the Canadiens (and lose their division lead), then they wake up this morning to find out that Iginla is a Penguin, not a Bruin. You want to talk about going from bad news to worse news…

It will be interesting to see which teams make moves to try and counter Pittsburgh, and not just in the Eastern Conference. No one will be able to make as many big moves as the Penguins, but teams like Boston and Chicago (among others) will be looking to improve their rosters between now and April 3rd, and they’ll have to if they want to beat Pittsburgh in a 7-game series.

Iginla to the Blackhawks?

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jarome-iginla-featuredThis past weekend, Jarome Iginla made a list of 4 teams that he would accept a trade to if the Flames decide to part ways with their captain. The 4 teams on that list, according to TSN’s Darren Dreger, are Boston, Chicago, L.A., and Pittsburgh. All 4 teams are legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. With Pittsburgh’s acquisition of Brendan Morrow yesterday, one would have to assume that they are no longer going to be trying to trade for Iginla, shortening that list to just 3 teams now. So now the question becomes, what jersey will Iginla be wearing come 2 weeks from now?

The NHL trade deadline is April 3rd, and Jarome Iginla is probably the biggest name being mentioned in trade talks. Assuming that the Penguins are done trading after acquiring Morrow, that leaves us with either Boston, Chicago, or L.A. as possible destinations for Iginla. Being the Blackhawks fan that I am, let’s take a look at what it would take for the Hawks to get Iginla.

Calgary has made it clear that they want at least one first round pick, plus a couple prospects, and/or a current player off an NHL roster in return for Jarome Iginla. Not many teams would be willing to give up that much for a 35 year old player who is in the last year of his contract. However, Iginla is the type of player that could really help a team win the Stanley Cup. In the case of the Blackhawks, he is exactly what they need: a big, physical forward who can score goals.

Going based off what Calgary wants in return for Jarome, the Hawks would probably need to trade away a first round pick, two top prospects, and a player off their current roster. It is rumored that the Flames want Brandon Saad as part of a deal with the Hawks, but that simply won’t happen. My guess is that if the Hawks really do go hard after Iginla, they would be offering something like Brandon Pirri, Mark McNeil/Jimmy Hayes/Jeremy Morin, and a guy like Stalberg or Frolik off their current NHL roster, as well as a future first round draft pick. Odds are that Calgary would lobby hard for Stalberg over Frolik in this deal.

Keep in mind that Viktor Stalberg and Bryan Bickell are both unrestricted free agents after this season, and the Hawks may not be able to re-sign both of them. That makes trading Stalberg a little easier to get over. As much as I don’t want to see Stalberg get traded, I think it would be worth it for Iginla in return.

So what would Jarome Iginla do for the Hawks?

Right now, arguably the biggest weakness of the Blackhawks is their lack of size and physicality. This was made evident in last year’s playoffs and against some bigger teams jarome-iginla-jamie-benn-2010-12-23-21-40-23like the Ducks this year. Iginla is big guy (6’1″, 210 lbs.) and isn’t afraid to hit people. He has often been regarded as one of the tougher guys in the league over the past decade. The Blackhawks could really use a big, physical forward who can contribute on the offensive end. Right now they have some bigger guys like Bickell and Bollig, but neither one is really considered a dual threat. If you place Iginla on one of the top two lines of the Blackhawks, he is going to bring some much needed physical play to the top of that lineup.

Along with his physicality, Iginla is a great locker room presence. He has been the captain of the Flames since 2003 and knows how to be a leader. Not that the Hawks need another leader (they have plenty), but it couldn’t hurt.

Some people question whether or not Iginla could be effective in the Blackhawks lineup because of their team speed, and Iginla’s lack thereof. The Hawks style of play revolves around their team speed and getting out on fast breaks and odd-man rushes. Jarome Iginla is more of a net-front presence (which the Hawks lack) who is much more effective in a half ice style of game. What I mean by that is Iginla is not going to be beating opposing players up and down the ice. Instead, he is much more effective in offensive zone play. He parks himself in front of the net, screens the goalie, and cleans up the rebounds. In a way, he is pretty similar to what Dustin Byfuglien was with the Hawks during their Stanley Cup run.

If the Hawks were to get Iginla, here is what their lines might look like (minus Stalberg):

Saad-Toews-Hossa

Kane-Sharp-Iginla

Bickell-Bolland-Shaw

Frolik-Kruger-Carcillo/Bollig/Mayers

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Quenneville put Sharp back at the number 2 center position like he did when they won the Cup 3 years ago. Some say Kane might move to that spot, but I completely disagree with that. As you can see though, Iginla would instantly make the Hawks a better team and a much tougher team in terms of physicality (and offense for that matter).

This trade is a long ways off from happening, but it is not unrealistic. If I were Stan Bowman, I would do everything I could to complete this trade without hurting the Hawks’ future. For the time being, however, all we can do is hope and speculate.

The deadline is just over a week away, so stay tuned.