2011-2012 Chicago Blackhawks Rumors, Ideas & Chatter Thread

[icehogfan08]

Discuss Chicago Blackhawks Hockey here. Post Rumors, Free Agent ideas and rumors here. Also discuss the team here with on-ice performance to whatever it is about the team. Also share your Trade, Free Agency & Prospect Ideas.

 

[icehogfan08]

Chicago's Off-Season Moves

new faces
sami lepisto, d fa-cbj (7/15)
brett mclean, lw/c fa-europe (7/1)
dan carcillo, lw/rw fa-phi (7/1)
andrew brunette, lw fa-min (7/1)
jamal mayers, rw/c fa-sj (7/1)
sean o'donnell, d fa-phi (7/1)
rostislav olesz, lw/rw t-fla (6/24)
steve montador, d t-buf (6/23)

moved
evan brophey, c fa-col (7/8)
jeff taffe, c/lw fa-min (7/5)
garnet exelby, d fa-det (7/5)
jake dowell, c/lw fa-dal (7/1)
tomas kopecky, w/c t-fla (6/27)
brian campbell, d t-fla (6/24)
troy brouwer, rw/lw t-wsh (6/24)

remaining free agents
jassen cullimore, d ; jordan hendry, d/w ; ryan johnson, c ; mathis olimb, lw/c ; fernando pisani, w/c ; hannu toivonen, g ; marty turco, g

 

[icehogfan08]

Here's some player news & updates. The Seabrook one is very interesting.

Sean O'Donnell

decided to sign with Chicago because he wanted to play for a team where he felt like it was "Cup or bust." Chicago certainly looks like a Stanley Cup contender after adding a number of complimentary players over the summer, including O'Donnell. O'Donnell, who will turn 40 in October, isn't sure if this will be his last season, but he admitted that he'll probably retire if Chicago wins the Stanley Cup.

Marian Hossa

After making three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals, Marian Hossa finally has a little more down time in the summer. While the electric winger certainly isn't happy to have been bounced from the playoffs in the second round, he's realizes the silver lining of the extra time off. "I'm not used to it," Hossa said. "Usually it's two months and I'm back to hockey. Finally, I have time to prepare longer with a summer program. It's nice to have after three years." After missing 17 games due to injury in 2010-11, Hossa thinks the extra rest could help him remain healthy next year. "When the body is more prepared it's going to be holding stronger," Hossa said. "I'm looking forward to playing 82 games and seeing what I can do in those 82 games."

Jonathan Toews

Thinks that, among other things, Chicago's recently signed players will add some energy and personality to Chicago's locker room. "I'll never say anything bad about our locker room last year (and) I don't want to take anything away from some of those guys, but we definitely want to add some of that charisma and personality," Toews said. "A noisy and energetic locker room is always better than one that's the opposite." Chicago inked a number of veterans to one-year contracts, including Andrew Brunette, Dan Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, and Sean O'Donnell. Chicago should be a deeper team than their 2010-11 counterpart.

Patrick Sharp

will probably start the season as the team's second line center. "The last six years I don't think I've played one position more than another," Sharp said. "Left wing, right wing, center and even defense on the power play. I'm sure if I start at center I'll play some games at wing, and if I start on the wing I'll play some games at center. It's an asset to be able to play all positions. I really don't care as long as I'm on a line that's working." Sharp will probably play alongside Marian Hossa while Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane will make up two-thirds of the first line. Andrew Brunette will play on one of the top two lines and Viktor Stalberg, Michael Frolik, or Bryan Bickell will round out the list of top-six forwards.

Brent Seabrook

who was born in Richmond, British Columbia, moved out of Vancouver after his team's first round loss to the Canucks. "I had to get out of there," Seabrook said. "I moved up to Kelowna. We took possession of our place right before the Finals started. It was good for me to get out of the city - it was pretty crazy there. I had golf clubs in front of my front door after we lost to Vancouver so it was good to get out." After facing each other in the playoffs for three straight years, the rivalry between the Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks can't get much more heated. Each time they play each other next season will be a game to watch.

 

[tbo41fan]

seabrook one is funny...even Vancouvers own people hate vancouver

 

[icehogfan08]

I wonder if he kept the golf clubs

 

[tbo41fan]

I wonder if he kept the golf clubs

Amazon FTW

 

[ClydeLee]

Hossa's is funnier because there's an error claiming they were bounced in the 2nd round :facepalm:

 

[icehogfan08]

The Chicago Blackhawks have only $100,000 in performance bonus overages for the 2011-12 season, compared to $4.1 million last season. It's possible for teams to exceed the salary cap in performance bonuses, but if they do, then the excess counts against the following year's cap. Consequently, the Blackhawks started the 2010-11 campaign with $4.1 million in cap hits against them before even factoring in any current player salaries. The Blackhawks were in a terrible cap situation last summer, but they've managed to change their fortunes significantly over the last season. They are still operating near the cap, but they have enough breathing room that they can upgrade their team via a mid-season trade without too much difficulty from a cap perspective. (Source: Chicago Sun-Times)

Could be a reason for saving some extra cap :thinking:

 

[DMelt36]

Potential trade deadline pickups?

Just wanted to throw this conversation out there and see if anyone knew of other potential pickups during the season.

I know we all hope that it's a 2nd line center that the Hawks pickup, but should Kruger/Sharp/Bolland/someone fill in that role, I'd go beyond crazy if the Hawks could get this guy:

What We Learned: Get ready for a year of Zach Parise rumors - Puck Daddy - NHL

Signed for 1 year, $6 million. Would they be able to re-sign him in the offseason? Probably not. But he'd be fun for two or three months in the Indianhead.

Could you imagine a top 6 with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Parise, and (insert other player here)?

 

[icehogfan08]

In making the announcement late Friday, Devils president and general manager Lou Lamoriello said the two sides were continuing to work toward a multi-year deal. The Devils had filed for arbitration with Parise in June. He would have become an unrestricted free agent in 2012 had he not reached a new deal.

Working on extension

 

[DMelt36]

Too early for this

Meh, I'm bored. Offseason is too long.

 

[icehogfan08]

Just wanted to throw this conversation out there and see if anyone knew of other potential pickups during the season.

I know we all hope that it's a 2nd line center that the Hawks pickup, but should Kruger/Sharp/Bolland/someone fill in that role, I'd go beyond crazy if the Hawks could get this guy:

What We Learned: Get ready for a year of Zach Parise rumors - Puck Daddy - NHL

Signed for 1 year, $6 million. Would they be able to re-sign him in the offseason? Probably not. But he'd be fun for two or three months in the Indianhead.

Could you imagine a top 6 with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Parise, and (insert other player here)?

Moved the thread in here

 

[Captain Iago]

Just wanted to throw this conversation out there and see if anyone knew of other potential pickups during the season.

I know we all hope that it's a 2nd line center that the Hawks pickup, but should Kruger/Sharp/Bolland/someone fill in that role, I'd go beyond crazy if the Hawks could get this guy:

What We Learned: Get ready for a year of Zach Parise rumors - Puck Daddy - NHL

Signed for 1 year, $6 million. Would they be able to re-sign him in the offseason? Probably not. But he'd be fun for two or three months in the Indianhead.

Could you imagine a top 6 with Toews, Kane, Hossa, Sharp, Parise, and (insert other player here)?

I think it's an interesting thought (and I agree too early) considering the Devils will have to forfeit a first rounder soon (I forget if they have to lose this one or if they have a couple more drafts to choose from and too lazy to look up atm). They could spring him to help offset that loss. He will be a UFA after this season, so if they do elect to move him, it would be at rental cost (1st and a high spec if he's on his game). This next draft is already being highly touted (whatever, we'll see).

As for longterm, that would be dicey when Sharp will probably receive 2 or 3 raise and there may be a rollback of the cap (or maybe a whole new working of how it's calculated which may F us sideways).

The UFA forward class after this season is not impressive if I remember correctly if Sharp re-signs and Doan sticks to his guns. Other than those two it's Semin and Parise.

(I love parenthesis).

 

[tbo41fan]

Parise would be AWESOME!

Idk what it would take, but we are so STACKED with young talent in the minors that I would call around and ask atleast

 

[icehogfan08]

Patrick Sharp

is happy that he was able to sign a contract extension before the start of the final season of his old deal. Sharp will come with a $3.9 million cap hit in 2011-12 before his five-year/$29.5 million deal kicks in. "As players you deal with a lot of outside distractions, and clearly your own contract is one of them," said Sharp. "As much as you try to block that kind of stuff out it's a constant battle. This was certainly going to be (a distraction) from the outside but also (from) within." (Source: Chicago Tribune)

Patrick Kane

is healing and ready for a deep run this upcoming season. Kane had surgery on a bone in his wrist on July 19th. He is nearing the halfway point in his recovery. "It's never fun to be walking around in a cast, especially since I'm going to have it on for six weeks," he said. "I'm two weeks down and a couple days. I keep counting the days to get this thing off." Kane also said he believes the Blackhawks have a good chance of making a deep playoff run. We won't argue there. (Source: NHL.com)

Daniel Carcillo

Chicago's new arrival Daniel Carcillo has already adopted the team's ongoing feud with the Vancouver Canucks. The shift disturber was asked how he felt about the Blackhawks' bitter rivals during his introductory press conference and he said, "I watched that series and I'm actually pretty excited to play them because there's a few guys there that I think played a little bit outside of their shoes. I think I can keep most of those guys in check when we play them this year so I'm pretty excited to play them." It should be interesting to see what happens when the two teams lock horns four times this season. (Source: TSN.ca)

 

[icehogfan08]

Mike Comrie, veteran NHL forward of 10 seasons, will not be continuing his NHL career until his injured hip is fully rehabilitated following surgery that took place during the 2010-11 season – the second such surgery of his career. There is no timetable set at this point for Comrie’s return to the NHL.

“In wanting to return to play after surgery, I pushed myself too early and that has not helped my recovery,” said Comrie. “I will return to the NHL when I am healthy and able to play at the level I have come to expect of myself.”

Possible 4th line center if things don't work out?

 

[tbo41fan]

Possible 4th line center if things don't work out?

could be a mid season signing like RJ last year?

 

[icehogfan08]

I wouldn't mind that, give him a 2 way deal, see if he is healed up and ready to go

 

[Everyday I'm Byfuglien]

Possible 4th line center if things don't work out?

The married life probably contributed to his hip problems...

Any move that would bring her to the UC is a smart move :crazydance:

(one more for good measure)

 

[icehogfan08]

I think it safe with no Kim Johnson on the team