Off Season Wish List

[PatrickShart]

The butter soft Hawks were in OT in game 7 vs the president trophy winners - and didn't have a full lineup once in the playoffs. They were actually without some of their key players in that series every single game, and played 4 rookies some key minutes (Smith, Leddy, Kruger and Crawford).



I'm for letting this team play together another full season. This is a disciplined team and doesn't need useless penalties to kill. Theres one thing about being physical/needing more physical players - but not useless penalties.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

I guess my point is that for someone that leads the league in PIM's, most of Konopka's penalties were not minor penalties.



Of course he's not a point producer. What he would provide is a something the Hawks lack: A big physical guy that can intimidate, as well contribute in another area.



The Hawks are butter soft and this must be addressed.



Konopka can fill a need and likely won't be too expensive, but you never know.



Kopecky had a career year and is likely gone.



There is no such thing as a home town/play-wherever-Hossa-is discount.

Didn't we already try the "sign the big physical guy to intimidate, that can contribute on both sides of the ice" experiment this past year? Here is another question for you, other then his ridiculous amount of PIMs, how is 6' 210 lbs intimidating??? Sounds average size to me. The reason for Konopka's 81 games, he played on the NYI.

 

[PatrickShart]

For the 4th line...what about a guy like Vernon Fiddler...scrappy player, 54% on draws, can play the PK...good speed..doesnt take alot of PIMs...won't cost much

 

[JOVE23]

For the 4th line...what about a guy like Vernon Fiddler...scrappy player, 54% on draws, can play the PK...good speed..doesnt take alot of PIMs...won't cost much

Only if he can roof a wrist shot.

 

[Ton]

Here is the way I look at it right now:



Sharp/Toews/Kane

Bickell/Bolland/Frolik

Kopecky/New Acquisition/Hossa

Brouwer/Johnson/Smith



Seabrook/Keith

Campoli/Hjalmarsson

Leddy/New Acquisition



Crawford

Turco or someone else around $1M



You can also drop someone like Brouwer if you want to give Morin a shot. The #2 and #3 lines are interchangeable, both will probably go hot and cold through out the year.



You don't need to break the bank for a "2nd line C" you just need to get a natural C so we can have 4 very hard lines to play against and can produce on a nightly basis. Someone like Eric Belanger, Marty Reasoner or maybe a bigger guy like Jason Arnott or Michal Handzus depending on the price.



I also would not mind a guy like Joel Ward, although that would probably mean the end of Brouwer or Kopecky. If we did any of this, we could probably still afford Campbell but I would still like to see that contract moved. Someone like Wiz would be a great replacement.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Here is the way I look at it right now:



Sharp/Toews/Kane

Bickell/Bolland/Frolik

Kopecky/New Acquisition/Hossa

Brouwer/Johnson/Smith



Seabrook/Keith

Campoli/Hjalmarsson

Leddy/New Acquisition



Crawford

Turco or someone else around $1M



You can also drop someone like Brouwer if you want to give Morin a shot. The #2 and #3 lines are interchangeable, both will probably go hot and cold through out the year.



You don't need to break the bank for a "2nd line C" you just need to get a natural C so we can have 4 very hard lines to play against and can produce on a nightly basis. Someone like Eric Belanger, Marty Reasoner or maybe a bigger guy like Jason Arnott or Michal Handzus depending on the price.



I also would not mind a guy like Joel Ward, although that would probably mean the end of Brouwer or Kopecky. If we did any of this, we could probably still afford Campbell but I would still like to see that contract moved. Someone like Wiz would be a great replacement.

I'm with you here. I like Belanger a lot, great in FO. I also would'nt mind seeing Ward for his hitting and toughness. I like Johnson over Dowell (Stan, DO NOT BRING BACK DOWELL!) I think Kruger showed signs in the playoffs and could be a surprise next season, possibly sharing 4th line center duties at some point in the season.

 

[Larmer83]

Not that he was on a off season wish list, but Ivan Vishnevskiy signed with a KHL team.



http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hock...-417/blackhawks-prospect-opts-for-russia.html

 

[winos5]

Not that he was on a off season wish list, but Ivan Vishnevskiy signed with a KHL team.



http://www.suntimes.com/sports/hock...-417/blackhawks-prospect-opts-for-russia.html

With several prospects in front of him on the depth chart I'm not surprised.

 

[Rex]

You can teach him not to fight as much as he does. When Cam Nealy joined the league, he would fight whenever he was challenged. If you tell him to only fight when he has to, then he will be on the ice more. He has nothing to prove. Just play the game with the odd fight.

 

[LordKOTL]

I'd take Belanger...

 

[bubbleheadchief]

I'd take Belanger...

Watched Belanger in DC last year....faceoffs was his specialty, other then that, wasn't anythign remarkable about him.

 

[MassHavoc]

Someone has been reading these boards.

Frolik wants to stick with 'Hawks

12:02PM ET

Michael Frolik | Blackhawks

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UPDATE: According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, the re-signing of restricted free agent winger Michael Frolik tops the list for Chicago Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman -- now that goaltender Corey Crawford has been locked in for the next three seasons.



RFA defenseman Chris Campoli is also considered a priority re-signing for Bowman. Expect both to be secured by the Blackhawks with new contracts before the NHL Entry Draft at the end of June.

***​

Forward Michael Frolik really wants to remain with the Chicago Blackhawks. Set to become a restricted free agent once the season concludes, the 23-year-old has mentioned - a few times - his desire to continue playing for the club he joined in early February.



And even though Frolik's numbers haven't been that impressive with the Blackhawks - aside from a three-point performance in Game 4 versus the Vancouver Canucks - the team seems relatively pleased with the ex-Panther.



"It's tough to measure when you look at the numbers and it doesn't really reflect the contribution (Frolik) has been giving us," Hawks coach Joel Quenneville told the Chicago Tribune. "There's some improvement in his game all around, you can see some confidence."



Frolik earned $1.275 this season. At a similar cost, the 'Hawks have enough wiggle room beneath the salary cap to hold on to him.

 

[MassHavoc]

Hjalmarsson trade?

7:20AM ET

Niklas Hjalmarsson | Blackhawks

If the Chicago Blackhawks wanted to dump some salary -- perhaps to bring in an extra forward -- they may have to trade one of their defensemen. And ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun suggests that Nicklas Hjalarsson might be a top candidate, along with Brian Campbell.



LeBrun writes, "As has been well documented Campbell is a tough buy for another team but he's not impossible to move, just unlikely. Hjalmarsson, on the other hand, is very attractive. There are enough teams needing to spend to the salary cap floor, and Hjalmarsson is young enough (23) to create a market for the Hawks."



But if the salary cap goes up, the Hawks may be able to keep both guys while also adding a forward.

 

[MassHavoc]

Kopecky likely gone

7:19AM ET

Tomas Kopecky | Blackhawks

It looks like Tomas Kopecky isn't returning to the Chicago Blackhawks. The unrestricted free agent made $1.2 million this season, but he'll likely be due a raise -- one the Hawks can't afford, ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun writes.



In addition, the Blackhawks might also have to move Troy Brouwer, but he's a restricted free agent so he'll have limited leverage. He'll be due a slight raise from the $1.025 million he made last season, and he's eligible for arbitration, which could drive down his price. But if the salary cap goes up, the Hawks may have space to keep him.

 

[Ton]

Too bad about Kopecky, I figured he would be tough to keep but was hoping they would find a way.

 

[Pez68]

Too bad about Kopecky, I figured he would be tough to keep but was hoping they would find a way.

That's just speculation at this point. No more insightful or valuable than the speculating we're doing here.

 

[MassHavoc]

That's just speculation at this point. No more insightful or valuable than the speculating we're doing here.

BLASPHEMY! WATCH YOU TONGUE BOY OR THE BAN HAMMER IS COMING!

 

[Shoots_he_scores]

Kopecky will take less money from the Hawks, Hossa will pay the difference. After all, somebody's gotta carry Hossa's luggage on the road.

 

[MassHavoc]

Kopecky will take less money from the Hawks, Hossa will pay the difference. After all, somebody's gotta carry Hossa's luggage on the road.

Think that was smith now?



Plus if we lose the slovak, we are gaining a czk... Maybe He can make Salak his *****...



and no we don't have to get into how different the two are again.

 

[Spunky Porkstacker]

Watched Belanger in DC last year....faceoffs was his specialty, other then that, wasn't anythign remarkable about him.

Very true! But when you remember back to when Bolland was out with his concussion, Belanger would have been a centerman that would have helped quite a bit on our 3rd or 4th line. Belanger> Dowell