2010-2011 NHL thread

[DBAHO]

I was hoping the Hawks would take Etem....but they go off the board for a damn HS player...who is about 4yrs away from playing....but they know better than I do.

From what I read, he had more potential than most around that spot, but obviously we won't see him for a few years minimum.

 

And the Hawks have enough forwards right now obviously that they can wait for a prospect as talented as him.

 

[Steve9347]

Yeah, the goal with that pick was to have him not be competing for an NHL job anytime soon.

[chimpy2121]

Ludvig Rensfeldt was the Hawks 2nd pick. Sounds like another guy with high upside. That's the luxury of being the champs. The Hawks also traded the 43rd pick to the Leafs for an unnamed prospect. Burke wanted to let the player know first.

[EvilJester99]

Ludvig Rensfeldt - 6-foot-3, 209, LhRW, Brynas

Aggressive Swedish Power Forward who goes to the front, and wall well. Good power skater with a good burst, and displays a strong shot. Promising upside.

 

Justin Holl - 6-foot-2, 178, RD, Minnetonka H.S.

Tall, evenly balanced skater, with a long stride and some get-up-and-go. Great transition player, as he threads the needle on the long break-out, when he stays in control of himself and the puck. Effortless skating motion with good lateral agility too. Not yet very physical, and for that matter, and very inexperienced at thinking the game. Learning to be a PP point man and going on the attack. He has the body and tools but needs to get stronger, game smarter, and a little more edge. Good long term prospect. Committed to the University of Minnesota.

 

Kent Simpson - 6-foot-2.5, 187, G, Everett

Athletic goaler who is a pad sponge, but still developing the nuances of his position. Must be more aggressive to the shooters and have better awareness of his positioning.

 

Stephen Johns – 6-foot-3, 213 – RD, USA U-18 NTDP

Long armed defenseman with an excellent size/skills ratio, good skating ability, and a hard shot. Improving his play in the defensive zone. He has never lacked a physicality bordering on mean. Still need work on gap control, and controlled aggression. May be destined to the wing as a pro.

[LittleHurt05]

Bowman said that no more trades are needed to stay under the cap & re-sign Niemi & Hjalmarsson. I won't believe it until I see Steegiak in a Hawks jersey come October.

[GoodAsGould]

Bowman said that no more trades are needed to stay under the cap & re-sign Niemi & Hjalmarsson. I won't believe it until I see Steegiak in a Hawks jersey come October.

 

Id hope to trade Versteeg and keep Ladd as well.

[EvilJester99]

Stuy seems to think its Jimmy Hayes the Hawks got from Toronto... if so I really like it!

 

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/jimmy_hayes

[DBAHO]

He's the brother of our 1st round pick IIRC.

 

Seems like we're targeting a lot of size as well.

[EvilJester99]

He's the brother of our 1st round pick IIRC.

 

Seems like we're targeting a lot of size as well.

Yeah they are going big this year... trying to replace Buff I suppose. Yes he is the brother of Kevin

[MurcieOne]

Just catching a rebroadcast of the nhl awards. This is absolutely brutal. There is no need for this award show. Douche chills all over. Jay Mohr was never popular or funny during his prime, why is he hosting?

 

brutal.

 

[chimpy2121]

Stuy seems to think its Jimmy Hayes the Hawks got from Toronto... if so I really like it!

 

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/jimmy_hayes

 

It's official, the older Hayes is the guy we got back from Toronto. He's got great size. Hopefully his brother grows too.

[whitesoxfan101]

Bowman said that no more trades are needed to stay under the cap & re-sign Niemi & Hjalmarsson. I won't believe it until I see Steegiak in a Hawks jersey come October.

 

I don't buy that for a second, but I do think they can get by if they only get rid of one more guy.

[southsider2k5]

I don't buy that for a second, but I do think they can get by if they only get rid of one more guy.

 

Unless they have decided to make Huet the worlds highest paid minor league goalie...

[Controlled Chaos]

Unless they have decided to make Huet the worlds highest paid minor league goalie...

I think that is a done deal already. No way his contract will be on the books this year. Still though...the numbers just don't add up unless they dump another guy.

[DBAHO]

They made Ladd a qualifying offer today as well IIRC.

[Controlled Chaos]

Lord Stanley at Daley Plaza today from 10 - 4.

[Steve9347]

Lord Stanley at Daley Plaza today from 10 - 4.

That dude's dead, bro.

 

Could you be referring to his Cup?

[whitesoxfan101]

I think that is a done deal already. No way his contract will be on the books this year. Still though...the numbers just don't add up unless they dump another guy.

 

Exactly, getting Huet's contract off the books means they only need to dump one more guy. If he's not gone, you'd need to dump two more guys with pretty high cap numbers, and even then it's tight.

Edited June 29, 2010 by whitesoxfan101

[Soxbadger]

In case anyone didnt know the Stanley Cup is at the Daley Center and you can wait in line to take pictures with it.

[bmags]

That dude's dead, bro.

 

Could you be referring to his Cup?

 

Are you insane? Everyone knows if you rub the stanley cup lord stanley appears and gives you three demands in funny canadian speak. Expiry date...lol.

[LittleHurt05]

FWIW, Jesse Rogers gives his odds of free agents returning to the Hawks.

 

Free agency is nearly upon us, and though the Blackhawks won’t make the impact they did a year ago when they signed Marian Hossa and John Madden, they do have some decisions to make.

 

While general manager Stan Bowman may sign a veteran or two, his first order of business is his own set of free agents. In no particular order, here are the major names and the chances they’ll return for another year or more with the Hawks:

 

John Madden Chance of returning: 10%

Unless Madden wants to take a huge cut in pay and the Hawks return him to third line center, this match doesn’t seem to fit like it did 365 days ago. The newly acquired Marty Reasoner is under contract and takes up one of the bottom two center spots, but the other one is open for debate. Dave Bolland probably returns to the second line, which puts Patrick Sharp back at wing. There might be that opening on the third line again but Madden made $2.75 million last year. The Hawks probably won’t go higher than $1.5 million at that spot.

 

Adam Burish Chance of returning: 20%

Some might believe the departure of Ben Eager, and even Colin Fraser, move Burish’s value up a notch. I’m not buying it. Bryan Bickell played in front of Burish at times in the playoffs and there is nothing that says he won’t again -- at a cheaper price. Burish is entering his prime. If he wants to prove himself as more than a five-minute player, then he might want to do it somewhere else. And he’ll probably get paid more for it.

 

Andrew Ladd Chance of returning: 65%

Yes, he may have been dangled, but at the end of the day he is about the only forechecking presence the Hawks have right now. And he still comes relatively cheap. His qualifying figure was around $1.6 million, though that number might make him attractive for an offer sheet. It’s hard to go wrong with a 24-year-old who already has won two Cups with two different teams. This could come down to hundreds of thousands of dollars -- not millions. If a team offers him more than $3 million, the compensation package jumps up to a first- and third-round pick. If the Hawks can afford it, they should offer him between $2-3 million and call it a day.

 

Jordan Hendry Chance of returning: 85%

The Blackhawks did not qualify him but do want to sign him, which means one thing: He’s not getting much of a raise -- if any – from his $650,000 salary. More likely a decrease. Since he’ll be unrestricted on July 1, there’s always the chance someone else sees more in him than the Hawks, and pays him more, but smart money says he’s back in a similar role at a similar price.

 

Nick Boynton Chance of returning: 50%

Not sure what the Hawks are thinking here but one thing is for sure, he won’t make $1.5 million in a Blackhawks uniform again. Maybe half that. He did pass Hendry on the depth chart at the end of the playoffs, and played well, so there could be a spot -- just for a lot less money. He’s unrestricted, so like Hendry, it depends on what others think and how much they are willing to pay.

 

Niklas Hjalmarsson Chance of returning: 75%

It’s hard to imagine another run at the Cup without the hammer. Reliable in all areas, he’s only getting better. Having said that, I don’t think another team breaks the bank for him. He’s not a one or a two -- yet -- and doesn’t have much in the way of power-play skills. He deserves a raise, but not a jump from $600,000 to $4-5 million. More like $2-2.5 million.

 

Antti Niemi Chance of returning: 65%

I thought long and hard of reducing that number but at the end of the day, I believe both sides will be fair. Make no mistake, this is the wild card. With Europe an option and unrestricted free agency just a year away, Niemi holds some leverage. A fan revolt might occur if he leaves, plus all his side has to do is point to other goalies who have accomplished a lot less and make much more. His starting point is $3 million. It goes up from there.

 

Bryan Bickell Chance of returning: 95%

Simple. The Hawks need him and Joel Quenneville likes him. He played some first-line minutes and can bang with the third-liners. And he’ll come cheap.

 

Jack Skille Chance of returning: 50%

Hard to know if the Hawks think he’s had his chance, or will give him so little money that there won’t be much downside. For some reason, I still don’t see him as a third-line player and there is no room in the top six. But as his name suggests, he does have some skills so a return wouldn’t be a surprise.

 

Kim Johnsson Chance of returning: 0%

 

No explanation needed.

[Kalapse]

Apparently Versteeg has been dealt to the Leafs.

 

Real_ESPNLeBrun

 

Leafs get Versteeg and the rights to winger Bill Sweatt in exchange for forwards Viktor Stalberg, Chris DiDomenico and Philippe Paradis

[Steve9347]

Just saw this too... that's quite a f***ing haul for the Hawks.

[LittleHurt05]

Just saw this too... that's quite a f***ing haul for the Hawks.

 

You think so? Do you know anything about these guys? Stalberg seems to be the only one who played in the NHL last season, numbers not very impressive for a 24 year old. Either way, I'm not upset to see Versteeg gone. For the money he made, he definitely made some fancy plays, but then he also would have a lot of screw ups as well.

[chimpy2121]

From Hockeys Future

 

DiDomenico

Talent Analysis

DiDomenico is on the small side at 5'11 and only 165 pounds but has overcome his size deficiencies so far with excellent hockey sense. Though his skating is only average, he is excellent on faceoffs and is a good penalty killer. If he is able to add muscle to his frame and continue to play a smart, two-way game he could surprise.

Stalberg

A big player with great speed. Accelerates really well and reaches full speed very fast. Forechecks successfully and plays with good intensity. A natural sniper with a fine scoring touch. Defense and passing game could use some improvement. Should play even more physical with his large frame.

Paradis

A mixture of physical presence and scoring skill, Paradis is an attractive prospect. He possesses a hard shot and has the ability to make room for himself and his teammates on the ice. Paradis isn't a player to back down from a challenge. Already an intriguing medley of grit and ability, if Paradis gets faster and stronger, he could become a dominant force in the QMJHL.