Martin Havlat is the worst player in the NHL

Tim Sassone is an excellent beat writer for the Daily Herald.  He has the best sources compared to Chris Kuc or Len Ziehm and is often the center for any breaking Blackhawk news.  That’s probably what he should stick to, though, because he certainly doesn’t have the slightest eye for recognizing talent.  I think a lot of his bizarre opining can be traced to when the Daily Herald opened up their website to commenters and the stupid could post all of their strange thoughts.  Now, Sassone is pandering to the stupid.  Check out some of his nuggets from his latest post.

Up until now I thought the Hawks needed Havlat to make the playoffs, but now I don’t think they do. Maybe there’s a team out there that wants to take a chance on him and would offer a player in return. You just can’t give Havlat away at this point.

Huh?  So, say tomorrow morning Dale Tallon gives Paul Holmgren, Flyers’ GM, a call offering Havlat for Season one of ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’, how fast would Holmgren send out an intern to Best Buy?  Probably about a hundredth of a second.  If there’s a team in the NHL who wouldn’t take a chance on Havlat, then the GM deserves to fired and then shot in the face on his way to the parking lot. 

Was I watching the same games as Sassone?  Does anyone think maybe he didn’t get any points because his teammates couldn’t finish when he set them up?  Nope it’s because he’s European and soft.

Other than that he was pretty much a non-factor, especially in tough games at San Jose and Anaheim.

In that tough game at Anaheim, Havlat would’ve had two assists if his teammates could actually finish.  He fed the puck to Brouwer who got it to Sharp only to stopped by Hiller.  The play started by Havlat masterfully picking the pocket of the Anaheim player and then spotting Brouwer open in the corner.  Then in the second period he put the puck right on Bolland’s stick only to have Bolland miss the net by about 26 feet.  So in one tough game, that’s two assists he could’ve had if his teammates followed through.   

I’ll say this one more time but I doubt it will be the last.  Martin Havlat is a top ten talent in the NHL.  Up until this road trip, he was a point per game player.  He’s not a physical beast.  He’s a finesse player.  I know that’s scary for a lot of Chicago fans to comprehend, but do people notice how when he gets the puck, the other team’s defense is immediately on their heels?  Or that the other team’s coach is cognizant of whenever Havlat’s on the ice and the defensive pairing that’s matched up against him?  That wouldn’t happen anymore if Andrew Ladd was your second line winger.  If Havlat is worth nothing at this point as Sassone claims, then why couldn’t the ‘Hawks re-sign him next year.  They could sign him to a league minimum contract and ship him back and forth between Rockford.  No one else is interested in him anyways.

If Sassone is going to sharpen his knives for anyone’s play on this road trip, it should’ve been for Andrew Ladd.  He had two golden opportunities to break open the games against Anaheim and Los Angeles.  In Anaheim, he had the puck right on his stick in the slot only to miss the net.  In LA, he had about three shots on a 3 on 2 rush but failed to capitalize on any of them which would’ve given the ‘Hawks a two goal lead at that juncture.  For someone that was the fourth overall pick in the draft, he has to score on at least one of those opportunities.  As Bob mentioned in his Tallon report card, Ladd has to be at the top of the list for most disappointing Tallon acquisitions.  That is, until he trades Havlat to San Jose for Tony Bennett’s Greatest Hits.  

I know it’s hard for people like Sassone to understand but Havlat can’t help it when his teammates don’t finish scoring chances he sets up.  We might as well start blaming Captain Serious for only scoring goals in one game or Dustin Byfuglien for not being healthy and having a fair market deal.  Whoops….

Kings 5, Blackhawks 2

Ducks 1, Blackhawks 0

Half of an inch.

That’s probably all that separated Patrick Sharp from completing the ‘Hawks goal of the century and tying the game at 1.  Brian Campbell came down on a 2-on-2, faked to the inside on Anaheim defenseman Kent Huskins and pulled off a beautiful spin-o-rama to the outside.  Campbell spotted Sharp wide open on the wing and tried backhanding a pass over to him.  The incredibly difficult pass was just a half-inch ahead of Sharp who one-timed it backhanded only to hit the side of the net.  Had that pass been just a bit behind him and he gets it on his forehand, there’s about a 127% chance the puck is in the back of the net and the ‘Hawks grab at least a point in Anaheim. 

Alas, it wasn’t met to be and Anaheim grabbed the win by the smallest of margins.  There’s really not much else to say in this one.  The ‘Hawks had a couple of golden opportunities in the first with Ladd getting a special delivery right on the doorstep only to miss.  Badly.  Sharp had a nice re-direction from a Troy Brouwer pass that Jonas Hiller made a great toe save on.  In the second frame, Dave Bolland will have a hard time sleeping tonight from the chances he failed to execute on.  On a 3 on 2, he was the late man trailing and got a pass out of the corner.  It was just a bit too far in front of him and he could only get a little piece of it and fluttered one to Hiller’s chest.  The better chance came off a really sweet face-off play.  Bolland won it back to Seabrook, Havlat went immediatley to the far post and opened up the middle for Bolland.  Seabrook fed it over to Havlat who one-touched it to Bolland who had the entire net staring back at him.  He missed.  Badly.  Huet made some big stops to keep the ‘Hawks in it but lack of execution on empty nets is what ended up costing the ‘Hawks. 

A lot will be made about the scrap between Matt Walker and George Parros in the second period and how that re-energized the Ducks (I’m talking to you, Pat and Ed).  Let me be the first to say that had nothing to do with it.  The reason why the Ducks scored was because the Fraser-Adams-Eager line with the Barker-Campbell pairing got stuck out against the Getzlaf line.  George Parros having his face shoved into the ice did nothing to make the Ducks score; it was simply a favorable match-up for them at that particular time.  

On to Los Angeles where a win would end a fantastic road trip.  A loss will end a good one.

Friday, 3 p.m. at the Anaheim Ducks

As pointed out by the Chicagoland Daily Herald this morning, no one has any real clue what’s going on with the injuries to Nik Khabibulin, Aaron Johnson and Dustin Byfuglien.  However, Johnson has been placed on Injured Reserve, which means Matt Walker and Brent Sopel will form the third defensive pairing this afternoon.  This would be a good time for Sopel to find his ‘07-’08 form.  Additionally, while Khabibulin was not put on IR, he will not play, presumably, either today or tomorrow.  As such, Corey Crawford will take a comfortable seat next to the defensemen this weekend following his call-up from Rockford.  Finally, it appears as though Byfuglien will play this afternoon after practicing with the team yesterday. 

Don’t forget to check out our quarter pole review of Dale Tallon, and please call us out on any disagreements.  I’ll likely resond to any such comments, like the following from Forklift at HockeeNight.com, who requested Sopel receive an “F,” rather than a “C.”

And, while I agree that Sopel’s early output has been nothing short of disastrous – after all, they have scratched this $2+ million player a small handful of times already – I have to give Tallon high marks for finding and signing him in the first place.  As such, the combination of those two factors equals something of a middle mark – to this point.  I will note, however, that continued poor play from Sopel could cause a severe downgrade in that mark because of the three-year deal “Sopes” signed last season.

Sharks 3, Blackhawks 2 (OT)

San Jose’s Joe Thornton netted an overtime goal less than a minute into the overtime period to defeat Cristobal Huet and the Blackhawks.  This came after the Sharks outshot the ‘Hawks 16-2 in the first frame.  But, the ‘Hawks recovered in the second and even lead at one point thanks to two goals from Jonathon Toews.

The big stories, however, were injuries.  First, Adam Burish was a last minute scratch, and did not play.  Rather, the ‘Hawks dressed seven defenseman, including some guy named Brent Sopel.  (We don’t know who this unusual looking man is.  Haven’t seen him recently.)  That turned out to be a blessing as San Jose’s Mike Grier attempted to decapitate the ‘Hawks’ Aaron Johnson.  While Johnson managed to keep his head – literally – his wrist may not have been so lucky.  He left and didn’t return.  Worse yet, Glenn Hall – er, Nik Khabibulin – left after an apparent groin injury late in the second period.  On in relief, Huet (and his new, odd red and yellow pads) let in two, one of which being the aforementioned overtime winner.

Aside from the injuries, including the potentially devastating injury (for many reasons) to goalie Khabibulin, a point in San Jose during the “circus trip” is surely something to give thanks for this evening.  Let’s hope all applicable x-rays and MRI’s come out as well.

Finally, please check out the Fifth Feather’s quarter pole review of Dale Tallon, listed below.  By way of a quick preview, let this sink in: three of the Blackhawks’ current top-six forwards were acquired for players now in the AHL or Russia’s KHL (Sharp (Matt Ellison), Havlat (Mark Bell), Versteeg (Bochenski).

And, of course, have a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Remember to thank a soldier.

Do the Chickens Have Large Tallons?

 

With the quarter mark quickly approaching for the Chicago Blackhawks during this 2008-2009 NHL season, it’s time for the Fifth Feather to take a quick glance at Dale Tallon’s GM Report Card.  What follows is a grade for each player on the roster.  Each grade – or “class” – summarizes Tallon’s efforts to include that particular player on this season’s roster.  As Tallon did not acquire a handful of players on this roster – namely, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Dustin Byfuglien and others – the report card analyzes (to the best extent possible) his decision to keep or extend that particular player.  Those players “Excused” were not Tallon acquisitions, and Tallon didn’t play – at least publicly – any significant role in their development.

 

Important Note: This Report Card absolutely does not attempt to rank the players, but assigns a grade to Dale Tallons’ handling and/or acquisition of that player.  For example, Patrick Sharp is not the best player on the Blackhawks – at least not according to this list – and Andrew Ladd is not the worst.

 

NHL First Quarter Report Card

 

Name of General Manager: Dale Tallon, Chicago Blackhawks

 

Class:

Patrick Sharp (A++) Think former Flyers’ GM Bobby Clarke would like a “mulligan” on this one?  The Flyers received Matt Ellison in return for future goal scorer, Sharp, who signed a four-year extension last season for under $4 million per.  Tallon receives an A+ for the deal to acquire Sharp, who after a couple seasons as a ‘Hawk still appeared to be a fringe NHLer, and the extra + for the favorable 2008 extension.  Sharp is currently on-pace to exceed his 36-goal performance of 2007-08, and word has it he is now on Team Canada’s radar screen as a possible depth addition for the 2010 Olympic team.  Patrick is a pleasure to have in class, though he’s apparently quite the prankster away from the rink.

 

Jonathon Toews (A+) People don’t remember that this wasn’t exactly an easy pick for Tallon with the third overall selection in the 2006 NHL Draft – not to mention rumors swirled following the draft of Toews’ intentions to re-enter the draft the following summer.  In order to nab Toews, Tallon passed on much-hyped Phil Kessel and others, including Niklas Backstrom, Derick Brassard, Kyle Okposo and Peter Mueller, and ignored fans’ cries for a trade involving the Pittsburgh Penguins and the second pick, used to grab Jordan Staal.  While the players Tallon passed on will likely enjoy productive NHL careers, Toews was selected with the captaincy in mind, and, according to plan, the ‘Hawks made Toews the third youngest team captain in NHL history this past summer.  Though his offensive numbers continue to disappoint at the quarter mark, Toews is consistently one of the best players on the ice, and his play in all three zones continues to draw favorable comments from NHL coaches and scouts.  Pencil him in on your 2010 Canadian Olympic team; ‘nuff said. 

 

Duncan Keith (A+) Originally acquired in the second round of the 2002 NHL Draft (before Tallon), Keith has flourished since being plugged into the ‘Hawks defensive corps following the lockout.  Though Tallon did not draft Keith, he didn’t trade him either.  In the past year, Keith has thrown his cap into the ring of elite NHL defenders while being named to the Western Conference All Star team, as well as the Canadian World Championship entry, in 2008.  Last year Keith also placed fifth lead-wide in plus-minus, ending at plus-30, and he was the only player on a non-playoff team to end in the top-20.  (Ironically, Jassen Cullimore was 22^nd overall with Florida.)  In addition to leading the ‘Hawks in ice time (currently 3^rd in NHL ice time), Keith has recently drawn praise from Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, who said that Keith is perfectly suited for the “new” NHL, and that he may also be on a shortlist of possible 2010 Team Canada defensemen.  I believe Keith will be there.  The important question, though: will Keith be here following his restricted free agency after the ’09-’10 season?  The Fifth Feather eight ball believes all indications are “yes.”  (They better be “yes.”)

 

Patrick Kane (A) Again, this wasn’t an easy pick, either.  Tallon’s selection of a 5’10”, 170 lb. kid from Buffalo drew quick questions from many ‘Hawks followers – especially considering the ‘Hawks needed “Kaner” to play and produce with the “big boys” immediately.  Patrick needed no grace period, as he won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie, scoring 21 goals and 72 points as a freshman.  His offensive impact has been stronger this year, as he’s averaging more than a point-per-game in the early going while continuing to prove himself as one of the game’s best power play threats.  Pencil him in on the first line of your 2010 U.S. Olympic team.

 

Kris Versteeg (A) While it may be far too early to categorize the Brandon Bochenski-for-Kris Versteeg deal as an “A+, Versteeg has, in 19 games, already brought much more to the table than Bochenski has at subsequent stops in Boston, Anaheim, Nashville and Tampa Bay.  Versteeg boasts a nice combination of skill and motor, and he figures to continue complimenting Toews and Kane on the ‘Hawks top scoring line.  Heading into tonight’s game with the San Jose Sharks, Versteeg is tied for second on the ‘Hawks with twenty points; Bochenski has five goals with Norfolk of the AHL.

 

Martin Havlat (A-) Tallon sold high (no pun intended) on Mark Bell to acquire Havlat (along with Brian Smolinski) from the Ottawa Senators via the Sharks three summers ago. Bell, who is no longer in the NHL and recently served a prison sentence for an off-season DUI charge while a member of the Sharks, failed to approach his 21 and 25 goal campaigns with the ‘Hawks during stops in San Jose and Toronto.  He has three goals this year with the Marlies, Toronto’s AHL affiliate.  Havlat, though a world-class player by all accounts, has been unable to stay healthy consistently during his three seasons as a Blackhawk, and will likely leave as an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.  These factors preclude us from handing Tallon something more than an A- for the acquisition.

 

Aaron Johnson (B+) Like Versteeg, Aaron Johnson has already proved himself worthy of a high grade for Tallon.  In exchange for $650,000 this year, Johnson has already contributed plenty at both ends of the ice (including three goals and near league-leading plus-minus of 12), and since Cam Barker’s arrival on the second pairing with Brian Campbell, Johnson has been the calming influence on the third pairing that Sopel failed to be in the early going.  Though a clear summer depth signing for Tallon and someone who won’t soon be mistaken for Nicklas Lidstrom, Johnson is proving he can be relied upon in important even strength and penalty kill situations.  Aaron must continue to play well in his own zone as the second quarter begins.

 

Dustin Byfuglien (B+) Byfuglien, the former eighth round pick in 2003, enjoyed something of a breakout season during the ’07-’08 campaign, scoring 19 goals in 59 NHL games – many of those as a defenseman.  Though the three-year, $9 million extension “Buff” signed during this past offseason has been the source of much second guessing of Tallon, the Fifth Feather believes the signing – in amount and duration – reflects market value.  Tallon’s apparent and recent refusal to move “Buff” also draws positive scores.  Byfuglien’s lack of scoring during the first quarter was buoyed by his physical presence on the third line, but look for “Buff” to continue to struggle to appear in the scoring sheet, as his first unit power play minutes have all but disappeared under “Coach Q.”  Don’t fret, however, “Buff” supporters; we believe he’ll be just fine.

 

Brent Seabrook (B) Seabrook is another ‘Hawk Tallon did not draft, as Seabrook was brought into the organizational fold in 2003.  But, as with Keith, Tallon undoubtedly resisted the urge to trade the highly coveted d-man during his first couple years as GM.  (One popular rumor had the Rangers’ Petr Prucha coming to Chicago for “Seabs.”  Phew.)  Seabrook signed a multi-year extension during last season, and forms half of the ‘Hawks first defensive pairing with Keith.

 

James Wisniewski (B) Wisniewski signed a one-year extension for just under $1 million in the off-season.  His limbs started breaking, however, before the season.  He has not seen action yet, but his “addition” should help the defensive group, allowing “Wiz” to anchor the third pairing with either Aaron Johnson or Brent Sopel.  (Of course, it appears as though Johnson has the inside track on that one.)

 

Ben Eager (B) The Jim Vandermeer-for-Ben Eager trade puzzled many last season, and anticipated a “follow up” deal quickly thereafter.  It never came.  But, as Jim Vandermeer has already switched teams, Eager has been a solid fourth line contributor, even netting two goals in the last two games on the third line.  While he hasn’t necessarily been the physical presence, i.e., enforcer, the ‘Hawks hoped for – after all, he’s had considerate concussion and injury problems – he shows decent speed and hands for a fourth line player, and, as he showed last week, he can fill a larger role, if needed – stress needed.  Tallon dealt from a position of strength to acquire a contributor.

 

Matt Walker (B) Another depth signing, Walker has performed admirably in his limited action.  He even fought in his first shift as a Blackhawk.  Can’t beat that with a stick.

 

Collin Fraser (B-) Fraser has been a pleasant surprise this season after making the team out of training camp.  Fraser’s face-off ability has made him an important part of the team, and aside from a putrid performance against San Jose at the UC, his penalty killing has been commendable.  Considering he was part of the Alex Zhamnov package (with Vandermeer and a pick used on Brian Bickell), any contributions from Fraser are icing on the proverbial cake.  He also rivals Burish for “Best Beating Taker,” as he recently showed he wasn’t too proud to fight Coyote Olli Jokinen.

 

Cam Barker (C+) Tallon’s first draft pick in 2005, Cam Barker has yet to live up to his top-3 billing, but it may be near.  Barker’s arrival in Chicago has boosted the power play, as he has added nine points in 11 games.  His booming shot has essentially become the centerpiece of the man advantage, but he’ll need to step up his defensive game and puck carrying in order to live up to his draft status.  That will take some time.  And, let’s not mention the ‘Hawks just missed out on Alexander Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, the first two picks of the draft.  But, we’ve now got the fourth overall pick, too: Andrew Ladd!

 

Troy Brouwer (C) Tallon didn’t draft Brouwer, who was drafted in the seventh round, but his (and Savard’s) terse treatment of the young winger the past two seasons – like demoting Brouwer after one game while publicly chiding his skating abilities – couldn’t have helped the rookie’s development.  Bringing up Brouwer to replace Jack Skille this season has paid dividends, however, as Brouwer has shown himself to be a capable second line winger – not quite Marian Hossa, but capable.

 

Brent Sopel (C-) Tallon received high marks last season for his low risk-high reward signing of Sopel during training camp.  Sopel showed himself to be a positive influence on the young defensive group, and played huge minutes, often in important situations.  Tallon’s three-year extension for Sopel has been much less successful, however, as Sopel has been a healthy scratch during the first half of the “circus trip.”  Unless Sopel is able to find his ’07-’08 form, Tallon’s grade here may continue to suffer.

 

Andrew Ladd (C-) The Andrew Ladd acquisition for Tuomo Ruutu was not one of Tallon’s best.  Though the ‘Hawks saved about $800,000 this season on Ladd as compared to Ruutu, Tallon replaced a true “heart and soul”- type player for one who isn’t as effective physically or offensively this season.  While Ruutu, as expected, has become a fan favorite in Carolina, he’s also produced in the first quarter, contributing seven goals and 13 points for the ‘Canes.  Meanwhile, Ladd has struggled to generate scoring opportunities on the third line, and to date has only three goals and eight points.  In my opinion, Ruutu would, salary aside, be a much better fit on the ‘Hawks third line.  With that said, Ladd plays hard every shift, and he’s only twenty-two years old.  Let’s cut him – and Tallon – a bit of slack – for now.

 

Craig Adams (D+) Even for a rarely used fourth-liner, Craig Adams leaves quite a bit to be desired.  Adams seems to be firmly entrenched as the team’s nightly healthy scratch, and that’s exactly how it should remain.  Adams fails to make a difference physically, and doesn’t possess the kind of speed Burish uses to make-up for his numerous shortcomings.  On the bright side, the ‘Hawks gave up a conditional pick for him, and he’s apparently a good guy in the dressing room.  As long as he keeps quiet about his nightly press box chair, he’ll be just fine.

 

Nik Khabibulin (Incomplete) (Provisional: B-) If Khabby is around to see these young ‘Hawks deep into the playoffs, his first three years here may be forgiven and forgotten – unless, of course, he signs elsewhere this summer and haunts us for the next half-decade.  If not, his time here will be remembered as a failure.  For now, though, it looks as if Tallon may be leaning towards keeping the netminder, and the Fifth Feather supports such a stance.  Which would you rather have entering a best-of-seven with Detroit?  A soft second line center, or Khabibulin playing like he played in ’03-’04 during his Cup run with Tampa Bay – backed up by Cristobal Huet, just in case?  I thought so.

 

Cristobal Huet (Incomplete) Thus far, the only positive thing going for Huet is that his presence may be partly responsible for bringing out the best in Khabibulin.  Other than that, his start has been average – albeit in limited time. 

 

Brian Campbell (Incomplete) (Provisional: B++) Campbell’s presence on the power play has paid immediate and noticeable dividends, and his defensive play has been surprisingly above average.  It’s just too early to tell whether such a massive investment (eight years for over $7 million per) was truly worth it.  The early signs are good.

 

Jack Skille (Incomplete)

 

Dave Bolland (Excused) (B+) Many people don’t realize Dave Bolland was a top-flight junior player in the Ontario Hockey Leage (OHL), where he amassed 130 points, including 57 goals, in his fourth junior season with the London Knights.  (For comparison’s sake, Kane had 145 in his only junior season – albeit as a younger player.)  Bolland, though not as highly regarded a prospect as Kane or Toews as a second round pick in 2004, plays well at both ends and figures to be the second or third line ‘Hawk center for the foreseeable future.  Though Tallon did not draft Bolland, he currently centers the ‘Hawks most dependable defensive line in between Dustin Byfuglien and Andrew Ladd.

 

Adam Burish (Excused) (B-) While many ‘Hawks fans are bothered by the fourth liner’s lack of offensive production as a Blackhawk, the Fifth Feather doesn’t fret about depth forwards’ scoring numbers.  Though offensive contributions from Burish would be welcomed, his efforts on the penalty kill should certainly be noted, and his willingness to take a pounding – only in the NHL could this possibly be a good thing – can get quiet UC crowds into an otherwise tame game.  However, his physical play this season seems to have dropped off a touch, and (even given the above) his offensive game lacks any real development.  But, he’s a leader-type, a fan favorite and former ninth round pick, and when he’s on, he does his assigned job well.  Tallon did not draft Burish.

 

Classes Dropped:

Curtis Brown, Matthew Barnaby (F) Both players were disappointing in Chicago, and their contracts were bought out.  The ‘Hawks still take a half-million dollar cap hit for Brown during this and next seasons. 

Adrian Aucoin, Jassen Cullimore (D) Giving Tallon something other than very, very low marks for his signings of Aucoin and Cullimore would be inappropriate.  Tallon badly misjudged the effect new post-lockout rule changes would have on the NHL, and inked two slow footed d-men.  Needless to say, both were shipped out after two disappointing seasons.  But, there is a certain mitigating factor available to Tallon: namely, that he underestimated the effect of rule changes because few previous NHL rule changes had any real effect on the league.  Indeed, of the large handful of rule changes in the previous decade, none managed to change the game in any significant way.  Year after year, referees would adjust the way they called games to align with new rule changes, but repeatedly reverted back to old ways, calling games in ways they had during previous seasons.  It seems Tallon just believed the “old game” would resurface after maybe a month; he was wrong.  Tallon dug himself out of the Aucoin hole, however, by acquiring Andrei Zyuzin and his NBA-like “expiring contract.”  The Cullimore signing netted the ‘Hawks Sergei Samsonov, who resulted in a significant cap write-off last season, though Cullimore had an impressive defensive season in ’07-’08 with Florida.

Along with Khabibulin, Tallon receives a “check-plus” for his signing of Aucoin during a time when the ‘Hawks forays into free agency normally resulted in names like Curtis Brown.  Believe it or not, the current ‘Hawk culture change likely dates back to the signings of Khabby and Aucoin.

 

Martin Lapointe (C) Lapointe represents an average signing by Tallon.  Though Lapointe never quite contributed offensively as hoped, he certainly brought much needed leadership during his stint.  As such, it’s hard to say this was a failed signing.

 

Radim Vrbata, Kevyn Adams, Jeff Hamilton (B+) Vrbata was acquired for a fourth round pick, while Hamilton was signed as a free agent.  Both played relatively well on bad teams.  Vrbata was shipped to Phoenix for Kevyn Adams, who promptly pulled a “Michael Handzus,” and missed the entire season in ’07-’08.  Even though Vrbata put up points last year as a Coyote, he’s been largely inconsistent during his career, and there’s a good chance his early output for Tampa Bay this year will be his standard fair.

 

Kyle Calder, Michael Handzus, Jason Williams (A-) Tallon also sold high on Kyle Calder, receiving Handzus in return from the Philadelphia Flyers.  Though Handzus bolted for greener pastures following his only season with the ‘Hawks (a season in which he only played eight games), Tallon reacquired Calder in ’06-’07 momentarily, turning him into power play quarterback Jason Williams.  Though Williams became expendable with the addition of Brian Campbell this past summer, he amassed 36 points in 43 games last season.  If you’re scoring at home, that means Tallon somehow sold high on Calder twice within seven months – even if Handzus declined to return to the ‘Hawks and Williams walked.

 

Denis Arkhipov, Tony Salmelainen (No Grade) Neither player panned out, but neither player was given riches to come here.  Depending on whose stories you believe about the inner-workings of the ‘Hawks front office, these players may have been the source of a power struggle between Tallon and Trent Yawney.  Considering the Fifth Feather spent very little time in the ’06-’07 ‘Hawks front office, we’ll plead ignorance, and let Dale slide on this one.

 

Extracurricular Honors:

Numerous outlets ranked Tallon’s 2006 and 2007 draft classes as tops in the NHL. 

Drafted 2008 Calder Trophy winner and first runner-up.

 

Total: With an average age of 25.6 – 22.4 excluding the goaltenders, and even less excluding Adams, Sopel and Walker, the likely candidates to be scratched or moved upon James Wisniewski’s arrival – and tied for fifth in the conference with games currently in-hand over all four teams above them, it’s hard to imagine anyone calling Dale Tallon “unfit” to run a top-notch NHL organization.  While some of the current Chicago “young guns” were not Tallon draft selections, he was competent enough to hold onto them (see the rumored Seabrook for Prucha deal).  Add to that his seemingly uncanny ability to spot (comparative) “diamonds in the rough” (see Williams, Sharp and Versteeg) and his willingness and/or ability to bring big name free agents to Chicago, it should be said Tallon has done a nice job as Blackhawks GM.

 

The obvious chink in the armor: free agents Aucoin, Khabibulin and Huet.  Eh, no one’s perfect.  Tallon’s ability to manage the cap has been called into question, but all contending teams are currently managing their own cap issues.  Though each of these signings could be described as “poor” – and each, with the exception of Aucoin, could be argued otherwise – at least after the 2008-’09 quarter pole, the good outweigh the bad. 

 

B+

Have a great summer season!

Division Rival Waves White Flag; Peeking at Prospects

I emailed blackhawkbob today to see if he had any thoughts on a new post.  My complaints about it being a pretty slow day were met with a staunch reply, ‘What do you mean slow, Lee Stempniak was traded today!’.  So there.  When I first read it, I thought to myself, ‘Meh, who cares, St. Louis finally realized they’re playing for nothing and took a couple of guys Toronto gave up on long ago.’  Then the more I thought about it, the more I realized the significance of what I wasn’t thinking.  Usually when trades are made, I like to take a look and see where the traded player would fit on the ’Hawks roster.  The thought didn’t even cross my mind today because these days, they don’t need Stempniak.  It’s a really weird feeling. (Editor’s note:  Yes, I know by typing what I just did, there will be multiple injuries to ’Hawks players and Stempniak would then most definitely be a better 2nd line winger than Bryan Bickell.)    

Taking a look at a few prospects in the ‘Hawks system, I’m going to make some hasty judgements on players I’ve only seen on grainy YouTube videos.  By the way, when blackhawkbob or I mention prospects, we almost always are talking about guys playing in juniors or college.  Everyone has seen the guys that play at Rockford; it’s not that exciting.  There’s something so much more exhilarating talking about guys we’ve only seen play in spurts than it is to dissect Jake Dowell and Michael Blunden.

Kyle Beach- The ‘Hawks number one pick from this past year’s draft is off to a solid start for the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.  Or is he?  He’s got 7 goals and 12 assists in 18 games.  Four of those assists, though, came in a 8-6 win over the Kelowna Rockets and one of the assists was on a empty net goal.  He also already has 46 penalty minutes so his reputation of being an agitator is certainly ringing true.  No word how many players’ girlfriends he has offended so far.

Akim Aliu- The New Nigerian Nightmare has only played in 7 games this year for the London Knights in the OHL.  I’m sure Bob knows (or someone else) but I’m almost positive he was hurt for a little while.  He played in Friday’s game against Peterborough so I’m guessing he’s back for the time being.  Aliu has 4 goals and 3 assists so far to go along with 17 penalty minutes.  The Nightmare is cut from the same cloth as Beach in that they’re both big, physical wingers who like to mix it up.

Maxime Tanguay- The younger brother of Alex is third in scoring on the Victoriaville Tigres of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.  He’s got 9 goals to go with his 9 assists in 22 games so far.  This guy was playing in the QMJHL at 16 years old so now at 20, he’s a seasoned veteran.  Although he’s probably still a couple years away, Tanguay is certainly a guy to keep an eye on, as he profiles as a play-making center and there doesn’t seem to be too many of those in the ‘Hawks pipeline.

Huet frustrated, no one really cares

After not getting a start since last Sunday’s game against San Jose, ‘Hawks goalie Cristobal Huet is starting to admit he’s frustrated. 

“The whole situation is a little bit frustrating, but I can only blame myself for playing not as good as I could,” Huet said. “I just want to play well the next game, whenever that is.”

This should really come as no surprise to anyone.  Khabibulin has been playing out of his mind and Quenneville is going with the hot hand on this important road trip.  Huet is a starting goaltender and is certainly getting paid like one.  While some think this is an evil situation that will tear apart the team,  only one instance comes to mind in the past twenty years where a goalie poisoned his team so bad, they were left no choice but to cut all ties.  That was in ‘95-96 when Patrick Roy held Montreal hostage and forced them to trade him for 25 cents on the dollar and set the Canadiens back about ten years.  Roy was an institution and the face of the franchise, so I think it’s safe to say Huet isn’t held in the same regard.

I was trying to think of another position in a team sport where a specific player is so isolated from the rest of the team that it’s nearly impossible for them to affect the ‘chemistry’ of a team and couldn’t think of anything.  A wide receiver can ruin the flow of an offense by not running routes or give up on blocking assignments.  A shooting guard (see Hughes, Larry) can keep talking about how he’s not playing enough, then launch ill-advised shots once he gets in the game.  Even the Sean Avery situation in Dallas is becoming a deep ceded issue in their locker room that’s affecting the way they play.  Goalies are too independent to affect anything for the position players.  Most of their communication is with the other goalie and the goalie coach. 

Huet can talk about how frustrated he is about not playing until he is blue in the face and I’m about 99 percent sure that not one player on the ‘Hawks gives a hoot.  I’m not saying they hate Huet because if the roles were reversed and Khabibulin wasn’t playing, they would still feel the same way.  All the position players care about is who will stop more shots and give them the best chance to win.      

This isn’t meant as an indictment to Huet because the ‘Hawks are going to lean on him at some point during the season.  It’s more of a pointed comment to those who think these recent quotes by Huet are going to affect the team at all.  If the ‘Hawks get smoked out West this week, it won’t be because Adam Burish was so distraught by Huet’s comments that he couldn’t get the puck out of his zone.  It would be because Adam Burish isn’t that good at hockey.  Hopefully, when Huet gets in, he’ll play solid and this will all be noise. 

————————————–

Finally, we would be remiss if we didn’t express our gratitude to couple of people who have helped getting our blog off the ground.  So we would like to give a big Fifth Feather thank you to Jim over at Sox Machine and chicagokill at Second City Hockey.  God bless you both. 

Blackhawks 5, Maple Leafs 4 (OT)

Well, here by popular demand (read: no demand) is my running journal of tonight’s game (11/22/08) at Toronto vs. the Maple Leafs.  We’re currently running behind due to a ceremony in honor of Kris Versteeg – ah, sorry, Wendell Clark – who’s getting his number raised to the rafters of Air Canada Centre.  I wonder if the ‘Hawks OK’d the timing or if the Leafs have inadvertently gone late. 

 

First Period

 

20:00 Not too late.  The ‘Hawks are, as expected, in their home reds, meaning they’ve now gone three straight road games in their home duds.  They’ll be home tonight after the game, and they’ll pick up their customary road whites for the rest of the trip.  And, Nik Antropov is moving like he’s 86 years old. 

 

19:00 Ben Eager’s back on the third line, and Byfuglien is out with his “undisclosed injury.”  I’m not often very critical of Gary Bettman, but this is ridiculous.  Shouldn’t your fans be able to follow key injuries to unavailable players?  One would think.  I can’t imagine this policy lasts too much longer.  Sopel’s also out, but, being the appreciated fans we are, we have no idea why.

 

16:00 Quenneville’s given Bolland a shift with the first line, while Toews plays with the third.  We’ll follow this one.  As well as Toews has been on the puck and in his own zone, two goals in almost twenty games should be cause for concern.  I think “Q” is just trying to change his surroundings a touch, though.

 

14:00 First TV timeout can’t come too soon.  ‘Hawks starting out badly?  What?

 

13:00 Toews back with the first line, as Foley announces he’s a plus-6 in his last few games.  As I said above, he’s playing well, but some offensive contributions would go a long way.

 

11:00 Brouwer gets a chance off a nice outlet pass from Seabrook.  Good thing we saw that due to some great camera work.  Oh, wait…  (Side note: Can we all admit now that Brouwer is better – as of today – than Jack Skille?  As exciting as Skille was at times, the puck couldn’t be broken out of his side.  His boards were like the Bermuda triangle.  He has been producing on the farm, though, and that’s a great thing.)

 

10:00 Toews just saved a goal off a nice tie-up in front.  Per usual, the ‘Hawks have spotted their opponent handfuls of shots in the early going.  But, according to script, Mr. Khabibulin has stood tall.  (Mr. Tallon, please don’t trade him.  Signed, The Fifth Feather)

 

8:00 Ladd is tackled.  No call.  Not that I’m implying anything good would have happened if he wasn’t tackled.  (By the way, are we ready to admit Carolina got the better of this one?  Don’t get me started.  I’m trying to have a relaxing evening.)

 

5:00 Keith and Seabrook have played very, very well together most nights this season.  Did I just say that?

 

Commercial: Hawk Ford with Foley in the commercial?  What the hell is that?  Anyone?

 

4:00 We have life.  Ben Eager nearly decapitated Grabovski, who turned to avoid the check.  While it looked initially like the linesman may have called a penalty on Eager, there is only a roughing call on Ponikarovsky, who tackled Eager after the hit.  Here, goes nothin’…

 

3:30 A minute is gone on the power play, and the ‘Hawks had a few great chances with some good movement.  The Leafs are also showing a lot of respect here.  But, here come Dave Bolland’s group.  I think we can exhale now.

 

3:00 Some life for the second unit, but nothing to show for it.  (Pardon the lack of sentences here.  This is tough!)

 

2:30 Sticking to script, the ‘Hawks give up the game’s first, following the ‘Hawk power play.  Pavel Kubina snuck in from the blue line as Patrick Kane looked on.

 

1:00 Grabovski mistook Martin Havlat for Stu Grimson, taking a huge run at him at the blue line.  Fortunately, Havlat is in full-blown self-preservation mode this season; he saw the Leaf, and jumped out of the way.  (Edzo’s having difficulties with the telestrator.)

 

:08.7 Penalty shot for the Leafs.  (So much for Keith and Seabrook going well.)  Matt Stajan received a pass behind Keith that sent him in alone.  Keith knocked him off balance from behind.  Good call.

 

Khabibulin comes up big!  Let’s go to the dressing room down only one.

 

First Intermission

 

Steve Konroyd is the voice of reason, saying that the ‘Hawks should not trade Dustin Byfuglien.  This is in stark contrast to the folks on the ‘Hawks message boards; one of them asked for a “bag of pucks” in return for the 23 year-old power forward who had nearly 20 goals last year.  Let’s not confuse an NHL GM with some idiot and his modem. 

 

Second Period

 

18:00 Here come the ‘Hawks!  Two penalties in the first two minutes here, giving the Leafs a 1:00 5-on-3.  Now, Bolland has no stick…

 

17:00 Maurice Richard – I mean, Matt Stajan – flips in a backhand from the slot.  2-0.  Dave Bolland had no stick for about a minute, and it cost the ‘Hawks on the 5-on-4.  (Call it a 5-on-4, but Bolland had no stick, and the other forward was Havlat, who came out of the box into the kill.)  This one’s not looking too good.  The ‘Hawks are getting badly outplayed.

 

13:00 Steve Dubinsky – er, Andrew Ladd – falls down crossing the blue line on a near 3-on-2.  Is it too late to get a Tuomo Ruutu annulment?  Tallon was drunk that day, and the trade hasn’t been officially “consummated” as Tallon and Ladd have yet to copulate.  (I’m actually now receiving word that we’re too late on this one…)

 

12:30 A scoring chance for the ‘Hawks, but Versteeg is unable to pot a rebound.  That’s not the Versteeg I know…  Perhaps this is the turning point.  Lots of neutral zone play, otherwise.

 

10:00 What happens when your entire fourth line goes beneath the opponent’s goal line?  A goal on the other end, of course!  Dominic Moore puts in a real nice backhander off a rebound while Brian Campbell cheers him on.  His goal: To skate faster than any other defenseman in the league – in the wrong direction.

 

9:50 Havlat gets a breakaway and successfully dekes Toskala, but faked himself out, too.  He inexplicably left the puck for Eager to bang home after he fooled himself.  Needless to say, Eager looked like a hooker at Planned Parenthood with the puck near his stick in the slot.

 

8:00 The Leafs take a too many men on the ice penalty.  This should be interesting…

 

6:00 At the end of a nice power play, Duncan Keith blasts a one-timer off a Brian Campbell pass, and Patrick Sharp directs it home.  Give credit to Patrick Kane and Jonathon Toews for a nice shift.  3-1.  (Side note: Losing by two to the Leafs?  These Leafs are like the Cleveland Indians in Major League.  I haven’t heard of half of these guys, and the ones I have are way past their prime.  I’m pretty sure one of them is already dead.)

 

4:00 Whoa.  The tide has turned.  After some back and forth, Sharp and Ladd get a 2-on-1, and Sharp does the right thing: keep it the hell off of Ladd’s stick.  Sharp smokes one by Toskala, who barely moved.  3-2.

 

3:00 4-2.  I don’t even feel like explaining this one.  It feels a lot like the Stars the other night – close but so far away.  Suffice it to say these Leafs goals aren’t pretty.

 

2:00 Captain Serious takes a bad penalty in the corner. 

 

1:30 Duncan Keith apparently missed the conversation every youth coach has with squirt defensemen about not centering the puck in your own zone.  Thankfully, it doesn’t bite the ‘Hawks this time.

 

Second Intermission

 

I need a White Russian – a “Pavel Bure” in my household.  We just call a Black Russian a Black Russian.

 

Third Period

 

Is it too early to start praying for a point?

 

19:30 The ‘Hawks easily kill off the remaining penalty.  Time to start taking some chances…

 

19:00 What a beautiful play.  Kris Versteeg throws a no-look backhanded pass from behind the net, and Kane finishes.

 

18:50 Troy Brouwer gets a point blank chance.  He’s stopped, but the Leafs throw the rebound into the stands.  Here’s another ‘Hawks power play.  This is big…

 

17:00 After some decent pressure, the power play comes and goes without a goal.  The Leafs just look better tonight, though, as they threw in a couple decent chances of their own during and immediately after the kill.

 

15:00 For the third game in a row, Harry Caray – I mean, Pat Foley – calls Troy Brouwer Kris Versteeg.  Versteeg is everywhere; he may apparently be two people.

 

13:00 We need another power play.

 

12:00 Sharp is playing with Kane and Versteeg.

 

11:00 Eddie Olczyk is caught saying, “Don’t mock me,” following the commercial break.  It’s amazing no announcer has been fired for saying something racially charged on-air during a break.  (My fiancé – I hate that word – says, “Hi.”)

 

9:00 Sharp still with the first line.  Toews is with the second.  Time to start taking some chances from the back here.

 

7:30 Dustin Who?  Ben Eager pounds in a beautiful behind-the-net feed from Dave Bolland.  We’re all tied up.  Who knew?

 

6:00 “Hawks got ‘em on the ropes.”  -Edzo

 

5:00 Praying for rain…  Can we just have our point?

 

4:30 Sharp and Kane miss a chance on a 2-on-1.  I see clouds rolling in…

 

4:00 The new Toews-Havlat-Brouwer line gets some major pressure, but fails to cash in.  Havlat is just a world-class talent when he’s not thinking about death.

 

3:30 The ‘Hawks fourth line against the Stajan line here.  Ahhh, Q, you there?

 

2:00 Kubina saves a would-be Kane breakaway, and some great Leafs pressure follows.

 

1:00 Troy Brouwer falls as he’s on the cusp of being in alone.  Leafs pressuring, though.

 

:30 In Leaf zone…

 

:15 In ‘Hawk zone…

 

:00 Period ends in the Leaf zone off a ‘Hawk dump in.  This point is like a late birthday present!

 

Overtime

 

You better be enjoying this.  It’s hard work.  I’m slaving while you’re all watching contently.

 

4:30 The Leafs start with some light pressure.  Khabby makes a couple saves.

 

4:00 This ballgame is ova!  Keith, Havlat and Bolland have a real nice shift that culminates with a fake-shot-to-pass to Bolland, who was standing on the doorstep.  A forehand-backhand move gives him an empty net and the game-winning goal!

 

Two points in Toronto!  They come back from down three to win on OT.  Unbelievable!

 

I’m Bob for The Fifth Feather. 

 

Visit us everyday.

Byfuglien not going anywhere…..for now

So after a bizarre couple days, it appears Dustin Byfuglien will not be traded for Michael Nylander.  I’m not really sure who to believe in this tale of He said, he said.  Tallon claims Byfuglien was never involved in any talks but as chicagokill posted at Second City Hockey yesterday, there were enough rumors to keep Tim Sassone busy until Christmas.  Tallon never makes the same claim for Brent Sopel which is reassuring, but I have to think if the ‘Hawks wanted to just dump him, he would be worth at least a later round draft pick and more than a few teams would be lining up for his service.  At this point, he’s better to hang on to as insurance until the ‘Hawks are positive Wisniewski will return.  Unless of course, Tallon wants Matt Walker to take a regular shift on defense and that’s cause for a whole other debate. 

I’m glad Tallon wouldn’t make a deal as silly as the proposed Sopel and Byfuglien for Nylander.  There’s always going to be a team willing to take on Byfuglien so to sell low on him now would be silly.  Ya know, because no team is looking for a big guy with loads of potential that can fill up the back of the net, a relatively affordable contract, and in a pinch could play defense (pinch= all the other defensemen decided to skip the game and hang out at the Beer Bistro).  Yeah, he’s pretty much worthless.