CHICAGO (FOX 32 News) -
On Wednesday at the United Center, Blackhawk players had exit interviews with the coaching staff and cleaned out their lockers. GM Stan Bowman and Joel Quenneville were on hand to meet with the media as did some players. You could see the disappointment on the faces of all who spoke. It was an odd disjointed season in many ways.
Some Hawk fans are disgusted with another first round playoff exit and are looking for big changes. Quite a few have seen enough of Corey Crawford and are looking for different coaches and maybe a new GM as well. Others feel the team needs a few additions but nothing major and better days are to come. That's the great thing about sports, everyone can have an opinion.
Back in the summer of 2010 many around the league thought the Hawks would keep Antti Niemi and most likely trade either Patrick Sharp or Dave Bolland. Some may remember Bowman called an impromptu press conference to say Sharp was not going to be dealt.
Hardly ever will a GM respond in that way over the summer. In this case it was a nice gesture to Sharp as he was about to get married. Sharp had heard the rumors and Bowman put his mind at ease and also stopped his own phone from ringing.
Earlier that summer a source told me the Blackhawk front office identified the following as their core and all would be back for the 2010-2011 season. I called the group the untouchable seven and they were; Bolland, Hossa, Kane, Keith, Seabrook, Sharp and Toews.
The chances of one of the core being traded are higher now than before, although still likely. My view is all will be back next season and when Blackhawk management mentions the core, those are the players they are referencing.
GM Stan Bowman - Joel Quenneville
My criticism of Bowman's summer signings goes back for months. To take it a step further, Blackhawk pro scouting needs to improve as the so called "core" can't do it alone. Bowman banked on Dan Carcillo and others to turn the personality of the Hawks into a tough team to play against. What actually happened is the Hawks became a tougher team for fans to watch as they had an inconsistent campaign.
Joel Quenneville didn't have the best of years but roster issues made his job a more difficult task. Coach Q. wasn't very flexible and it appeared at times he and the Hawks front office might be on different pages. There is no way to tell how much Quenneville had to do with some of last summer signings. Certainly he has more input than many head coaches and has the resume to back his opinions.
Bowman without question will be the Hawks GM come October, winning a Stanley Cup adds security, and Quenneville should be back as well. The head coaching leash on Quenneville could be shorter than in the past but he is not in a bad spot.
If the Hawks start off poorly, Quenneville could be reassigned to serve out the remainder of his contract. If Quenneville is stripped of his head coaching position and would want to leave Chicago he wouldn't have to wait long for another job offer. Quenneville has his detractors but in a difficult season the players didn't quit on him.
Bowman as well as Quenneville need to figure out a style of play for the Hawks. After listening to comments my feeling is they are somewhat conflicted. They both like the current team but realize changes need to be made. Bowman admitted the team is built to skate pucks over the blueline rather than to dump and chase. It could be time to acquire players who can do both.
The Blackhawks have a lot of high end talent but lack size and grit. There needs to be a blend, and Bowman and Quenneville must decide on a design and acquire players to fit into the group. Right now it is difficult to tell the extent of changes to come this summer. It wouldn't be a shock if Bowman or Quenneville don't yet know the exact course of action.
Corey Crawford
No doubt Corey Crawford must be better. His playoff performance reflected the entire season for the team. Crawford's efforts were scattered, he held his own with Mike Smith until two soft goals in overtime of Game 3 and Game 4. Some will conclude Crawford lost the series because of those two softies.
Crawford's critics have a point but it wasn't exactly as if the Hawks offense could score at will. Actually those games would not have gotten to overtime except for being able to score after pulling the goalie.
It is understandable some believe the soft overtime goals were the undoing of the Blackhawks. It should be realized that is so only if the Hawks would have been able to otherwise win. Perhaps the Hawks would have later lost on a solid goal, either way we will never know for sure.
What is most likely to happen is Crawford and goalie coach Stephane Waite will be back. There is an outside chance Crawford could be moved but he was the choice of the organization. It wasn't the only reason Antti Niemi wasn't resigned but the Hawks front office was all in on Crawford as his replacement.
Most likely they will give Crawford more rope, but there is a goalie that came from off the radar and did impress in Rockford. Carter Hutton is 26-years-old and was recently named the Rockford Ice Hogs MVP. He recorded a 22-13-4 record with a 2.35 GAA. Hutton's GAA average was an Ice Hog record and his .917 save percentage tied a team mark.
On Wednesday Bowman made mention of Hutton's contributions and fans should probably keep an eye on him during training camp. Ray Emery was recently resigned and is a safe choice for a back-up. It is possible a goalie turns up overseas, much in the same way as Niemi, and is brought in to compete for a job. The strongest likelihood is Crawford will be given a chance to rebound from a sophomore slump.
Last summer my thinking was Niklas Hjalmarsson could be traded but another opportunity presented itself. Brian Campbell was dealt to Florida, as they were about $30 million shy of the salary cap floor. Bowman didn't hesitate, it was a rare opportunity to shed a big, long term contract but unfortunately he received nothing of use in return.
Sometimes what isn't spoken about is more meaningful than what is said.
On Wednesday, Hjalmarsson's name did not come up during Bowman's comments. Neither did the injured Steve Montador. Maybe that had something to do with his concussion issues. Montador has a no-trade clause, a hefty contract and health concerns. Montador was not a solid contributor but he would be difficult to trade.
Hjalmarsson is only 24. Although not cheap, his $3.5 million salary cap hit is tolerable for a number of teams. Hjalmarsson is a top four defender on many clubs and is signed through 2013-2014, so there is some cost certainty.
If the Hawks have a desire to sign UFA Johnny Oduya this summer, Hjalmarsson could be wearing a different jersey next season. Even if Oduya is elsewhere the Hawks could look to shed some salary by trading Hjalmarsson and then fill his position with someone with a more modest contract. Possibly the extra money could be spent to sign another needed addition.
My take is Hjalmarsson is the biggest name the Hawks would trade over the summer but his skill set would have to be replaced. Oduya is a different player, the two aren't interchangeable. The Hawks don't block enough shots and that is Hjalmarsson's strong suit. An undoing this season was all of the recent defensemen signings did not contribute enough to special teams.
Next week the business side of the Blackhawks along with a popular topic from today, Carcillo's contributions will be discussed. We will also look at problems with the power play and possible Rockford Ice Hog graduates.
If they aren't involved in a trade, Brandon Pirri, Jeremy Morin, Kyle Beach, Dylan Olsen, Joe Lavin and a few others will be trying to make the Hawks roster out of training camp. The Hawks could turn over about a third of their roster this summer.
Al's Shots
Tuesday, after the loss to the Coyotes, Jamie Shalley from Sirius XM Home Ice and I reviewed the 2011-2012 season. We also chatted about what might be done to improve the Hawks roster over the summer.
The audio link is in the upper right hand corner.
Follow me on Twitter@AlCimaglia
