PatrickSharpRules
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With a few days hanging on til the end of summer truly begins, the Chicago Blackhawks front office have painted the image that they are either apathetic or truly believe the team we iced last year can truly be a contender. As the marketing and ultimate showcase of the “Blackhawk product” we have all come to loathe closed this Sunday, fans who witnessed the growth and now seemingly stagnant nature of our organization are left with far too many questions.
The gaping hole at center still remains, yet this summer the feel was different. We were not shuffling around to get below the Cap line, or trying to figure why we were losing core players due to our owns achievements, we had the money. To the fan that watches or pays attention to every last 82[sup]nd[/sup] game throughout the year the deficiency there was obvious, and for the second straight year to boot. Our defense consists of a ton of collective talent, yet something has been very off the past two years.
To put it simply the 95% of the pieces are in place, they just don’t fit. Any decent fan of the game will tell you Kruger is still not ready to jump into that role, yet when questioned Bowman presents the fans with, “Kane played his best hockey of the year there.” While I am not a GM, it is obvious if he was our true 2[sup]nd[/sup] line center, he would have been there when in counted most, in the playoffs. I realize we need to have room for the likes of Saad, McNeil, K. Hayes etc. when they are ready, but this team is ready to hoist the cup again. Watching the free agent ticker this July 1[sup]st[/sup] just left an empty feeling in my Blackhawks fandom. Sure the prices were steep, but they are only getting steeper when you consider what a guys like Kopecky, Laich and C. Kelly got the previous summer.
As we head into the 2012-2013 season, our defenses top 4 still consists of three non-physical, puck moving defenseman, all are great, but not when they are playing on the same defense. Our second line will more than likely be centered by no less than 5 different players throughout the year. The power play received no assistance, and other than Sheldon Brookbank our penalty kill received none either. These problems all coexist with the shaky play we have had in net.
Now how are we as fans supposed to accept this off-season as anything but a slap in the face? Our top 6 players of Kane, Keith, Toews, Seabrook, Hossa and Sharp still stands atop the league in many peoples view. Yet our 8 million in cap space was left unused and answered with, “we gave Parise an impressive offer, Kane played his best hockey at center,” Last time we all checked, Parise was a wing and Kane is still not our 2[sup]nd[/sup] line center. The fact is Parise wouldn’t have truly made this team that much more potent; our top three wings of Hossa, Kane and Sharp could stand in with him on any given night. The signing would have provided the biggest help to team defense and special teams, but this could be solved at a much more sensible price tag, yet as Parise signed with his hometown, we were still left with nothing.
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[/float]At the start of last year we were reassured by Keith, Kane and all our big names that this year was different, perhaps the pressure being relieved since they were ousted in just round 1 in 2011, instead of defending the Holy Grail, many were very confident (including myself) that this team was going to have a different feel.
Fast forward to this year’s convention, we were given the same assurance, and frankly, no matter what the outcome of the previous year we will always be given that assurance. I am in the boat of letting Olsen play considerable minutes, making a move for Doan at center or letting a kid get a bon a fide shot, and this team is very dangerous. Could McNeil or K. Hayes step in and feed the puck to the likes of Hossa and Kane? Both have the size and the makings of what could be a great fit, we will just have to see.
While all the hypothetical questions and scenarios will be played out and discussed until the first puck drops against the fledgling Blue Jackets, the fact remains that our front office has left us with more of the same questions. What really pains me is what the culture of the organization has dissolved into, this is not a government, perhaps a regime, but this is simply 25 guys trying to win hockey games.
Click here to view the article
The gaping hole at center still remains, yet this summer the feel was different. We were not shuffling around to get below the Cap line, or trying to figure why we were losing core players due to our owns achievements, we had the money. To the fan that watches or pays attention to every last 82[sup]nd[/sup] game throughout the year the deficiency there was obvious, and for the second straight year to boot. Our defense consists of a ton of collective talent, yet something has been very off the past two years.
To put it simply the 95% of the pieces are in place, they just don’t fit. Any decent fan of the game will tell you Kruger is still not ready to jump into that role, yet when questioned Bowman presents the fans with, “Kane played his best hockey of the year there.” While I am not a GM, it is obvious if he was our true 2[sup]nd[/sup] line center, he would have been there when in counted most, in the playoffs. I realize we need to have room for the likes of Saad, McNeil, K. Hayes etc. when they are ready, but this team is ready to hoist the cup again. Watching the free agent ticker this July 1[sup]st[/sup] just left an empty feeling in my Blackhawks fandom. Sure the prices were steep, but they are only getting steeper when you consider what a guys like Kopecky, Laich and C. Kelly got the previous summer.
As we head into the 2012-2013 season, our defenses top 4 still consists of three non-physical, puck moving defenseman, all are great, but not when they are playing on the same defense. Our second line will more than likely be centered by no less than 5 different players throughout the year. The power play received no assistance, and other than Sheldon Brookbank our penalty kill received none either. These problems all coexist with the shaky play we have had in net.
Now how are we as fans supposed to accept this off-season as anything but a slap in the face? Our top 6 players of Kane, Keith, Toews, Seabrook, Hossa and Sharp still stands atop the league in many peoples view. Yet our 8 million in cap space was left unused and answered with, “we gave Parise an impressive offer, Kane played his best hockey at center,” Last time we all checked, Parise was a wing and Kane is still not our 2[sup]nd[/sup] line center. The fact is Parise wouldn’t have truly made this team that much more potent; our top three wings of Hossa, Kane and Sharp could stand in with him on any given night. The signing would have provided the biggest help to team defense and special teams, but this could be solved at a much more sensible price tag, yet as Parise signed with his hometown, we were still left with nothing.
[float='left']
Fast forward to this year’s convention, we were given the same assurance, and frankly, no matter what the outcome of the previous year we will always be given that assurance. I am in the boat of letting Olsen play considerable minutes, making a move for Doan at center or letting a kid get a bon a fide shot, and this team is very dangerous. Could McNeil or K. Hayes step in and feed the puck to the likes of Hossa and Kane? Both have the size and the makings of what could be a great fit, we will just have to see.
While all the hypothetical questions and scenarios will be played out and discussed until the first puck drops against the fledgling Blue Jackets, the fact remains that our front office has left us with more of the same questions. What really pains me is what the culture of the organization has dissolved into, this is not a government, perhaps a regime, but this is simply 25 guys trying to win hockey games.
Click here to view the article
