What's Stan been doing?

[HockeyDoug]

Maybe they like him long term and just want to pump him up to keep interested and stay in N. America as well.

 

[gmalis1]

Never know who is going to progress faster than others, but Nordstrom has come out of nowhere.

Seems Q likes his Swedes, and likes to pair them up. Hjamarlsson with Oduya, Kruger with Nordstrom. Hopefully he plays well

Here's a question: What is with Pirri's game that the Hawks don't seem to like? I don't think the AHL's leading scorer had a good shot this preseason. Poor guy had an injury and now he's healthy it seems that Q won't give him a chance.

Is it his size, vision, defense, faceoffs? I just don't know what he doesn't have.

Comments would be appreciated.

 

[anotheridiot]

I think Ben Smith is a better center than Pirri and Smith is playing wing.

Maybe Q knows what he has in Hayes and Morin and just wants to give Nordstrom a chance to play on a line. If he is up at the beginning of the season, if he does nothing he will be back down by the third game. I mean Nordstrom is 160, keep him happy and hope he grows.

 

[ChicagoIrish]

Never know who is going to progress faster than others, but Nordstrom has come out of nowhere.

Seems Q likes his Swedes, and likes to pair them up. Hjamarlsson with Oduya, Kruger with Nordstrom. Hopefully he plays well

Here's a question: What is with Pirri's game that the Hawks don't seem to like? I don't think the AHL's leading scorer had a good shot this preseason. Poor guy had an injury and now he's healthy it seems that Q won't give him a chance.

Is it his size, vision, defense, faceoffs? I just don't know what he doesn't have.

Comments would be appreciated.

Seems to me that once Q rules you out, you're out. Not too sure why Pirri isn't getting a shot, but maybe Q just doesn't like him. Who knows.

On a side note, I wouldn't mind looking to move Hossa this season, or during the next off season.

 

[gmalis1]

Hossa's contract, along with his injury history and now a chronic back problem makes it virtually impossible to move him.

 

[anotheridiot]

Hossa's contract, along with his injury history and now a chronic back problem makes it virtually impossible to move him.

I though soup would be impossible to move and that was 7 million. Hossa is only 5.6 and there will be teams looking to meet minimum payroll requirements that would take that contract for a high character guy to show their kids what it takes to be a pro.

 

[gmalis1]

The back injury is the main problem right now.

Let's face it, if Hossa doesn't have any sustained problems with it, then why trade him?

And if he does have problems with it, no one will want him.

We'll see how it goes. If I'm the Hawks, I would be very worried. I'm skeptical he will be full speed the entire season, and possibly shut down for extended periods or the remainder of the season if it really flares up, followed by surgery.

 

[anotheridiot]

I just cant see a reason to move him until Hayes, Morin, or even Bollig step up their games. The way the cap is, it really does not hurt to have that payroll if he is inactive. If rules were different they might consider buying him out. I kinda think Hossa is the kind of guy that is gonna retire before the deal is up though if he can not play at a high level.

The pace with the olympics is gonna be the same pace as last year, basically a game every other night. Hossa can get a couple games off a week with the talent we have that would be on a roster if they werent with the blackhawks. 10-12 hawks should be playing the olympics as well, including hossa, so we need to see how the priorities are set. If he isnt ready to go, I would rather see kids get the time than just playing hossa a few shifts a game. But if he rests all first half and then goes all out in the olympics, he better be here for the end of the season and playoffs.

 

[anotheridiot]

Ryan Stanton on waivers as they try to get him back to Rockford.

 

[gmalis1]

Pirri and Morin sent to Rockford.

 

[gmalis1]

Looks like Jimmy Hayes, Ben Smith, Joakim Nordstrom and Michael Kostka survive the cuts.

 

[gmalis1]

Starting lineups????:

Bickell-Toews-Kane
Sharp-Handzus-Hossa
Saad-Shaw-Smith
Nordstrom-Kruger-Bollig

Keith-Seabrook
Hjamarlsson-Oduya
Leddy-Roszival

Crawford

 

[gmalis1]

I just cant see a reason to move him until Hayes, Morin, or even Bollig step up their games. The way the cap is, it really does not hurt to have that payroll if he is inactive. If rules were different they might consider buying him out. I kinda think Hossa is the kind of guy that is gonna retire before the deal is up though if he can not play at a high level.

The pace with the olympics is gonna be the same pace as last year, basically a game every other night. Hossa can get a couple games off a week with the talent we have that would be on a roster if they werent with the blackhawks. 10-12 hawks should be playing the olympics as well, including hossa, so we need to see how the priorities are set. If he isnt ready to go, I would rather see kids get the time than just playing hossa a few shifts a game. But if he rests all first half and then goes all out in the olympics, he better be here for the end of the season and playoffs.

Comparing any of those three, Hayes, Morin or Bollig, to Marian Hossa is just plain wrong. You can wait until the cows come home and none of those three, even put together, would equal a healthy Hossa. The issue is with Hossa's health, not his contract at this point.

Second, if Hossa's not ready to go, Q's not gonna put him out there "for a couple of shifts". This isn't playoff hockey yet. You either are ready to go or not. If not, then next man up. But don't think for a second you can just plug someone in Hossa's spot and get the same results. Offensively Hossa's a beast...an defensively he's also a beast. And he plays with Toews on the penalty kill, so if Hossa can't go, good luck with that too.

And I would bet yet another case of PBR that if Hossa doesn't go at all the first half of the season, he's not going to the Olympics. That's a ridiculous statement to think he would go.

Anyways, all indications are that Hossa's ready to go on Tuesday. Same for Michal Handzus. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

 

[Baseballnut77]

perhaps if you actually read it you would see that he didn't compare a single one of those players to hossa as he said until any of those 3 step up their games. But when an attack is on I guess those things go out the window

 

[gmalis1]

Rumors have it that Martin Erat may be on the trading block (already). And idea if the Hawks would be interested? Erat plays wing and has been unproductive since coming to Washington...and is now relegated to the fourth line.

Whereas there is no way he breaks into the top six, he could help on the third line in Chicago.

And comments?

 

[HockeyDoug]

I've always liked Erat but the production isn't there. He's been easy to shut down in big games for the most part. Besides the cap hit, he's coming off of a terrible year.

With 4.5 x 2 and a NMC, I think he carries too much risk, besides, he's more of a scoring winger suited for the 2nd line and isn't anything special defensively. The NMC scares me off even if the Caps take 2 million of his cap hit.

 

[anotheridiot]

perhaps if you actually read it you would see that he didn't compare a single one of those players to hossa as he said until any of those 3 step up their games. But when an attack is on I guess those things go out the window

Yes, thanks, I guess Jimmy Hayes playing wing on Hossas line during the preseason when Hoss didnt dress got past him.

Either way, I think there are just so many bullets with Hoss and hate seeing them wasted at the beginning of the year on a 3 game in 4 nite span. We do want him for the important games and if they make the playoffs.

 

[HockeyDoug]

Victor Svedberg is under contract for 2 years. He looks better than Danis-Pepin, that's not saying much. Watching somebody that big in Rockford for a couple more years will be interesting to say the least.

 

[gmalis1]

Blackhawks send Joakim Nordstrom to Rockford of the AHL. No other move made at this time to add to the active roster.

Ben Smith available...as is Michael Kostka, who played wing in the preseason after the infamous Brian Bickell uniform malfunction.

 

[gmalis1]

Kyle Beach tweeting he's leaving Sweden. His time there ends with a game misconduct yesterday.