It's not young players who are his issue, it's young players who are irresponsible on defense. He put Brandon Saad on the first line in his rookie season, he's always been favorable to Kruger and Smith, and he's about the only person in the world who sees NHL readiness in Joakim Nordstrom. If his three-game cameo was any indication, Teravainen won't have any trouble passing the fundamentals test, and so he'll get his time. Kevin Hayes, I don't think we'll ever see here, if his shitty attitude on Twitter was, in turn, any indication. Reminds me of Pirri, who wasn't just defensively sloppy, but was reportedly an entitled prick in the dressing room. Not a good fit. I suspect that the behind-the-scenes glue-guy bullshit is a big reason why the team keeps Brandon Bollig around. He's like a less evolved Adam Burish. Gah.

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I think you can get away playing Bollig in the regular season and not really be hurt. He just cant see the ice in the playoffs when all the bullshit stops and teams are actually playing hockey.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I agree with that. He honestly wasn't all that bad this year. He put a lid on the fighting bullshit and the Hawks were bottom five in fighting majors on the year, I think (maybe even as low as 28th, the only teams I know had fewer were Detroit and Carolina). He still took far too many minor penalties, of course, and that'll have to improve, but he could have been worse. I think he really tried to get better. Still no place for him in the playoffs.

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I have no problem with Bollig either. He's not a shitstain like Ryan Reaves or Shawn Thornton and does have a smidgen of skill compared to other designated enforcers.

But, I'd be curious to see a 4th line of Danault/Kruger/Smith. I have not seen Danault play but everywhere you read about him they say he's a relentless two-way player with some offensive skill. That'd be a really nasty 4th line to play against. Or you could push him up to the 3rd line to play with Shaw and Saad. Nordstrom could then split time with Bollig on the 4th line. Versteeg can't be on our roster next year. He was a frustrating player when he was good and now he's not even good.

Our defense is alright but definitely needs to be reworked. I don't hate Oduya but he's a marketable chip making a reasonable 3.375. The Sabres were able to extract two 2nd from the Kings for Robyn Regehr so I could easily see a high 2nd as the floor for Oduya.

Bollig fucking sucks in every possible way

Yes he does.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I wish I could watch them play tonight.

This.

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Elections have consequences.

There are some murmurs that Kane isn't happy about the Hawks being so thin at center. Perhaps we should get him one. It's a shame that Antoine Vermette is out there as a quintessential #2 center, but Phoenix needs him as a #1 and still insists on competing for a playoff spot. He'd be perfect here. I want Grabovski, too, but like I said earlier, the Hawks don't go for bitchy Russians. And other than Pavel Datsyuk, they're all bitchy.

I'd take either one just for one year because I'm inclined to treat next year as an all-in year. I was even before this season, where I sorta conceded going in that it would be a bit of a step back but as long as they kept their name in the papers late it would be okay. That's basically what happened, but then they got my hopes up before they blew three leads in a game and a puck bounced off a shoulder. Next year, they need to win. Toews and Kane are looking at $9.25MM a year, bare minimum. They each have two championships, two Olympic teams, and one Conn Smythe apiece. That's more than Crosby and Malkin, that's more than Getzlaf and Perry. Also, remember that Toews is a labor hardliner. If you think he'll take a dime under market value and explain that to his union, you're irretrievably delusional. We're also looking at a Canadian dollar that's dropping in value again just in time for the NHL's revenue to be heavily contingent on the value of the Canadian dollar. Sharp, Hossa, Keith, and Seabrook are aging. Things are getting tight. They need to win next year.

EDIT: qualifying offers might be good to know:
Morin: $761,250
Smith: $632,500
Raanta: $874,125

I'd look for Smith to be offered at least $750,000. I wouldn't be surprised if Morin gets non-tendered at this point, but maybe Stan will want to give him one more try.

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Why not just keep him with Saad and Shaw? Then 3rd line of Bickell Kreuger and 4th whatever amalgamation of Bollig Versteeg (who looks like is somehow going to avoid being drawn and quartered and remain with the team) Morin, Teemo Regin and whomever the fuck is left

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I don't feel good about Shaw as a #2 center, hot streak with Shaw and Kane notwithstanding. I don't see them wasting Teravainen on the fourth line; he'll get big minutes in Rockford until he's ready for big minutes here. And just between you and me, I don't think he'll make it as a center, either.

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Hossa is aging, not sure how much tread he has left on the tires.

Sharp has a few good years left.

Keith and Seabrook are right about 30. They got time left as well.

With that said, if you can get the right deal for Sharp you take it. This past year may likely be his best and his value will never be higher.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Maybe I'm too sentimental, but I don't want to give up on Sharp just yet. I agree that his value will never be higher, but I still think he's worth more here than traded away.

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Wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see one of 7, 10 or 81 go in hopes of bringing in a real 2C. Crazy reaches are Thorton and Kesler and Hawks would have to package more than one of those players for the latter.

I have some reservations about Teravainen being able to handle the rigors of playing 82 games as center in the NHL. He's just a little guy. Kinda, sorta expecting him to transfer to wing, especially if 10 or 81 are moved.

Jeremy Morin gets to play next year? Right? I mean, it's almost literally unavoidable at this point.

Hoping Johns does enough to warrant being the 6th dman out of camp.

My anger is still pretty squarely on Q for the season being over. Running 3 lines for 4 straight games was going to catch up to them.

Hilarious how shocked he was when 88 didn't have to carry the SS Handzus around that he seemed more dangerous.

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Team Cutler.

Forget about Joe Thornton. Doug Wilson won't make deals with the Blackhawks, and Thornton won't play in a high-scrutiny market, that big dumb grinning bitch. You think our media/fanbase is soft, get a load of those pillows in the Bay Area. He doesn't have the constitution to play to win, which is what we'd need him to do here.

Kesler is not impossible now that the Canucks have to shut 'er down, but he would still command a lot. I wouldn't sacrifice Sharp, Seabrook, or Hossa for him, though. Besides, you can't move Hossa if you're concerned about dead cap space: if he retires under someone else's watch, we're charged with recapture penalties for the years we had him. The hope is that he'd just go under LTIR for any remaining years if he sticks with us. I think he's here for life.

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