Bleacher Report - Articles by TAB BAMFORD

Chicago Cubs Promote Ryne Sandberg To Triple-A Manager

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:37:15 -0500

Is this heaven? No, Mr. Sandberg, it's Iowa!

Reports are that the Chicago Cubs have promoted Hall of Fame second baseman Ryne Sandberg to the bench in Iowa as the manager of their Triple-A affiliate.

Somewhere, Joe Morgan is telling someone that Sandberg can't manage, either.

Sandberg has spent most of his professional career with the Cubs organization after being acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies as a young third baseman over 27 years ago. Since then, he had arguably the best career, both offensively and defensively, of any second basemen in the last 50 years (post-Hornsby).

Since retiring (for a second time), Sandberg has been coaching in the Cubs farm system. His promotion to Triple-A will undoubtedly fuel the speculation that he is being groomed to replace Lou Piniella at Wrigley Field. Piniella's contract lasts through 2010.

Report: New York Mets Acquire Edwin Jackson From Detroit Tigers

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:08:21 -0500

Reports on Monday afternoon are that the New York Mets have traded for Detroit Tigers starter Edwin Jackson.

Jackson emerged as a solid starter for Detroit after being dealt to the Tigers for Matt Joyce last winter. The 26-year-old righty was 13-6 with a 3.62 ERA in 33 starts. He had one complete game last year, and struck out 161 in 215 innings pitched. Opposing batters only managed a .246 average against Jackson in 2009.

The Mets would add Jackson to a rotation that struggled in 2009, but still has a centerpiece in Johan Santana. Injuries hurt the Mets all over the field last year, and they're still stuck with Oliver Perez on their payroll.

Rumors were that the Tigers wanted young pitching in return for Jackson, but the players headed to Detroit in exchange for Jackson haven't been released yet.

Milton Bradley For Gil Meche? Chicago Cubs Talking To Kansas City Royals

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:38:11 -0500

Baseball's Winter Meetings have begun, and there isn't a team with as clear-cut a mission this week as the Chicago Cubs: get rid of Milton Bradley.

It appears Cubs GM Jim Hendry will do everything in his power to unload the switch-hitting outfielder/designated hitter this week after the marriage between the volatile Bradley and the organization, and Cubs fans, went south in terribly public fashion.

The reactions to Bradley from Cubs fans could have been better. Bradley claims there were racial comments made to him from the bleachers during games, something that past Cubs disappointments Jacque Jones and Latroy Hawkins have also claimed.

But Bradley, who has a history filled with both health and temper issues, didn't help himself. He talked a lot in Spring Training, and then didn't back up his words. He also continued to hurt his cause by talking negatively about Cubs fans to the media and making hand gestures while entering the dugout.

His production was also awful to begin the season, which didn't help win the fans over.

The Cubs organization didn't help themselves, with players being split on their feelings about Bradley. When Bradley was sent home for the remainder of the season in September, many veterans spoke up about the breakdown in the clubhouse with him.

However, after he was traded, Jake Fox had a contrasting opinion of Bradley, saying he was a good teammate who was just misunderstood.

The jury on Bradley might not ever settle in Chicago's tenure, but it appears Hendry made up his mind that a change needs to happen.

Enter the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals are looking to add a bat, and have dealt with so-called "head cases" before; they're entering the third and final season of a $36 million contract with Jose Guillen.

Kansas City is looking to move some dead weight off their payroll, and might have a good match for the Cubs that would fill a need for the Cubs as well. Gil Meche has two years and $24 million left on a contract that he hasn't earned yet.

Meche's contract is closer to the two years and $21 million Bradley is owed by the Cubs than any of the players the Cubs have allegedly discussed yet. Pat Burrell and Luis Castillo are both in the final years of contracts, meaning the Rays and Mets would be asking the Cubs to send a substantial amount of cash with Bradley in any deal.

Where Meche fills a need for the Cubs is as a bottom-of-the-rotation starter. The Cubs will probably lose Rich Harden to free agency after not offering the righty arbitration; the Red Sox and Mariners appear to be interested in Harden and would likely pay more than the Cubs for his services.

Meche, 31, would likely slide into the fourth or fifth spot in the Cubs' rotation, between Ryan Dempster and Randy Wells. In 2009, Meche was 6-10 with a 5.09 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.

Over the last three years, Meche is 4-7 with a 4.23 ERA in April, though. In fact, his 3.91 ERA before the All Star break over the past three seasons is significantly lower than his performances after the break (4.24).

The Cubs need a reliable starter to eat innings to start the season while they're without Ted Lilly, who's coming back from shoulder surgery.

Even without winning as many games, or statistically performing as well as a three-year, $36 million deal would warrant, Meche has still thrown a lot of innings (555 over the past three years) and would at least give a healthy, durable arm to the bottom of the Cubs' rotation.

The problems with bringing in Meche, though, isn't completely statistical. The Cubs have a number of young starters, including Jeff Samardzija and Jay Jackson, that would figure to see their chances at breaking into the rotation disappear, at least for 2009, if the Cubs brought in Meche.

Meche would, however, be a better fit both financially and defensively than Burrell and would be a better financial fit than Castillo. By finding a suitor that would likely take on all of Bradley's contract, even perhaps sending cash with Meche to complete the deal, the Cubs would have more flexibility to add another outfielder the caliber of Mike Cameron, who has been rumored to be at the top of the Cubs' wish list.

For a great read on Cameron's suitability with the Cubs, check out a recent article by Danny Sisto .

It will be interesting where Bradley ends up in 2010, and what the obligations are for the Cubs to move him. If the Royals, and Meche, are the answer, it could help the Cubs.

Chicago Blackhawks Trade Bait: Dustin Byfuglien

TAB BAMFORD — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 21:20:32 -0500

Chicago Blackhawks' Featured Columnists Tab Bamford and Michael Wagner will, over the coming week, evaluate and discuss potential trade candidates on the Blackhawks roster. With the Hawks needing to move money off their 2010-11 payroll, players that are currently Blackhawks won't be next year. This is the second installment of the series. In the first, Wagner discussed Tomas Kopecky's issues .

I think I've heard this one before: "the Chicago Blackhawks need to unload salary because they're going to be over the cap next year."

It's true. But now that the Have have cleared whatever tagging hurdles there were in the way of signing Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane, the immediate need to move a player has disappeared.

Just because it isn't present doesn't mean it's dead. The Hawks still need to move a player (or two, or three).

Tomas Kopecky isn't playing well so far this year, and he was a healthy scratch from the lineup on Saturday night in Pittsburgh. With his minimal exposure, Kopecky might be a veteran another team might bite on.

Personally, I doubt it. He's played so poorly, my opinion is that Kopecky's more likely to be bought out next summer. By buying Kopecky out, his cap number would drop from $1.2 million to $360,000, a nearly $900,000 savings that could be the difference between keeping and trading someone like Patrick Sharp.

One player that has a higher value in the trade market right now, because he's statistically performing is Dustin Byfuglien.

Byfuglien is a big body (6'3", 245 lbs.), brought through the Hawks' system as a defenseman. But because of the emergence of players like Cam Barker and Niklas Hjalmarsson, and the Hawks' desperate need for a big body to consistently post up in front of opposing goalies, Byfuglien was moved to forward.

This move came while the former Hawks' GM was making the first of a number of mistakes with veteran contracts. Before the 2008-09 season, based completely on the perception of a huge ceiling, Tallon gave Byfuglien a three-year, $9 million contract.

When the ink dried, only five Hawks had a bigger cap number than Byfuglien's $3 million.

Byfuglien bounced around a little last year before landing on a line with Dave Bolland and Patrick Kane that proved to be special in last year's playoffs. Though his production went down (from 36 points in 67 games during 2007-08 to 31 points in 77 games in 2008-09), Byfuglien was a much more balanced performer on the ice. He went from a minus-seven to plus-seven in the same one-year stretch.

One of the big factors in Byfuglien's statistical drop-off was his playing time, and when he was playing. In 2007-08, Byfuglien had 17 points on the power play (seven goals, 10 assists) and was playing over 17 minutes per night. In 2008-09, he had only seven power play points (three goals, four assists), and his numbers dropped under 15 minutes per game.

Because Byfuglien was playing the blue line primarily, he was at the point on the power play more often in 2007-08 than the following year. This season, Joel Quenneville has experimented with Byfuglien back at the point on the power play with some success.

Something else developed in 2008-09: The Blackhawks were a good, deep roster with a fairly well stocked farm system.

In 2007-08, the Hawks spent the year fighting to come up with enough points to sneak into the playoffs; their "one goal" back then was to be relevant. In 2008-09, they sprinted to the Conference Finals. Byfuglien played a big role in the Hawks' postseason success, too.

But the value Byfuglien brings to the team, and how his salary affects the payroll in relation to that production, are why Byfuglien might be the most attractive, yet most easily replaced, piece on the current roster.

Through Saturday night's win in Pittsburgh, Byfuglien has 10 points (eight goals, two assists). His eight goals are tied for second on the team, just one behind Kane's team leading nine. So, on paper, he's a productive big man.

But, as is true with all sports, staring a numbers don't always translate to reality in games. Byfuglien is far from the top of the Hawks' roster when it comes to quality on the ice.

Despite his 10 points, and the amount of time he's on a line with players like Kris Versteeg and Sharp, or Kane and Bolland, Byfuglien hasn't been a consistent performer. He's minus-five on the season, making him one of only three Hawks that average over 10 minutes on the ice per night that are negative (John Madden is minus-two, Kopecky is minus-seven).

Byfuglien has also shown a tendency to take less-than ideal penalties this year. It really began for Byfuglien on Oct. 21, after Toews went down against Vancouver. Byfuglien decided to come to his captain's defense minutes after the hit, and took a dumb penalty that resulted in a critical goal for the Canucks.

Again, on Friday night, Byfuglien took a questionable boarding penalty that cost the team. After that penalty, his role appeared to change in the eyes of Quenneville.

Byfuglien slid from the second line, where he had been skating with Kane and Versteeg, to the third line with Madden and Ladd; Troy Brouwer was elevated to the top line with Marian Hossa and Toews, while Patrick Sharp played with Kane and Versteeg.

As the lines were set for Saturday, Byfuglien was with Madden and Brouwer, while Andrew Ladd skated with the first line. Byfuglien's role was sliding down the depth chart.

It hasn't been only the penalties he's been taking that have hurt Byfuglien's playing time, either. With Hossa having joined the team, and Brouwer playing exceptionally well (13 points), there are other players on the roster that are posting up in front of the net just as well.

Indeed, Brouwer's solid season, and price tag that comes at one-third that of Byfuglien, might be one of the most critical factors in his importance on the team disappearing. Brouwer handles the puck better than Byfuglien, most noticeable in his six assists to Byfuglien's two, and has also taken only 16 penalty minutes to Byfuglien's 40, all while being credited with nearly as many hits (69) as Byfuglien (83).

Add to Brouwer's smarter, less expensive play the reality that the Hawks have good players with similar size to Byfuglien coming along through their system, and Byfuglien's time in Chicago could be over sooner rather than later.

We've already seen Bryan Bickell and Jake Dowell play effective hockey with the Hawks this year, and they could be with the big team in Chicago for less than $1 million next year. Also available will be better offensive players in Akim Aliu and Kyle Beach, both of whom are having good seasons and are years younger than Byfuglien.

In fact, as Mr. Wagner will be the first to testify, I might be the cheerleading President of the Beach Fan Club on Bleacher Report; I've been writing about his potential since early this past summer.

Beach is 6'3" and over 210 pounds, both comparable to Byfuglien's size, but Beach won't turn 20 until the middle of January. In 25 games in Spokane this year, Beach has 21 goals and nine assists (30 points) to go with 78 penalty minutes.

Beach could easily replace Byfuglien, Ben Eager and/or Andrew Ladd next year; in my opinion, Beach will be on the 2010-11 Blackhawks, the only question is who he'll replace. It could, and should, be Byfuglien.

There are General Managers like Toronto's Brian Burke that love big, banging forwards like Byfuglien. Unfortunately for teams looking to dump salary on the Leafs, they don't have draft picks to move in return; they traded most of their high picks for Phil Kessel and are trying to stockpile picks via trade now.

The Blackhawks would want to move Byfuglien in a deal that would unload most, if not all, of his $3 million cap number. That means either a prospect or draft picks coming back. However, if the Hawks could pick up a contributing player for a relatively low cap number, perhaps a young defenseman for under $1 million with an expiring contract, that might get the deal done.

Another possibility is that Hawks GM Stan Bowman packages a couple of younger players in a deal to bring in a contributing player that's less expensive. In the coming days, Wagner and I will look at a few more players that could be on their way out of Chicago. Packaging Byfuglien with someone like Cam Barker, who also has a cap number of $3 million, could be tempting for lots of rival GMs.

Crosby Sits, Cooke Hits, Blackhawks Win the Game

TAB BAMFORD — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:11:02 -0500

In the hardest hitting game the Chicago Blackhawks have played yet this year, the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins saw what the young Hawks have to offer in a thrilling overtime victory.

From the opening drop of the puck it was clear that the Penguins were trying to send a physical message. Matt Cooke and Duncan Keith exchanged blows in the first period, two high checks ended with Keith in the box for two minutes, and later Cooke sucker punched Keith in the face for the effort. Thanks to WGN’s camera work and a slow-motion, circled telestrator showing the obvious punch from two angles, Cooke should be receiving a love letter from the league office.

The Cooke-Keith battle wasn’t isolated in this game, though. Brent Seabrook, Mike Rupp, Adam Eaton and former Blackhawk Craig Adams all hit hard and a lot in the game. Seabrook led all skaters with nine credited hits in the game, with the ninth being a leveling blow to Evgeni Malkin late in the third period. Adams had a highlight reel knockdown of his own, putting the Oh! in the middle of a Brian Campbell spin-o-rama .

Malkin wasn’t just getting hit, though. In the second period, he lost a faceoff to Colin Fraser and proceeded to pin Fraser on his back and hit him repeatedly in the chest with his stick. Once Fraser was up, Sergei Gonchar took a shot at Fraser from behind, knocking him into Malkin, who took another swipe at Fraser.

While this exchange was taking place, Campbell was skating along minding his own business about five feet away. Thankfully, Hawks’ color man Eddie Olczyk called Campbell out for not only being soft, but a bad teammate for watching Fraser, who’s generously listed at 6-1, 190 pounds, get pinballed back and forth by Malkin (6-3, 200) and Gonchar (6-2, 215).

Despite the hard hitting and many exchanges of words from both sides, the action remained fluid. Marian Hossa , who was booed every time he touched the puck by his former fans in Pittsburgh, scored his third goal of the season (in only six games) midway through the first period to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.

That lead would hold until the Penguins pulled Marc-Andre Fleury with 99 seconds remaining for a faceoff in the Hawks’ zone. Malkin unleashed a missile from the point that was redirected in traffic to a wide open Jordan Staal, who tied the game.

The Staal goal was the first allowed by Antti Niemi in nearly 120 minutes in the net; his last start was a shutout, and he earned every bit of the victory on Saturday night. Niemi kept 30 of the Penguins 31 shots out of the net in one of the better performances by any netminder in the league this season. He did allow the goal, though, so another Hawks game would be decided in overtime.

Halfway through the extra frame, the Hawks took advantage of a lazy pass by the Penguins in the Hawks’ zone and carried a three-on-two rush into the zone. Brian Campbell whiffed on his first shot attempt, took the puck deeper into the zone and threw it on net. Fleury allowed a soft rebound, that Kris Versteeg handled, redirected to his forehand around Fleury with a defenseman on his back, and put the puck home as he was being checked from behind for the game winner.

There were a number of subplots to this game that were as intriguing as the game was exciting.

First, I personally found it interesting that Sidney Crosby didn’t play. Crosby was a late morning scratch with an apparent groin issue, which Crosby claimed had been bothering him for a couple weeks.

Obviously he had been in a lot of pain—he had 11 points in his last three games before Saturday.

But in Crosby’s absence, Cooke and company felt able to take cheap shots at the Blackhawks all night, knowing that their best player was sitting in a suite somewhere sipping a wine cooler. Malkin, who we’ve already discussed, is big enough and physical to handle his own business, but I found it interesting that the Penguins were as physical as they were with Crosby out of uniform.

When you put this absence in the context that Crosby hasn’t faced the Blackhawks in three years, it starts to sound like a pattern; he missed only five games last year (including the Hawks) and Saturday was the first game he’s missed this season.

Another interesting development from this game was Chicago coach Joel Quenneville’s lines to start the game and the evolution of his groupings during the game.

Dustin Byfuglien took a stupid boarding penalty on Friday night and was demoted to the third line for the final half of the third period. On Saturday, Byfuglien found himself starting on the third line with John Madden and Troy Brouwer ; Versteeg was back at wing with Jonathan Toews and Hossa, while Andrew Ladd was bumped up to be with Patrick Sharp (who was back at center) and Patrick Kane. Byfuglien played 19:45, though, which is well over his season average.

Also perhaps in the doghouse is Tomas Kopecky, who has been an overwhelming disappointment so far this year. At minus-seven, he has the worst plus-minus rating on the team and hasn’t been able to establish a role on the roster. On Saturday, Kopecky was a healthy scratch in favor of Jordan Hendry. Hendry didn’t even play five minutes in Pittsburgh, but Quenneville thought he would give the Hawks a better effort.

In the third period, Quenneville rotated his defenseman to put Brent Sopel with Niklas Hjalmarsson for nearly the entire final period. That meant Cam Barker was skating with Campbell, and it appeared the Barker-Campbell pair was the third pair. Barker played under 14 minutes on Saturday, with Sopel eclipsing 15 and Hjalmarsson playing over 17. Hjalmarsson was credited with four blocked shots, which tied Keith for the team lead.

The final statistic that was incredible was playing in Pittsburgh 23 hours after the puck dropped in Chicago, Seabrook and Keith logged huge minutes. Seabrook played over 28 minutes of physical hockey, while Keith led the team with over 31 minutes of ice time. The Hawks top pair of defenseman, in my opinion the best pair in the NHL right now, were matched up with Malkin all night and did a great job of shutting him down.

After all the minutes played by Keith and Seabrook, and all the cheap shots from Cooke, the game ended on a great goal by Versteeg. If the Eastern Conference didn’t recognize the Blackhawks as being for real, they better now.

Koyie Hill Vs. Mike Redmond: Who Should Be The Cubs Backup Catcher?

TAB BAMFORD — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 11:03:40 -0500

This week, the arbitration deadline came and went with few surprises. One player that became an unprotected free agent intrigues me as an option for the Chicago Cubs.

The Minnesota Twins have decided to part ways with Joe Mauer's backup, Mike Redmond.

Redmond's name on the availability list made me wonder who would be the better option to back up Geovany Soto in Chicago this summer between Redmond and Koyie Hill. Let's examine how these two backstops compare.

Redmond, who will be 39 in May, is a career .289 hitter with no power. (His career high is four home runs.) However, he has a career .345 OBP.

Hill, on the other hand, will turn 31 in March and has a career .215 average with an equally powerless resume. Hill's career OBP is only .286, though.

According to FanGraphs, Redmond has significantly better plate discipline than Hill. Redmond swung at only 22.6 percent of pitches outside the strike zone in his career, while Hill is reaching at a 28.4 percent rate. On pitches outside the zone, Redmond makes contact 69.6 percent of the time, while Hill only touched the ball 47.5 percent of the time. Advantage: Redmond.

When you come inside the strike zone, the quality of Redmond's at bats is again superior. Redmond makes contact with 95.9 percent of pitches he swings at inside the strike zone, while Hill only puts wood on the ball 83.7 percent of the time. Again, substantial advantage to Redmond.

Both players are good defensive catchers, and made less than $1 million last year. Redmond, however, has a World Series ring from the 2003 Marlins. (Salt in the wound, right?)

So looking at the two next to each other, Redmond looks like an older, but better, option.

But why do I care about the Cubs' backup catcher? Because Soto was awful last year.

In 2009, Soto went through a rough sophomore slump. His post-World Baseball Classic admission of marijuana "experimentation", and subsequent poor physical condition when he got to Mesa with his teammates, was frustrating and his poor performance on the field made things worse.

All Cubs fans should hope Soto bounces back to his 2008 form next season; the Cubs have a significantly better chance of making noise in October if they have the Soto that hit .285 with 23 home runs, instead of the pudgy kid who gave the team .218 and 11 home runs the following season.

There is, however, no guarantee that Soto will bounce back. Just because a player had a big rookie season doesn't mean they'll be an All Star for the following decade; give Jerome Walton a call if you don't believe me.

If Soto doesn't bounce back, the Cubs need to have a better offensive option on the bench than what Hill provided last year. In 2009, the Cubs gave their opponents two outs every time through the order, in the 60 games Soto didn't appear. You cannot win a division if 37 percent of your games are played at that kind of a disadvantage.

Therefore, it is my opinion that the Cubs should strongly consider upgrading their backup catcher position by adding Redmond. His experience and superior abilities in the batters box at a marginal increase to the bottom line make sense. He would provide much better insurance against another bad season from Soto than Hill.

NEWS: Philadelphia Flyers Fire Head Coach John Stevens

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:14:27 -0500

Reports on Friday afternoon are that John Stevens is out as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Stevens was named the head coach on Oct. 22, 2006.

The Flyers are currently in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-11-1 record (27 points), and trail first place Pittsburgh by 13 points. Philadelphia has lost seven of their last 10 games.

Philadelphia currently ranks ninth in the NHL, scoring 3.00 goals per game, while allowing 2.68, good for 10th in the league. They also rank fourth in the NHL in offensive power play at 22.8 percent, but are 14th in penalty killing at only 80.9 percent.

They spent a lot of money to upgrade the roster this summer, most notably adding Chris Pronger to a roster that finished 44-27-11 (99 points) last season. They were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs in the first round by Pittsburgh in six games.

Rumors are that Peter Laviolette could replace Stevens on the Flyers' bench. Carolina has already granted Philadelphia permission to speak with Laviolette, who will reportedly make his debut on the Flyers' bench on Saturday.

NHL Trade Rumors: All Quiet On Chicago's West Side for Blackhawks?

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:50:16 -0500

As the Chicago Blackhawks prepare to host the Nashville Predators Friday night, there’s an awkward silence coming from Chicago.

Yesterday, obviously, was one of the most important days in Blackhawks’ history, as the team announced contract extensions for Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith. The excitement leading up to that announcement, and the anticipation of the potential the future could bring with these three young stars locked up, was something the Hawks fans have been begging for since 1962.

But the other side of the excitement was the rumors that the Blackhawks had to make a deal to make the three contracts happen during the season. The “tagging” rule was an issue the Blackhawks allegedly had to deal with, and it was reportedly going to force GM Stan Bowman to move at least one, if not two players before the ink was dry.

Reports on Friday morning, however, are that Bowman and others from the Blackhawks’ front office met with NHL officials to review the Hawks salary obligations in 2009-10 and beyond, and received league clearance to finalize the three new contracts without being obligated to cut payroll.

That means the trade rumors swirling around Cam Barker, Patrick Sharp and, especially, Brent Sopel should die down for at least a little while.

However, just because the league was OK with the Hawks new deals happening new without a deal doesn’t mean the Hawks are in good financial position moving forward. Adding the three new deals puts the Blackhawks’ salary cap number at $60.6 million heading to next year before addressing the pending free agencies of players like Niklas Hjalmarsson, Andrew Ladd, Antti Niemi, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager, John Madden and Adam Burish. Expectations are that the NHL will lower the salary cap for 2010-11 from the current $56.8 million.

Which means the Hawks will need to move salary just to put a complete roster on the ice next year, much less have any depth.

There’s no doubt that rumors will continue to swirl around a number of Blackhawks, including Barker, Sharp, Sopel, Dustin Byfuglien and Kris Versteeg, all of whom are signed through next season. Realistic expectations should be that two players from this list are not with the team next year because of salary constraints, and those players might still be moved during this season.

But what’s important now is that, if the Hawks opt to keep the current roster together through the playoffs, they can do so. The way these Hawks are playing, that’s a relief.

For more on the Chicago Blackhawks, check out Tab's Blackhawks blog - CommittedIndians.com!

Tiger Cheats, Weis Loses, Tebow Wins and Cutler Doesn't... I Need a Break!

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:05:49 -0500

If I had known last Thursday what I know now, I would have been thankful for peace and quiet!

Where do we begin?

In case you hadn't heard, Tiger Woods likes women. Not the gorgeous one he's married to, of course, but other women. All over the country, apparently, too.

Oh, and Charlie Weis? Yeah, he got fired at Notre Dame. But if you have a television, you saw that coming three years ago when he lost, at home, to Navy.

Speaking of Touchdown Jesus, Tim Tebow's career in the swamp is over. Now he gets to play Alabama for a chance at another National Championship and automatic enshrinement in the All Time ManCrush Hall of Fame in the Urban Meyer category.

If you want to talk about real, already-in-the-real Hall of Fame people, Bobby Bowden "retired" after losing to Tebow's Florida Gators. I'd love to know, though, where someone goes to get big enough stones to tell the godfather of your football program, who has raised MILLIONS of dollars for your university, that he isn't wanted any more? I don't think that was part of Wal Mart's Black Friday sale.

Jay Cutler just got picked off.

Speaking of the Wal Mart sale rack, the New Jersey Nets are doing a fantastic job of recruiting LeBron James away from Cleveland. Apparently they didn't get the memo that blowing the first two months of the season isn't a good selling point, especially when you're other selling point is Jersey.

Sorry, New Jersey.

Did you hear that Roy Halladay would like to pitch for the Yankees? Really? I'm pretty sure there are at least 15 players on 29 rosters that would love to wear the pinstripes, too. In fact, my agent is going to call Bleacher Report's editorial board and tell them that I will only accept a trade to the Yankees or a fresh 20-ounce bottle of Dr. Pepper. Either way, you guys can pick.

Baseball announced all of their post season awards. Two teams didn't have one player receive a single vote for any awards: the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets. The only problem there is that the Mets paid $82 million more than the Orioles did to get shut out. How's that working out for you, Mr. Minaya?

Brett Favre's old. We get it.

His teammate, Adrian Peterson, needs to learn how to read speed limit signs, though. apparently he didn't notice that he was doing 105 in a 55 zone last weekend. I take that back...when you're doing DOUBLE the speed limit, you're not around long enough to read the sign. AP needs to pay attention.

Meanwhile, Eric Mangini is making another quarterback change. This time, he's calling for Jimmy Claussen, though. If I were Claussen, and I had to decide between Notre Dame or playing in Cleveland, I would call Brady Quinn for advice. I'm sure Coach Weis' Rolodex is in a box somewhere.

Cutler just got picked off again.

I'm proposing a cage match: Craig Sager against Jay Glazer. One's a bald midget, the other wears clothes that would have embarrassed Liberace. Smart money's on Glazer.

Word is that Glazer is training for the bout with Sager by running through the streets of Philadelphia like Rocky did; Sager is going to jog laps around newly-unemployed Mark Mangino.

Speaking of Mangino, I'm sure he'll be fine financially. "Ghostbusters" was on AMC last weekend, and he was great while... what? The Stay Puff Marshmallow Man? NO! I could have sworn that was Mangino! My bad.

Al Davis just fired someone. So did Donald Trump. My question is: which has more of their original hair left?

The Hot Seat's on the phone, is Rich Rodriguez available? No? Fine, give the phone back to Eric Mangini.

After a lengthy review, the call on the field is confirmed: Cutler has been intercepted again.

Finally, I would love it if Mike Shanahan, Bill Cowher, Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, and Mike Ditka all decided to coach high school teams in the suburbs. How great would that be? Cowher can spit further than an average 17-year-old can throw a spiral, and Holmgren's play titles are longer than some English papers. I would pay to watch that happen!

Jim Hendry's Rich Harden Gamble Becoming a Loss?

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:39:32 -0500

Back in July, there were some people that thought the Cubs should have traded pitcher Rich Harden. I was among those that though Harden, having a good, healthy season, had arguably the highest trade value of his career and could have helped the future of the Cubs at the expense of a lost 2009 campaign.

Cubs GM Jim Hendry didn't agree; Harden stayed in Chicago.

Then, in August, we learned that the Minnesota Twins placed a waiver claim on Harden. Around the same time the Anaheim Angels won a waiver claim on, and paid a fairly steep price for, an underwhelming Scott Kazmir.

Again, I was part of the group that thought the Cubs should see what they could get for Harden and, even if it was only prospects, should move the starter before his contract ended in October.

However, other fans thought it was foolish to trade Harden for nothing, citing the Cubs' ability to offer the starter arbitration and at least get draft picks for him as a worst case scenario.

My fear was that the Cubs wouldn't trade Harden, wouldn't offer him arbitration, and would lose a valuable pitcher for nothing.

Consider my fears fully realized.

Hendry, the same wizard who added Aaron Miles, Kevin Gregg, and Milton Bradley to the best team in the National League after 2008, only to watch 2009 turn into a laughable disaster, opted to not offer Harden arbitration.

Now reports are that the Cubs, who apparently wouldn't be against the idea of bringing the oft-injured Canadian righty back, apparently will have to outbid Boston, Texas, Minnesota, and Seattle for him.

Remember, the Twins could have had Harden in August, and the Cubs could have had a couple minor league players, if Hendry had dealt Harden then. Now, the Twins might get him without losing players from their farm system.

Again, nice thinking, Jimbo.

On a day that saw Hendry continue to rid the organization of his Winter of 2009 Failures (Miles was traded to Oakland with Jake Fox for a mediocre reliever and a couple prospects), Harden might be headed to another city with the Cubs failing to be compensated.

For those fans out there that continue to defend the Jim Hendry that stole Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez for nothing almost a decade ago, please tell me what he's done lately that makes you believe he's able to build a winner. Letting Harden walk appears to be another lost opportunity to build the organizational depth in an effort to patronize fans with another also-ran season.

News: Jake Fox, Aaron Miles Dealt by Chicago Cubs

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:27:19 -0500

According to a number of reports, the Chicago Cubs have dealt Jake Fox and Aaron Miles to the Oakland A's for reliever Jeff Gray and minor-leaguers Ronny Morla and Matt Spencer.

Gray, 28, appeared in 24 games last season, where he had a 3.76 ERA. He had a 1.29 WHIP as well.

Spencer, a left handed hitting outfielder who turns 24 in January, split last year between High A and AA ball last year. He combined to bat .289 with 19 home runs and 91 RBI in 123 games. The Arizona State product also had a .844 OPS.

Morla, 21, played pitched in only 17 games, going 1-7 with a 4.86 ERA; he did, however, strike out 73 in 63 innings.

In Scouts.com's mid season rankings, Spencer was Oakland's 16th ranked prospect, while Morla was not ranked.

My reaction the trade...WHAT?

Miles, and his garbage contract, are gone. That's great. But getting a mediocre 28-year old reliever with 29 games on his major league resume as the headliner in a trade that included Jake Fox feels like another team fleeced Jim Hendry.

According to ESPNChicago, the Cubs are even paying $1 million Miles contract. In my humble opinion, simple releasing Miles and eating the whole thing would have been a better move than unloading Fox for three mediocre players.

Spencer put up some decent numbers, but finds himself stuck behind Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome in the Cubs' outfield rotation for the next few years. At his size (6-4, 244) he doesn't seem to be a centerfielder.

If Hendry can spin some of these prospects into someone/something that can help the 2010 Cubs, fantastic. But this deal feels too much like the fire sale trade of Mark DeRosa for me to be too comfortable right now.

Chicago Blackhawks Prospects Earning Respect, Recognition

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:23:35 -0500

On the day that the Chicago Blackhawks lock up more of their core with contract extensions, fans can look forward to the team’s future with great anticipation.

But with the news that Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith are getting big raises, there is also concern over which players on the current roster might have to leave to make room for the financial considerations being made to keep this great group together.

The position that’s drawn the most interest, intrigue, and rumors has been the Hawks’ blue line, where Brent Sopel and Cam Barker have seen their names headed to nearly every corner of North America in the last few weeks.

Sopel has been rumored to be headed to Toronto, Carolina, and even Rockford, while Barker’s been rumored to be a popular name in Ottawa, Carolina, and New York to say the least.

Barker, who was selected with the third overall pick in the 2004 NHL Draft following Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin (and coincidentally before Andrew Ladd, the fourth overall pick), is a player that carries a lot of unsettled emotion with Hawks fans. He’s still just 23 years old, so many fans still hold out hope for him to develop into a premier defender.

Meanwhile, many fans still associate Barker with the two elite superstars he followed to the podium in 2004, which leaves many fans disappointed.

No matter how Barker or Sopel is viewed, the concern when you hear trade rumors swirling around a first place team is not only the value received for the players dealt, but also the long-term implications of the move.

Blackhawks fans can rest assured that any move taking a player off the blue line is done with the future in mind. Stan Bowman can have every confidence that he has players coming through the pipeline that could be ready in the next couple seasons to become premier defensemen.

On Wednesday morning, Hockey Canada invited 36 players to Canada’s National Junior selection camp from Dec. 12-16, 2009 in Regina, Sask. The camp is for Canada’s top junior-aged hockey players (born in 1990 or later), and players from this elite group will make up Canada’s team in the IIHF World Junior Championships. Canada has won five consecutive gold medals in the Championships.

Two Blackhawks prospects, Dylan Olsen and Shawn LaLonde, have been invited to be a part of the camp for Team Canada.

Olsen, 18, was selected 28th overall in the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He is currently playing at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and has eight assists in their first 12 contests. Olsen is listed at 6'2", 206 pounds.

LaLonde, 19, was selected 59th overall in the 2008 National Hockey League Entry Draft. He is currently playing with the Belleville Bulls and ranks second on the team with 22 points (7 G, 15 A) in 21 games so far this season. LaLonde is listed at 6'1", 192 pounds.

Another Blackhawks prospect being recognized internationally is center Marcus Kruger. Kruger, 19, is one of four finalists for 2009-10 Rookie of the Year honors in the Swedish Elite League. He was also selected to be a member of Sweden’s World Junior Championship Team at the 2010 IIHF World U20 Championship.

Kruger was selected by the Blackhawks in the fifth round (149th overall) in the 2009 draft.

It's Official: The Chicago Blackhawks Lock Up Keith, Toews, and Kane

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:44 -0500

An organization that is coming to be known for doing things right continues to one-up their own benchmarks. Thursday’s press conference, and the reason for it, is just one more notch in the right direction.

At the United Center, the Chicago Blackhawks announced the new contracts for Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, and Patrick Kane on Thursday in a press conference that serves as a wonderful example of how much the organization “gets it.”

The press conference began with a video tribute to the three players. Appropriately, as the video began playing, the voice of Chicago’s own Billy Corrigan came through singing “Today’s the greatest day I’ve ever known,” from the Smashing Pumpkins’ classic. GM Stan Bowman correctly stated that today was a historic day in the history of the Blackhawks organization.

Bowman stated that that "the plan was to keep our core together for a long time and Jonathan [Toews], Duncan [Keith], and Patrick [Kane] are a major part of that.” Bowman’s effort to keep that core together came in the form of matching five-year, $31.5 million contracts for Toews and Kane, and a 13-year, $72 million deal for Keith.

All three players noted during the press conference that they were drafted by the Blackhawks as 18-year-olds, and sharing the day together was fitting to all three. As much as Bowman considers these three players the core of the organization, it was obvious at the press conference that the organization, and the city of Chicago , has become the core of the three players.

One reporter asked the three if they realized how good they have it, playing in front of roaring packed buildings every home game, and now becoming the best team in Chicago across all professional sports. Toews responded that its fun to meet and spend time with guys in other sports, but it was Keith that drove home the evolution of the organization.

Keith made his Blackhawks debut in 2005-06, when the Hawks were regularly filling between 7-9,000 seats. Kane and Toews have been the poster boys for the evolution of the Hawks organization, but Keith said it’s “amazing to see the turnaround…how much fun it is to play here.”

Keith also said he’s happy to have signed such a long term deal with the team, and he is confident that the team will win a championship during his tenure. Keith said he always envisioned playing his entire career for the Blackhawks, and now he’ll get that chance.

When asked why it was important to announce all three deals together, Keith said it was because no single player is bigger than the team. It was overwhelmingly apparent that all three of these players are committed to the Indian and their teammates.

Both Toews and Kane said in their remarks that they’re new contract is for five more years, but that shouldn’t be the end of their Chicago careers. And Keith made special mention of his partner on the blue line, Brent Seabrook.

The Blackhawks did not, however, address the salary cap issue. One question was presented to the players, but Kane simply said they don’t think too much about the business end of things and just focus on the ice. There has been little done publicly to clarify how the tagging situation for the Hawks would play a role in these three contracts, and whether or not a move needed to be made to formally make these deals a reality.

It is clear, though, that money will have to be moved off next year’s payroll to put a complete roster on the ice under the projected salary cap. The speculation will be in high gear as the coming days and months move along toward the trade deadline, but for now Hawks fans can sit back, put their feet up, and enjoy a cold one in honor of a great day in Chicago hockey history.

All three players stressed that today was about the team, and winning the Stanley Cup. Now that they’ll be part of the team for the better part of the coming decade, the Cup dream might be closer to becoming more of a reality than at any time since 1961.

Done Deals: Chicago Blackhawks To Announce Extensions Thursday

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:33:38 -0500

The Chicago Blackhawks have scheduled a 2:00 p.m. press conference at the United Center to formally announce new contracts for Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Duncan Keith.

It's believed that the initially reported years (five each for Kane and Toews, 13 for Keith) are the lengths of the deals. TSN's Darren Dreger is reporting Wednesday night that Kane and Toews' deals will average $6.3 million per season, while Keith's will average $5.5 million.

TSN is also reporting that the Blackhawks have not cleared the "tagging room" hurdle, however. That means another move could come as early as tonight to clear cap space on next year's payroll. Rumors have swirled recently including Cam Barker, Brent Sopel and Patrick Sharp. The Hawks likely will need to either trade a player or move one through waivers to make space for the new deals.

NHL Western Conference Injury Updates: Dec. 2 Edition

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:33:27 -0500

Originally posted on CommittedIndians.com, your source for all things Blackhawks!

Because there were so many injuries to key players early in the season, and the big names continue to fall, the beginning of December is a good time to look back, and forward, at when some of the top players in the Western Conference could return.

Central Division

Chicago

Dave Bolland—had back surgery on Nov. 10. Is expected to return in 12-16 weeks. ETA: post-Olympics?

Adam Burish—torn ACL in late September should cost him approximately six months. ETA: playoffs at best, likely 2010-11.

Detroit

Niklas Kronwall—sprained MCL on Nov. 21 is expected to cost him two weeks. ETA: Dec. 7.

Jason Williams—broke a fibula in early November and is expected to miss eight weeks. ETA: Christmas.

Valterri Filppula—broken right wrist at the end of October expected to keep him out six to eight weeks. ETA: mid- to late December.

Johan Franzen—had surgery to repair torn ACL on Oct. 16, beginning a six-month recovery. ETA: maybe playoffs, more likely 2010-11.

Columbus

Rostislav Klesla—doctors discovered a torn groin and torn stomach muscle on Dec. 2, which could keep him out more than six weeks. ETA: at least mid-January.

Nashville

None

St. Louis

D.J. King—could have pins removed from his hand this week. ETA: soon?

Eric Brewer—lower body injury. ETA: this weekend?

Northwest Division

Calgary

None

Colorado

David Jones—tore his left ACL in late November, which should cost him roughly six months. ETA: playoffs at best, likely 2010-11.

Vancouver

Pavol Demitra—has been recovering from summer shoulder surgery and doesn’t have a firm timetable for return. ETA: after Christmas.

Edmonton

Nikolai Khabibulin—is listed as day-to-day with back issues. He has missed a few games because of the injury. No ETA, but injury could be an ongoing concern.

Ales Hemsky—suffered a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. ETA: 2010-11.

Mike Comrie—diagnosed with mono on Nov. 16. ETA: TBD.

Minnesota

Martin Havlat—was retroactively put on the disabled list last week because of hamstring issues. Hopes to play Dec. 2.

Brent Burns—hasn’t played since Nov. 18 because of a concussion. ETA: TBD.

Petr Sykora—hasn’t played since Nov. 7 because of a concussion. ETA: TBD.

Pierre-Marc Bouchard—has only played in one game because of concussion-like symptoms. ETA: TBD.

Pacific Division

San Jose

Jody Shelley—hasn’t played since Nov. 7 because of “general soreness” and was placed on the disabled list on Nov. 30. ETA: TBD.

Los Angeles

Rob Scuderi—hasn’t played since Nov. 14 because of a lower body injury. ETA: soon? Did not play Dec. 1.

Ryan Smyth—has been out since Nov. 16 with an upper body injury but has been cleared to skate with the team. ETA: soon.

Phoenix

Peter Mueller—left Friday’s game with an injury and did not play Sunday. Status is still being determined.

Vernon Fiddler—left Friday’s game with an injury and did not play Sunday. Status is still being determined.

Ed Jovanovski—left Friday’s game with an injury and did not play Sunday. Status is still being determined.

Kurt Sauer—hasn’t played since the season opener because of head issues. ETA: TBD.

Dallas

None

Anaheim

Joffrey Lupul—was placed on the disabled list retroactively after missing five games with back spasms. ETA: TBD.

Kyle Calder—took a puck to the eye Nov. 28 and is expected to miss between two and four weeks. ETA: Christmas.

Ryan Carter—hasn’t played since Nov. 11 because of a foot injury. He’s expected to miss at least two more weeks. ETA: late December.

Blackhawks Leave Jackets Blue as Quenneville Reaches Milestone

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:58 -0500

How many firsts were there for the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night?

Tuesday was Dec. 1. The Blackhawks played at home for the first time in two weeks. It was the first game of the year between the Blackhawks and division rival—and second place—Columbus.

Marian Hossa was playing in his first home game as a member of the Hawks. It was the first time the Hawks wore their new third jerseys. And it was the first time a Blackhawks’ team had a shootout reach double-digit shots.

All of that to get Coach Joel Quenneville his 500th career win as an NHL coach.

Welcome home indeed!

The Blackhawks admittedly didn’t have their legs in the first period as they were outshot by the Blue Jackets 10-5. But Chicago still held the advantage on the scoreboard after an incredible short handed goal from Kris Versteeg.

Versteeg got the puck on a break up the right side, used a ridiculous toe-drag to beat an initial defender, then used another sick toe-drag to elude a second defender before depositing the puck over Steve Mason’s shoulder to give the Hawks the 1-0 lead.

Despite the score, the Hawks didn’t have much momentum heading to the first break. On the radio broadcast, Patrick Kane told the Chicago broadcast team that the Hawks were struggling to get the flow of their offense down after being gone for two weeks on the West Coast.

The Blackhawks made a number of mistakes, including two questionable penalties and numerous turnovers in their own zone that their stellar defense effectively mitigated.

The second period started with more back and forth action, and just over eight minutes in the Jackets tied the game when Antoine Vermette put back a sloppy rebound off Cristobal Huet. Then, six minutes later, former Blackhawks' center Sami Pahlsson got another puck past Huet to give Columbus the lead. The Hawks were still searching for their groove.

But the second penalty of the period on Anton Stralman opened the door for the Hawks to put together an offensive rush, and they capitalized.

With a lot of traffic in front of the net, Kane threw the puck to Hossa in front of the net. Hossa tipped Kane’s pass nicely through the traffic to a wide-open Patrick Sharp on the backside of the play and he tied the game again.

Once Sharp tied the game, the Hawks became noticeably more physical. Dustin Byfuglien, Troy Brouwer, and Niklas Hjalmarsson worked the corners hard, and, more times than not, left their opponent without the puck and off their feet.

The Hawks controlled the final three minutes of the second period, and the game headed to the third period even in almost every way; not only was the score tied, but the Hawks had taken just one shot more than the Jackets, and the two teams were nearly even in every other statistical category.

Columbus came out strong in the third, and took the lead only 40 seconds into the period on a long shot from Kris Russell.

However, the Hawks continued to press the offensive zone and drew more penalties. Only 17 seconds after Fedor Tyutin was called for high sticking, Jonathan Toews tied the game at three. The Blackhawks' power-play offense, which had been a concern for much of October, has continued to improve since Toews’ return.

The other side of the special teams, the penalty kill, also continues to be exceptional for Chicago. The Hawks entered Tuesday with the second-ranked PK unit in the NHL, but were facing the top converting power play in the NHL in Columbus. Through three periods and overtime, the Hawks defense was again superior as they killed all three penalties the Jackets drew.

Why, after being gone for two weeks, would the Hawks cheat their fans by playing only 60 minutes of hockey? Let’s play five extra minutes.

Neither team was able to score in the overtime session though, so the Blackhawks treated their great fans to a shootout.

In the second round of the shootout, Hossa put the puck into the net to start the dance for the Hawks. But Jakub Voracek answered to start the third round, and when Kane couldn’t end it, the game continued for extra shots.

Sharp, Versteeg, Andrew Ladd, Brouwer, Tomas Kopecky, Byfuglien, and John Madden all tried their best but couldn’t beat Mason, who had struggled in shootouts before Tuesday.

It wasn’t until the 11th round, when Quenneville finally called on a defenseman, that the game ended. Brent Seabrook, who already has two overtime game-winners this year, got the puck past Mason to end the longest shootout in franchise history.

Huet stopped 20 of 23 shots, but made great saves on the best moves from Columbus.

On more than one occasion, Rick Nash made stunning moves in traffic and got the puck to Huet, but the Hawks’ goaltender was up to the task every time. He was also stellar in the shootout, in which he was aggressive playing the puck and made saves in nearly every direction.

Hossa had two assists in his first game in Chicago, giving him four points in four games with the Hawks. Duncan Keith had his 14th assist on the season on a shot that has, for now, been credited as a goal to Toews. Whether or not Toews made contact with the puck could be reviewed.

And so, after a night filled with firsts, Quenneville finally reached his 500th career win in his third try.

Good Old Country Hardball: Chip Caray and TBS Part Ways

TAB BAMFORD — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:51:50 -0500

TBS announced on Monday that they had parted ways with baseball play-by-play announcer Chip Caray.

Sorry Kleenex, but my single tear won't help your stock price.

Caray, who was better known for the full families of birds living in his eyebrows and his last name than his ability to call a baseball game has never distinguished himself as the legend in the booth that his grandfather, Harry, or father, Skip, would make you think.

To the contrary, Caray's "highlight" reel from this year's postseason has made every sports talk radio station's blooper feed this year. From calling a ground ball a line drive out to crediting teams with runs before the runner was tagged out by a mile, Caray was mediocrity with a mic.

I'm a Cubs fan. When the Cubs went south in 2009 or when Jay Cutler tosses another interception (I think he threw two on Monday afternoon), I find consolation in knowing that it could be worse. I just think back a couple years to when Caray was joined by Joe Carter in the worst broadcast booth pairing in the history of professional sports.

Now Caray can move on to making money off another family legacy: steak. Maybe one of his late grandfather's restaurants in Chicago needs a bartender. He might not know the difference between a line drive and a grounder, but he should know the difference between shaken and stirred.

Chicago Blackhawks December Preview

TAB BAMFORD — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:18:08 -0500

December begins with the Chicago Blackhawks in first place in the Central Division.

Life is good.

After a spectacular November that saw the team handle most, if not all, of the Western Conference powers both at home and on the road, the Hawks come on in December for a month highlighted by games against some of the top talent from the Eastern Conference.

Thankfully for the fans, though, most of December is played in Chicago.

The fun begins Dec. 5, when the Hawks make their lone trip to the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. This game could not only be a showcase of some of the best young players in the NHL, but might be a trendy pick to serve as a 2010 Stanley Cup Finals preview.

After the Pittsburgh trip, the Hawks return home for New York Rangers before heading to Buffalo to take on the red-hot Sabres Dec. 11. Brian Campbell will face one of his former teams in Buffalo, a reality many Hawks will deal with in December.

This stretch of three games could serve as a good gauge of how the Blackhawks stack up against the stronger teams in the East.

But the schedule doesn’t get easy after just that one week.

After the Sabres game, the Hawks have a five-game homestand during which Original Six foes Boston and Detroit come to the United Center.

It will be the only trip for the Bruins to Chicago this year, and the first time the Hawks will face the Red Wings since their third game of the season; that loss also happened to be the Wings home opener and the first game either team had played on American soil this season.

Marian Hossa will play against the last two teams with whom he advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals in Pittsburgh and Detroit. The Red Wings should be getting some of their injured players back during December, but the losses on their roster have kept them from playing consistent hockey this year.

Following the Red Wings could be a dangerous game for the Blackhawks. The final game of the homestand is against the San Jose Sharks…the same Sharks that have lost both games against the Hawks this year and who got their doors blown out in their building during the Circus Trip.

If there’s one team on the December schedule that has a score to settle, it’s the Sharks.

The Hawks will leave town for a couple tough games after facing the Sharks, travelling to Detroit and Nashville, before returning home for Nashville again.

The Predators started the season in a funk, but have come on strong lately, and fall in a couple spots on the December schedule that could present an opportunity for a good team to take advantage of a team playing a lot of games against premier Eastern Conference teams.

The back-to-back home and home series on the two days immediately following Christmas could be a great test for both teams.

The final day of 2009 will also present a potential Finals preview when the New Jersey Devils come to Chicago. It will be the first time John Madden faces his former team, and will absolutely serve as a test of the potent Hawks offense against Hall of Fame goaltender Martin Brodeur.

Both teams are elite defensively, so that could be a bell ringer to end a special calendar year in the history of the Blackhawks.

Chicago Blackhawks November Recap

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:16:46 -0500

At the end of October, we looked ahead to a November schedule that looked like it would provide a rough test for the Chicago Blackhawks . With most of the top teams in the Western Conference on the schedule, and the annual Circus Trip taking the Hawks on the road for two weeks, it was clear that November would provide an opportunity for the Hawks to gauge their play against the best in the West.

November is now over, and the Hawks got a pretty good idea of where they stand in the West. They are one of the elite.

The Blackhawks ended November 8-2-2 (18 pts), and finished the Circus Trip an impressive 4-1-1. On the Circus Trip, the Hawks put seven goals on both the Calgary Flames and the San Jose Sharks in the midst of an eight-game winning streak that raised the Hawks to national prominance.

Cristobal Huet had a solid month, allowing only 2.00 goals per game and earning a 7-2-1 record for the month. His play raised him to the Top Five in the NHL in goals against average and put the Hawks near the top of the conference standings.

For the month, the Hawks outscored their opponents 39-25, or 3.25-2.08 per game.

Huet was aided by superb defense from nearly every position. The Hawks continued their dominance on the power play kill, only allowing seven goals on 39 power plays (an 82.05 percent kill rate). When you factor in that the Hawks scored four short handed goals in November, including the spectacular three-goal effort in San Jose last week, the Blackhawks have established arguably the best PK unit in the game.

Many players had good offensive months, but perhaps the most surprising player in November was Troy Brouwer. Usually a third or fourth line wing, Brouwer led the team with three power play goals among his nine points (four goals, five assists) for the month of November. Duncan Keith led the team with 13 points in 12 games, recording one goal and 12 assists in the month. Patrick Kane led all goal scorers for the Hawks with five; Kane also had seven assists in the month.

Jonathan Toews missed the first two games of November because of his concussion, but rebounded to score four goals and record six assists for 10 points in just 10 games. Toews had two power plays goals as he and Brouwer led a resurgent unit for the Hawks that improved by scoring 10 goals on 38 power plays in the month (26.32 percent conversion).

Oh, and we haven't even started talking about the arrival of Marian Hossa in the lineup. The great two-way forward has already contributed two goals in just three games and is playing physical defense on both sides of the ice. Despite the Hawks losing Dave Bolland to back surgery early this November, they have continued scoring and moving the puck well, even with players like Kris Versteeg occasionally picking up ice time in the circle.

As the Hawks come home for most of the month of December, the Eastern Conference teams come calling. The Blackhawks got a good idea of where they rank among the heavyweights in the Western Conference in November and should feel fairly confident heading towards Christmas.

If Josh Johnson Is Available, Should the Chicago Cubs Call Florida?

TAB BAMFORD — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 21:04:12 -0500

He won't turn 26 until January, but Josh Johnson might be one of the better pitchers to become available this winter.

Johnson stands to receive a substantial raise from his 2009 salary of $1.4 million after posting a 15-5 record with 191 strikeouts in 209 innings pitched. Standing 6-7 and weighing 240 pounds, Johnson is physically intimidating and backs it up with phenomenal stuff.

Because of the potential raise he'll get in arbitration this year, there have been rumors that the Marlins will look to deal their young ace either this winter or early in the 2010 season. If Johnson is on the market, either now or in the future, the Chicago Cubs should be all over him like stink on poop.

He doesn't have an enormous track record, but has been good when regularly in the majors. He has a career 34-16 record after breaking into the bigs in 2006.

The Marlins have a track record of dealing young studs when the arbitration clock kicks in. After 2005, they dealt a 25-year old ace, Josh Beckett, to Boston. At that point in his career, Beckett had a very similar resume to that of Johnson, both in statistics and hype.

In exchange for Beckett, Mike Lowell and Guillermo Mota, the Red Sox paid a heavy price: a package of four prospects including then-baby shortstop Hanley Ramirez.

But the Sox brought in a consistent third baseman, a top-of-the-rotation starter, and a headcase reliever for one uber prospect and three nice pieces. Anibel Sanchez would be the next-best player in that deal, and he hasn't developed into a superstar.

The Cubs have a length track record of dealing with the Marlins this decade.

In March of 2002, the Cubs dealt four players including Julian Tavarez and an unknown minor league lefty named Dontrelle Willis to the Marlins for Matt Clement and Antonio Alfonseca. While Alfonseca became as much of an urban legend as he did closer in Chicago, Clement had a few nice seasons for the Cubs.

In November of 2003, the Cubs dealt Hee Seop Choi to Florida for Derrek Lee, who had just been part of the Cubs' heartbreaking loss in the National League Championship Series. Obviously that deal was a huge win for the Cubs.

The Marlins got theirs in December of 2005, though, when the Cubs dealt Sergio Mitre, Renyel Pinto and the Marlins' 2009 Opening Day Starter, Ricky Nolasco, to the Marlins for Juan Pierre.

Jim Hendry probably regrets that deal right now, as Nolasco has blossomed into a good young starter.

Then last winter, the Cubs sent arguably their top pitching prospect, Jose Ceda, to Miami in exchange for should-be closer Kevin Gregg. Gregg was a failure in his one season in Chicago and shouldn't be back in 2010; the Cubs have until December 1 to offer him arbitration.

Should the next deal in this ongoing relationship be for Johnson?

There have been floating rumors that the Cubs won't part ways with young uber prospect Starlin Castro in a deal for an established major leaguer, including Toronto's Roy Halladay. This should make dealing with the Marlins even more enticing, because they already have Ramirez at short.

The Marlins have had pretty good luck with former-Cubs pitching prospects like Willis and Nolasco, though. Perhaps Jay Jackson and/or Jeff Samardzija could centerpiece a deal including a potential first baseman, Jake Fox, and outfield depth in Tyler Colvin.

The Marlins are also supposedly shopping their second baseman, Dan Uggla, so 2009 National League Rookie of the Year Chris Coughlin can move to his natural position. Throwing an outfielder like Colvin and a hitter like Fox into the deal might be sweet enough for the Marlins to bite.

After all, they stole a top pitching prospect, Ceda, for garbage, Gregg, last winter.

I'm not proposing the Cubs trade for Uggla, but Johnson should be at the top of the Cubs' list of trade possibilities if they can add the big right-hander. If the Marlins history is consistent, though, the Cubs sucking up Uggla as part of the deal (like the Red Sox taking Lowell's contract in the Beckett trade) wouldn't be a terrible idea.

But, again, this piece isn't centered around Uggla. I'm advocating the Cubs making a strong play to deal for Johnson to bring some youth and a big arm to their rotation for 2010 and beyond.

Kings Over Hawks: Royal Flush Ends Circus Trip

TAB BAMFORD — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 13:11:22 -0500

Most years, the Chicago Blackhawks would be thrilled to come home from their annual Circus Trip with nine of a possible 12 points. But after winning the first four games of the trip in overwhelming fashion, only getting one point in the final two games leaves the feeling that the Hawks let something get away.

The Blackhawks tried to bounce back after being shut out in Anaheim, but again struggled to get their offense going. The defense was significantly better than it was on Friday afternoon, but the groove on offense took two periods to appear on Saturday night in Los Angeles.

In the first, the Hawks shut down the Kings just as they did in Chicago a couple weeks ago. The score ended tied at zero, but the Hawks only allowed four shots on Cristobal Huet.

The second period saw more shots getting to both goalies, and the Kings getting on the board first. Wayne Simmonds got the puck past Huet to make the score 1-0 Kings.

However, the Hawks killed three penalties in the second period, as they effectively got back to their excellent defense on the penalty kill; the Hawks allowed all three goals in Anaheim with a man advantage, but entered action as the second best penalty killing team in the league.

In the third, Jonathan Toews got the Hawks back onto the scoreboard after over 153 minutes between goals with a nice putback of a rebound in traffic to tie the game. Patrick Kane threw a hard shot at Jonathan Quick that escaped his grasp, and Toews was there to capitalize. Quick had a magnificent game for Los Angeles, saving 32 of 33 shots he faced in the game to earn the win.

The game extended through a lackluster overtime period, and then came the shootout. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane were Chicago’s first two shooters, and both failed to beat Quick. Anze Kopitar and Jack Johnson scored on Los Angeles’ first two attempts on Huet, and the game ended with the Hawks receiving just one point for the 2-1 loss.

Dustin Byfuglien served two more penalty minutes in the game, while Brian Campbell and Niklas Hjalmarsson also spent time in detention. Duncan Keith had an assist on Toews’ goal to give him ten points in his last ten games.

The loss delays coach Joel Quenneville achieving 500 career victories until the Hawks return home on Dec. 1, when they host Columbus.

North Side November: Where Are the Chicago Cubs?

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:50:54 -0500

All is quiet on the northern front in Chicago baseball so far this winter.

Which is odd, because Jim Hendry's last few winters have been highlighted by more big game hunting than a weekend with Ted Nugent.

When a guy's resume includes bringing in names like Alfonso Soriano, Ted Lilly, Kosuke Fukudome and Milton Bradley, and when you consider how public Hendry's courtship of each player was, the fact that there hasn't been much of a peep from Hendry so far in November is intriguing to say the least.

Yes, he traded Aaron Heilman to Arizona. And yes, he signed John Grabow to a two-year extension.

But next to throwing around the salaries he's given Bradley, Fukudome and Soriano, these moves amount to about the same impact as breaking wind under water.

There have been reports that the Blue Jays contacted the Cubs to gauge interest in Roy Halladay.

Silence.

There have been rumors that Bradley's going to be traded to New York, Tampa, Texas, Japan and an asylum.

Silence.

Ted Lilly had surgery on his pitching shoulder. He might not be ready until May.

Silence.

Are the Cubs going to replace Van Halen's "Jump" with some Simon and Garfunkel tune when they take the field in 2010?

While Kenny Williams is adding AARP card candidates Omar Vizquel and Andruw Jones on the South Side of town, Hendry has been noticeably absent, which means one of two things: either his new "daddy," Tom Ricketts, took away his credit card, or something's brewing.

How, who, and where something goes down will likely develop in the coming weeks as the annual Winter Meetings take place. But from looking at Hendry's past, there's no reason to believe his future will continue to be this quiet.

Cutler Who? Chicago Blackhawks Put a Touchdown on San Jose, Put NHL on Notice

TAB BAMFORD — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:23:10 -0500

There were times during the later parts of the last decade the beginning of this decade, during the Bob Pulford Era (aka "The Dark Ages") when the Detroit Red Wings toyed with the Chicago Blackhawks .

Those Hawks teams didn't have as much talent (or salary) as the minor league affiliates of the Red Wings, and it was obvious. Detroit looked like a group of big brothers practicing at the expense of their much younger siblings.

On Wednesday night in San Jose, it was the Blackhawks treating the Sharks in that same manner.

What's striking about that statement, indeed even that thought, is that the Sharks aren't an underpaid, overwhelmed group of losers like many of those Hawks teams were that Detroit handled so easily. The Sharks team that the Blackhawks utterly destroyed on Wednesday night had the best record in the Western Conference coming into the game.

In fact, San Jose came into the game 7-0-2 at home, and had scored the most power play goals in hockey.

Which is why really the only reaction to the second period on Wednesday night is "Wow."

Earlier on Wednesday, I cautioned Blackhawks fans to temper their optimism over the insertion of Marian Hossa into arguably the best team in the NHL. I didn't want to jump all over the "Nobody Can Stop Chicago" Bandwagon that so many fans and media members were willing to join.

I was wrong .

The way the Blackhawks played on Wednesday night not only is worthy of any and every bandwagon imagineable, but it undoubtedly puts the rest of the NHL on notice that one of the youngest teams in the league might now be the best.

The Blackhawks defense has been special all year, and their penalty killing unit was the best in the league. On Wednesday night, the PK became an offensive weapon for the Blackhawks as they blitzed the Sharks out of their own building.

The top line for the Sharks, consisting of Patrick Marleau, Dany Heatley, and Joe Thornton, was supposed to be the marquee matchup with the Hawks never-before-seen line of Hossa, Jonathan Toews, and Patrick Kane. By the middle of the second period, the Sharks were scrambling and their three stars were no longer skating together.

In the first period, Troy Brouwer cracked the scoring column with a short handed goal. Duncan Keith made a great pass to a streaking Brouwer who put a missile into the back of the net.

That wasn't the only shortie of the night.

In the second period, within 28 seconds of each other, Hossa and Patrick Sharp both scored short handed goals on breakaways to extend the Hawks' lead to 3-0. By the time the dust settled from San Jose's timeout after the third goal, the momentum was fully in possession of the Hawks and the crowd was stunned.

In an arena that sat in numb silence, the second period ended after Dustin Byfuglien put a rebound back to make it 4-0 Hawks.

What was even more incredible than the score was how the statistics backed up the domination on the ice. The Blackhawks outshot the Sharks 29-11 through two periods, and San Jose had really only managed one solid rush at Cristobal Huet. On a couple occasions, Pat Foley referred to the Hossa-Toews-Kane line as the Harlem Globetrotters; the Sharks couldn't even touch the puck for much of the time that line was on the ice.

Through two periods, the puck control was remarkable from the Hawks. Their defense had completely demolished one of the top scoring teams in hockey, and they made one of the best goaltenders in hockey look like he was headed for the AHL before the zamboni left the ice.

Evgeni Nabokov hadn't lost in a month, but didn't play the third period Wednesday night. He came in 14-3-4 and only allowing 2.19 goals per night; the Hawks scored four on 29 shots and ran him out the door.

The crowd in San Jose continued to give their team the business throughout a third period that could have seen the Hawks put it in neutral. After all, they were playing their fourth consecutive game on the road in the middle of a long trip and were up by enough to ease off the gas peddle.

Nope.

Just over five minutes into the third, Brent Seabrook scored an even-strength goal just to mix it up a little; Wednesday night was just the fifth time in franchise history that the Hawks scored three short handed goals in one game.

Exactly 60 seconds later, Hossa scored his second goal of the night on a great pass from Brent "Where Am I Headed Today?" Sopel. Sopel's been the most popular trade rumor victim on the roster over the past couple weeks, but has continued to play well despite the whispers.

A little more than five minutes after Hossa's second goal, John Madden was feeling down on his luck; he hadn't scored a goal yet and the new guy had already scored two. So he put in his fifth goal of the season, the seventh of the night for the Blackhawks, and the disgust from the fans in northern California was moving for the exits.

In the four games to begin to begin a trip that used to kill the Blackhawks, they have outscored some of the top teams in the Western Conference 20-5.

The Sharks broke the shutout with a two-man advantage late in the third, and then Huet allowed a lazy goal from the point make the score 7-2. The win was the Hawks' eighth in a row, during which they have only allowed 13 goals.

The Hawks were led by three assists from Keith and Hossa's two goals. Keith was also +4 on the night. Huet stopped 22 of 24 shots to earn the win. The Blackhawks outshot the Sharks 41-24 on the night, with four of those shots coming from Hossa.

The Chicago Bulls Should Pursue Allen Iverson

TAB BAMFORD — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:16:43 -0500

I know, Allen Iverson's retiring from the NBA. Or at least that's what he says.

The fact is that Iverson is leaving the game on someone else's terms. He's one of the greatest guards of his, or any, generation, and the game is forcing him out. After 14 years, there's nowhere for the former MVP and scoring champ to go.

Really?

In my mind, there's a perfect situation for Iverson, where he could contribute in a way that makes him happy enough to stay around and that also benefits the team. Iverson's a perfect fit for the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls are young and have issues scoring the basketball. They've scored over 100 points only once, and have been held under 90 five times already this year. Their roster is filled with skinny tweeners whose defense can only take a team so far. For the Bulls, it will probably be the Draft Lottery next summer.

One specific problem the Bulls are facing is their bench.

This past summer they let Ben Gordon, their uber-sixth man, walk away as a free agent (he landed in Detroit). Gordon was lights out off the bench, and when he came in, it appeared he had the option to shoot the second he got his hands on the ball.

But the Bulls didn't want to commit long term—or the substantial dollars for which Gordon was asking—to a player his size and who plays such little defense. With the legendary 2010 Free Agent Class coming, nobody wanted to spend money for longer than one season.

When Gordon left, the calculated risk the Bulls were taking was that someone, somewhere on their bench, would pick up his scoring. That risk has fallen flat. Nobody's scoring off the Bulls bench.

In fact, the Bulls head to Thanksgiving with only four players averaging double-digits in points per game this year. Luol Deng is currently the team's leading scorer at only 17.5 points per night, a number that represents a bad year for Iverson.

Iverson could join a team that has such luminaries as Jannero Pargo and Lindsay Hunter on the payroll, a team whose leading scorer off the bench is Kirk Hinrich at barely over eight points per game.

Why wouldn't the Bulls at least pick up the phone?

Iverson could join a team that's played with Gordon rarely passing the ball for years. The role isn't new, and the chemistry wouldn't completely change. By letting Iverson play freely and shoot at will, he would likely be more comfortable coming off the bench.

There's something else to consider when thinking about the Bulls adding Iverson: dollars. The Bulls don't run the United Center any more.

The Blackhawks are the trendy team in Chicago now. They're the organization selling out games and jerseys and hats and sweatshirts.

Bringing in a player with Iverson's resume would give the Bulls marketing they lack in their own building. While the Bulls struggle to stay in the middle of the pack in their division, the Blackhawks are adding one of the best scoring wingmen in hockey to a team that's already considered one of, if not the best in the entire NHL.

I'm not saying the Bulls need to sign Iverson to compete with Marian Hossa and the Hawks, but their marketing department wouldn't mind a boost in headlines.

The one major issue with this idea is something the Bulls will be dealing with until they make a change in coaching. Iverson might kill Vinny Del Negro.

But then again, anyone who has ever used a timeout appropriately might be in front of Iverson in the line to handle that issue.

Del Negro is an amateur trying to coach a young, talented team in the arena Michael Jordan built. His questionable use of players, timeouts, and play selection might drive one of the most passionate players of this generation crazy.

But that would be worth it.

These Bulls have enough talent, and energy, to compete. They just don't have the scoring. The last time I checked, Iverson's name was synonymous with putting points on the board.

This should be a no-brainer rental for the Bulls.

What Should Blackhawks Fans Honestly Expect from Marian Hossa?

TAB BAMFORD — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:51:21 -0500

The Chicago Blackhawks are now topping the Power Rankings of Sports Illustrated and ESPN, and the youngsters have won seven straight games and have swept the first half of their Circus Trip. The excitement surrounding the team is already at perhaps the highest point this organization has felt in nearly 20 years.

And now arguably the best, certainly the most accomplished, player on the roster will join the team for the first time.

On Wednesday night in San Jose, the Blackhawks will unveil their new toy for the first time. Marian Hossa will bear the Indian Head sweater in a game, as the Hawks play the Sharks in what could be a Western Conference Finals preview.

Hossa will play right wing on the Hawks top line, where Patrick Kane will move from right to left to accommodate the All-Star. Jonathan Toews , who has been remarkable winning faceoffs this year, will center what could prove to be one of the best lines in the game.

But how much should the Hawks' fans realistically expect from Hossa?

Last year, Hossa led the Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings with 40 goals, and pitched in 31 assists. Obviously, the reality that he's missed 22 games will change his production this year, and it's hard to imagine that he'll step on the ice and instantly be a point-per-game performer.

Another reality for Hossa, though, is that he'll be joining an already-dynamic offense.

With Kane leading the way, the Hawks are certainly not a team that's only one line deep on offense. While the team's leader, Kane, has just 23 points, there are 10 Hawks in double-digits. And that's with center Dave Bolland on the injured reserve with six points in only 13 games.

Hossa was brought in because he's a finisher; he'll join a roster on Wednesday that has four players with at least 13 assists. Kane, Brian Campbell, Duncan Keith and Patrick Sharp have consistently spread the wealth all season, but Kane being the only Hawks player with more than seven goals, there hasn't been one player putting the puck in the net regularly.

The fact that the Hawks have as many players contributing as they do has been a blessing and a curse; teams haven't been able to load up against just one line, but the Hawks haven't been able to consistently turn to one or two players (other than Kane) to make something happen.

Hossa will now be looked at as potentially that guy in the offense.

As trade wings continue to swirl around the Hawks, names like Sharp and Krist Versteeg occasionally come up among the forwards while, more predominantly, the names of defensemen Cam Barker and Brent Sopel have been in the papers and blogs.

If the Hawks move a forward, it probably wouldn't be until after the dust settles from Hossa being added to the lineup. If Hawks GM Stan Bowman saw reason to move a key contributor like Sharp or Versteeg, Hossa would have to perform well enough to justify the deal.

Because of the eventual deals the Hawks will have to make because of salary cap constraints, to say this Hawks roster is a finished product would be foolish. So trying to guess what the scoring dynamic will be on the roster in January, March or, gulp, June is impossible to do today.

One thing a fan can do, though, is look back at Hossa's resume. He has been a part of some special lines; you would assume that of someone that was a key contributor on consecutive Cup Finals teams. He has also consistently produced everywhere he's played.

So whether he's playing next to Toews and Kane, between Sharp and Versteeg, or on the third line with John Madden and Andrew Ladd or Dustin Byfuglien, Hawks fans can rest assured that Hossa will put up numbers.

There should be some tempering of the expectations on Wednesday, as Hossa admittedly doesn't have full strength in his shoulder yet. But as this season progresses, Hossa's role on the Blackhawks will go a long way in determining not only who gets traded, but whether or not Hossa plays in the Finals for a third straight year.

Wild Canadiens!: Montreal Makes a Trade With Minnesota

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:29:53 -0500

Various media outlets are reporting that the Montreal Canadiens have traded Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild for Benoit Pouliot .

The two players are both considered underachievers and have identical cap numbers.

Pouliot, 23, was the fourth selection in the 2005 draft, and has has nine goals and nine assists in a 65-game NHL career. In 2009, Pouliot has two goals and two assists in 14 games with the Wild.

Latendresse, 22, was drafted in the second round in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. He has 48 goals and 37 assists in 232 career NHL games. In 2009, Latendresse has scored two goals and has one assist.

Chicago Shuffle: Could a Cam Barker Trade Open the Door for Chris Chelios?

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:15:00 -0500

Trade rumors are still flying around the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, but nothing has been substantiated yet.

The most prevalent rumor has the Blackhawks sending defenseman Cam Barker to Ottawa for defenseman Alexandre Picard and center Ryan Shannon. Also, in some way related to this transaction, Hawks defenseman Brent Sopel would somehow end up in Toronto.

While Barker and Sopel have been the most regular names in trade rumors lately, moving both of them would put the Hawks into a tough situation on their blue line. Right now, the Hawks only have seven defensemen with the team. Jordan Hendry is regularly a healthy scratch.

Moving both Barker and Sopel and only receiving one defenseman, Picard, in return would leave the Hawks shorthanded on the blue line.

Or would it?

Currently skating for the AHL's independent Chicago Wolves is 47-year-old future Hall of Famer and Blackhawks hero Chris Chelios.

Chelios has been pretty clear about his desire to get back into the NHL and he has also been fairly blunt about wanting to play for a winner that’s also close to his suburban Chicago home.

Put two and two together here, people. A potential winner, close to Chicago...

Chelios also happened to captain the Hawks through some of their great seasons in the 1990s before being dealt to Detroit. He’s still one of the most well-liked and -respected personalities in the history of the Blackhawks organization.

However, Chelios hasn’t been around the Hawks organization for a decade. Indeed, the only times he was ever seen at the United Center were in a Detroit sweater, and that was when the coaching staff felt like dressing him. Frankly, the name Chelios was a ghost in the history books of the Blackhawks for years...

Until last Sunday night.

On Nov. 15, the Blackhawks hosted the San Jose Sharks and celebrated the great Chicago career of Jeremy Roenick . During the third period, the jumboscreen showed JR in the alumni box at the United Center, and a familiar forehead was in the corner of the picture. When the camera panned back, there was Chelios, sitting next to Roenick.

(On a personal note, I teared up a little bit as a Hawks fan seeing the two together again in the United Center. It felt like something had been made right 10 years too late.)

I know Chelios was there to enjoy an evening with an old teammate and friend, but his mere presence in the building was enough to make an old Blackhawk’s memory wander.

Now, if the Hawks are in need of a solid defenseman who won’t make stupid mistakes and play small minutes (maybe eight a night), could a return from Chelios be in the cards?

The Antti Of Scoring: Niemi, Blackhawks Shut Out Vancouver Canucks

TAB BAMFORD — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:02:50 -0500

After not playing for almost a month, it would be understandable if the Blackhawks ' backup goaltender Antti Niemi was a little rusty.

Despite getting off to a solid start in the wake of Cristobal Huet’s early-season struggles, Niemi has had to watch as the Hawks have buoyed their more expensive veteran’s confidence over the past few weeks.

Huet, to his credit has responded by playing magnificent hockey over the past couple weeks, making Niemi a lost man on the back of the bench.

But in the middle of a long road trip, in the second half of back-to-back nights with games against tough opponents, Niemi was the man on Sunday night.

The Canucks had a great addition to their offense with Daniel Sedin returning after a long absence due to injury, and were hoping to get a big home win against a key conference opponent.

Especially, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs a year ago.

On Oct. 21, the Canucks came into the United Center and not only beat the Hawks on the scoreboard, but left them wounded as well.

That was the night that Willie Mitchell knocked Jonathan Toews out of the lineup for a couple weeks with a concussion, and Brent Seabrook also suffered a concussion that night that would cost him a few games.

These two teams have a physical history, and Sunday night would be a great test for the young Hawks to see how strong the Hawks were on the road.

The Hawks, and Niemi, responded with a great, clutch performance.

Just as they did in Chicago back in October, the Canucks took the Hawks offense out of the game early and never let the Hawks find their groove.

They held the Hawks to just 17 shots on goal, with only four coming in the third period. Many of those shots weren’t very good looks, and Roberto Luongo didn’t give up many rebound attempts.

Meanwhile, Vancouver did as good a job as any team this year of getting the puck on the Hawks' net. The Blackhawks only allow an average of roughly 22 shots per game, but the Canucks got 30 shots on Niemi, with 12 coming in the first period alone. Niemi was up to the task, though, matching Luongo round for round.

It was obvious from the get-go that this would be a physical game. Nearly every time the whistle blew there was an exchange of words, and on a couple occasions there were offsetting penalties called; Ben Eager took two such penalties on the night.

Eager got himself into two fights on the night, and came out looking like the victor both times. His fight with Rick Rypien in the first period saw Eager land a couple solid left handed shots to Rypien’s head, leaving the Canucks' helmet on the ice.

As the game progressed it became clear that it was going to come down to which team found an opportunity and capitalized. Thankfully for the Blackhawks, Bryan Bickell’s headache from Saturday night was gone.

Bickell put back one of the few rebounds Luongo allowed all night just 72 seconds into the third period to give the Blackhawks the lead, and the defense handled the rest. Niemi notched his second career shutout in only six NHL starts, and the Hawks extended their winning streak to seven.

The Hawks have now swept the first half of their Circus Trip, and will have a couple days off before a big test in San Jose on Wednesday night.

It hasn’t been made official yet, but Marian Hossa should make his first appearance for the Hawks against the Sharks.

Chicago Blackhawks: Are They Talking Trade With Toronto?

TAB BAMFORD — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 13:19:52 -0500

At the end of October , there were rumors that the Chicago Blackhawks had been exchanging interest with the Toronto Maple Leafs, which led to a flurry of speculation around the players either side would have interest in if a trade was imminent.

Both teams’ general managers, the Blackhawks’ Stan Bowman and Toronto’s Brian Burke, didn’t say much at that point. However, the evolution of November has hit both teams, and circumstances are becoming more immediate for a potential deal to go down.

The Blackhawks are negotiating new contracts with three of their best players right now, but keeping Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith likely means someone else on the current Hawks roster has to leave. If the “tagging rule” means as much as it appears it does, such a move might have to happen before the three new deals are signed.

The Hawks have said they would like to have everything ready for a press conference when the team returns from the Circus Trip at the beginning of December.

Meanwhile, Burke was quoted by The Fourth Period (TFP) on November 19 as saying “I have been exploring the trade front since I got here, but it is hard to do, and if this group can’t get it done then the next step is to send somebody down and bring up one of the kids.”

This was really the first time Burke had not only called his team out in the media this year, but also publicly spoke at any length about potential player movement. From the tone of his conversation, it appears Burke intends to get younger in Toronto.

TFP also mentioned that veterans Tomas Kaberle and Jason Blake could be on the move this year, while Alexei Ponikarovsky, Matt Stajan and Vesa Toskala are all on the block as well. Earlier this year, when Cristobal Huet was struggling, a deal for Toskala and Kaberle had been rumored; it appears now that Huet has settled in as the Hawks top goalie.

If you have read any of the rumors , you’ll know that there were conversations between Dale Tallon and Toronto before Tallon was relieved of his duties as Hawks’ GM this summer. The continued struggles of the Leafs, and Burke’s now-public stance that there may be a fire sale, make a deal with Toronto a distinct possibility.

Then TFP reported Saturday night that Blackhawks assistant GM Kevin Cheveldayoff and a Hawks scout were among the 12 scouts/personnel people that attended the Leafs game in Toronto.

The fact that the Blackhawks have apparently set a timetable of December 1 to get the contracts with Kane, Keith and Toews done, and someone must go, having Cheveldayoff in Toronto might be an indication that something might go down between the Hawks and Leafs soon.

Blackhawks' Fan Jeremy Piven: "The Goods" Gone Bad

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:31:52 -0500

Has anyone else seen the old Chicago Blackhawks commercial, in which actor Jeremy Piven makes himself a personal favorite to anyone who wears the Indian Head sweater? The link to the 31 second spot it here , courtesy of YouTube, if you’ve never seen it.

Wow. Truly a Chicagoan. A man’s man. A Blackhawks’ fan.

And then came Thursday night in Calgary, when Piven was apparently the guest of honor at the Flames-Blackhawks game. The emcee (I didn’t know they had those at hockey games) at one point presented Piven with a personalized Flames jersey.

I totally understand pandering to your public, but you can’t watch the commercial he made and then watch him, without a single item identifying him as a Chicagoan, accepting a Flames jersey.

I’m not going to hate the man (”The Goods” is one of the funniest movies I’ve seen in a while), but there are times in life when you need to keep it real. On Thursday night, Piven had an opportunity to keep it real and show that “everything he learned in life he learned from his dad, at a Blackhawks game.”