Bleacher Report - Articles by Adam Kopp

Your True Fantasy Hockey Preview (Complete with Rules and Rankings)

Adam Kopp — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:33:31 -0400

I should start off by stating why you should even remotely attempt to consider the opinion of a guy that's never posted a piece of fantasy news or information on this site.

First and foremost, I have been playing Fantasy Hockey for over a decade now. I remember my first few drafts, awaiting Yahoo's autopick to do it's thing. Why I had to wait for what felt like a week to have my team was beyond me at that point.

Of course, I quickly grew in to live, online drafts and well, the rest is history. But before I give my own personal rankings (which I have done for each and every position), I'd like to share a few rules that I have for drafting a good team.

Call it: "Hockey's 10 Commandments." You might like these rules or you might disagree with them entirely. But I have found that, when followed, these rules generally help me to a good season:

THE KOVALCHUK RULE: That's what it's called this year because Ilya Kovalchuk is in a contract year. In other words: Do a quick check on which players contract's might be coming up at the end of the season. There are few great sites for this but NHLnumbers is the best.
THE FLEURY RULE: Okay sure, he's currently trying to mount a comeback with the Flames, but do you remember his magical '01-'02 season when he had over 60 points and over 200 penalty minutes? Power forwards are the bread and butter of fantasy drafts and they're not at all easy to come by.
THE ZHERDEV RULE: Know your wacky facts. Here's a fact: Nikolai Zherdev is ranked in Yahoo's top 100 this season, but guess what? He's not playing in the NHL this year. Injuries also fall under this category. Marian Hossa is missing the first two months of the season and Phil Kessel is missing the first month.
THE DAZE RULE: I drafted Eric Daze in the 2nd round of my '02-'03 draft partially because he had a 70 point season the year before, but mostly because he was on my hometown Blackhawks. It was a reach and a dumb one at that. If your team stinks, limit yourself to one of their best players. If they're good, limit yourself to two. Oh, and don't reach!
THE LEMAIRE RULE: This might be going a bit deep for some, but if a team has a new coach this year, you might want to at least attempt to find out how that new coach might impact players fantasy value. I'm downgraded all Devils this year because they now have Jaques Lemaire, the most defensive minded coach in the history of the universe. Also of note: Dave Tippett just took over for The Great One in Phoenix. He will be a better coach by far, so perhaps Shane Doan moves up a notch.
THE BRODEUR RULE: Get a top 5 goalie if you can. I have mine listed here, but feel free to make your own list if you disagree. As you may or may not know, goalies are small in number on your team, but they contribute to many stat categories. Thus, it makes sense to have some good ones, right?
THE STREIT RULE: I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You don't need to have a top tier defensemen. The top ten on my list? Forget about them. Get two or three mid-tier defensemen and you'll be fine. Use those higher picks on solid offensive contributors and power forwards. Most defensemen are only good for plus/minus, assists and penalty minutes.
THE ALLISON-O'NEILL RULE: Several years ago, I decided that I simply had to have Jeff O'Neill and Jason Allison on my team. I was convinced that they were in line for huge seasons and I paid through the nose to get them. The rule here? Don't get attached to players. Once you do, other good GMs will recognize this and they'll make you overpay.
THE GABORIK RULE: This one is simple. I don't care how fantastic a player is when he's healthy. If he routinely misses 20 or more games per season, he's not worth having on your team. Let someone else have him. They'll brag about what a steal they got in the draft, right up until the point where the dreaded groin injury or hamstring pull occurs.
THE CHEECHOO RULE: Also simple... Be weary of one year wonders. If you look in the top 20 and you see someone that had a breakout season the year before, devalue them ever so slightly. Go for the guy that's been performing year in and year out that's still in his prime. In baseball, you might call this the Josh Hamilton rule or the Adrian Beltre rule. Sure, Jonathan Cheechoo looked like a world beater back in 05-06. 93 points! He followed that season up with point totals in the 60's and 30's in the following two years.

Alright, so now that you have a few ideas on what and what not to do in your draft, let's take a look at whom you might want draft. I've been researching for my own fantasy drafts this year and I noticed a few glaring issues with several websites when it comes to fantasy analysis.

Maybe they're too busy talking about football or baseball or...Football, but ESPN and their wacky scoring system have some of the ugliest rankings I've ever seen. If you have Miikka Kiprusoff ranked as your 42nd goalie on your cheat sheet, slap yourself, then move him up into the top 10 (at least!).

Also, it might come as a surprise to some, but ESPN tends to be a little bias toward the east coast in general. I can only assume that's why they have Tim Thomas ranked as the best goalie ahead of perrenial stalwarts like Roberto Luongo and the 18th ranked Evgeni Nabokov.

Really ESPN? Thomas at 4th overall? Chara at 7th? Dennis freakin Wideman at 20th overall?! It's alright, that's his middle name. I don't care if Time on Ice is a category (for some strange reason), you don't rank Dennis Wideman in the top 20. You just don't.

As for TSN's rankings, well, they're far more accurate than ESPN's in general, but they still seem to lean a bit toward the Canadian team spectrum. I agree that Jason Spezza is a great player, but good enough to be ranked as the 12 best projected scorer this year? No Heatley, and only 73 points last year. It's possible, but also a bit bold. TSN is the best at ranking players, but there are still a few odd picks here and there.

As for Yahoo. Oh my poor, beleaeuered Yahoo. What is Matt Romig doing to you? Dan Boyle is ranked 38th while Niklas Lidstrom, the best defensemen in fantasy for the last 843 years is ranked 65 overall? Sergei Gonchar is injured for one season and he ends up ranked 273?

Marian "The Groin" Gaborik has only played more than 70 games once in the last five years, yet he's still ranked in the top 20 after playing 17 games last year?

So instead of screaming at Yahoo or ESPN or TSN that their rankings need to be updated and improved, I have decided to make my own lists. In my first article, I will focus on the top 30 players at each position. Why only 30 defensemen, when most leagues start four at the position? Because after the top 30, okay, really after the top 10, most of them are interchangeable, that's why. So without further babbling:

CENTER TIER 1 [ANY OF THESE GUYS WOULD BE A GREAT TOP LINER]

Evgeni Malkin [Another fantastic year, great in EVERY category]
Sidney Crosby [Barely edges out Getzlaf. Yes, it's that close.]
Ryan Getzlaf [Over 90 points, 120 PIMs and 200 shots last year]
Pavel Datsyuk [Another year, another 97 points, bank on him]
Joe Thornton [86 pts a down year? Jumbo will be back around 100 again]
Marc Savard [Always underrated, yet always performs well]
Jeff Carter [Goals, shots and plus minus were fantastic last year]
Nicklas Backstrom [Shots, goals a bit lacking, but he's still very young]
Vincent Lecavalier [Big drop in points, but new line should help rebound]
Henrik Zetterberg [Dropped a little in points last year, but he'll rebound]
Eric Staal [Only Ovechkin consistently shoots more]
Mike Richards [Proved breakout 07 wasn't a fluke, potential for more?]

CENTER TIER 2 [SOLID 2ND LINE CENTERS FOR YOUR SQUAD]

Jason Spezza [73 points wasn't great, plus he loses Heatley]
Anze Kopitar [On a line with Smyth-Brown, consistent 70+ pt player]
Jonathan Toews [Started slow last year, still has elite level skill]
Henrik Sedin [Daniel's creepy brother is an excellent source for assists]
Mike Ribeiro [Put up surprisngly solid numbers last year, great on assists]
Olli Jokinen [Great, he's playing with Iginla, but who's his 3rd?]
Derek Roy [Centers the one line worth owning in Buffalo]
Paul Stastny [very good player on a team that will be absolutely brutal]

CENTER TIER 3 [GREAT OPTIONS FOR THOSE WITH 2 CENTERS ALREADY]

Derick Brassard [Very tempted to bump him up to 2nd tier]
Mikko Koivu [no more Lemaire means no more stifling offensive system]
Jason Arnott [The steady veteran is the definition of a no frills pick]
Chris Drury [gets Naslund and at least a week or two of Gaborik]
Brad Richards [always good for 60 pts or more, just watch his +/-]
David Krejci [blooming assist guy great for +/-, watch for injury status]
Steven Stamkos [the hype is gone, solid 2nd half a good indication]
Scott Gomez [the Mini-Me line will be solid, but he's not top 20]
Michael Frolik [came on late last year, potential breakout for sure]
Danny Briere [draft him hoping for 70-80 pts but expect 50-60]

Analysis: As always, center is the deepest position this year, as pretty much everyone will end up with at least one good center or a few solid ones. The top tier is rather huge because, well, look at the names!

As far as rankings go, Yahoo is ranking Joe Thornton way too low at 41. With Dany Heatley now on the Sharks and possibly on his line, he's a safe bet to return to 100 point caliber status.

Also, you don't rank 78 points outside the overall top 100, but Yahoo has done just that with Mike Ribiero. C'mon, he's the best point producer on the Stars AND he put up better stats than Spezza, who ranks exactly 70 points higher.

Yahoo loves Michael Frolik and while I like him, there's no logical reason why I'd rank him higher than Anze Kopitar, Steven Stamkos or especially Henrik Sedin. Daniel's creepy twin brother is still a lock for 70+ points and very solid assist numbers.

Also note that Yahoo currently has Paul Statsny ranked 201. Yes, the Av's will be gunning for a top 5 pick again this year, but having the Av's best wings on his line should help his individual stats. Last year he was ranked in the overall top 50 and I believe he'll be there again by season's end.

Look for Steven Stamkos to have a better than expected season in Tampa. John Tavares probably should've made my top 30, but when you look at the names for center, I would simply rather go with more established names. I'd still draft him, but the Isles are going to be brutal this year.

LEFT WING TIER 1 [YES, HE GETS HIS OWN TIER]

Alex Ovechkin [League leader in goals, powerplay points and shots by far]

LEFT WING TIER 2 [SCORERS EVERYWHERE]

Ilya Kovalchuk [Ovie Light a great goal scorer that shoots a ton]
Dany Heatley [Possible Heater-Jumbo-Setoguchi line would be fantastic]
Rick Nash [check his eligibility, he's top 5 at LW or RW wing either way]
Daniel Sedin [Henrik's creepy brother always good for nearly 80 pts]
Patrick Marleau [bounce back year last season more the norm for him]
Thomas Vanek [Fantastic start lead to 40 goal season]
Zach Parise [Lemaire won't kill his value, but he'll definitely hurt it]
Simon Gagne [Health always a concern, but very solid when healthy]
Brendan Morrow [He's a top 60 player when healthy, great pts and PIMs]
Patrick Elias [Highly talented, no more Hepititus talk, still a solid player]

LEFT WING TIER 3 [THE POWER FORWARD TIER]

Alex Burrows [Played 30 gms with Sedins last year, in competition now]
Scott Hartnell [The endangered power forward in it's natural habitat]
Paul Kariya [Getting older, but full season might pay dividends]
Alex Tanguay [Tier 2 caliber if he's healthy, on line with Vinny-Marty]
Milan Michalek [If they put him on a line with Spezza-Alfredsson...]
Milan Lucic [Another solid power forward, only he has upside]
Ryan Smyth [Going out on a limb, but love a line with him-Kopitar-Brown]
Daniel Carcillo [Need penalty minutes? He wins the category for people]
David Booth [Already having a solid preseason, he's in line to breakout]
Alex Frolov [The most boring 60+ points you'll ever get.]
Chris Kunitz [He'll keep feeding off of Pitts top talent]

LEFT WING TIER 4 [STILL SOME DECENT OPTIONS THIS LATE?]

Johan Franzen [Typical average numbers, see Frolov, Alex]
Loui Eriksson [60 point potential, but not much more than that]
Steve Ott [40 point upside with penalty minutes to spare]
Ray Whitney [Also getting older, but highly consistent]
Patrick O'Sullivan [This is the year he breaks out. Right? RIGHT??]
Jason Blake [On a line with Grabovski and Kessel? Not bad for this spot]
Slava Kozlov [Contract year, but wants to keep playing]
David Perron [One of the many that stepped up for St. Louis last year]

Analysis: Yes, Ovechin gets his own tier. If you don't like it, go watch a Caps game and then disagree with me. As for Parise getting ranked so low, I really believe that Jaques Lemaire will harm the value of Jersey's best.

The Left Wing position is surprisingly deep this year. Usually it's a bit hard to find a good left wing after the top four or five go, but this year you'll find 20+ in the top 100.

Yahoo has Brendan Morrow ranked 138, but he's way better than that ranking. Also note that Rick Nash is still listed on Yahoo as a left wing, though he's actually a right wing now and is listed as such in TSNs rankings. As a left wing or right wing, he's easily one of the top five best.

Michael Cammalleri also falls into this issue. Left wing on Yahoo is right wing on TSN. Cammalleri gained LW-C-RW eligibility last year in Yahoo, so hopefully that might happen again this year. If Cammalleri is a left wing in your league, I'd rank him behind Parise, but ahead of Gagne.

RIGHT WING TIER 1 [YOU HAVE TO GRAB AT LEAST ONE OF THESE GUYS IF NOT 2]

Jarome Iginla [Like you didn't already know]
Corey Perry [The newly crowned king of the power forwards will be solid]
Martin St. Louis [It's the ebb portion of his ebb and flow career]
Alexander Semin [You'll pay a premium, but he's worth it]
Patrick Kane [Solid line mates plus high level skill]
Daniel Alfredsson [Down year and getting older, but still good]
Mike Cammalleri [Check his elibibility, decent line = 70 point potential]
Bobby Ryan [Underranked? Only because I like everyone else here more]
Devin Setoguchi [If paired with Heatley-Thornton, 80 pts possible]
Dustin Brown [Solid linemates and a great shot source]

RIGHT WING TIER 2 [POLISH THEM OFF AND THEY'RE GOOD AS NEW]

Marian Gaborik [Elite talent, but groin already acting up]
Alex Kovalev [On again-off again talent is great, but who are his mates?]
Mike Knuble [Drop him ten spots if he's not on Ovechkin's line]
Shane Doan [Solid potential with Tippett as coach, no linemates though]
Teemu Selanne [He could be elite, or he could play like his age]
Martin Havlat [Healthy year last season for first in a LONG time]
David Backes [40+ points and 120+ PIM okay by me]
Jason Pominville [Hopefull stays on line with Vanek-Roy]
Ales Hemsky [Consistent assist getter still needing better linemates]
Marian Hossa [Obviously a top 10 overall talent, out for 2 months]

RIGHT WING TIER 3 [SOME DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH]

Bill Guerin [Still good, but for how much longer?]
Brian Little [Should be on Kovalchuk's line for a full season this year]
Nik Antropov [If he's on a line with Kovalchuk-Little, he'll be solid]
Nathan Horton [Consistently midlevel player also has C elig on Yahoo]
Milan Hejduk [Should be better with a full seaon on Stastny's line]
Patrick Sharp [A full season with Toews-Kane should bring #'s up]
Ryan Kesler [Almost put Langebrunner here, but I still like RK's upside]
Steve Sullivan [Injuries behind him, now back on Nashville's top line]
Claude Giroux [Everyone's favorite sleeper has solid potential]
Sean Avery [Makes up for 30 point potential with nearly 200 PIMs]

Analysis: Right Wing is a surprisingly mixed bag this year. On one hand, you have a pretty consistent group near the top from last year to this year. No real surprises, but a few new faces in Perry, Ryan and Setoguchi. But what's rather alarming is the complete lack of depth at the position.

Alfredsson, Kovalev and Selanne are still getting older, while Gaborik and Havlat haven't shown that they can stay healthy for more than one season in a row. I know, Havlat's 2nd shoulder surgery is why he was able to play all of last year and it had nothing to do with him being in a contract year. But I'm not 100% sold on that either.

I came very close to ranking Martin St. Louis ahead of Corey Perry, if only by the slimmest of margins. Perry has the edge due to his penalty minutes, but on a line with Tanguay and Lecavalier, I think that St. Louis has a chance to edge out Anaheim's gritty forward.

A few notables that didnt make the top 30 for me would be Brad Boyes (sorry, but the guy is a plus/minus killer that gets almost no penalty minutes), Brian Rolston (I love his shots, but I really think he had the dreaded "fall off" season last year. Langenbrunner is a solid player, but he also gets my Devils downgrade.

As for underrated players, Selanne and Hejduk should be better than their 104 and 106 rankings, if only by a little. Hejduk will benefit from the return of Stastny to his line. Same goes for Hemsky at 110 and Antropov at 118 in Yahoo.

JP Dumont, Brian Little and Claude Giroux own the criminally underrated category though. Dumont is ranked 146 on Yahoo, while Little comes in at 173. Like Brassard, he's a VERY solid looking young player that missed time last season. Giroux has a ton of potential, but due to his miniscule point total last year, Yahoo has seen fit to rank him 464.

DEFENSE TIER 1 [THE SUPERSTARS OF THE WHO CARES POSITION]

Mike Green [30+ goals/70+ pts: Only Dman I care about in Rds 1-4]
Nick Lidstrom [Perenially fantastic +/-, always near top in D pts]
Dion Phaneuf [He has the PIMs and the shots, though pts were down]
Zdeno Chara [Watch his groin injury, always source for shots, pims]
Sheldon Souray [Always underrated, slight injury risk, watch +/-]
Chris Pronger [Move to Philly might help already solid PIMs]
Sergei Gonchar [High potential for solid rebound from injuries]
Scott Neidermayer [Solid source of points, solid on powerplay]
Dan Boyle [Good for assits, powerplay points and shots, watch health]
Shea Weber [A defensemen that actually got 20 goals & 250+ shots!]
Rob Blake [Still a great source for +/-, PIMs and shots even now]
Andrei Markov [Another assist getting D man]
Brian Rafalski [Great for assists and +/-, not much else]

DEFENSE TIER 2 [THE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN TIER]

Brian Campbell [Hawks better hope he's better than last season]
Mark Streit [It's a miracle his +/- wasn't horrendous last year]
Jay Bouwmeester [All around decent, but great at no particular stat]
Dennis Wideman [Solid points, fantastic +/- least year]
Duncan Keith [ALWAYS a good source of +/-, needs to score more]
Cam Barker [solid point potential along with decent PIMs]
Ryan Whitney [Good source for points, but also needs to score more]
James Wisniewski [The next tough guy on Neidermayer's line? Great PIMs]
Ryan Suter [Possible breakout candidate very solid last year]
Kevin Bieksa [midrange source for PIMs, assists, shots, powerplay pts]
Erik Johnson [Former #1 overall pick still has huge potential]
Kimmo Timonen [The powerplay anchor for a good Philly team]
Tomas Kaberle [Down year, but still highly skilled]
Mathieu Schneider [Walked into a great situation in Vancouver]
Lubomir Visnovsky [Good, but not overly so at any particular category]
Ed Jovanovski [Terrible +/- negated by shots and PIMs]
Drew Doughty [Up and coming talent on up and coming team]

Analysis: I loathe defensemen. Not in real hockey, of course. But in fantasy hockey, they're one step above kickers for me. ESPN's fantasy expert will tell you that defensemen are incredibly important. But why?

Sure, there are a few that are at the top year after year (and yes, it's a complete toss up between Lidstrom and Green this season, if Nick were a few years younger it'd be no contest).

But other than the top tier of players and that grouping of solid bruisers, all other defensemen are virtually interchangeable. Sure, Campbell could be a top ten defensemen this upcoming year, or he could be outside the top 30. Same goes for Wideman, who ESPN LOVES for some reason. They have him ranked as the 20th OVERALL rated player.

Yes, you read that right. See why I wrote this article? If you draft Dennis Wideman inside the first six or seven rounds based on ESPN hype, well, you get what you deserve, and it's certainly NOT what you paid for.

Yahoo has Rob Blake ranked a bit low at 147 and while I know he's older than dirt, the guy just gets it done year in and year out. You can't argue with that, and I would've put him somewhere around 90.

Andrei Markov could be a little better than 96, same goes for Timonen at 193. Steve Montador nearly made my list due to his penalty minutes and is a solid value at a 194 ranking.

Weber's too high at 49, but he did have a solid season last year and has the ability to be this year's Mike Green. Still, I'd rather not pay such a high price to find out, especially when I could have Sheldon Souray later.

Dion Phaneuf also falls into the "too rich for my blood" category. He had a decent year, but nothing that says he should be ranked 18th overall while most players similar to him in stats and ability (most notably Chara and Pronger) are down in the 50's.

If you're looking at your team and find that plus/minus is lacking, take a flier on Johnny Oduya. He was plus 21 last year, plus 27 the year before and only going into his 3rd full season. If I were making a list for next year, Oduya would be on it for sure. Willie Mitchell also falls into the solid +/- camp, but doesn't have Oduya's upside.

If you're in a draft on Yahoo and you can't seem to find Sergei Gonchar, he's ranked 273. You're welcome.

GOALTENDERS TIER 1 [THE MORTAL LOCKS?]

Roberto Luongo [Neck and neck with Brodeur, but youth wins out]
Henrik Lundqvist [Always good for the average stats]
Evgeni Nabokov [Always steady, still youngish and on a great team]
Nicklas Backstrom [TSN has him rated way too low and I can't see why]
Martin Brodeur [Older and had health issues last year, watch out]

GOALTENDERS TIER 2 [THE SOLID STARTERS THAT DON'T MAKE THE TOP 5]

Tim Thomas [Can a 35 year old really be this good? Again?]
Miikka Kiprusoff [Knock him down 3 spots if your league has no saves cat]
Ryan Miller [Very solid in preseason has him bumped up a few spots]
Marc-Andre Fleury [Watch for injuries, good goalie on a great team]
Cam Ward [I just don't trust his on again-off again seasons]
Tomas Vokoun [Loss of Jay-Bo hurts, but he's looking good in preseason]
Steve Mason [Is he for real or is he Pascal Leclaire part 2?]
Cristobal Huet [Finally gets to silence his critics, he'll thrive without Khabi]
Pekka Rinne [ESPN loves him, but I'm not entirely sold just yet]
Nikolai Khabibulin [Solid for Chicago last year, fairly mediocre before]

GOALTENDERS TIER 3 [I HOPE YOU ALREADY HAVE A HIGH END NETMINDER]

Semyon Varlamov [In a dog fight with Theodore for top spot in WSH]
Carey Price [Down year hopefully improves with reloaded Canadiens]
Chris Mason [Put up shockingly good numbers after bad year in NSH]
Pascal Leclaire [Solid preseason, could be a steal if he stays healthy]
Ray Emery [Bruising team in front of him, could have comeback season]
Marty Turco [Horrific start to season last few years now, avoid]
Chris Osgood [Has to do MUCH better than his averages last season]
Vesa Toskala [Working with goalie coach a plus, awesome D up front]
Ilya Bryzgalov [Looked like a sleeper last year, this year, not so much]
Mike Smith [Tampa's starter is still coming back after concussion]
Jon Quick [LA's defense could be alot better this year, though young]
Craig Anderson [Did he find his groove in Florida? Doesn't matter now]
Jean Sebastian Giguere [Will split time with Hiller toopen season]
Jonas Hiller [If one takes over as starter, that guy would shoot up ranks]
Kari Lehtonen [Luongo in his FLA days? Doesn't matter, he's still in ATL]

Analysis: Never am I more indecisive during a draft than the moment I pick my first goalie. Forget Crosby or Ovechkin or Malkin, This is the anchor for your entire team. Choose wisely and you'll have a great player that gathers quality numbers for almost half the stats in your league. That's HUGE.

Pick the wrong player, say Martin Brodeur last season, and it can tank your entire season. Marty has been a year in/year out source for fantastic numbers, but when he went down with an injury last season, alot of fantasy teams went down with him.

So this year, I approach goalies with 2 rules: 1) Always have three STARTERS on your team. Take the guess work out of who's getting the nod. Yes, Josh Harding will be a solid goalie for some team at some point, but as long as Backstrom is as good as he is in Minnesota, you'll never know when Harding's playing until it's too late.

Rule number 2: This year, only 5 goalies are worth a high draft pick. Those are the players that seem to do it year after year. Though I hesitated to put Marty on this list, he's had a relatively healthy career thus far, so I'd be willing to put aside one off year, even at his age.

After the top 5 though, anything goes. Tim Thomas was a Vezina winner last season, but at 35, is he still destined for great things this season? Kiprusoff is fantastic if you're in a league that has wins and saves as categories. No goalie sees more shots and while those numbers might fall a bit with Bouwmeester trolling the blueline at the Technodrome (sorry, Saddledome), I'm thinking (okay hoping) his averages will rebound in kind.

As far as rankings go, TSN has Nicklas Backstrom rated as the 15th best goalie. If you take Semyon Varlamov, Jonas Hiller or well, anyone outside of the top four or five goalies ahead of Minnesota's dynamite netminder, you're insane.

They also have Marty Turco at 18 (his Yahoo rank is 46th overall). For me, that's WAY too high. Turco destroyed fantasy teams last year, but for an entirely different reason than Brodeur.

If Pascal Leclaire can follow up on his solid preseason, he could be a steal for fantasy GMs and at a ranking of 175, he's at least worth a flier as a 3rd goalie. Same goes for Mike Smith at 189, Jon Quick at 161 and Chris Mason at 126.

I really think that Mason has the potential to be a top 15 or even top 10 goalie this year if his defense can stay healthy.

Oh yes, I almost forgot my 3rd goaltender rule this year: Avoid the Islanders goaltending situation at all costs during your draft. Okay, say it's the last round and you already have 3 goalies and there's no one jumping out at you for offensive and defensive players. Then and ONLY then are you to look up Dwayne Roloson, Martin Biron or Rick DiPiertro.

Not only will that team be horrendous this season, but if one of those goalies posts a sub 2.80 GAA with more than 15 wins I'll be shocked.

Well, that's it for now. I'll probably come back on with a sleeper/bust article, but I hope you enjoyed these rankings. I hope they're relatively helpful. Always remember to set your preranks on the off chance that your computer explodes minutes before you're set to begin. Last rule: Have some fun! Hockey's almost here!

ESPN: The East Coast Leader in Bias?

Adam Kopp — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:16:03 -0400

I never thought that ESPN could surprise me again.

It's no secret to any sports fan with a pulse that the Worldwide Leader in pro football, baseball, and basketball has a bias towards the East Coast. It's more of a joke at this point.

Ever hear of the Eastern Seaboard Promotional Network? How about Every Sports Personality in New England? These are fairly common references to the sports media giant in places outside of Boston, New York, and Philadelphia.

Yet somehow, I still managed to be shocked and dismayed by their treatment of Game 5 between the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics.

Sure, I knew that ESPN would talk about how clutch the Celtic's Paul Pierce was and how great his team mate, Rajon Rondo played. Pierce was fantastic in the game's waning minutes and Rondo has definitely emerged as a star in this series.

I also noticed how the articles summarized the game as a local announcer would in recapping their team's performance. It was cheerleading, but it was also to be expected.

However, when I read through the various articles on ESPN.com, I couldn't help but notice a lack in coverage of the final moments in the game.

You know, the part where Rajon Rondo essentially punched and clotheslined Bulls center Brad Miller as he went in for a layup with only a few seconds left in overtime.  This WWE werestling move drew copious amounts of blood, which Miller proceeded to leak into a towel after the play, no steel chair or bar wire cage necessary.

This was also the part where the referees essentially took the game away from the Bulls by not giving Rondo a flagrant foul for not even remotely attempting to go for the ball.

Let's see now: Smacking someone in the face, drawing a LOT of blood, not going for the ball, bringing the player to the ground...yes, that sounds like a flagrant foul to me.

Now I probably should've prefaced this column by stating that I don't really have much of a stake in the Bulls. I'm a Chicago sports fan, but I haven't really cared about the Bulls since the Championship years. Call me a bandwagon jumper or a homer, but this series has rekindled a small amount of interest in my once beloved team.

Still, I'm not really concerned about the loss. I'm not even that mad about the WAY in which the Bulls lost. I could say that if the foul had been ruled flagrant, Miller (an 82 percent free throw shooter during the regular season) might have made the second shot and the Bulls would've had the ball and a chance to win with two seconds left.

But that's not exactly a nagging question mark in my mind. Miller looked so dazed at the free throw line that he could easily have missed both shots unintentionally (as opposed to intentionally missing the second shot, which he had to do in order to try and get the ball back).

Unfortunately for Bulls fans, the game wasn't won or lost on that one shot. Del Negro's substitutions and timeout usage were mediocre at best. More Tyrus Thomas, less Brad Miller please.  Ben Gordon's shot selection and, more importantly, his continued desire to fire up shots while he was stone cold doomed the Bulls down the stretch.

I don't mind all of that though, or even the fact that the referees blatantly blew the call when it counted. Tim Donaghy jokes aside, the refs simply got that one wrong.

It happens.

What bothers me was the fact that when I woke up this morning, finished my two-and-a-half-hour commute to the office and checked ESPN.com for coverage of the game, I found articles plastered all over their website about what a great performance it was by the Celtics without mentioning anything regarding the Miller foul and how in a game that was so close, as every game has been between these two teams, that call, in that moment, cost the Bulls the game.

Furthermore, the main page article actually seemed as though it was written by a Celtics fan, FOR Celtics fans.

Even the title of this front-page: "Truth Hurts...So Good," smacks of a nod to how the Celtics got away with one. Yes, Paul Pierce is nicknamed "The Truth." But the oh-so-clever double meaning here doesn't come from Pierce's shooting ability or John Salmon's wounded pride at allowing such clutch scoring by the Celtics star.

It comes from "truth" being that the Celtics are apparently better than "those pesky Bulls" as the article called them and the "Hurt" comes from Brad Miller getting clotheslined.

Really? Pesky? Why not just preface the Celtics with the word "amazing" and the Bulls with "annoying" for making this a series? Putting an adjective to the Bulls like "pesky" implies bias, even if it might be meant as a pat on the head to the little kid that learned how to tie his shoe. Either way, it's insulting.

The title of the article, when taken in context, is giving a backhanded shot at the Bulls while continuing to perpetuate their East Coast biased "reporting." Now I've accepted the fact that ESPN will talk about the Yankees, the Red Sox, the Mets, the Patriots, the Jets (really, no one cares that they traded up for Sanchez two, three, or four days after the fact but Jets fans), the Celtics, the Phillies, etc., ad-nauseum.

For example, it only makes sense that you'd hear more than you ever thought you wanted to know about the Red Sox and Yankees when you have former Boston Globe writer Peter Gammons and Tim Kurkjian, the author of "Is This a Great Game or What: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head," as two of the venerable mainstays on ESPN's Baseball Tonight.

But when ESPN decides to put a title like "Truth Hurts...So Good" next to an article about the Bulls/Celtics travesty, essentially rubbing it in the face of "those pesky Bulls" and their fans while only extolling the virtues of the Celtics (you know, virtues like Kevin Garnett's classless trash talking at the Bulls bench after they sealed the victory in spite of the fact that he contributed nothing to the actual outcome) in a game that was essentially decided by bad refereeing...it only makes me wonder if anyone at ESPN has even the smallest shred of journalistic integrity.

A few years ago, a movie was released about Fox News entitled "Outfoxed," which featured former employees of the news network talking about how the marching orders for conservative programming came from the top.

I know that putting sports journalism in the same topic of conversation with news journalism is like putting Brittney Spears in the same conversation on humanitarianism with Mother Theresa, but I have to wonder if ESPN's blatant bias comes from the top like "Outfoxed" proposes for the Fox News network.

I don't care that the Bulls lost. It's only Game 5 and to be honest, I'm a hockey guy at heart. This is actually the first (and probably the only) article I've written on a team in Chicago other than the Blackhawks for Bleacher Report. But I didn't even intend to write this rant about the Bulls specifically.

The fact of the matter is that ESPN's borderline disgraceful coverage of pro sports has reached a new low today, and I for one am beyond tired of their continued insulting of both teams and fans of those teams in cities not located in the northeastern part of this country.

Everyone knows that this bias exists, yet no one seems to be willing to call ESPN out and take them to task. Maybe no one else cares. Conservatives need their Fox News because there's so much liberalism in the media today. That's fine, I get that opinion. But ESPN isn't simply for people on the East Coast. This isn't one network in a sea of other networks that provide a different view on the world the way that CNN, MSNBC, CBS, etc. does for news journalism.

For every Boston Globe, there's an Atlanta Journal Constitution, a Dallas Morning News and a Seattle Post Intelligencer.

But the self-professed World Wide Leader in Sports has essentially taken over the landscape of sports journalism in the last 20 plus years, and as a fan of sports in the Midwest, I am at my wit's end with ESPN's coverage.

Their coverage not only includes an abundance of East Coast teams (I honestly can't remember when they've had a baseball game on that didn't have at least one team from the East Coast), but the stories on these teams that are perpetually shoved down America's collective throats, from interviews to recaps, actually seem to come from the perspective of the fans of those teams!

Enough.

We get that Mark Sanchez has a lot of potential for the Jets. We get that Tom Brady's injury is a substantial loss to the Patriots. We understand that Alex Rodriguez steroid abuse several years ago is yet another black eye on baseball. We see why Phillies fans should rejoice at World Series victory. Curt Schilling's bloody sock certainly is the stuff of big league legend.

But in the endless ocean of East Coast glory stories, their lies, deep beneath the surface, thousands of other stories that are no less important to fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Colorado Rockies, the Cleveland Browns, or dare I say, the St. Louis Blues.

Now, the "why ESPN hates hockey" rant is one that I'll save for another day, along with the "why ESPN calls themselves the worldwide leader in sports when all they talk about is three different sports." Okay, I'll work on that title. But honestly, if the New York Yankees had done what the St. Louis Blues did this season and came from dead last in their league/conference to make the playoffs, ESPN would have had around-the-clock coverage.

Tim Kurkjian would've been camped outside of Joe Girardi's house with a tent, a small fire, and a bag of hot dogs.

Granted, I understand that baseball is more popular than hockey in America. But if you think for a second that if both the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans came from dead last in the AFC to make the playoffs, that the Texans would get a tenth of the coverage that the Patriots would receive, you're not only wrong, you're insane.

Personally, I don't see why this doesn't bother people more. ESPN has a metric ton of coverage with free reign to present the general public with information spanning the globe, yet Padres fans will be lucky if they get more than five minutes on Baseball Tonight and SportsCenter combined. The only way they get more coverage is if they happen to be playing the Mets that day and even then, you won't hear about the Padres lack of outfield depth.

Oh no. Not with David Wright getting a splinter in his pinkie or Carlos Beltran...existing.

I don't mean to sound bitter, and again, I'm not bitter about the Bulls loss. But ESPN's coverage of Game 5 both afterwards and into the following morning has been both shameful and reprehensible. If ESPN were based on the West Coast, we'd have to stomach endless coverage of the Angles, the Raiders, the Clippers, and the Nuggets.

As it stands, those teams get almost zero coverage.

"Truth Hurts...So Good?" How about, "Hurts...To Watch," "Hurts...To Listen," and "Hurts to...Read." Or more to the point: "ESPN's Existence Hurts...Sports."

Chicago Blackhawks Playoff Predictions? Anyone?

Adam Kopp — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:12:48 -0400

A week ago, it looked as though the Chicago Blackhawks, barring a choke of epic proportions, were most likely heading towards a match-up against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the playoffs.

But as of April 1st, the Hawks are set to meet up with the Calgary Flames, and with one point separating the third seed from the fourth and the fourth from the fifth, uncertainty abounds.

Even the surging Blue Jackets are only three points back of the stumbling Blackhawks for the fifth seed.

Sure, it's not the NCAA brackets (which is a good thing, because I picked a grand total of zero Final Four teams this year... Stupid Memphis) but usually you get a feel for most teams and where they're headed come playoff time in the NHL.

In the East, the Bruins have won four in a row, even if one of those wins was against that ECHL team down in Tampa Bay. The Rangers and Canadiens, in contrast, while having decent records in their last ten games, havelooked surprisingly vulnerable for the last month or so.

Over in the West, San Jose, Vancouver, Anaheim and surprisingly enough, St. Louis are looking like the dangerous teams with a little over a week to play in the regular season.

Didn't the entire Blues roster get injured this season? Are Keith Tkachuk and David Perron THAT good?

Regardless, the vulnerable teams right now appear to be Calgary, Minnesota and Edmonton. Oh, and the Chicago Blackhawks as well.

The strange part about the Hawks is that there is absolutely no feel forhow well this young Hawks squad will perform in their first trip to the playoffs since Zhamnov, Amonte and company accomplished that feat back in 2002.

With wins over the Kings, the Sharks and the Devils last week, Patrick Sharp (fresh off of injury) and the Hawks appeared to be rejuvenated after a few injuries and poor play led to a second half that bordered on disastrous.

Yes, this was the team that on January 1 appeared was only four points back of the first place Red Wings. While that dream died about 16 points ago, the Hawks are still firmly entrenched in the race, but to what end?

Following their small winning streak of a week ago, the Hawks were pummeled by the streaking Canucks and Canadiens to the tune of an eight to one goal deficit.

Didn't the Hawks own Canada earlier this season?

If I had to make my first round predictions right now, they'd probably look something like this:

(Based on current standings)

East

Boston over Montreal: Four to One

Washington over the Rangers: Four to Zero

Pittsburgh over New Jersey: Four to Three

Carolina over Philadelphia: Four to Two

West

San Jose over St. Louis: Four to Two (Yes, I'm predicting the Blues make it)

Detroit over Anaheim: Four to Three

Vancouver over Columbus: Four to Two

Calgary over Chicago: Four to One

It pains me to say that the Hawks are on the road to a near sweep at the hands of the Flames, but I think that it would be almost worse if the Hawks faced the Canucks.

The Hawks simply can't seem to get going in the second half of the season. I don't know if Q's boys have run out of gas, but with a week and a half left to play, and the Hawks in their own division for the rest of the season (a place that they've definitely struggled thus far in the season), things are not looking good.

I've been somewhat of a naysayer throughout the second half, and I hate that fact, but the Hawks really need to show me something in the next week or so that says they have life.

Heck, the Hawks need to show the league that they have something left in the tank as the season winds down, or they might be staring down that first round exit that I have unfortunately predicted.

I sincerely hope that they can prove me wrong.

Chicago Blackhawks on the Brink as Maddening March Continues

Adam Kopp — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:51:52 -0400

What a difference a few weeks in the NHL can make.

Three weeks into February, after completing one of the longest road stints in franchise history, the Hawks were 7-2 through the 21st and firmly entrenched in the fourth spot in the Western Conference.

Since then, the Blackhawks have gone 3-7-2 and find themselves in a virtual dead heat with the Vancouver Canucks. To make matters worse, the Blue Jackets, one of the perennial forgotten teams in the NHL, have pulled to within four points of the once-untouchable Hawks.

But these aren't your father's (okay, your older brother's) Jackets. Though the Blackhawks seemingly didn't have the goaltender to spare, the Blue Jackets were able to ship Pascal Leclaire to Ottawa for center Antoine Vermette, a trade that has already burned the Hawks twice now.

Vermette scored two goals in the Jackets matchup against the Hawks on an unlucky Friday the 13th and followed that up with a game-winning goal against the Hawks on Wednesday the 19th.

So, there's no way the Blackhawks could've shipped Khabibulin to the Sens for this guy?

In a previous article, I wrote that Dale Tallon's tenure as Hawks GM would be judged on the trading deadline, and, true to form, he didn't fail to disappoint me.

Don't get me wrong, when it comes to the minor trades, the eye for young talent, and especially the draft, Tallon is a wiz. But when it comes to making the big moves, whether it be signing big names or making the big deals needed to help this team contend, Tallon has either been gun-shy or flat out wrong.

I'm not ready to call the Brian Campbell signing a failure just yet, but having not scored a goal since Jan. 8 and collecting an ugly -11 in his past seven games, one has to wonder if that $7 million-a-year contract couldn't have been spent a bit more wisely.

So, instead of trading for Olli Jokinen and not only filling that elusive second line center position as well as filling in for the loss of Patrick Sharp, the Blackhawks chose to trade gritty defenseman and fan favorite James Wisniewski for checking-line center and face-off specialist Samuel Pahlsson.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames, having lost scorers Rene Bourque and Todd Bertuzzi, went out and snagged Jokinen. The result? Jokinen has 10 points in his last six games and has helped Calgary cement their top line.

This time of year is always hard on young teams. The grind of the regular season is undoubtedly felt that much more when the playoffs seem to be in sight. However, the Hawks still have nearly a month left, and the 15 games coming up on the schedule won't be doing the Hawks any favors.

A revamped Oilers squad, an always tricky Kings team, as well as matchups against the Sharks, Devils, Canucks, and Canadiens will help the Hawks close out a month of March that might be best left forgotten by the Chi-Town faithful.

Oh, and the month of April? The Blackhawks will be in their division for the remainder of the regular season in April, a place where the Hawks have been simply abysmal this season. Two more matchups against the Blue Jackets as well as two more matches against the defending Cup champion Red Wings to close out the year.

I hate to be a doubting Thomas, but with a nine-point lead over the eighth-seeded Predators (whom they also play twice in April), is there actually a chance that the slumping Hawks could find themselves on the outside looking in when the second season starts?

That might seem like an inconceivable concept for most Hawks fans, but remember this: Only a few weeks ago, the Blackhawks had a 10-point lead over the fifth seed and were essentially penciled into the fourth playoff spot by most experts.

Apparently, no matter the squad Tallon puts out on the ice from year to year, the second-half slide remains an unfortunate part of this team.

It really is a shame, though, that Tallon couldn't work out a deal at the deadline to really help this team going forward. As much as Pahlsson's face-off abilities will help, I believe that Wisniewski's toughness will be just as missed.

The net gain from the deadline? Minimal at best.

So with 15 games remaining on the Hawks schedule, both Tallon and head coach Joel Quenneville will really have to show what they're made of. If it's more soft play coupled with more dump-and-chase, you can bet that both of these guys will find themselves on the hot seat when the offseason rolls around.

Things got interesting when the Blackhawks were threatening for the division lead back in December and now things are getting even more interesting as the season slowly begins to wind down

Just not in a good way.

The question now becomes, if Tallon failed at the deadline, just how much will this team suffer for it?

Can the ship be righted in time for the playoffs, and if not, how much further will they fall?

Chicago Blackhawks Cold On Trade Deadline?

Adam Kopp — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 16:27:52 -0500

Most Blackhawks fans these days will tell you that the team needs drastic changes like Shakira needs belly dancing lessons. Of course, most fans won't say it in exactly that manner but regardless...

But how about drastic improvements?

With the trade deadline only four days away, all is quiet in this team's Western Conference team's front.

Sure, names have been thrown around by local beat writers. Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald suggests that players such as Tampa Bay's Jeff Halpern, Toronto's Dominic Moore and Nik Antropov, Anaheim's Sami Pahlsson, Phoenix's Steve Reinprecht and Colorado's Ian Laperriere might be on the Hawks radar.

While I like what Moore has brought to the table for the beleagured Maple Leafs thus far this season, he's not exactly a proven, known commodity in the NHL. After that, the list only gets worse.

This is the type of bulking up for a strong playoff run that Hawks fans are looking at?

According to Sassone, Anaheim GM Bob Murray will be attending Tuesday's game when the Ducks and Hawks square off. This has led to mild speculation that the Hawks, also said to be interested in a defensive D-man, might be looking to make a move for stud rearguard Chris Pronger.

This is the type of move that, to me at least, suggests that the Hawks are serious about not only making the playoffs, but making a long run. To me, this is exactly what the Hawks should be looking for as the deadline approaches.

If this team is to contend, whether it be this year or down the road, the young players on the Hawks simply must get playoff experience. They need as much of it as possible and they need it as soon as possible. If trading for a high end defensemen helps the Hawks go deeper in the playoffs, thus allowing the kids to get more experience, than I am all in favor of such a move.

In other news, the Philadelphia Flyers are rumored to be interested in Hawks backstopper Nikolai Khabibulin. Trading Khabibulin to the Flyers makes perfect sense. The Flyers can't be confident going into the playoffs, as loaded with talent as they are, with such a glaring weakness in net.

Martin Biron has a goals against around three and his save percentage is barely over 90. If they have true cup aspirations this year, they'll have to do better than those mediocre numbers between the pipes.

I know that some Hawks fans love having Khabibulin as a security blanket of sorts, but Huet has been just as strong this season (albeit weaker in the last two games) and Antti Niemi has to start showing Hawks brass what he can do in the NHL at some point. Why not now?

The Flyers could ship Biron back to the Hawks (where he would most likely get waived and sent to the minors, thus clearing 3.5 million in cap space) as well as winger Mike Knuble to make the contracts balance. All three contracts in this idea would expire at the end of the season.

The other rumor, ironically containing Chris Pronger, would have the Hawks sending Khabibulin to the Flyers, Philadelphia sends uber-talented center Danny Briere to the Ducks, who would in turn send Pronger to the Blackhawks.

Interesting, albeit unlikely.

On a final note... What will the Blackhawks do with Martin Havlat? While it's true that playoff-bound teams don't usually trade players of his skill and ability at the deadline, one has to wonder how those contract negotiations are going.

If Havlat waits until after the deadline to make a decision, his value will increase by leaps and bounds. Now the Hawks would be left with either resigning him or losing him for nothing, as trading him away at anything approaching his current value would no longer be an option.

Though highly unlikely, the Jordan Staal for Martin Havlat rumor from last year's trade deadline seems to have resurfaced. While I loathe the idea of trading away such a talented player, Staal would certainly fill the void at center while adding a solid level of grit and defensive awareness to the top six.

Regardless, while Dale Tallon would most likely love to play it safe at the deadline, perhaps adding only a small piece and retaining all of his coveted prospects and draft picks, he must realize that this deadline will not only have repercussions for the Hawks playoff chances, but for the off-season and the future of the franchise as well.

Tallon has two high caliber players with expiring contracts that he could easily lose for nothing at the end of the year. He also has three highly talented core players in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith to resign after next year. Those three players will always be in the back of his mind when it comes to trades.

He has a void at center, especially in regards to the face-offs. Olli Jokinen is rumored to be available on the high end.

The Hawks GM also has a 4th place team that's rebuilding ahead of schedule that could possibly contend this year and a fan base that knows it.

No pressure Dale, and good luck going into Wednesday. As always, the eyes of the Hawk's faithful will be watching. The future of the franchise rests on your lonely shoulders.

Shooter Down: Chicago Blackhawks Should Look to Add Now

Adam Kopp — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:28:56 -0500

Not to pat myself on the back, but I successfully resisted the overwhelming urge to post some sort of frantic "Sharp's Down, make a trade!" article until the extent of his lower body injury became public knowledge.

Today, Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville announced that the high scoring center/winger will be out for two to three weeks.

Though certainly not the length of time that Jonathan Toews was out last year (an injury that seemingly broke the team's back, as he was out for somewhere in the neighborhood of 356 to 358 months, or at least it felt that way), this injury is none the less significant.

Another hole on the top six? It's time for Hawks GM Dale Tallon to roll up his sleeves and get to work.

In terms of events, there are three major moments during the course of a year in the NHL that define the quality of a general manager's tenure with a given team:

The Draft: This past June, Tallon nabbed even more solid talents for the pipeline. Kyle Beach looks to be a Sean Avery type with higher offensive upside and hopefully lower in the dumb things to say out loud to reporters department.

Free Agency: Tallon made some bold moves in signing power-play QB Brian Campbell and goaltender Cristobal Huet to long term deals this past summer.

The Trade Deadline: Now we enter the third phase of the season. With the March 4th trade deadline rapidly approaching, several issues with the Hawks are becoming readily apparent.

First and foremost, the Blackhawks must address the injury to Patrick Sharp. While it might be jumping the gun to suggest that Sharpie might not come back at 100 percent, ask Marion Gaborik of the Minnesota Wild about lower body injuries and their annoying tendency to linger.

On that note, the Hawks must end the $12 million two-headed goalie monster. Having both Nikolai Khabibulin and Cristobal Huet on the roster was a luxury when the team didn't have glaring needs (abysmal face-off percentage aside).

The situation is different now.

With Sharp out, that leaves another gaping hole in a top six that already could have used a second line center.

Adding two top six players while remaining under the cap?

Again, this is the time of year where hockey GM's really earn their keep.

One suggestion might be found in Philadelphia. Rumors have been making the rounds lately that 35-year-old winger Mike Knuble might be available. Though a one for one swap, given Nikolai Khabibulin's contract, wouldn't work, perhaps adding goalie Martin Biron would give both teams what they need.

The Blackhawks get the top six forward they desperately need, as Knuble is on pace for somewhere between 50 and 60 points. The Flyers solve their goal-tending problem, as Khabibulin has posted vastly superior numbers to that of Philly's tandem.

All players have expiring contracts and the Flyers can more than afford the 400K difference in contracts that would be coming back to them.

Biron could be waived and sent to the minors in order to clear his 3.5 million off of the cap, thus allowing the Hawks to pursue further help on the offensive end.

After the goal-tending issue, the next set of questions revolve around the enigmas of this team.

Is Dustin Byfuglien worth his contract? Will Cam Barker find a place within the Hawks deep defensive core?

To me, these project players, given their salaries, are luxuries as well. Byfuglien makes $3 million while Barker makes $2.5 million. That's a good deal of cap space being spent on their upside. Thus far, Byfuglien's scoring is down and his ability to miss wide open nets is becoming more than a thorn in the side of Hawks faithful.

Barker has put up steady numbers thus far and only seems to be improving, but the problem is that he still hasn't really carved out his own place in the top six.

One minute he looks like a future power-play QB that is more than capable of living up to that third overall draft position. The next, he's making bad passes and mistakes that show Hawks fans that while talented, he still has a ways to go.

Then of course, he's getting benched.

Can the Hawks afford to keep spending the cap space, waiting for these players to develop into the future stars of tomorrow? Or should they use these players in order to bring in a return now?

In my previous article, I mentioned that Olli Jokinen is rumored to be available in Phoenix. Since that article, the Coyotes have gone 1-5-0 in their last six games. They are 2-8-0 in their last 10 games. The Coyotes, once thought to be a possible surprise contender, now sit in 13th place, two points out of dead last in the Western Conference.

Would the Coyotes accept a package that included Byfuglien, Barker, AHL All-Star center prospect Petri Kontiola and a draft pick in exchange for the services of Jokinen? Who knows, but if I were Dale Tallon and I am currently finding out that my leading goal scorer is going to be on the shelf for an extended period of time, I'd be making phone calls to find out what Phoenix has on their wish list in order to part with their stud center.

Though in all likelihood, I probably would've been calling in regards to a second line center already, but it's pretty easy to be yelling "I told you so" out here in the cheap seats.

Nonetheless, Tallon has some tough decisions to make in the next few weeks and I certainly don't envy him.  As rejuvenated as the fan base has been this season, Tallon has no intention of selling the future for a quick fix.

On the other hand, Tallon now has two holes to fill on the offense and a rabid fan base that sees a strong playoff-caliber team in need of some quality patchwork.  If the Flyers decide to go forward with their shaky goal-tending situation and Jokinen proves to be too pricey for the Hawks GM...

What then?  Only Dale's paid to know for sure.

Memo to the Chicago Blackhawks: Get Olli Jokinen Now

Adam Kopp — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:33:55 -0500

I'm not talking about Jussi Jokinen, the recent Carolina Hurricanes acquisition. Though if I'm not mistaken, his time in Dallas showed him to be a player with dynamite shootout abilities, something the Hawks could certainly use this season.

I'm talking, of course, about the Olli Jokinen, the 30 year old Finnish dynamo that plays for the Phoenix Coyotes.

With the financial woes of the Coyotes having been well documented by the press in the last few weeks, TSN has reported that the Montreal Canadiens are rumored to be interested in Jokinen, who is said to be available for trade.

Putting aside the absolute shock of a Canadian network insinuating that a Canadian team is after a star player (some less reputable outlets had Jokinen going to the cellar dwelling Maple Leafs), I am instead choosing to focus on one simple fact:

With a little under one-and-a-half years remaining on a contract that pays him $5.25 million per season, Olli Jokinen, if actually available for trade, would be a perfect fit on the Blackhawks.

Why?

For starters, Jokinen is a center (though he can also play wing) with a multifaceted repertoire. He's an excellent goal scorer, especially in terms of the position he plays.

Jokinen is two years removed from a 39 goal, 91 point season.

In addition to his goal scoring abilities, Olli has dished out 51, 52, and 37 assists in the last three years respectively. On a talent strapped Florida Panthers team, posting numbers like that says a lot about his sheer talent and will to thrive in a less than desirable situation.

Jokinen shoots a ton, averaging over 300 shots on goal in each of the last three seasons. That might be a product of his environment, but having an offensive player that can routinely get pucks on net and put pressure on the defense would certainly be a valued asset in the hard nosed Western Conference.

Finally, coming in at 6'3" and weighing 215 lbs, Jokinen is tough to move off the puck, he's willing to go into traffic and even lay a hit or two when called upon.

Just as the Coyotes money issues are well known to Phoenix fans, the need for a solid, play-making center is certainly well known to Blackhawks faithful.

Because I simply can't resist, I have come up with what I feel would be a solid offer to the Coyotes:

To Phoenix: Dustin Byfuglien, Cam Barker, Petri Kontiola and a 2009 Second round draft pick.

To Chicago: Olli Jokinen.

Though the Coyotes don't save any money in the deal, they trade one high priced veteran for two young, medium priced players that are loaded with potential. From their perspective, they are receiving a big power forward that can also play defense as well as a former third overall draft pick that will undoubtedly captain an NHL power-play in the not too distant future.

While Kontiola is still in the prospect stage of his career, he was an AHL All-star this year that, by most accounts, is NHL ready right now. It was believed that Kontiola would start on the Blackhawks second line this season, but a less than awe-inspiring camp derailed that plan.

The total package, though somewhat expensive on the Blackhawks side, would allow Hawks GM Dale Tallon to keep his squad under the cap while alleviating some of the log jam on defense.

Furthermore, this move would allow Tallon to keep his surprisingly effective two headed monster in net. Not only that, but the Hawks would also be able to hold onto the high priced yet shocking healthy and rejuvenated play-maker Martin Havlat when the trade deadline dust settles.

Seriously, no injuries yet this year Marty? None? It would seem that, for now, the team of surgeons have in fact succeeded in rebuilding the six million dollar man.

Also surprising is the fact that I haven't heard that line in the Chicago media. Anywhere!

Of course, the only downside to this deal would be Jokinen's face-off woes. Currently sitting around 40%, Jokinen has never been particularly dynamic in the face-off dot and the Blackhawks are desperate for a center that can win some draws.

Regardless of that fact, Jokinen more than makes up for that deficiency in the rest of his game. He's a solid veteran presence, which the Hawks could certainly use more of going forward.

Tallon will have plenty of decisions to make as the deadline approaches. Is Dustin Byfuglien worth his three million a year contract, or should he be moved? Does sharp shooting D-man Cam Barker have a place on a team so loaded in the defensive department?

Would anyone be willing to take Brent Sopel off of Tallon's hands? No? Okay, nevermind.

To me however, the answer is simple. If the Hawks can land a first line caliber center that makes second line center money while subtracting two question marks, then Tallon has to make that deal even if it means watching two or possibly even three gifted young players develop into quality talents on another team.

Five Chicago Blackhawks Trades I'd Love To See

Adam Kopp — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 23:42:53 -0500

While several teams attempt to claw their way up the ladder from the proverbial bubble positions, it is becoming increasingly clearer which NHL teams simply need to pull the cord and start building for next year.

In the East, the Toronto Maple Leafs sit nine points out of the eighth playoff spot, which is good enough for 11th in the conference standings. Shambling behind the Leafs, you'll find the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Ottawa Senators, the Atlanta Thrashers and the New York Islanders.

On the Western front, the gap between contenders and pretenders is also widening, with the Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche all at 47 points, good enough for 12th place in the conference and six points out of the playoff race. The beleaguered and often injured St. Louis Blues are in last place with 44 points.

From the Blackhawks' perspective, any of these teams could theoretically offer up some much needed support for the playoff push.

So let's get to theorizing already. In this Five for Fighting column, I have five trades I'd love to see the Hawks pull off before the trade deadline in March:

Fantasy Trade No. 1

Nashville Predators trade Jason Arnott for Cam Barker, Troy Brouwer, Craig Adams, and a second-round draft pick.

Why it makes sense for the Predators: Before anyone suggests that the Predators would never trade Arnott within their own division, a move like this would be far from unprecedented. Steve Sullivan anyone?

Sully went from Chicago to Nashville during the height of his career, and while the circumstances are certainly different, the needs of these teams match up fairly well.

Having failed to fill the void left when Kimmo Timmonen departed for the Flyers, the Preds find themselves paper thin at defense after All Star Shea Weber and young upstart Ryan Suter.

Perhaps the Predators would be a bit more willing to give Barker the ice time he needs to fully develop than the Hawks have in the past?

Why it makes sense for the Hawks: Unlike what some Hawks fans have been saying lately, Dave Bolland is not a second line center. His numbers, while solid, certainly benefit from having a rejuvenated and healthy Martin Havlat on his line.

This team has a surplus of defensemen, young talent and draft picks. What they need is a steady, veteran top six caliber center and Arnott fills that bill.

Fantasy Trade No. 2

Colorado trades Milan Hejduk for Dustin Byfuglien, Petri Kontiola and Corey Crawford.

Why it makes sense for the Avalanche: It's no secret the Avalanche have had issues in goal all season. One minute Peter Budaj finally looks as though he's ready to step into the top spot and the next he's being replaced by journeyman Andrew Raycroft.

Adding a solid goalie prospect in Crawford, along with a center that would have a good shot at making the top six out of camp would go a long way for a Colorado team that might be looking to rebuild, especially if Joe Sakic retires.

Why it makes sense for the Hawks: When the playoffs come around, a team can never have enough scoring and enough depth. I'm still worried that the young guns on this team will tire as the year goes on.

Adding a solid veteran in Hejduk who is at 32 still has a few good years left at a reasonable price tag (signed through next year) would surely benefit the Hawks going forward.

Fantasy Trade No. 3

Islanders trade Doug Weight for Cam Barker, Craig Adams and Troy Brouwer.

Why this makes sense for the Islanders: Weight is the epitome of a rent-a-player this year. He's 37, he has an expiring contract, and he's playing for the worst team in the NHL. The Islanders will be looking to bolster their roster with young talent when they trade Weight. Barker is a power-play QB in the making with a booming slap shot. He's also not afraid to take the body.

Brouwer is a little more of an unknown, but he's been solid in the AHL and he's doing a relatively good job with the minutes he's received on the big club this year. He has potential.

Why this makes sense for the Hawks: While the Hawks lose a former third overall draft pick, let's be honest: Barker has much more value on the open market than he does with a team that has the depth that the Hawks currently have on the back end.

This is another well matched pairing of teams who's needs sync up with what each team currently has to offer.

Alright, so those were a few options that range from possible to not likely. Let's try and see if there's a bigger move to be made.

Fantasy Trade No. 4

Atlanta trades Ilya Kovalchuk for Nikolai Khabibulin, Cam Barker, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Jack Skille, a first-round pick this year, a second-round pick this year, as well as a second-round pick next year.

Why this makes sense for Atlanta: Okay, of course this won't happen. But from the Thrashers standpoint, they receive a legit starting goaltender, which they haven't really had in the history of their franchise (sorry Kari). If they re-sign Khabibulin to a three or four year deal, they'd be set in net for a while.

Barker, Skille and Hjalmarsson are a solid group that would help the Thrashers down the road because let's face it, the Thrashers have to start rebuilding at some point.

Kovalchuk has been frustrated all year with the sinking ship he's been on and most analysts believe that he'll jump to another team once his contract runs out after next season.

Trading him now for the enormous injection of youth that this trade would provide certainly might be a good place to start pulling the Thrashers back above water.

Why this makes sense for the Hawks: Some Hawks fans might hate the idea of adding another big contract when Kane, Toews and Keith need to be resigned after next year.

I'm telling you, I have looked at the numbers several times and rest assured, there are ways of making this work that don't involve great Hawks players getting moved to make room.

As for the benefits for the Hawks? Well, take a look at his age and career stats for starters. Then watch him play. If you don't think the Hawks or any other team in the NHL would love to have this guy on their squad, quite honestly, you're insane.

Fantasy Trade No. 5

Ottawa trades Jason Spezza for Nikolai Khabibulin, Cam Barker, Petri Kontiola, Jack Skille, a first-round pick this year, a second-round pick this year, and a second-round pick next year.

Why this makes sense for the Senators: Same principal here. The Senators' window is just about closed, the offense is paper thin after their star players, and the defense is sorely lacking in front of Elliot/Gerber/Auld/Emery/some fan they brought out of the stands.

The Senators can do more good for the future of their franchise by trading one of their star players to bring up the skill level throughout the rest of their team. Kontiola has top six center material, while Barker and Hendry would certainly help them improve on the back end.

Why this makes sense for the Hawks: This move alone would solidify the Blackhawks center position for years to come. Spezza is somewhat reasonably priced for his output and at 25, he's just entering his prime.

Four more years after this season at this price means that the Hawks should get the absolute best of this fine young talent's career.

Of course, these trades are unlikely to occur, even the less outlandish ones. But in my opinion, these are the types of moves that Hawks GM Dale Tallon should be looking to make.

Even if the 'Hawks go the rent-a-player route, I'm hoping that Tallon uses his first opportunity to be a buyer at the deadline to really focus in on getting someone that will help this roster get to the next level.

A first round exit wouldn't help this team one bit going forward, especially if they lose in humiliating fashion because they were too gassed from the long regular season.

A team this young needs to be a part of the playoffs for as long as possible, only then will these players realize what it really takes to stare down the rest of the league and then go straight through them towards glory.

What is your best trade scenario for the Hawks going forward? Which player should the Hawks look to bring into the fold and what do you think it would cost to get that player?

Chicago Blackhawks' Rumors and Speculation: My Opinion as the Mill Churns

Adam Kopp — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:03:00 -0500

The Blackhawks' winter vacation has come to an end, and the second longest road trip in the 82-year history of the franchise begins tomorrow in Anaheim. With eight games in a row and 10 of the next 11 coming on the road, this promising young Hawks team will be tested more in the next few weeks than they have been all season.

Of course, this long, arduous test for the Blackhawks also provides a great opportunity as GM Dale Tallon will be able to see whether or not the team that he has worked to assemble can slog through this road trip, coming out the other side intact and in contention.

Regardless, Tallon will get a much more definitive answer to the question currently nagging the team and its fans.

Are the Blackhawks still that legit contender from November and December that burned their way through the schedule, scorching opponents to the tune of a 20-7-7 record?

Or are they pretenders, an overachieving group of young kids that collectively fizzled out in the month of January when the team went 5-5-1?

Don't be too surprised if that answer comes at some point during or after this long stretch of road games. Tallon has stated recently that he likes the makeup of his team, and that any moves on the immediate horizon would most likely come from within the organization.

But some still contend that Tallon's job is on the line this season. The publicity machine has been in overdrive this season, and he has now had four years as the GM to turn this team around. If the Hawks drop in the standings, will Tallon pull the trigger?

Oh, and don't tell the fans who believe that the Hawks are a lock for the postseason this year, but the 10th place Ducks are only seven points out of the fourth seed.

You see, the Western Conference is somewhat competitive.

Conflicting rumors abound, as always, regarding what type or caliber of player would interest the Hawks at this point.

During Sportsnet.ca's coverage of the skills competition, Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger's name was mentioned in reference to the Hawks.

A certain blogger, who shall remain anonymous, stated recently that Chicago is one of the possible destinations for uber-talented yet uber-injured Avalanche center Peter Forsberg.

On the more reliable front, Tim Sassone of the Daily Herald believes that Bill Guerin, Kyle Calder, Chris Neil, Nik Antropov, Doug Weight, and Mike Sillinger should all be on the Hawks' radar.

With the exception of Pronger, which makes no sense for a team that could ice no less than 10 NHL ready defensemen, and an injured, though nonetheless resurgent, Weight, the rest of those players don't exactly scream, "I'll help you make a run at the cup."

Tallon has bemoaned selling off veterans at the deadline in recent years. He stated several times that he yearned for the day where he would be a buyer for a contending Hawks team.

Well, now is your chance, Tallon, and I honestly believe that your tenure as GM for the Blackhawks could depend largely upon what moves you make, don't make, or fail to make as the upcoming deadline draws near.

The Blackhawks are currently the No. 1 drawing team in hockey. The master plan has come to fruition. Fourth place in the standings, a strong core of young talent, and a fanbase that has been craving playoff hockey for years now, all point to the need for a strong run to the finish and a strong showing in the playoffs.

These younger guys need postseason experience and losing 4-1 or 4-2 in the first round simply won't help in that regard. So, why not make a move that will help out a lot now and in the future?

I have said it before and I'll say it again: The Hawks have the assets to pull off a big trade. Khabibulin or Havlat can be moved to even out larger salaries. Dustin Byfuglien or Brent Sopel can be moved to even out middle range salaries. The Hawks have an enormous amount of depth on defense and in the minors.

Players such as Troy Brouwer, Jack Skille, and Cam Barker have all shown potential, the latter two being former top 10 overall draft picks.

The Hawks also have two second rounders this year and two next year as well. Not to mention a first-round pick that could certainly be parted with for the right talent coming back.

Other teams will begin loading up for their playoff runs before you know it. Maybe a big-name player or two will change teams. Last year, Marian Hossa was had for a first-round pick, a former first round player, Armstrong, and Christiansen.

Don't tell me that the Blackhawks couldn't put together a package as good as that for a player of Hossa's talent and ability.

If the Hawks fizzle out in the second half and either fail to make the playoffs (which I still maintain is possible), or they get routed in the first round, I sincerely hope that Tallon won't have to look back at this deadline and wonder if there was more that he could've done to make his team better.

The rumors will only intensify as the deadline approaches, and while Tallon has brought the team this far, one still has to wonder if he's willing to do what it takes to help this team truly rise above the past and vault this team into the elite status of the NHL.

To me, he has been somewhat gun-shy in the past about making big trades. He has signed big-name players before, but when it comes to the wheeling and dealing with other GMs, well, let's just say that the track record is somewhat small.

Time will tell, but here's hoping that Dale can get the job done.

Chicago Blackhawks Skating on Thin Ice Heading into All-Star Break

Adam Kopp — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:51:54 -0500

If only there were a nickname for what January has typically been like for the Blackhawks in recent years.

Junk January? Evil Enero? Post-Holiday Hawk Hibernation?

After a quality month of play in November, and a stellar December, the Hawks had 20 wins with seven losses in regulation, and seven in overtime.

The heels of the rival Red Wings were clearly in sight. Sure, the Hawks closed out 2008 with an embarrassing loss to Detroit heading into the Winter Classic, but the champs were still well within reach.

Then January happened.

With three games left in this forgettable month, the Blackhawks are limping into the All-Star break, having gone 3-4-1 in their last eight games. Sure, not the worst record ever, but consider the following list:

10 Reasons Why January Should Not Exist

1. Patrick Kane has not scored a goal in January. He only has one assist thus far in 2009. Who wants a month where Kaner isn't getting the soda and putting it top shelf?

2. Patrick Sharp has two goals in his last 13 games. I believe that he was on pace for 372 this year. Well, thanks January.

3. The Blackhawks nearly equaled their entire number of losses on the season in the last three weeks. If I could use this month as an adjective—that's so January of them.

4. Of their four most recent losses, only the Minnesota Wild have a winning record. Oh, and only one of those four teams' goalies belong in the NHL.

Shut out by Chris Mason? Really?

5. The Red Wings? Forget their heels, the Blackhawks won't be nipping at a chance for the Central Division lead any time soon, as Detroit opened a 10-point lead while the Hawks lost to "powerhouses" like Colorado and Nashville.

6. The injuries are slowly starting to trickle in—Duncan Keith and Kris Versteeg are probably looking forward to the All Star Break a little bit more than their teammates at this point.

7. Dustin Byfuglien is currently charging the Hawks $157,000 per point. He has had three thus far in January, with one goal in his last nine games. No way did Dale Tallon jump the gun when he dished out that contract. No, not at all.

8. Adam Burish led the Hawks in shots against the Blues on Wednesday with four. Alright, there needs to be a rule: When your team's goon has more shots than the rest of the players, said goon must give each player on the team one kidney shot. Two, if he sees tears.

9. Head coach Joel Quenneville has been shuffling Ben Eager around the lineup, at times placing him on the top two lines. When a goon not named Dan Carcillo is in your top six, well, your team is getting hit square in the Januaries. Too much? Okay, I'll stop now, except to say...

10. Martin Havlat has been the most consistent player as of late. Why is that a bad thing? Next to Marian Gaborik, Marty has been the most fragile, delicate flower of a player in the NHL for several seasons now.

Expecting Havlat to stay healthy is about as realistic as expecting to look prettier after a game of Russian Roulette with a fully loaded six-shooter in your hand and a fully sugared grapefruit half in the hand of your opponent.

I know, that's a lot of negativity for an otherwise impressive first half for this young team. But one only has to look at last year's Blackhawks to see that a team crawling to the midway point generally falters in the final months before the playoffs.

Last year, the Blackhawks were hovering around playoff contention until a 4-9-1 January left the team in a hole that they simply couldn't dig themselves out of by season's end.

Even the 06-07 Hawks had a chance, hovering around .500 until an abysmal 2-8-2 record in January doomed that squad.

On the bright side, last year's Hawks were ravaged by injuries. This year, the Hawks should be getting Keith and Versteeg back right after All Star Weekend. Havlat's injury issues, which have plagued him for two years, seem to be a thing of the past following his surgery.

Kane and Sharp will be lighting the lamp again before you know it.

On the glass-is-half-empty side, the final three games of January are all road games on the West Coast. One game at the Pond against a tough, down-but-not-out Ducks team that has something to prove, one against an LA Kings team that has always given the Hawks trouble, and then the Hawks have to wade into the Shark Tank, where the pride of San Jose has all of one loss in regulation.

A great way to end a great month.

I'm not saying that history will repeat itself, but if the Hawks continue their slide in the second half and either draw a bad matchup in the first round or fall out of the playoffs entirely, they'll only have themselves—and that awful, terrible first month that shall not be named—to blame.

Blackhawks Deadline Dilemma: Go Big Or Go Home?

Adam Kopp — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 14:49:49 -0500

With 45 days left before the trade deadline, the Blackhawks don't have the pressure that most teams hovering on the playoff bubble have regarding whether or not they're a contender this year.

The real question for the Hawks seems to revolve around just how much of a contender the Hawks are, as currently constructed.

Most fans that I have talked to seem to be torn on the issue, yet they all seem to fall in one of three groups:

The Planners: Some fans believe that this simply isn't the year for the Hawks to make a big push towards hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup. The Hawks should plan for being a top tier contender in two to three years.

Get some playoff experience now, but sacrifice nothing for the future in the name of a quick fix in the present.

This group tends to advocate trading goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and possibly winger Martin Havlat in an effort to gain picks and prospects that can help the team down the road.

They firmly believe that locking up Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith long term is the number one priority of the franchise.

Pros: No one would accuse this group of being short sighted. They want the Hawks to be a contender for years to come.

Those picks and prospects gained from moving contracts that will undoubtedly walk away for free at the end of the season could prove to be highly valuable.

Acquiring an aging veteran at the deadline might not help this team get any closer to winning the cup, and the need filled by that veteran will be just as present in the off- season, so why bother? The Hawks would only succeed in hurting their draft position.

Acquiring a big time player will cost valuable portions of this organization and possibly change the overall chemistry, which is so valuable on a young team that has done well so far this season. Why rock the boat? One player probably won't put the Hawks on the level of the Wings and Sharks anyways.

Cons: This viewpoint essentially gives up on the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Remember when the Oilers made it to the finals as the eighth seed? Anything can happen in the playoffs.

It's a no risk, no reward scenario. Other teams in the West will try and bulk up before the deadline. If the Hawks, sitting in fourth place, essentially become sellers, not only will they damage their chances at advancing far into the playoffs and giving the young guns the experience that they need, it could theoretically damage the Hawks chances of even making the playoffs to begin with.

The Incrementalists: The second group of fans believe that this team is ready to contend now, but a small hole in the team (namingly a face off specialist at second line center) is the only thing preventing the Hawks from really competing this season.

This group sees move-able assets with big contracts (Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin), assets with medium sized contracts (Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Sopel) as well as good prospects and draft picks that could be moved to bring in a decent rental player along the lines of Doug Weight or Bill Guerin.

Of course, going with a veteran in the final year means not having to part with any of the bigger assets.

Pros: Ultimately, this is the low risk, medium reward scenario. The Hawks certainly don't have to mortgage the future to get a player like Doug Weight.

The Hawks would be filling a need, and when is that ever a bad thing?

Theoretically, the team chemistry shouldn't be overly disrupted by the addition of one player and the likely subtraction of one player at the most.

A move like this will certainly help the Hawks keep up with the other teams in the Western Conference that are aiming to improve their chances as well.

Cons: Acquiring an aging veteran and/or player with an expiring contract is the ultimate short sighted move.

Even if the Hawks are only parting with picks or prospects, those are assets that the Hawks could have used at some point in the future. So if the Hawks don't win it all this year, and that second round pick given up for a few months of having Bill Guerin actually turns into a star player in the NHL, Hawks fans would be crying foul from here to eternity.

The need that is filled in the short term will still be a need to be filled in the off-season. So what's the point in trading assets for a player that won't drastically improve the Hawks chances of winning it all this year?

The quality of the players being shopped at the deadline usually tends to be relatively low. Sure, you have a few stars, but if you're looking at this from an Incrementalist view, than you're either adding an aging veteran with an expiring contract, or a decent player with a bad contract.

How will adding a decent player like Michael Nylander, who is 35, makes almost five million per season with two years left, help the Hawks in resigning Toews, Kane and Keith after next year?

The Big Movers: The final group sees all of those same assets that the Incrementalists see, but rather than trading a prospect and a second round pick in an effort to land an aging playoff rental, these people would rather see the Hawks use those assets to land an upper tier or even top tier player that won't just help the Hawks now but in the future as well.

Players such as Nathan Horton, Olli Jokinen, Ilya Kovalchuk and Vincent Lecavalier should be pursued in the name of winning now and winning often down the road. Sure, a first round draft pick, a player like Havlat or Byfuglien (or both) and some good prospects will probably be gone when the dust settles, but the payoff could be huge for this young team with such a limited amount of playoff experience.

They believe that there is enough depth in the prospect pool, enough draft picks, and certainly enough big and mid-size contracts to pull off a big deal without mortgaging the future.

This group believes that the Hawks have played well against the Red Wings and Sharks despite the records. Adding a top tier talent would make a much bigger difference down the road in the playoffs against these teams than adding an aging veteran would.

Pros: It's high risk, high reward. The Penguins went this route last year when they traded for Hossa, a player that was instrumental in getting the Pens to the Cup finals, especially when Evgeni Malkin went stone cold in the second season.

It's not a quick fix. Players along the lines of Horton, Kovalchuk, Jokinen and Lecavalier are all signed through next year.

You can't have too much skill or depth when the playoffs come around. Adding a big time player will undoubtedly help the Hawks compete against the elite teams in the West, much more so than adding a mid-tier player.

You never know what will happen next year. The Hawks were buried by injuries last season and it could easily happen again next season. Why not go for it now while window is open? Plus, if the injury bug bites next year or even this year, having another top tier player to help fill the void would be huge.

This would be a showing of good faith on behalf of management to the team and the fans, essentially telling the players that the ownership really believes that they can go far this year.

Cons: It's high risk, high reward. The Penguins have no cup to show for trading away Esposito, Armstrong, Christiansen and a first round draft pick. They also don't have Hossa anymore and the team hasn't been nearly as good this year as they were last season.

Big moves are extremely expensive in terms of assets traded away especially at the deadline. Horton might be somewhat affordable, perhaps even Jokinen, but players like Kovalchuk and Lecavalier would require gigantic, team altering returns that could certainly hurt this team's chances down the road.

The Hawks would be putting a lot of eggs in one basket. If Kovalchuk doesn't resign after the '09-'10 season, than the Hawks have still traded away a lot for a short term fix. Same goes for Jokinen, who's contract also expires after next season.

If Lecavalier gets injured (and rumors persist that his bulky shoulder has been a problem this season), the Hawks could have a Rick DiPietro scenario on their hands: A long, bad contract. The difference is that the Hawks will have traded away a lot in order to get that bad contract.

Finally, a move of this magnitude could easily interfere with the Hawks efforts to resign Toews, Kane and Keith after next year.

Which Hawk fan am I?

Personally, I tend to believe that the Hawks have a very good team this year, but as it stands, they're not ready to contend in the tough Western Conference. I also believe that this team is one well filled need away from contending. However, I don't believe that any half measures will suffice.

If the Hawks can get a high caliber player without trading half the team away or absolutely wrecking the positive chemistry that this team seems to have, then I would consider myself a card carrying member of group three.

The Hawks need a good second line center and a player like Nathan Horton or Olli Jokinen would fit that bill nicely. Both have acceptable contracts and while both would require a roster player, at least one good prospect and pick, I think that the Hawks have the organizational depth to make such a move happen without destroying the team or ruining the plan going forward.

The question now becomes, which group does Hawks GM Dale Tallon fall into?

Which group do you fall into?

Loaded Dice: Chicago Blackhawks Rolling Fours as Midpoint Approaches

Adam Kopp — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:26:52 -0500

With forty games of the '08-09 NHL season already in the books, the Chicago Blackhawks sit in a relatively unique position in terms recent of franchise history, the standings and the statistics as well.

For whatever reason, that position heavily involves the number four.

The most obvious "four" statistic is the fact that the Hawks are currently sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

The Blackhawks have scored 143 goals thus far, which is good enough for fourth in the NHL in scoring. Oddly enough, the Hawks have only allowed 103 goals, which is also good for fourth in the NHL.

So let me get this straight: The Blackhawks are fourth in the NHL in scoring and have allowed the fourth fewest goals in the NHL, and with four games in hand on both the Canucks and Ducks (who have each played 44 games thus far), the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the West.

Yahtzee!

Now, I could say that the downside of this otherwise positive trend comes from the fact that the Hawks have lost four of their last seven games. Losses to lowly Colorado and Nashville that saw goaltenders Andrew Raycroft and Pekka Rinne, respectively, stand on their heads were painful to watch.

So too was the 4-0 shutout at the hands of hated rival Detroit. Then, of course, there was the come-from-ahead 6-4 loss against those same Red Wings in the Winter Classic.

But now is not a time to dwell on the negative.

Usually at this point in the season, I take a mental snapshot of the Hawks. I'd look at a team that is performing up to their potential, knowing full well that the injuries, inconsistency and second half swoon are right around the corner.

To that, I humbly tempt the fates by saying: Not this year.

With Martin Havlat and Nikolai Khabibulin both playing for contracts, Hawks fans have been treated to steady and at times spectacular play from both of these highly paid players.

While some can argue that converted winger Dustin Byfuglien has struggled a bit after signing a deal that pays him three million for each of the next three years, players such as Andrew Ladd, Dave Bolland, and rookie of the year hopeful Kris Versteeg have more than picked up the slack.

When reigning Calder Trophy winner Patrick Kane went down with an ankle injury, the Hawks responded with two big wins, scoring eleven goals while only allowing two.

The Hawks have five players that are on pace to break the sixty point plateau with another four likely to break fifty points. Compare that to just one year ago when the Hawks had two players break sixty points and two more top fifty.

I'd go back further, but it gets a lot worse in a hurry.

In other words, soak it up Blackhawks fans. Not because the second half down turn is as inevitable as death and taxes; not because this is as good as the Hawks will be this season.

No, soak up the fact that as Hawks fans, we finally have a team that we can put our faith in. Even if the playoffs don't turn out well, the Hawks, barring a catastrophic, indeed epic failure in the next 42 games, will be in the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

Really take in the idea that the "youth movement" is no longer a mismanagement tag line or excuse that the organ-I-zation uses to borrow time and swindle fans out of their hard earned money.

The real youth movement has finally succeeded, and we can now reap the benefits of our loyalty and patience. Even if a Stanley Cup isn't on the immediate horizon (and who's to say what happens in the playoffs?), we can at least say that the light at the end of the tunnel isn't fading anymore.

Indeed, we have emerged from the darkness of pointless season's past, hungry for a winner, optimistic about our team's chances and ready for the exciting future that this franchise will undoubtedly provide for the old timers and first timers alike.

The Hawks might not be first in the division or in any of the big statistics, but given the recent past of this once derelict franchise, the exhilarating roster that has been nothing short of entertaining night in and night out as well as the potential for attainable future success, I'll take the number four any day of the week, month or year.

Well, this year anyways...

Barry Rozner's Right: Chicago Blackhawks Must Trade Nikolai Khabibulin

Adam Kopp — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:52:48 -0500

In his Jan. 9 article, Daily Herald columnist Barry Rozner stated that it was time to for the Blackhawks and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin to part ways, and I couldn't agree more.

According to Rozner "the Hawks need to trade Nikolai Khabibulin before the March 4 deadline. Yes, the veteran goalie has taken the Hawks this far, but he's not going to be around after this year - unless you have a way to move Cristobal Huet's contract...Khabibulin is a commodity, and in the NHL you must maximize assets and get value in return."

Don't get me wrong, I have always been somewhat of a Khabibulin apologist.

True, his first few years with the Blackhawks were unremarkable. However, as pedestrian as his statistics were, the offense and defense in front of him were twice as bad.

Anyone that believes Khabibulin is the sole reason why the Hawks were able to draft Toews and Kane never watched a single, horrendous game in those two seasons.

This year, the 'Hawks have a defense that includes all-star Brian Campbell and former all-star Duncan Keith to go with solid blue liners Brent Seabrook, James Wisniewski, and the surprisingly serviceable Aaron Johnson.

On the offensive side, well, take your pick. Currently, there are several players that are on pace for more than 50 points this season (as compared to the the '05-'06 and '06-'07 'Hawks, where only one player on each squad managed to rise above that plateau).

In his contract year, with that kind of fire power, it's no surprise that Khabibulin has been a machine this season, posting a 12-3-4 record, a 2.37 goals against average, a .925 save percentage and one shutout.

So why deal him now?

Well, here is where Rozner and I part ways. He believes that the 'Hawks need to think long term and get players or picks that could help down the road, because hoisting Lord Stanley's Cup simply isn't in the cards for this '08-'09 squad.

To that, I say (kool-aid glass firmly in hand): Why not?

The '06 Edmonton Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, and I defy you to find someone, even in Edmonton, that thought of that team as a bona fide cup contender before those playoffs started.

Did anyone see the Hurricanes or Lightning as Champions in '04 and '06?

Those are just recent examples of good teams that went a lot further than the "experts" thought they'd go.

That's the playoffs: Anything can happen, any team can get on a roll.

I bring this up because this current Hawks team isn't just a playoff caliber team, they're good.

Really good.

So I'd rather see Khabibulin traded, perhaps to Los Angeles, where the Kings sit only three points out of the eighth and final playoff spot. They have gone through three goalies this year and anyone that has watched a Kings game in their life time would know that goal-tending is and probably always has been their Achilles' heel.

Would the Hawks be able to pry winger Alex Frolov away from Kings GM Dean Lombardi? How about Jarret Stoll?

Dustin Brown?

It's doubtful that the Hawks would be able to get a huge return, even if Khabibulin's stock is probably at it's peak right now.

But clearing the salary cap space opens up several avenues for the Hawks to really improve this team not just next year, not merely in some far off, distant future (and yes, I subscribe to the adage that prospects are suspect until they prove it on the big stage) but now as well.

In my previous article, I mentioned the tough economic times that the southern NHL franchises like the Coyotes, Lightning, Panthers, and Thrashers are going though.

If Khabibulin is traded for picks and prospects, that leaves Hawks GM Dale Tallon around $7 million in cap space to play with. Ilya Kovalchuk just happens to make $7 million. Nathan Horton only makes $4 million.

Both of those players are young, both are signed through next year, and while neither of them would come cheap, the 'Hawks have the assets to make a deal work.

Tallon currently sits on two second round picks in 2009 and two in 2010 as well thanks to deals that sent Rene Bourque and Robert Lang north of the border. He also has a large expiring contract in Marty Havlat, should the need to make the money balance arise.

There are a few smaller contracts in the $2-3 million a year range that could be traded. Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and former third overall pick Cam Barker all fall into that category.

Lastly, Tallon has a laundry list of upper level prospects that include Jack Skille, Kyle Beach, Petri Kontiola, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Igor Makarov...The list goes on and on.

So while I like Khabibulin and what he brings to the table, the chance to bring in an upper level, top-six offensive player is the more pressing need that ought to be addressed.

Khabibulin has become a luxury at this point, and while I certainly wouldn't give away that luxury for nothing, his counterpart in net has been just as equal to the task thus far.

Cristobal Huet, sporting a 10-6-3 record, a 2.41 goals against average, .914 save percentage and two shutouts is clearly the goalie of the Hawks future. Or at least the next three and half years. After that, it's looking more and more like European import and AHL standout Antii Niemi is up for the challenge between the pipes.

Rozner believes that it's time to trade Khabibulin and I couldn't agree more. His value is high, the Hawks are stacked in net and there are more pressing needs to attend to, but unlike Rozner, I honestly believe that the Hawks could contend in the tough Western Conference if they add a few pieces here and there.

If a team is winning, than that usually means that the window is always closing. If there is a good move to be made out there, I'd hate to see Tallon pass on it because he's gun-shy about trading his prospects, picks or current level talent.

But I'd really hate to see Tallon pass on acquiring a good player because he doesn't have the cap space.

Southern Exposure: NHL Commissioner's Failure Could Benefit Chicago Blackhawks

Adam Kopp — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 17:32:39 -0500

Logic should have told NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman that expanding a winter sport into a place that doesn't see a whole lot of snow would be a fools errand.

Several years later, the tough economic times, coupled with the reality of trying to lure Nascar and college sports fans into the thrall of ice hockey have left several southern teams on the brink.

The Phoenix Coyotes in particular seem to be on shaky ground, as the Toronto Globe and Mail recently reported on the team requiring advances from the NHL's revenue sharing pot just to meet payroll and operating costs.

According to the Globe and Mail's David Sloats "The Phoenix franchise is heavily in debt, bleeding red ink, laying off staff and going to the NHL for advances to meet expenses and for approval to make roster decisions."

It is believed that the team has accrued an eighty million dollar deficit, including possibly as much as twenty five million this season alone.

Other teams experiencing financial woes include, but are not limited to:

The Florida Panthers: They can't seem to give tickets away (though they have been trying to for some time now).

In the last few years, the rat throwers have traded away franchise stalwarts Olli Jokinen and Roberto Luongo.

The Panthers currently own a tie with the Columbus Blue Jackets for longest playoff draught, having not made the post season in any of the last seven years.

The Atlanta Thrashers: One and a half seasons removed from winning the Southeast Division, they now stand 3-6-1 in their last ten and are sitting dead last in the division.

Only two teams in the NHL have fewer points.

Yet it is the ongoing squabbles within the ownership of the Thrashers (and their NBA counterpart, the Atlanta Hawks) that has this franchise bleeding money.

The Thrashers have only made the playoffs once in the team's short history, a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning: Talk about a franchise in disarray. Coming off of a terrible season, it was believed that the Bolts would resurrect their status as an upper level franchise with number one draft pick Steven Stamkos, a high profile new coach in Barry Melrose and a metric ton of off-season additions that included feisty winger Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata and Gary Roberts.

Three months into the season, Melrose has been fired, Steven Stamkos has been average at best and the Lightning are just one point ahead of the aforementioned Thrashers in the standings (good for 12th in the Eastern Conference).

Though it's not surprising that attendance would be down for the sinking Bolts, it is believed that the eight man ownership group that includes former NHL'er Len Barrie as well as Hollywood producers Oren Koules and Mark Burg might be having financial difficulties.

The Nashville Predators: The saga of the Predator's on again/off again sales or re locations is well documented. So too is the fact that 27% of the franchise is tied up in bankruptcy thanks to former part owner William "Boots" Del Biaggio.

According to the Toronto Globe and Mail, the Predators franchise was forced to default on a forty million dollar debt to CIT Group back in October.

Not at all shocking to anyone that knows anything about the Predators, billionaire CEO of Research in Motion and Hamilton, Ontario enthusiast Jim Balsillie is rumored to be interested in buying Del Biaggio's share of the team.

So what does all of this drama have to do with the Blackhawks?

Rumors have been circulating that several players from these foundering franchises could be available as many small market teams look to jettison large contracts.

Players such as Vincent Lecavalier, Ilya Kovalchuk, Nathan Horton and Jay Bouwmeester have all been the subject of trade speculation in newspapers and Internet blogs.

Don't be surprised if other big names such as Olli Jokinen and Martin St. Louis start popping up on dirt sheets and in the press as well.

Of course, rumors and speculation alone wouldn't mean much if it were not for the fact that many of Gary Bettman's southern expansion teams have fallen on tough economic times.

It's not surprising really.

After all, did anyone honestly believe that ice hockey was going to play well in places like Florida, Georgia, Tennessee or Arizona?

It's high time that our neighbors to the north, specifically in Winnipeg, Kitchener- Waterloo, Quebec City and Hamilton got a first or second chance at having an NHL franchise.

I am also curious as to why places like Kansas City, Milwaukee or Hartford never got the consideration that places like Nashville or Phoenix obviously received in getting an NHL franchise.

The NHL as a whole would be much more viable if the league wasn't forced to prop up these unneeded and obviously unwanted franchises in the south.

However, until the day occurs when Bettman and the rest of the NHL realizes this fact and either starts relocating or awarding franchises to places that might actually appreciate hockey, the Blackhawks would do well to take advantage of a bad situation.

As the trade deadline nears and teams begin to separate themselves into buyers and sellers, Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon would be wise to take a good long look at some of the big names that might be available from any one of Bettman's failures.

The Hawks need another top six offensive player, preferably at the center position.

How about Nathan Horton? At four million a year for the next four years, with 124 points in the last two seasons, the young center/wing would be an ideal candidate.

While I don't believe that the Lightning will part with Lecavalier, I wouldn't be too quick with that same assessment of high caliber winger Martin St. Louis.

I can only imagine how much of an impact on the standings and playoff hopes a player like Ilya Kovalchuk could have for the Blackhawks.

To be clear, I don't like the fact that any team in the NHL would have to sell off good players because they can't afford them.

But the fact of the matter is that these teams simply don't make money. The Nashville Predators have had several good years where they've made the playoffs. Yet, to the best of my knowledge, they have never cracked the top ten in league revenue. In fact, I don't think that they've even come close.

Until this situation is corrected, either by the league's front office or the simple realities of the times that we live in, it would certainly benefit the Blackhawks to pry a high level talent out of one of these franchises in hopes of improving their post season chances.

Strike while the iron is hot, because hurting these franchises in the short term will hopefully help them in the long run.

It might be a bit of a stretch, but while the downtrodden Atlanta Thrashers fans might hate you for it Dale, perhaps the fans of the Quebec Thrashers might thank you later.

Chicago Blackhawks Stunned, Burried by Injury-Riddled Colorado Avalanche

Adam Kopp — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:02:19 -0500

So let me get this straight: No Sakic, no Stastny, no problem?

After scoring eleven goals in the last two games, the Hawks registered just one tally against Avs' net-minder Andrew Raycroft in heir 2-1 loss Thursday night.

Yikes. I suppose that every team is prone to an off night here and there. Even the mighty Sharks were downed by the Flames in a 5-2 drubbing a couple of days ago.

Ironically enough, that was the exact score the Hawks put up against that same Calgary team on Sunday.

On the flip side, every now and then a goalie has one of those games where he's able to stop everything in sight.

Raycroft absolutely stole this game from Chicago, making 43 saves, many of which came in situations where the Hawks seemed to be dancing around the embattled goalie, firing pucks at will.

The third refrain from any fan of a team that just lost usually involves the job done by the referees. Now, I do have a small complaint regarding a third period face-off where the ref dropped the puck before Sharp was even near the dot. There were a few questionable calls, but to me, that stuff usually evens out by the end of the year.

So sure, the Hawks had an off night, a few calls didn't go their way and the Avs' got a tremendous performance from an otherwise average goaltender.

It's just one game.

Still, they say that one learns more from losing than from winning. After watching this losing effort, an effort that I have certainly seen before in the last few months, I can safely say that the Hawks' glaring weakness comes from what seems to be an energy that is exerted in spurts.

They'll have a shift or even a period where they're taking the body, racing after loose pucks, dropping the gloves, peppering the opposing goaltender with shots and simply playing with what our neighbors to the north call "jump."

Check the waning minutes of the third period after Wojtek "Pole Position" Wolski (what? Polish Thunder was taken and I like nicknames) helped the Avs' take the lead. The Hawks flipped the light switch and all of a sudden they had a metric ton of jump.

Then they seem to fall into a lull. Perhaps not an "oh man, 'Steel Magnolias' is on TV again?" type of a lull. That's more of an exhaustion brought on by the disappointment of knowing what your wife (and thus you) will be doing for the next 472 hours...Or just two hours, it's very hard to tell.

I'm still working out the calculations, but I believe it's one hour of "Steel Time" is the equivalent of feeling that 236 hours of real time have just passed. Without sleep.

Or something along those lines.

No, I'm speaking more to the appearance of exhaustion and complacency (as opposed to exhaustion due to resigned fate), as if the light switch can be turned on a moment's notice, so no need to keep the light on all time...

The bulb might burn out, after all.

This type of Jekyll and Hyde work ethic has shown up at various points throughout the season. One period, the Hawks will look like a team that's bound for a long run in the playoffs, the next, you'd think that someone had filled their skates with sand and their gloves with granite during the intermission.

Until the Blackhawks can put together three solid periods on a consistent basis, this young team is going to struggle against tougher, more experienced opponents, especially come playoff time.

I'm well aware of the Hawks record in the last fifteen games. But break down many of those periods piece by piece, shift by shift, and you'll notice several periods mixed in with those plentiful three or four goal periods where the Hawks simply let off the gas.

Against the cellar dwellers, it's somewhat understandable, but against the division leading Detroit Red Wings, the Hawks have come out strong, opening two goal leads in three of their four meetings, only to lose each and every time due to less than inspired play in the third period and over time.

I don't know if this is simply a matter of a young team getting tired and I certainly don't want to tell anyone that the sky is falling, but I'll simply say this:

Last year at this time, the Hawks were a playoff team. They fell flat in the second half (mainly due to injuries) and never recovered. Joel Quenneville's 08-09 roster is certainly deeper and more experienced than former head coach Denis Savard's '07-'08 lineup, and health hasn't been an issue this far.

But getting exposed by a mediocre team that's missing it's two best players?

If this young team starts to fade down the stretch, whether due to complacency, exhaustion or a combination of the two, well, watching chick flicks might not seem like such a horrible fate after all.

Deep Dish Hockey: After The Winter Classic, Questions Surround Young Blackhawks

Adam Kopp — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:22:48 -0500

So who are the Chicago Blackhawks?

Are they the team that soundly defeated the streaking Calgary Flames on Sunday, sending former Vezina winner Miikka Kiprusoff to the bench? Or how about that 6-0 drubbing of the Phoenix Coyotes on Tuesday? Tough guy Adam Burish had a goal and two assists, while Cristobal Huet garnered his second shutout of the season.

Yes, that Cristobal Huet.

The one that allowed just as many goals against the hated Red Wings on New Year's Day, effectively ruining President and chief marketing wiz John McDonough's love letter to Hawks fans.

Of course, Huet wasn't solely to blame, as the defense must have taken a VERY early flight to Calgary (I'm thinking a first period intermission departure time) for the next game.

Of course, the Winter Classic came two days after a snooze fest on December 30th that saw the Red Wings skate circles around the hapless Hawks en route to a 4-0 shutout.

The sting of losing at Wrigley, on arguably the biggest stage of the season to their biggest rival has to have Hawks GM Dale Tallon wondering what it'll take to get this team to the next level.

Owning a 22-8-7 record (good enough for fourth place in the highly competitive Western Conference) speaks volumes to the improvement of a once forgotten Original Six franchise, but the Hawks also own a combined 0-3-3 record against the conference leading San Jose Sharks and division leading Detroit Red Wings.

Sure, anything can happen in the playoffs. Six games in an 82 game season does not determine future success or failure. It barely qualifies as a trend.

I'm going to go with: Microcosm of the season thus far.

In 37 games this season, the Hawks have shown that they are apt at shoveling the snow off of the NHL's doormat franchises. They have also run more than their fair share of playoff caliber teams off the ice as well.

Put them up against the elite teams in the NHL however, and the Hawks somehow manage to channel the sluggish, hit shy, passing impaired Hawks teams of the Mike Smith era.

So how does Dale Tallon take a team that's obviously good and turn it into a bona fide contender?

Trade rumors have been swirling around goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin and his bloated contract since the moment Cristobal Huet inked his deal this past summer.

Will the Bulin Wall be jettisoned to make room for Washington's Michael Nylander? The Islander's Bill Guerin? How about The Leaf's Nik Antropov?

How about none of the above.

Cristobal Huet has been great at times, but then there are nights here and there that make me question whether or not he can take the ball and run with it.

See Classic, Winter.

The other issue with trading Khabibulin is the fact that he's played exceptionally well this season, perhaps to the point where trading him might do more harm than the perceived good done by adding a solid two-way forward or face-off specialist at the deadline.

Will a 37 year old right wing really do more than a hot goaltender in the playoffs?

Really?

Weak rumors seem to trickle out of Atlanta every so often that 25-year-old superstar left wing Ilya Kovalchuk might be available.

The Blackhawks have the current roster talent, the upper level, NHL ready prospects and the draft picks to make such a move happen.

But can Dale pull the trigger and make such a move a reality?

My gut says no. Tallon loves his prospects and if players like former third rounder Patrick Sharp (from the Flyers) and former eighth rounder Dustin Byfuglien are any indication, Tallon's all about the upside.

He has used that philosophy to build a very solid team, so I don't fault him for holding onto draft picks or making trades for no name prospects (who's Kris Versteeg? Oh right, a Calder Trophy contender). The problem is that the Hawks aren't really an upside team anymore.

That was last year.

The Blackhawks are now a playoff caliber team and in the salary cap era, that means the window is always shrinking. But if all roads to the finals go through either Detroit or San Jose, as any hockey fan with half a brain would suggest at this point in the season, will anything short of an all-star caliber addition put the Hawks over the top and into the elite class of the West?

Again, my gut says no.

Half measures like Bill Guerin or Michael Nylander will neither vault the Hawks into the elite class of teams nor will they make the Hawks any more of a contender than they are with Khabibulin on their roster.

So Dale, it's gut check time. Call Thrasher's GM Don Waddell and bring Ilya Kovalhawk, err, chuk to Chicago. If it takes Khabibulin or Havlat, an upper tier prospect like Jack Skille and, dare I say it, a first round draft pick...

Get this done.

Kovalchuk might be buckling under the weight of carrying a weak franchise on his back, but he's still posting great numbers this year. He has one year left on his contract after this season, so he won't get in the way of resigning Toews, Kane, or Keith (if the money couldn't be juggled to keep all four that is) at the end of next year.

After the Winter Classic, one thing became painfully obvious to me. The Hawks are good, but they could easily become the Chicago Cubs of hockey. Two storied franchises without a title for several decades, both returning to prominence under the abilities of two young standouts, watched by a fan base that, while rabid for a title, is still more or less content in the knowledge that the losing years are behind them for now.

Getting to the playoffs isn't enough. Making a move here, having a big media day there won't fill the void that a championship closes for a franchise that has been down for far too long.

As the trade deadline slowly draws ever closer, Tallon must be willing to make the moves necessary to put this team in real title contention. Ray Shero traded a lot last year to get Marian Hossa from the Thrashers and that move was instrumental in vaulting the Penguins into the Stanley Cup Finals.

Who are the Chicago Blackhawks? If Tallon can't see the wisdom in adding elite talent to make this team elite, than the Hawks might as well take another facet from their Wrigley counterparts:

Next Year.