What's next for the Chicago Blackhawks?

With Havlat a UFA, if he's lured elsewhere with big money... could the Hawks make a play for Hossa? What does the future hold for the Blackhawks?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=A0wNdbOmbyRK.tsAlAA_2bYF?slug=teamreports-2009-nhl-chi&prov=sportsxchange&type=team_report

Blackhawks Team Report

Inside Shots

The Blackhawks’ season is over, but the young team certainly considers it a successful one.

While the goal at the start of the season was just to make the playoffs for the first time since 2002, the Hawks did much better than that in earning home-ice advantage for the first round of postseason play and then battling all the way to the conference final for the first time since 1995.

In the end, their youth showed. They took the veteran-laden Detroit Red Wings to overtime three times in their five-game series, but the Wings won two of those and earned a berth in the Stanley Cup finals.

Facing an elimination game for the first time, the Hawks gave a gutty performance even without their best goaltender and top scorer (although the Red Wings were without three key players, including their top defenseman and . That can only be a source of encouragement for next season.

RED WINGS 2, BLACKHAWKS 1 (OT): Darren Helm’s(notes) goal off a fortunate bounce off the backboards 3:58 into overtime gave Detroit the game and the series.

Notes, Quotes

• G Nikolai Khabibulin(notes) came out for the morning skate, his first venture on the ice since reporting a lower body injury (probably a sore groin) after two periods of Friday’s Game 3 at the United Center. “He looked pretty good out there,” winger Adam Burish(notes) said. Cristobal Huet(notes), however, was given his second straight postseason start. “It’s been tough for Huet because we haven’t played as well when he’s in there,” said winger Patrick Kane(notes). “I feel bad for the guy. He’s taken a lot of heat that maybe he doesn’t deserve.”

• RW Martin Havlat(notes) arrived with the team for the morning skate but didn’t take the ice. Coach Joel Quenneville named rookie center Colin Fraser(notes) to replace Havlat in the lineup. Fraser played in 81 of 82 regular-season games but made just his second postseason appearance on Wednesday. “He’s a smart player and a competitive kid,” said Quenneville. “It’s nice to have him back in the lineup.”

• Before Wednesday, the Hawks had faced elimination games in 64 series over the years and had stayed alive 19 times.

• D Niklas Hjalmarsson(notes) entered Wednesday’s game with 29 blocked shots for this postseason, the most among NHL rookies.

Quote To Note: “We should all be proud of the year we had. It was a great group to work with. These kids have been great all year long. They matured. They developed. But it was a really good working experience. We got to find out what playoff hockey is all about.”—Hawks coach Joel Quenneville, summarizing his first season in charge of the Hawks.

Roster Report

Goaltenders: Cristobal Huet, Corey Crawford(notes).

Defensemen: Brian Campbell(notes), Duncan Keith(notes), Brent Seabrook(notes), Cam Barker(notes), Niklas Hjalmarsson, Matt Walker(notes).

First Line: Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews(notes), Patrick Sharp(notes).

Second Line: Troy Brouwer(notes), Dave Bolland(notes), Andrew Ladd(notes).

Third Line: Dustin Byfuglien(notes), Sammy Pahlsson, Kris Versteeg(notes).

Fourth Line: Ben Eager(notes), Colin Fraser, Adam Burish.

Player Notes:

• RW Patrick Kane had the Hawks’ goal, his ninth of the playoffs, but that was his only shot on goal of the game.

• C Colin Fraser, playing in only his second postseason game, had four shots on goal, three hits and won 6 of 9 faceoffs. He was the Hawks’ best man on draws.

• G Cristobal Huet, who lost the starting job to Nikolai Khabibulin at the end of the regular season, had a brilliant second start in the postseason, making 44 saves. With Khabibulin’s contract expired, Huet figures to be the Hawks’ main goaltender next season.

Medical Watch:

• G Nikolai Khabibulin suffered what the club called a lower body injury in Game 3 of the Detroit series and missed the rest of the series.

• RW Martin Havlat had concussion-like symptoms suffered when he took a hit from Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall(notes) in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals. He took another hit in Game 4 and was out the rest of the series.

• D Brent Sopel(notes) was placed on long-term injured reserve on Dec. 30. His injury was not disclosed but is believed to be an elbow problem that required surgery.

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Over to the GMHockey.com community for the answers...

Nice! Shabbs, the Blackhawk Tribe thanks you...

The view from Chicago, via Chris Kuc at the Tribune:

Chicago Blackhawks look to fine-tune in the off-season

Hawks bosses don't see a need for major moves

Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune, May 30, 2009

Thanks to their deep postseason run, the Blackhawks have less time before the start of the 2009-10 season to improve their team than previous years. But it was that magnificent ride into the Western Conference finals that helped show they have fewer moves to make in order to reach the next level.

Before the halt to their season at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 on Wednesday night, the Hawks proved to themselves and the rest of the NHL that the off-season will be spent fine tuning more than overhauling.

"Why do we need to be drastic?" general manager Dale Tallon said. "We just have to keep adding our own. We look forward to having some of our young guys come and compete for jobs next year. The key for success is to have competition for jobs and we feel in our organization we have plenty of competition at all spots. I don't think anything will be drastic, but we're certainly going to look to improve.

"A little tweaking and fine tuning [and] I think we'll be good."

The Hawks are already good, it's reaching championship level that is the ultimate goal for the organization. Tallon and the Hawks hierarchy will gather to discuss what moves they will attempt during the summer to maintain the momentum and improve an up-and-coming unit.

"We're going to meet Thursday and discuss everything and go over the roster and who's going to be here and who's not going to be here," Tallon said.

Here are the areas of importance for the Hawks this summer as they attempt to move toward that goal:

Free agency

In the past, the Hawks would look at the list of potential free agents from other teams and dream. This time around, it's their own free agents that are of the utmost importance.

Tallon & Co. have several key free agents and will need to balance immediate and long-range needs with an eye on the salary cap.

Martin Havlat, Nikolai Khabibulin, Sammy Pahlsson, Matt Walker and Aaron Johnson will be unrestricted free agents come July 1.

The first priority will be Havlat, who led the Hawks in scoring during the regular season and has expressed a desire to return. The Hawks would like the veteran winger back, but at what price?

Havlat made $6 million this season and won't come cheap after playing a mostly injury-free season and helping carry the Hawks' offense for much of the campaign. The two sides wasted no time in beginning talks and a deal could be struck if Havlat's salary doesn't impact the cap too much.

The Hawks expect to have room under next season's cap, but the following the season they will need plenty of money in order to keep the core of young players intact. Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith will all be in line for big raises and are must-signs for the Hawks.

Which brings us to Khabibulin. The veteran goaltender and his $6.75 million-per-year contract are most likely gone as the Hawks have Cristobal Huet signed through 2012.

Pahlsson and Walker could return if the prices are right and Johnson is a long shot after being a healthy scratch for much of the latter part of the season.

Dave Bolland, Cam Barker, Colin Fraser, Ben Eager and Kris Versteeg are restricted free agents and most are likely to receive raises, especially Bolland and Versteeg -- two of the biggest additions this season.

Front office

Since John McDonough took over as team president before the season, there have been rumblings of possible changes in the front office. He promoted Al MacIsaac to assistant to the president during the season and MacIsaac has general manager experience in the minor leagues. Also in the picture is assistant GM Stan Bowman.

Tallon has one year remaining on his contract but has been the architect of the current team and deserves not only much of the credit for the team's success but also more time to see his work come to fruition.

"I have another year on my contract," Tallon said. "I've been a Blackhawk for 32 years and I look forward to being here for a lot longer. I just want to continue doing what I'm doing and get better at it every day and build the best possible team we can."

Coach Joel Quenneville isn't going anywhere after replacing Denis Savard four games into the season and leading the Hawks to a fourth-place finish in the West and into the conference finals for the first time since 1995.

The 'fine tuning'

The Hawks showed plenty of offense and were solid defensively, but if their exit at the hands of the Red Wings proves anything, it's that they need to be even stronger in both areas.

As the youngest team in the NHL, the Hawks could use some experience. A solid veteran defenseman to join the group of Keith, Brent Seabrook, Brian Campbell, Barker and Niklas Hjalmarsson would be welcome.

The emergence of Bolland and Versteeg was vital to the Hawks' development and at times Quenneville was able to roll four lines and have a threat to score on any of them.

If Dustin Byfuglien continues the strong play he exhibited during the postseason and Toews, Kane, Andrew Ladd and Patrick Sharp play at high levels, the Hawks could have enough firepower. Still, another scorer wouldn't hurt, especially at center.

As they cleaned out their lockers Friday morning, the players were hopeful not too many changes would occur by the time they arrive for training camp in the fall.

"Is every single guy in this room going to be back here next year?" forward Adam Burish said. "Probably not. What Dale and John and those guys are going to do ... you trust them."

ckuc@tribune.com

Hawks will have a hard time keeping their talent together, and I have a hard time seeing them keeping Khabbibulin next year, and Havlat the year after.

TGTWM, did you read the article from the Chicago Tribune posted above?

It outlines Tallon's strategy, which anticipates that neither Khabibulin nor Havlat are guaranteed to be with the Blackhawks next season.

Right now the Hawks have just under $37MM in cap committed, with just over $25MM currently estimated for the following year.

In an interview given by Dale Tallon on Comcast Sports Chicago, he makes the organization's position clear. "The key is, if you want to play here, and you want to be a Blackhawk, (success) is important. We have something to build on here, and I'm sure Marty (Havlat) sees that...a great building to play that's full every night, a great city to live in, great teammates, and a brilliant future. Why would you not want to be a part of this?"

So actually, the Hawks have, in principle, an easier time keeping their talent together because of that success, and the fact that going somewhere else for more money does not necessarily mean success on that other team.

That strategy has worked for the Red Wings, the team the Blackhawks rightly see as the benchmark, especially being their long time rivals.

The creation of a 'culture of success' has been the objective of the ownership and the brain trust. In a very short time, Rocky Wirtz, John McDonough, Tallon, the Bowmans, Quenneville and the coaching staff have transformed the Hawks from a bottom feeder to an exciting contender--and a team that is very successful from a revenue standpoint.

The Blackhawks also have a number of prospects who may get their chance in Chicago in the 09/10 campaign.

That said, neither Hawks management, the players, nor the media and fanbase are taking anything for granted.

Surely, the expectations next year will be higher.

And of course, the salary cap makes for some substantial challenges.

Right now, Hawks management is evaluating all the variables, and much depends on the decisions taken regarding Havlat and Khabibulin in the next 30 days.

Looking ahead, I'm excited about seeing the Blackhawks play their 2009/10 season opener in Helsinki. October can't come soon enough.

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The deal is simple:

Sign Havlat to a 10 year, 40 million dollar package. Leave enough room to re-sign Keith, Toews, Kane and continue forward. Maybe a buyout or two, like Sopel for instance.

There will be casualties of the cap when Tallon gets done re-signing his big players, but that's something that people everywhere are going to have to get used to.

504Heater wrote:The deal is simple:

Sign Havlat to a 10 year, 40 million dollar package. Leave enough room to re-sign Keith, Toews, Kane and continue forward. Maybe a buyout or two, like Sopel for instance.

There will be casualties of the cap when Tallon gets done re-signing his big players, but that's something that people everywhere are going to have to get used to.

I have a suspicion that the Campbell contract may become a bit of an albatross when it comes to re-signing Keith, Kane and Toews (and Lord knows all three are far more important to the 'Hawks).

They're may have to move him, but he's not exactly improving his stock. They may have to add incentives.

Although last season was pretty hard to stomach, I'm glad we didn't match/one-up the 'Hawks in regards to #51.

Isn't Havlat a bit old to sign for 10/40 (he's 28 now)?
Especially given his injury history?

I'd suggest 6/27, which leaves him at 34yrs old, thus the next contract doesn't lock the cap hit if he retires.

davetherave wrote:
In an interview given by Dale Tallon on Comcast Sports Chicago, he makes the organization's position clear. "The key is, if you want to play here, and you want to be a Blackhawk, (success) is important. We have something to build on here, and I'm sure Marty (Havlat) sees that...a great building to play that's full every night, a great city to live in, great teammates, and a brilliant future. Why would you not want to be a part of this?"

Don't forget where Marty came from before he became a Hawk; and don't forget the reason he went there. Of course Marty may have matured a bit since then, plus if he's smart he's set for life by now. Still.

I have a feeling Marty will go elsewhere. Bulin won't be back and Huet will be their man going forward. No Havlat could open up the possibility of them going after Hossa.

Acrobat wrote:Isn't Havlat a bit old to sign for 10/40 (he's 28 now)?
Especially given his injury history?

I'd suggest 6/27, which leaves him at 34yrs old, thus the next contract doesn't lock the cap hit if he retires.

Doesn't work that way. The problem you're referring to (i.e., getting stuck with a player's salary counting against your cap when he retires) occurs when players over 35 entry multi-year deals and then retires. If Havlat were to sign a 4 x 10, he would have signed the deal before he was 35, and so if he retired at any point during the life of the contract, his cap hit would come off the books (although CHI would still have to pay him).

Anyway, for the sake of CHI's youth, I think they have to let both Khabby and Havlat walk. They've got so many good young players to deal with in the next two years -- Bolland, Versteeg, Brouwer, Barker, and Niemi this year, Kane, Toews, Keith, Ladd, and Skille next year. You might be able to get something to work, but in this economic climate, and with the cap being so uncertain, I think you have to play it safe. You just know a big offer sheet will come in on Toews, Kane, or Keith on July 1, 2010 if they don't have all those guys safely locked up.

rooneypoo wrote:

Acrobat wrote:Isn't Havlat a bit old to sign for 10/40 (he's 28 now)?
Especially given his injury history?

I'd suggest 6/27, which leaves him at 34yrs old, thus the next contract doesn't lock the cap hit if he retires.

Doesn't work that way. The problem you're referring to (i.e., getting stuck with a player's salary counting against your cap when he retires) occurs when players over 35 entry multi-year deals and then retires. If Havlat were to sign a 4 x 10, he would have signed the deal before he was 35, and so if he retired at any point during the life of the contract, his cap hit would come off the books (although CHI would still have to pay him).

Anyway, for the sake of CHI's youth, I think they have to let both Khabby and Havlat walk. They've got so many good young players to deal with in the next two years -- Bolland, Versteeg, Brouwer, Barker, and Niemi this year, Kane, Toews, Keith, Ladd, and Skille next year. You might be able to get something to work, but in this economic climate, and with the cap being so uncertain, I think you have to play it safe. You just know a big offer sheet will come in on Toews, Kane, or Keith on July 1, 2010 if they don't have all those guys safely locked up.

Acrobat is suggesting that a 6 year deal opens up room for another long-term contract to be signed before Havlat is 35. That would make him easier to move.

Mind you, the original contract suggested (10/40) is fine with me. Even with his penchant for missing 15-20 games each season he'd be worth it at $4M per. And if he's injured long-term, this contract allows him to retire without cap hit consequences. And if they, further, structure it such that the last couple of years he is only making $1M or less, then he won't be leaving much of that $40M out of his pocket.

All that siad, though, I just don't see Havlat signing for $4M per year, long term or not, after he just made $6M. He was relatively injury free this year (relative for him ) and he had a good playoff run, even playing with a concussion. He'll get some decent cash from someone, somewhere.

Jaques Martin always liked him, no?

Prager, you're right on with that one...if the Hawks and Havlat don't come to terms, it would not surprise me if the Canadiens offered Martin Havlat some serious money.

They were pretty happy with another Czech ex-Hawk...Robert Lang. And as you say, there's some history with Jacques Martin.

Who knows, maybe there's a deal to be made...

Anyway, Tallon's made it clear that while signing Marty would be a good thing, the team's prepared to adjust if he doesn't.

PS Shabbs> regarding Hossa, Sports Illustrated reports today a deal for him to stay a Wing is agreed on in principle. More details as they become available.

Yeah, saw the Hossa reports...

shabbs wrote:Yeah, saw the Hossa reports...

Maybe he jumps to the Hawks and helps them win it all next year. We will then have to call him the Cup Whore.