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NHL Updates + Play Like Hossa |
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Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians out there!
And what a Canada Day! It looks like Toronto and Edmonton are all but locks to become the hub cities for when (/if) the NHL returns to play.
I'm still proceeding with caution, however, it's big news for those cities.
That brings some interesting storylines into the fold for the Blackhawks should the Edmonton Oilers play in their home arena for their series vs. Chicago.
That may not be the case, however, as they may have the East play in Edmonton and the West in Toronto. We'll have to wait and see on that.
It looks like Ian Mitchell will not be eligible to play when the NHL returns to finish off the 2019-20 season. I expected this would be the case and I'm totally fine with not burning a season off his contract for 3+ games.
Lastly, in terms of the NHL news I wanted to cover today, it looks like the NHL and NHLPA are closing in on a framework for a new CBA.
Some highlights include:
* Flat Cap of $81.5M for 2020-21, 2021-22, and a slight increase to $82.5M for 2022-23.
* A potential return to the Olympics
* Salary deferrals and ESCROW tweaking
The one I'm most interested in is the lack of movement in the salary cap over the next few years.
I will have a deeper dive on Friday as to what the Blackhawks could look like if this is the case. I'm excited to share that one with you as I know it will spark some healthy debates.
Now that my mini update is out of the way, I'm going to once again turn it over to Theo Fox for his thoughts on – maybe not finding the next Hossa – but how players could learn to "play like Hossa".
Theo pitched me this idea building off of my Hossa blog and I loved it and I think you'll really enjoy what he's put together.
Take it away Theo!
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Firstly, congratulations again to Marian Hossa on earning his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Well deserved for a superior player who was an admired teammate, honorable mercenary, and respected adversary.
Whether on HockeyBuzz or other sites, a common perspective that I read frequently in the blogosphere is that the Blackhawks need the next Marian Hossa in order to be a Cup contender again.
Sure, who wouldn't want a beast who is a force in all three zones. Not to mention, Hossa is a physical specimen, built like a firetruck while still being swift of foot and agile like a cat.
Playing with a blend of finesse and strength, Hossa was not the prototypical power forward. Yet, an opposing team who tried to work him over could not overpower him.
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With that said, finding the next Hossa is exceedingly tough to do. Players who enter the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility are rare for a reason. The NHL isn't teeming with players who are exactly like Hossa.
What's the next best thing?
Play like Hossa.
And not just put the onus on one player but set the bar for as many forwards as possible to emulate what Hossa brought to the rink.
What does it mean, though, to play like Hossa?
Although it would be most welcome, I would argue that being a perennial 30-40 goal scorer is not a criterion.
Instead, play within your means by contributing in whatever way offensively whether as a set-up guy, crease crasher, space creator, or disruptive speedster.
Case in point, despite scoring 525 goals and amassing over 1,100 points, Hossa still dominated across all 200 feet even as his offensive output was on the decline.
To really play like Hossa, being an impact player without the puck is a main ingredient. Hustle on the forecheck and backcheck. Commit to defense no matter the game situation.
Another ingredient is having the compete level to influence the game each shift. Fight through the physicality to do the little things to win the smaller battles within the bigger war.
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So do the Blackhawks have the personnel at forward to play like Hossa?
His former linemates in Toews and Saad are top of the list. What made their line so productive was because all 3 of them played a similar way.
Kubalik and Dach have started to show that they can play a dominant and reliable style across the entire ice sheet.
Although offensive deserts at the NHL level, Kampf and Highmore have the defensive side down pat.
What about Kane, DeBrincat, Strome, and Nylander?
Kane just needs to be Kane. Anything different would degrade his legacy as a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer like Hossa.
DeBrincat, Strome, and Nylander could stand to dial up the defensive quotient but not sure if that would be to the detriment of their offensive yield.
Although better than this trio, Carpenter, Caggiula, Shaw, and Smith aren't going to be mistaken for defensive gems either. They at least give an honest effort.
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Drilling down a few levels, it would behoove the Hawks to have a farm system that preaches a Hossa style and draft players who play reliably in all zones.
Several Hog forwards commit to defense, albeit at varying levels of intensity. Sikura, Hagel, Kurashev, and Entwistle are the strongest.
Soderlund, Hakkarainen, Fortin, and Johnson have the tools to be defensive specialists but need to develop consistency.
European free agent Chalupa is known to be solid in his own zone.
Barratt and Teply are tantalizing offensively but their play without the puck are still a work in progress.
As far as prospects not yet in the pros, Slavin, Saarela, and Wise are ones to watch and await their growth as two-way forwards.
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Do the budding youngsters need to be innately wired like Hossa?
As a few of you, like Chunk, commented on the message board of the previous blog, stellar play without the puck can be learned as was the case for the one who should be emulated: Hossa.
The first half of his career was essentially as an offensive machine. It wasn't until his lone season in Detroit playing with Pavel Datsyuk that Hossa added defensive wizardry to his bag of tricks.
The same could be said about Mike Modano who evolved into a more complete player after the Stars moved from the Twin Cities to Dallas. He credits Bob Gainey for the transformation.
It's never too late for even elite players to become more well-rounded, particularly as defensive stalwarts.
Some can do it without sacrificing their offensive talent while most will see a decrease in one side for the other side to improve.
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So in order for the Hawks to rise to the top again, they don't necessarily need the next Hossa.
Rather, a team that plays like him no matter their offensive abilities can be just as good.
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Great work, Theo. I love that perspective on Hossa's game and how the Hawks can still learn from a legend years after his career in Chicago has ended.
This is why I would love to see Hossa behind a bench one day with the Blackhawks to really engrain his level of commitment to the game into the next wave of Hawks.
That's all (we) have for today.
Stay safe and see ya out there!
TC
Chicago Blackhawks Blogger • 
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