John Jaeckel: Schedule, Roster, Goalie Thoughts

John Jaeckel: Schedule, Roster, Goalie Thoughts
- John Jaeckel

First, first

Heard that the Hawks signed Mike Kostka. An adequate spare defenceman who can skate and hit. Wonder if it was a one or two way contract?

Heard that the Hawks signed Mike Kostka. An adequate spare defenceman who can skate and hit. Wonder if it was a one or two way contract?
- Leafsandbolts

Yes, they did, also Theo Peckham. I updated the blog with that in mind.

Heard that the Hawks signed Mike Kostka. An adequate spare defenceman who can skate and hit. Wonder if it was a one or two way contract?
- Leafsandbolts

Have to think he and Peckham will be in the minors mostly. And/or Brookbank will be dealt soon. A deep defense just got a lot deeper.

I think you're bang on with Crawford. He is a decent goalie; but with that defence you really don't need an all-star goalie. Save the $ to keep the D intact and the team will do very well.

Heard that the Hawks signed Mike Kostka. An adequate spare defenceman who can skate and hit. Wonder if it was a one or two way contract?
- Leafsandbolts

I'd have to believe that both Kostka and Peckham got two-way deals.

Say what you want about Dave Bolland's regular season or the relative merits of Viktor Stalberg and Michal Frolik, but all are proven NHL hockey players, a couple of whom with great speed and all with some defensive ability.

Also, we "lost" Bickell in terms of depth, too, since he's now making top 6 money and is expected to give top 6 performance. Would really like to see the Hawks sign one more, 3/4 line, physical, shutdown veteran forward, someone who can provide some of what His Ratness gave us over the past years.

I don't see Icehog games, so all I can do is wait and hope that one or two of those guys emerge after puck drop in October.... You never know. Jimmy Hayes doesn't look like much of a skater to me, from what little I've seen...

Not worried about D at all. Cream of the NHL.

Jimmy Hayes doesn't look like much of a skater to me, from what little I've seen...


- Tugboat

Hayes skating resembles a rabies infected raccoon stumbling around in the daylight.

Also, we "lost" Bickell in terms of depth, too, since he's now making top 6 money and is expected to give top 6 performance. Would really like to see the Hawks sign one more, 3/4 line, physical, shutdown veteran forward, someone who can provide some of what His Ratness gave us over the past years.

I don't see Icehog games, so all I can do is wait and hope that one or two of those guys emerge after puck drop in October.... You never know. Jimmy Hayes doesn't look like much of a skater to me, from what little I've seen...

Not worried about D at all. Cream of the NHL.
- Tugboat

By that rationale, if Bickell was "lost" in terms of the depth because he's in the top 6 he was replaced by Saad who was playing on the top line before Bickell and finished he season playing on the 3rd line with Shaw. The third line with Shaw and Saad will be fine, it's just a question of who will be the third member of that line - Kruger, UFA, or one of Smith, Hayes, and Morin.

Relying on unproven players is the Bowman way: it worked last year, don't know about next year.

Although not all rookies, the following players (all young) had not won a play-off series until last year: Saad (rookie), Shaw (2nd year), Kruger (2nd year), Leddy (2nd year), Crawford (3rd year).

Again, don't know if it can happen again, but this is the "Bowman Way" to solve cap problems.

Less than 2 months to camp; about two months to first exhibition game (I refuse to glorify them by calling them pre-season games, even tho ticket prices are full fare), about 70 days to first game. Hope they can all heal and be ready....

Relying on unproven players is the Bowman way: it worked last year, don't know about next year.

Although not all rookies, the following players (all young) had not won a play-off series until last year: Saad (rookie), Shaw (2nd year), Kruger (2nd year), Leddy (2nd year), Crawford (3rd year).

Again, don't know if it can happen again, but this is the "Bowman Way" to solve cap problems.

Less than 2 months to camp; about two months to first exhibition game (I refuse to glorify them by calling them pre-season games, even tho ticket prices are full fare), about 70 days to first game. Hope they can all heal and be ready....
- StLBravesFan

I have no issue with new faces being added to the lineup, but I think 2 is the max. Having 3-4 rookies on the roster at once is too much.

No disrespect to Crawford but unless he is good enough to make a contender out of an average to slightly above average team the Hawks would be better served by making sure they can get deals done for 4 and then 19 and 88 when their time comes.

By that rationale, if Bickell was "lost" in terms of the depth because he's in the top 6 he was replaced by Saad who was playing on the top line before Bickell and finished he season playing on the 3rd line with Shaw. The third line with Shaw and Saad will be fine, it's just a question of who will be the third member of that line - Kruger, UFA, or one of Smith, Hayes, and Morin.
- DarthKane

Exactly, which is sort of my point. Saad should only get better, and if he does spend a lot of minutes on the 3rd line with Shaw, it's a question of who will play with them... I think we still need one more shutdown guy, whether from UFA, or someone from Rockford to really emerge.

And Krugs at 2C (with Zeus also there, filling-in in limited spots) doesn't seem outside the realm of possibility either. Let's face it, the vaunted depth in those areas has been decimated, and will have to be done "by committee", at least until Q and Co. get a real game sense of what talent pool they have.

Relying on unproven players is the Bowman way: it worked last year, don't know about next year.

Although not all rookies, the following players (all young) had not won a play-off series until last year: Saad (rookie), Shaw (2nd year), Kruger (2nd year), Leddy (2nd year), Crawford (3rd year).

Again, don't know if it can happen again, but this is the "Bowman Way" to solve cap problems.

Less than 2 months to camp; about two months to first exhibition game (I refuse to glorify them by calling them pre-season games, even tho ticket prices are full fare), about 70 days to first game. Hope they can all heal and be ready....
- StLBravesFan

I don't think it's so much of relying on unproven players...it's more giving those players a chance to develop into the type of player they expect them to be.

I don't think it's so much of relying on unproven players...it's more giving those players a chance to develop into the type of player they expect them to be.
- UnnamedSource

Same thing - or at least, I mean about the same thing: young players who still need to develop into their roles.

I would expect not much roster change until TDL - and then (hopefully) another Oduya or Handzus to cover a pressing need.

I heard you were discussing Table Hockey games...
so i am going to show you the one I have.

I found the guy who tricked up this one in the vidoe and although it cost me, I have thsi exact game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=venC2oQdMGA
Honestly THIS is my game down to the Toews, and Kane and Hull and Mikita afces...

The only problem is you repalce the springs a whole lot...

I probably would trade it for my original plastic "glass", drop the puck from the scoreboard one, just prior to the plastic stick variations....

and I always loved the original stationary player game where the two corner "defenseman" were in lower ruts and you basically fired that marble unless the wood finish was of the "ice."

If anybody is interested, I still have a whole lot of 1960's Blackhawk programs with the Eagle Toys ad campaign for the 60's versions.

I was selling them on Ebay for 20 bucks, and the fact that i just have so many I have taken a break from flooding the market.

Hayes skating resembles a rabies infected raccoon stumbling around in the daylight.
- EKolb13

Haha. Nice comparable

JJ, I don't know if you were taking a shot at me in the goalie discussion, but I never said the Hawks should pay Crawford > $4.5M. When someone mentioned Crawford should only get a 10% bump over his current $2.66M, or "No more than $3M", or whatever, that's when I chimed in.

Looking at some of his peers that signed "post-reduction" deals this summer, namely Mike Smith ($5.66M), Jimmy Howard ($5.292M), and Tuukka Rask ($7M), it's hard for me to fathom that Crawford is worth (and will get) barely half those figures, unless maybe his agent is Barney Fife.

Where you and I agree is that if his salary does take a significant jump, it won't be here.

Edit: I agree with your take on "The Rockford Four"; I'm wary of really even more than one of those forwards making the jump this year, for the reasons you've stated.

I'm basically on board with all of Stan's moves this summer (hated to see Bolland and Frolik go, but understand why), except the Khabibulin signing. They could have gotten Khudobin for half that, and made it much easier on themselves to bring in a Morrow, LaRose, or Raymond-type player.

Hayes skating resembles a rabies infected raccoon stumbling around in the daylight.
- EKolb13

or me getting up from the dinner table at a semi-nice restaurant looking to employ the old 'dine 'n dash'.

I understand the Bowman re: ORG principle to jettison goalies when they start looking for raises.

Just have to say...i've had my love/hate/love/hate/love affair with Crow and was never more impressed than i was in G6 of the Final. He was STELLAR and was... pretty much throughout the 23 game run to GLORY.

Emery will find out fast, Philly doesn't have a d corps like us. Corey's worth $4 mil but will command more i'm sure and will likely be gone after this season.

I understand the Bowman re: ORG principle to jettison goalies when they start looking for raises.

Just have to say...i've had my love/hate/love/hate/love affair with Crow and was never more impressed than i was in G6 of the Final. He was STELLAR and was... pretty much throughout the 23 game run to GLORY.

Emery will find out fast, Philly doesn't have a d corps like us. Corey's worth $4 mil but will command more i'm sure and will likely be gone after this season.
- philco28

+1 to all of this.

+1 to all of this.
- MartiniMan

MM...it's a shame too because we groomed Crow a long time to taste the payoff. Have a feeling Raanta or one of the young'ns won't deliver as quick as the brain trust might believe.

I understand the Bowman re: ORG principle to jettison goalies when they start looking for raises.

Just have to say...i've had my love/hate/love/hate/love affair with Crow and was never more impressed than i was in G6 of the Final. He was STELLAR and was... pretty much throughout the 23 game run to GLORY.

Emery will find out fast, Philly doesn't have a d corps like us. Corey's worth $4 mil but will command more i'm sure and will likely be gone after this season.
- philco28

With me, more a "like/hate/like/hate/like" relationship. He won't win you a series, but, with a good defense in front of him, he won't lose you one - and he will help the defense more than he hurts it.

As I said last blog, I'd go about a million over hit hit now - to, say, hope for $3.5MM but probably go to $4MM - IF Hjalmarsson gets signed first.

MM...it's a shame too because we groomed Crow a long time to taste the payoff. Have a feeling Raanta or one of the young'ns won't deliver as quick as the brain trust might believe.
- philco28

Raanta: isn't he somewhat older - 26/27 - with good high-level-league experience in Finland?