Blackhawks Goalies: The Eagle Has Landed

1984-1997

By the 1984-85 season, Tony Esposito had retired and backup Murray Bannerman was promoted to the starters role. Truth is, he had wrested control from Espo the previous year.

Bannerman would be the man for the next couple of seasons until his career was derailed by a broken metacarpal in his left hand. Oddly enough, the injury was not hockey related, Bannerman broke it falling out of a tree. After the injury, Bannerman's GAA ballooned to a whopping 4.48 for the 85-86 season. Meanwhile his save percentage dipped to a paltry .869.

Teammates and coaches said he lacked the focus and motivation needed of a big-time puck stopper. He was demoted to the minors in '87. Murray Bannerman quit hockey after one season in the minors.

Meanwhile, with all of this in mind, the Blackhawks used the No. 8 overall pick in the 1987 NHL Entry Draft on a kid they thought would be their goalie of the future- Jimmy Waite. That same spring the Blackhawks signed an undrafted kid from the University of North Dakota- Ed Belfour. This was also around the time that eastern european players began to come to the NHL in droves. Amongst them was a guy the Blackhawks had drafted four years earlier- Dominik Hasek. Suddenly, the Hawks had a glut of good young goaltenders in their system.

Jimmy Waite was going to be the next big thing in the late 80's. Despite an appalling 4.88 goals against and a weak .869 save percentage with Chicoutimi of the QMJHL, scouts and hockey people remained high on him. They attributed his inflated GAA to the high scoring 'Q'. A league which boasted two 70-plus goal scorers that season. The fact of the matter is that Waite was a complete bust, never living up to the hype of being the eighth overall pick and to this day the world is still waiting for Jimmy Waite to arrive.

In the meantime, the Hawks turned to pint-sized Darren Pang to handle their immediate goaltending needs, but he wouldn't be in the position for long. Just two years after inheriting the job, Pang lost it to Jacques Cloutier. In 1990, Pang suffered a career-ending knee injury.

In 90-91, Eddie "The Eagle" Belfour had emerged as Chicago's new top-netminder. He played in an amazing 74 games that season winning 43 of them. The following year with Dominik Hasek and Jimmy Waite playing the roles of No. 2 and No. 3 respectively, the Hawks would advance to the Stanley Cup final for the first time since the days of Tony Esposito.

The Eagle had led the way putting up a 2.47 goals-against and a .902 save pct. playing in 18 playoff games, but Hasek wasn't far behind.

After losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in in 92, the Blackhawks thought highly enough of Belfour to trade Hasek to the Buffalo Sabres in return for Stephane Beauregard and future considerations. As we all know Hasek would go on to star with the Sabres and later the Detroit Red Wings. Looking back, it was a pretty bad deal for the Hawks.

Chicago had made their commitment to Belfour however, and for the next five seasons, the enigmatic Belfour would be the man in Chicago.

Known for his temper, Belfour ultimately forced his way out of the Windy City in 1997. Unable to come to an agreement on a contract, the Hawks sent him to San Jose where he would play out the remainder of the season. Later that summer he joined the Dallas Stars as a free agent.

In a strange twist, when Ed Belfour and the Dallas Stars made it to the Stanley Cup against Buffalo in 1999, it was Dominik Hasek in goal for Buffalo. The two goalies who fought for playing time as rookies with the Blackhawks were now facing each other in the championship. Belfour and the Stars would go on to win a controversial final and claim the cup.

Hossa going under the knife... will miss four months

Just a day after Stan Bowman announced that Marian Hossa's shoulder injury was "relatively minor" and that surgery was a "last resort", they come out and say he has a torn rotator cuff and will undergo surgery.

WTF? Why not just say that in the first place?

I have heard lots of mainstream media people cut down blogs and bloggers. I am not sure why they do this, perhaps they feel threatened I don't know. Either way its bullshit.

John Jaeckel blogs about the Blackhawks over at HockeyBuzz.com and he offers his thoughts on this whole affair with Hossa and his shoulder and the message coming out of the Hawks front office. He is well written and insightful and I don't think I can put it any better than he already has. Here is the link. Give it a read.

RTB

Hossa has a shoulder injury...WTF?

By now, you've all heard the story about Hossa's shoulder woes so I am not going to sit here and beat a dead horse.

Newly-minted GM Stan Bowman calls it "relatively minor" and says that surgery will be a last resort if it doesn't respond to treatment.

There hasn't been much information released yet, so we will just have to take Stan at his word. Lets all just take a deep breath, there is no point in overreacting.

Hopefully a little rehab will do the trick and he will be fine.

If it turns out to be a torn rotator cuff that needs to be surgically repaired than so be it. He will miss a couple of months and should be fresh joining the team midseason. We have a good team, we'll manage for a couple of months without him.

Either way we should know more in the next few days, so stay tuned.

Blackhawks Goalies: The Seventies

1967-1984: The Arrival of "Tony O"

When Glenn Hall was taken by the St. Louis Blues in the great expansion of 1967, Denis DeJordy was handed the keys to the Hawks crease. Truth is, DeJordy who had backed-up Hall through parts of three seasons during the 60's, had taken over the number one job in Chicago in the 66-67 season. That year he played the lions share of the games that year (44 games played), relegating Hall to second string. For his part, DeJordy shared the Vezina with Hall that season.

He would go to be the guy for the next two seasons in the City by the Lake. Dave Dryden, brother of Canadiens legend Ken, would serve as DeJordy's backup for the next two seasons. Dryden would later go on to play in the fledgling WHA.

In 1969, the Montreal Canadiens had a glut of goaltenders. With Gump Worsley and Rogie Vachon pencilled is as the 1 and 2 combination, there was no room for an unorthodox 26 year-old from Sault Ste. Marie. Anthony James Esposito was left unprotected and quickly picked up by the Black Hawks in what was then known as an Intra-League Draft.

Espo, known for his quick glove, was unorthodox by 1969 standards. His loose style perplexed scouts of the day not yet accustomed to what would later be known as the butterfly style. They all agreed he was effective nonetheless.

"I studied all the basic older guys. I learned a lot of things from Glenn Hall. For example, when I was in college, my brother played for Chicago and Glenn Hall was the goalie, and I'd go down and visit. I'd spend hours with Glenn Hall. We would go out and have a sociable beer and he would talk goaltending and stuff with me." said Esposito. Tony O and Mr. Goalie were pioneers of the butterfly style.

Esposito's arrival spelled the end of Dave Dryden's run in Chicago. When Dryden refused a minor league assignment, he was suspended and later traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

In his first season, "Tony O" was dynamite. He played in 63 games recording 38 victories to go along with a sparkling 2.17 goals-against average. He also set a modern day record that year notching 15 shutouts. The Black Hawks would finish the season tied for the East Division lead with the Boston Bruins. At the conclusion of the year Esposito would claim the Calder trophy, the Vezina and be named a First Team All-Star. It was the first time that a rookie would win the Vezina since Frank Brimsek in 1939.

The next year, the Hawks were moved to the West Division and captured their first Campbell Bowl en route to a Stanley Cup matchup with the Montreal Canadiens. Esposito and the Hawks narrowly missed a fourth Stanley Cup championship, losing in seven games to the Habs.

In 71-72, he would share the Vezina with his new backup- Gary "Suitcase" Smith (left). Nicknamed "Suitcase" because he played for so many teams, Smith was acquired from the woeful California Golden Seals in September of 71 to be the No. 2 in Chicago's goal. He would play 28 games that season, posting a 2.42 goals-against average while notching 14 wins- 5 by shutout.

Before the 72-73 season would begin, Tony Esposito would play for Canada in the famous 72 Summit Series against the Soviet Union's Central Red Army. After sitting out Game 1 in favor of Ken Dryden, Tony O would start Game 2. His style was better suited against the criss-crossing Soviet attack and Esposito would allow only one goal on 21 shots in registering the win. Tony shared the Team Canada MVP honors for that game with his brother Phil.

After a tying Game 3, Tony was back in goal for Game 5 of the eight-game affair. Despite losing the first game in Moscow, Tony O was once again named as an MVP for the Canadian side. In game 7, with Canada behind 3-2 in the series and their backs against the wall, Tony Esposito got the call. In the madness that was the second period, Tony Esposito was peppered with 13 shots, stopping every one of them sending it to the third tied at two apiece. In the third, he would make at least 6 memorable saves as his squad went on to win 4-3 forcing an eighth game that will be forever remembered for Paul Henderson's heroic winning goal.

When Tony returned home to the Black Hawks for the 72-73 NHL season, he hit the ground running leading the Hawks back to the Stanley Cup final before losing in six games to Montreal. The next year he would again share the Vezina trophy, this time with Philadelphia's Bernie Parent. That year he would shutout opponents 10 times and add another in the playoffs.

Over the next ten seasons, the Hawks would make the playoffs with Tony in net. During that time a number of backups would come and go, most notably Mike Veisor and later on Murray Bannerman. By the 82-83 season, Tony O was 39 and one of the games grand old men and he was now splitting time in goal and in 83-84 he was the games oldest player and had relinquished the starters job to Bannerman. He retired at seasons end.

For his career, Tony Esposito played in over 900 games in a Chicago sweater, both regular season and playoffs, winning more than 450 times. His number 35 was retired by the Hawks in 1988, the same year he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Hawks Looking to deal Patrick Sharp?

Rumors are beginning to swirl about the possibility of a trade involving Patrick Sharp. I'm hearing several teams may be involved including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and the Montreal Canadiens.

Newly minted GM Stan Bowman has said he is prepared to go into the season with the lineup he has, but eventually he will need to make a move to free up some cap space.

Stay Tuned.

RTB

Blackhawks Goalies: The Sixties

1957-67: Mr. Goalie

In what will forever go down as one of the greatest heists in hockey trade history, the Black Hawks obtained goaltender Glenn Hall and winger Ted Lindsay from the Detroit Red Wings for what amounted to a bag of pucks in July of 1957. Wings manager Jack Adams was upset by Lindsay's attempts to unite the players and in his anger dealt the pair to the Hawks.

Hall's arrival in the Second City solidified the keeper position which had become something of a revolving door. Hall was the goalie they had been missing since the days of Iron Mike Karakas.

Almost overnight, the fog of losing that had blanketed the Chicago Black Hawks for most of the 50's began to lift. The acquisitions of Hall and Lindsay and emergence of rookie Bobby Hull started a renaissance in Chi-Town hockey.

In his first season in the Indian Head, the man known as "Mr. Goalie" would log 4200 minutes in the Hawks crease. He would register 24 victories, a 2.86 goals against mark and a .909 save percentage, all the while being named as an NHL First Team All-Star. The Hawks missed the playoffs that year, but it was evident their sad sack ways had begun to change.

A consecutive games-played streak, started while he was still in Detroit continued to grow during the next few seasons in Chicago and his legend began to grow right alongside. In 1958, he was again named as a First Team All-Star, a feat he would accomplish 8 times in his career to go along with 3 Second Team All-Star nominations.

When the 1960-61 season rolled around the Hawks were primed for a cup run. With Hall's consecutive games streak still intact, he was surrounded by the likes of Pierre Pilote and Eric Nesterenko, Al Arbour and a kid named Stan Mikita. When the regular season had concluded, the Hawks found themselves in third place behind the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.

In the opening round of the second season, Chicago was in tough against the defending champs from Montreal. Hall backstopped them to a 4-2 series win and they earned their first Stanley Cup final berth since 1944, coincidentally against the team that sent Mr. Goalie to the Hawks; the Detroit Red Wings.

Glenn Hall and the Hawks would go on to win the see-saw affair 4 games to 2. It was the Hawks third Stanley Cup Championship. To this day, they are still looking for their fourth. Hall was fantastic in the playoffs that year logging a spakling 2.02 GAA to go along with two shutouts.

The following season they were back in the Finals and again in 1965, sadly they were defeated in those series by Toronto and Montreal respectively.

The consecutive games played streak, a record which still stands today, finally came to an end on November 8, 1962. Hall, suffering from a back injury, had to be replaced by Denis DeJordy during a match with Boston. He had played every minute of every game for 502 games. A record that will likely never be broken.

Hall would continue his solid play throughout the better part of the 1960's capturing a Vezina in 63 and sharing another with DeJordy in 67, his last season in Chicago. Left unprotected by the Hawks in the expansion draft, he was selected by the newly-minted St. Louis Blues. A ten year run of greatness in Chicago had come to a close. His final numbers in a Chicago sweater would be 275 regular season wins to go along with 31 in the playoffs and a total of 56 shutouts, five of which were of the playoff variety.

A few fast facts about Glenn Hall:

• He would vomit before every game and sometimes during the game, so the Hawks would keep a bucket on the bench should he feel the need.
• He was the first goalie to use the butterfly style, used pretty much exclusively by today's netminders.
• In 1998, The Hockey News ranked Glenn Hall #16 in their list of 100 Greatest Hockey Players.
• The city of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, his hometown, erected a permanent monument to his career in Glenn Hall Park.
• In 1975, he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• Hall's #1 was retired by the Blackhawks on November 20, 1988.

Blackhawks Goalies: The Post War Years

1946-57: Hard Times in the Windy City

The years following the Second World War weren't kind to the Chicago Black Hawks. In a span of twelve years from 1946 to 1958 they would make the playoffs only once. During this time, several goaltenders would suit up for the Hawks. Some of the more notable ones were Emile "The Cat" Francis, "Sugar Jim" Henry, Frank "Mr. Zero" Brimsek, Harry "Apple Cheeks" Lumley and Elwin Ira "Al" Rollins (above).

Francis played parts of two seasons in Chicago before being dealt to the New York Rangers for Sugar Jim Henry who had bounced back and forth between the NHL and the minors. He played just one year in Chicago and was part of a package of players sent to Detroit for Harry Lumley.

Lumley, who installed pockets on his goal pads in order to prevent rebounds, would have his best years in Toronto. After two terms with the Hawks he was traded to the Maple Leafs on September 11, 1952 for a package of players including Al Rollins. He would go on to win the Vezina in 1954.

Before the swap to Chicago, Toronto boss Conn Smythe had brought Rollins in to push incumbent Turk Broda whose game was suffering after packing on a few pounds. The thinking being that with Rollins looking over his shoulder, Broda would be forced to lose weight.

Rollins backstopped the Hawks to their first playoff appearance in 1953, finishing a close second to "Mr. Hockey" Gordie Howe in the race for the Hart trophy. The following year he claimed the Hart for himself. By 1957, he was at odds with Hawks GM Tommy Ivan and was promptly shipped to the Calgary Stampeders of the WHL.

A Look Blackhawks Goalies: The War Years

1939-42: Sam LoPresti

After the suspension of "Iron" Mike Karakas in 1939, Paul Goodman took the reins and finished the season as the Black Hawks netminder.

The following year, the 35 year-old Goodman split the goaltending duties with youngster Sam LoPresti (above). The year after that LoPresti played all but one game for the Hawks.

LoPresti holds a couple of dubious distinctions: He was the first ever goalie in NHL history to be pulled in favor of an extra attacker and he still holds the record for most shots faced in a game. On March 4, 1941 LoPresti allowed 3 goals on a whopping 83 shots faced against the Boston Bruins. After the game, Bruins forward Johnny Crawford had this to say of LoPresti's performance "He was good alright...if he hadn't been good, he wouldn' be alive now."

1942-46: Karakas II

In 1942, Sam LoPresti went off to war. While serving aboard a merchant ship, he was torpedoed and spent an incredible 42 days floating in a lifeboat in the Atlantic before he was rescued. He would return to play hockey again, but his days in Chicago were done.

The Hawks, in need of a goaltender for the 42-43 season, traded cash to the Montreal Canadiens for the rights to Bert Gardiner. Montreal retained the right to re-purchase Gardiner however, and by the end of the 42-43 campaign he was headed back to Montreal.

Chicago opened the 43-44 stretch with young Hec Highton in goal. By midseason the team was floundering at 10-14 and Highton's GAA was at an inflated 4.50. In an attempt to salvage the season, the Hawks brought back a familiar face. On January 7, 1944, the Chicago Black Hawks sent Highton, Gord Buttrey and ten thousand bucks to the AHL's Providence Reds in exchange for "Iron" Mike Karakas (below).

The move paid off as Karakas backstopped the Hawks to a 12-9-5 record to finish the season at 22-25-9. They easily beat Detroit 4 games to 1 to earn a berth in the Stanley Cup Final against a young Maurice "Rocket" Richard and the Montreal Canadiens. Unfortunately, Karakas and the Black Hawks weren't able to rekindle the magic of 1938 and were swept in final 4-0.

Karakas had come full circle returning to the club that once suspended him for refusing to report to Providence. In 1939, the Stanley Cup winning goaltender asked the Hawks for 500 bucks and they denied his request opting instead to ship him out.

Iron Mike played the next two seasons as the Hawks number-one, but never made it back to the Stanley Cup Finals. He retired from the NHL in 1946, but went on to play two more years in Providence.

He finally got some due when he was named as an original member of United States Hockey Hall of Fame. RTB isn't sure if he ever got the $500.

A Look Blackhawks Goalies: The Early Years

Its saturday and RTB is tired of all the front office crap so we are taking a stroll down memory lane looking at some goalies who have donned the indian head.

1926-27: Black Hawks First Season

Acquired for cash from the Vancouver Millionaires on October 9, 1926, Frederick Hugh Lehman (left) has the distinction of being the first ever goaltender to suit up for the Hawks.

Known as "Old Eagle Eyes", Lehman was a veteran of 2o professional seasons when he joined the expansion Blackhawks for the 1926-27 season. He played 44 games that first year posting a 2.49 goals against average to go along with 19 wins and 5 shutouts. A good puckhandler, he is credited with being the first goalie to regularly pass the puck up to his teammates.

1927-34: Black Hawks capture their first Stanley Cup

In 1927, twenty-two year old Charles Robert "Chuck" Gardiner took over the goaltending duties from an aging Hugh Lehman. Originally pencilled in to be Lehman's understudy, the kid with lightning fast reflexes quickly pushed past Lehman to become Chicago's number one.

In his first two seasons in the Hawks net, Gardiner would find the win column just 13 times in 84 starts. It was a rough beginning for a young goalie playing on some bad teams, but better days lay ahead.

He was named to his first All-Star team in 30-31, the following season an emerging Gardiner captured his first Vezina trophy and was elected to a second All-Star team.

By the 1933-34 season, Chuck Gardiner had arrived. Named captain of the Hawks that year, he would lead his team through the now 48 game regular season notching 20 wins and posting 1.63 goals against. In the playoffs he was clutch. The Hawks knocked off both Montreal teams, the Canadiens and the Maroons, en route to the Stanley Cup Final against the hated Red Wings.

Chicago would go on to win the series 3 games to 1 and capture their first Stanley Cup.

Gardiner was brilliant throughout the playoffs posting a miniscule 1.33 goals against average. He won six of the eight games he played, including a double overtime shutout victory in the Cup clinching game. He was awarded his second Vezina and named to his fourth All-Star team.

Sadly, just weeks after winning the Stanley Cup, Gardiner died of a brain hemorrhage, he was just 29 years old.

1934-35: Lorne Chabot

The Black Hawks entered the 1934-35 campaign with heavy hearts.

They were the defending champs, but had lost their All-Star goalie and team captain. On October 3, 1934 the Hawks sent Lionel Conacher, Roger Jenkins and Leroy Goldsworthy to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Howie Morenz, Marty Burke and goaltender Lorne Chabot.

Chabot who was known to shave before every game because he felt that stitches were less likely to leave scars on a fresh shaved face, would play only one season in the windy city and was subsequently dealt back to the Canadiens on February 8, 1936. One week later he was traded again.

For his part, Chabot played well during his short stay in Chicago. He won his only Vezina as a member of the Hawks that year and posted sparkling numbers: 26 wins 1.80 goals against in the regular season, shrinking to 0.48 in the playoffs.

1935-40: The Karakas Era

An injury to Lorne Chabot paved the way for a young Minnesotan to man the Chicago goal in 1935.

"Iron" Mike Karakas, a native of Minnesota, had been playing with the Tulsa Oilers of the old American Hockey Association when he got the chance to play in the show. After 4 wins in 4 games, three of them shutouts, he was made the full time goalkeeper in Chi Town.

Praised for his quick glove and uncanny balance, Karakas went on to win the Calder trophy as rookie of the year in 35-36. He finished that season with 21 wins, 9 shutouts and a gleaming 1.85 goals against mark.

Two years later, the Black Hawks limped into the playoffs with a record of 14-25-9 and stunned the hockey world with their march to a second Stanley Cup championship. Karakas suffered a broken toe and missed the first two games of the Stanley Cup final against Toronto. Chicago won the first one and lost the second. "Iron Mike" returned for games three and four wearing a steel toe boot to protect his foot and led the Hawks to wins in both games. Handing the Indian Heads the Stanley Cup.

After leading the Hawks to a championship in 1938, Karakas asked the Hawks for a $500 dollar raise which was refused and he was soon on his way out of Chicago. In 1939, he was suspended by the Hawks for refusing a demotion to Providence. The suspension was lifted by the league and he was sent out on loan to the Montreal Canadiens.

RTB: My 2 cents on the Tallon demotion.

Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level.

As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and because of that he is ultimately responsible for how the organization performs on and off the ice.

The Tallon thing was tough because he has done such a good job building the team and he is so popular with the fans. Presidents must ultimately make tough decisions, even unpopular ones for the good of the team.

The whole thing with the Hawks' RFAs not getting their qualifying offers on time ultimately falls on Tallon. Whether or not he personally did or didn't mail them doesn't matter. At the time he was the general manager and it was his duty to ensure that the RFAs were qualified on time. It didn't happen and he is ultimately responsible.

This blunder cost the Hawks money, and cap space and it embarrassed the organization. Since it was Tallon's department that was at fault, he took the fall.

Don't get me wrong, RTB loves Tallon and thinks his re-assignment might have been a bit harsh, but thats business. His demotion makes RTB think of the time Mr. Lumberg moved Milton down to the basement, for those who know the movie Office Space. It sucks, but Tallon fucked up and needs to be held accountable. I don't like it any more than the next guy, but that is what it is. This whole thing should never have happened.

Fittingly, the Hawks promoted Bowman who's known as capologist, which is just what the Hawks are going to need going forward. Next year we will need to re-sign Kane, Toews and Keith and we are hard against the cap.

I just hope Stan is The Man to get it done.

Thats my 2 coppers.

"RFA-gate" costs Tallon his job, Part 4

And finally, Part 4.

"RFA-gate" costs Tallon his job, Part 3

Part 3.

"RFA-gate" costs Tallon his job, Part 2

Part 2 of the Press Conference.

"RFA-gate" costs Tallon his job, Part 1

More than a few people are pissed at the way Dale Tallon was pushed aside by the Blackhawks. Now team Prez John McDonough explains why he dismissed him.

Hawks Re-assign Tallon, Promote Bowman to GM

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially announced that Dale Tallon has been re-assigned to the position of Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations and that Stan Bowman has been promoted to the role of GM.

Bowman, the son of legendary NHL coach and current Blackhawks Senior Advisor Scotty Bowman, has been with the Blackhawks organization for the past eight years. The last two as Assistant General Manager.

Most are speculating that the recent RFA debacle is to blame for Tallon's reassignment, but it is still pretty vague about what actually happened there and who might be to blame. For his part, Tallon manned up and took responsibility for the blunder, which may or may not have been his fault.

“ I have been with this organization in several different capacities since coming over as a player in 1973 and although my position has changed, my goals have not,” Tallon said. “In my new role as Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations I will continue in any way that will help make this a better product on the ice. I’ve seen Stan come up through our ranks and I’m confident he is the right person to step in. This is what is best for the Chicago Blackhawks.”

Classy, right to the end. Way to go Dale!

One thing is for sure, Dale Tallon inherited a boatload of dung when he took over as GM of the Hawks. He built the franchise into a winner through solid drafting and some deft trades. Did he make some mistakes along the way? Sure he did, but name someone who hasn't made mistakes on the job. I personally think he overpaid to get Campbell and Huet, but lets face it: he had to. Not so long ago, Chicago was seen as undesirable to potential free agents. A product of years of bad ownership. Nowadays, everyone wants to come here to play with the likes of Kane and Toews. A winning team, clearly on the rise, loaded with young talent. A winner that was built by Dale Tallon.

Bowman, known as a numbers guy, now takes the helm of the good ship Blackhawk and will have to navigate through the treacherous waters of the NHL salary cap to find a way to keep the Hawks' most-prized possessions (Kane and Toews) onboard for the long term.

Blackhawks poised for a Cup run?

Its an overused hockey expression, putting together the pieces of the puzzle that will bring a Stanley Cup championship. GM's use it all the time, coaches too, even the players have gotten in on the act (see: Rob Scuderi).

Its an apt description though, the Stanley Cup is arguably the toughest trophy to win in all of sports. In order to hoist Lord Stanley's Mug, you need it all: skating, scoring, hitting, checking, goaltending, and penalty-killing to name a few. Not to mention intangibles like: grit, determination and heart. While we're at it, lets toss in a dash of luck because it never hurts to have a bounce go your way at a critical time. Nothing quite like those lively end boards at the 'Joe', eh Red Wings fans?

For our beloved Blackhawks, last seasons run to the Western Conference Finals was amazing. It was, however, a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal, the Stanley Cup!

Make no mistake about it we are close, last season proved that, but are we ready to take the next step? That remains to be seen.

So far the off season has been kind to long suffering Hawks fans. We made the biggest splash on July 1st landing the most coveted free agent available in Marian Hossa and followed that up with the signings of Tomas Kopecky and John Madden. In Hossa, we nabbed a world class winger who plays all over the ice; slick up front and solid in the defensive zone.

Madden is a workhorse, quick, and deadly on the PK. Plus he brings championship experience to the young Hawks while Kopecky has potential and gives us depth on the wing and can play some center as well.

Picking up Hossa, signalled the end for Marty Havlat. In the salary cap era, there was no way we would be able to sign both of them and Hossa should be an upgrade anyhow. Still, Havlat played his heart out for us and he will be missed. Good luck in Minny!

On the back end, there have been rumblings about a deal for a stay-at-home type defenseman, but as of yet no moves have been made other than to re-sign RFA D-man Cam Barker, a wise move because this guy is special and he showed flashes of it in the playoffs.

Goaltending remains a concern, Khabibulin left for Edmonton leaving us with Cristobal Huet as the incumbent in net. Don't get me wrong I think he is an OK goalie, a solid backup no doubt, but he's inconsistent as the numero uno. He plays well at times, but often lets in a couple of softies which always seem to come at the worst possible moment. This is an area in need of an upgrade, but Huet's contract will make it difficult to deal him or to keep him and add someone else. Right now it looks as though, Corey Crawford and Antti Niemi will duke it out for playing time behind Huet.

We also had plenty of our own RFA's to sign up front and after that little flap about qualifying offers, we managed to get them all signed. Albeit for more than they may have earned had they got their notices on time, but I digress.

All in all, nice additions so far, I think we are definitely closer. I'm not sure we're there yet but, I think we are heading in the right direction, now find a true No.1 goalie and we may just have all the pieces in place.

Blackhawks Trading Campbell to Montreal?

Well this is the silly season so I might as well entertain this one.

According to Eklund over at Hockey Buzz, a deal is taking shape between the Hawks and Habs that would see Chicago send "two top line players, one forward and one d-man to Montreal."

RTB has to admit; this is the first we've heard of it, but what the hell, stranger things have happened.

We doubt this will happen, but you never know. Stay Tuned.

Hawks, Leafs Talking Deal?

The rumors have been swirling since the draft; the Maple Leafs are looking to move Tomas Kaberle.

Now, the Daily Herald is reporting that Dale Tallon and Brian Burke might be talking about a possible deal.

The Leafs bolstered their defense this summer. They've signed Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin as free agents and added Garnet Exelby through a trade. With Luke Schenn, Ian White and Jeff Finger already in the fold, it appears the Buds are in the market for a forward and the Hawks have plenty of those.

Of course, a player like Kaberle would command a top six forward, if not top three. He is, however, more of a puck mover and Tallon says he is looking for a stay-at-home type, so I don't see this happening, but you never know.

It may be that the Hawks are interested in one of the other Leafs' defenders, but RTB hasn't heard any other names being bandied about. So, it remains to be seen if this thing has legs or if it is simply bullshit.

One thing is for sure, any moves the Hawks make between now and next year will have to clear up some cap room for the eventual signings of Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith who are due to become restricted free agents after the 09-10 season.

Stay tuned!

Blackhawks shopping Byfuglien?

As noted earlier, Dale Tallon is looking to add another defenseman to the mix and it may be a forward who is shown the door out of the Windy City.

According to The Hockey News, the only forwards who would be considered "untouchable" are Kane, Toews and Hossa, this leaves RTB to wonder who the hell might be gone by training camp. There is some speculation out there that the spare prick in the woods may be Big Buff. I hope not. I thought Byfuglien really came into his own in the playoffs and was key to getting past Calgary and Vancouver.

For his part, Buff added 3 goals and 6 assists in 17 games during the 08-09 playoffs. That might not sound like a whole helluva lot, but it was the big man going hard to the net that helped push the Hawks through to the Western Conference finals. Night in, night out it was Byfuglien doing the dirty work for Chicago against two all-world goalies in Mikka Kiprusoff and Roberto Luongo. He got to them and you could tell that neither of those teams had an answer for him. So maybe his stat line isn't the best, but hockey is more than just stats, its toughness, grit and those intangibles which often tip the game one way or the other.

I know that some will say that his salary($3m per) makes him trade-able, but come on this guy is just hitting his prime. More likely would be a trade involving Patrick Sharp,Kris Versteeg or Andrew Ladd. All good players to be sure. I would like to see the Hawks keep all of these guys, but its unlikely they'll get something for nothing so someone would have to go.

Since next year's RFA list includes not only Kane and Toews, but also Duncan Keith, cap space will be at a premium. Although, I would rather see them part ways with either Cristobal Huet or Brian Campbell, it seems a good bet that any trade the Hawks make would involve a forward leaving town. Of those mentioned, Sharp has the biggest cap number at $3.9 mil, then Versteeg and Byfuglien at roughly $3 mil apiece, followed by Ladd at about $1.5 mil per season. So if moving salary is the goal, then it would obviously be Sharp who's gone, leaving Hossa and the others to replace his 26 goals and 18 assists.

Only time will tell, until then this is all just rampant speculation.

Hotstove: Blackhawks to Add Defenseman?

Apparently the wheeling-and-dealing Chicago Blackhawks aren't through just yet.

According to a report in the Daily Herald today, the Hawks are looking to beef up the blueline with a stay at home d-man.

"We have tremendous depth up front and we're going to look and see what we can do to bolster the back end if we think we have to." says Blackhawks GM Dale Tallon.

It goes on to say that any move would have to come via the trade route because of the Blackhawks cap situation. Tallon admits, however, that he is prepared to go forward with the current cast of blueliners, should a deal not come along.

"Why not? They performed very well last year," said Tallon. "Hjalmarsson stepped up and really played well for us in the playoffs and we expect him to play more minutes this year."

This, of course, begs the questions: Who would they be looking to add and what would they be looking to give up to add a another rearguard?

The top five of Campbell, Seabrook, Barker, Keith, and Hjalmarsson don't appear to be going anywhere so that leaves us with Sopel and Johnson as potential starting defensemen in Rockford or someplace else.

Since Johnson is younger and comes much cheaper, the usual suspects think it could and should be Sopel and his 2.3 mil cap hit. Clearing his salary off the books makes more sense.

As for who they might be looking to add, thats anyone's guess right now. Their are rumours floating around that they may be interested in Jay McKee, but he hasn't found a home yet. Unless another team is planning a little sign and trade then it seems unlikely, but you never know.

At any rate Blackhawk fans, this is a good time for us. We've suffered long enough and its nice to see our team actually making waves, wear your Indian head proudly. Its a strange new world.

Versteeg on board, now what...

The Hawks seemingly have put an end to the whole RFA controversy with the signing of winger Kris Versteeg today and I, for one, am glad to hear it.

Versteeg is a talented young player who brings plenty of jump every night. He had a great year and is a critical part of a talented young squad which is clearly on the rise.

So now the question is: What do the Hawks do going forward?

With all of their own free agents signed, the Hawks have managed to keep the nucleus of the club together. They've also added some skill and depth with signings of Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky, and John Madden.

Making another deep run into the NHL's second season however, could prove difficult without a top flight goaltender and I'm not sure Cristobal Huet is the guy to take them to the promised land.

So what do they do now? Good question. Signing a goalie doesn't seem to be an option because of the Hawks current cap situation and their doesn't appear to be a game-changing netminder available anyway.

So what about a trade? Possible, although shipping Huet out of town may not be so easy because of his contract. The Hawks overpaid for him and finding another team to take on his albatross contract won't be easy. Even if they could find a suitor for his services, they would most likely have to give up an asset and take some salary coming back. This may provide some cap relief, but you still have the same problem: Who plays goal?

We haven't seen enough of Corey Crawford or Antti Niemi to annoint either of them as the next big thing. Thats not to say that these kids won't develop into fine NHL goalies, they just don't seem to be ready yet. Who knows? Maybe one of these kids becomes the next Steve Mason.

Starting the season with Huet as the starter seems to be the most likely scenario, with one of the youngsters pushing him for playing time. Barring some sort of deal that is.

I'd like to see the Hawks make a move for a kid like Cory Schneider, a highly touted Canucks prospect. With Vancouver talking about a contract extension for Roberto Luongo and the signing of Andrew Raycroft as the backup, it looks like it might be a long shot for Schneider to crack the roster. I've already heard one prognosticator say he'll be in the AHL again next year. Sooner or later, this kid needs a shot and with Luongo in the fold, it probably won't happen in Vancouver.

A move for a guy like Schneider would no doubt cost the Hawks a prospect, but he might be worth it. If he develops as projected, he'd be a steal at just over a $1m cap hit and if he flops well at least he wouldn't cost much. Either way, he would be worth the risk.