Corey Crawford Continues To Show His Worth In Chicago

Blackhawks Goaltender Corey Crawford Has Been Very Impressive This Year

 After last summer's debacle with the Blackhawks and Antti Niemi, the Hawks knew that one of the most important aspects to their team that they had to address with their limited cap space was goaltending.  So, the Blackhawks made a splash by signing long time Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco to a 1 year contract to become the new top goalie in Chicago.  As a backup, Chicago brought up Corey Crawford who served many years in the hawks system waiting for his time to break into the NHL.  Crawford's addition to the roster was almost an afterthought to many Blackhawks fans as he was just a cheap player capable of filling a roster spot without wasting precious cap space.

Once the season started however, Crawford began to impress the coaching staff.  In his first start of the season on October 11th versus Buffalo, Crawford was very impressive as he stopped 32 of 35 shots to record not only his first win of the season, but also the team's first on the season.  He hasn't looked back since...

Crawford continued to impress as the season progressed, and eventually won the starting job from Turco.

Perhaps the biggest thing that Crawford has delivered this year is stability.  On a team full of young players trying to replace Stanley Cup Champions, Crawford has solidified the goaltender spot and at times single  handedly won games for the young Hawks.  Crawford is currently 10th in the NHL with a save% of .921 and 4th in the NHL with his 2.17 GAA...a big reason the Blackhawks are even alive for the playoffs.  Take into account also that the Blackhawk's defense is definitely not as dominant as last year and his numbers seem even more impressive.

While not being a household name or being mentioned on too many Calder Trophy watch lists, Crawford can certainly be listed next to names like Sharp and Toews for Blackhawks MVP.  His consistent play has given Chicago atleast one position not constantly scrutinized.

So now as the season winds down, we must all start thinking of that dreaded time that all NHL GM's fear...free agency.

Crawford is a Restricted Free Agent, and with his play this year will no doubt get atleast a few offers from NHL teams.  Crawford certainly seems like he has what it takes to be a franchise goaltender, but will he get payed like one? Crawford is currently making $800,000 this year, and we can expect him to definitely get a raise with his great play this year.  I think it is fair to say that Crawford will get atleast 1.5 mil, but more realistically will get around 2mil.  With Kane/Toews contract bonuses coming off the books and an increase of the salary cap forthcoming, it seems like this should be no problem...right?

What we also must take into account is that the Blackhawks have only 10 players under contract next year, and Brent Seabrook, Troy brouwer and others are also due new contracts and will also realistically receive a raise.

So will the Blackhawks repeat their strategy from last year and risk losing a potential franchise goaltender? Or will they commit the money into developing a potential NHL All-Star goalie?  Crawford has made his case, now it's your move Chicago...

Ahh the decisions of an NHL GM...

Blackhawks have the assets to buy

As we get closer and closer to the Trade Deadline the more I find the Chicago Blackhawks in the driver's seat. The Blackhawks have the championship experience, and a few of those players are still here. Also the Blackhawks have a very deep prospect group who can be used to get them what they need for another cup run.

The Blackhawks have a good amount of picks for the 2011 NHL Entry draft that could help them land a name for their playoff run. Along with their normal picks the Blackhawks have the Atlanta Thrasher’s 2nd Round Pick which was acquired along with Ivan Vishnevskiy for Andrew Ladd. The Blackhawks also have the Calgary Flame's 2nd round pick. For the 3rd round the Blackhawks acquired the Toronto Maple Leaf's pick from the Calgary Flames in the same deal that landed them Calgary’s 2nd round pick. Chicago also owns the Boston Bruin’s 7th round pick which was acquired for the Blackhawks 2010 7th round pick.

Now onto the players, first off is center Nathan Davis. The center has only played 72 games in the AHL in 3 seasons. He is quite often injured, and could be a piece to acquire something in return, maybe just for another AHL player who will play. Also at forward is Kyle Beach. The forward shows he has a very in-consistent game, and can hurt his team with dumb on ice acts. Beach’s value is a bit high right now, but along with that value also you would get his reputation that some teams may not like. However, there are teams out there who like Beach’s style and may be willing to take him in. two other pieces in the minors are Evan Brophey and Rob Klinkhammer. The 2 skaters have paid their dues in the AHL and may be ready for the jump to the NHL, and there may not be room on the Blackhawks roster for them.

On D the Blackhawk’s organization has a very solid depth core. Nick Leddy has proved he is going to be a solid NHL player, and a move won’t be made involving him. However after Leddy there are still quite a bit of Offensive D-men depth behind him. Brian Connelly, the Rockford Icehogs All-Star representative is having a very good year. However, when it comes down to it, Connelly will have a hard time to beat out some of these other players, especially since he lacks size. The towering Simon Danis-Pepin has yet to prove he is a full time AHL player. Danis-Pepin doesn’t use his size to his advantage, he has good vision and can create offensive opportunities, but he is so in-consistent he usually finds himself in the ECHL. Two other notable D-men who could bring value are Vishnevskiy and Shawn Lalonde. Lalonde has developed in a better 2-way player but still has that offensive play in him, and could be a valued piece, but I would rather him not be moved. Vishnevskiy is a very good offensive D-man. He is a solid power play quarterback, and has a tremendous shot, but sometimes it appears he lacks the “want” to play.

Finally there are the Blackhawks roster players. There’s not many but some could be moved. Viktor Stalberg, who I prefer not to be moved, may have some value out there. Also on D is Jordan Hendry. Hendry is still a bit young and could help either a rebuilding team or playoff contenders. He brings plenty of versatility as he can play wing or D. Also a long shot, but teams could be interested in Nick Boynton. Boynton brings cup experience, along with his gritty defensive ways could help a team who is looking for that style. It's a long shot, but with today’s cap, but never rule out the un-expected.

The Final decision comes down to Stan Bowman though. With the recent acquisition of Michael Frolik he is expected to build for a cup run. The Blackhawks have plenty of young guys who will join the organization soon, along with some newly drafted players. It may be time to move some of the Dale Tallon non-hopefuls for the future.

No need for panic just yet

Many fans are feeling a bit negative at a time like this. However, the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t quite out of the picture just yet. Several factors should be taken into consideration before fans decide to give up their hope. I am going to give three reasons why the Chicago Blackhawks shouldn’t be counted out just yet.

Reason number one is the standings. The Blackhawks are just five points out of the #4 seed which would earn them home ice. The Hawks also have games in hand on the teams ahead of them which will help out as well. A nice three game win streak puts them into the #4 -- #6 seed.

Reason number two is the trade deadline. The Blackhawks may not have as much depth as they did last year, but the deadline is when the Blackhawks can bounce back. It can be hard to replace some of the players we lost, however there are players available who can help. A recent acquired player in Mike Frolik will help as he brings more top 6 depth to the squad. Also some teams haven’t decided whether they will become buyers or sellers. That can also help the Blackhawks because if teams decide to become sellers they could fall out of the playoff race.

Reason number three is experience. Assuming some Western Conference teams become sellers the Hawks can inch closer to a Playoff seeding, if not I expect some moves at the deadline which will bring in more depth to the team. However, the Blackhawks are a team that will fight to the finish, and will earn that playoff spot. Once they have that they have proven they can succeed in the post-season. The team has the leadership and players to get back to where they want to be.

Breaking Down The Recent Blackhawks Trade Rumors

As the NHL trade deadline quickly creeps up on the GM's, many teams will look to either improve their cup chances, or build for the future by trading away veteran talent for young prospects.

Trade rumors are prevalent all over the internet from both professional hockey writers and bloggers looking for people to visit their sites.  Today, one rumor that hit Twitter involved the Blackhawks and their defenseman Brent Seabrook...and it wasn't from a blogger.

Rogers Sportsnet Broadcaster Roger Millions said today on his twitter (@RogMillions):

"A source of mine close to the Hawks says they may be talking of trading Brent Seabrook...perhaps to Edmonton. Really? C'mon"

Could this be true? Maybe...It did come from a more reliable source than a random blogger.  With Edmonton having a surplus of young talented forwards, and the Blackhawks having a system full of young, developing defenseman waiting to break into the NHL, it seems to be a good fit.


More rumors involving the Hawks were mentioned yesterday on twitter by The Fourth Period Magazine (@TheFourthPeriod).  In their article Here, they mention the possibility of former Hawks defenseman Brent Sopel returning to Chicago in a trade with Atlanta.  As the article states, Atlanta GM Rick Dudley was heavily involved with the drafting of Jack Skille by the hawks when he was the Director of Player Personnel in Chicago, thus offering Skille as the possible piece going to Atlanta in said trade.

This trade again makes alot of sense for the Blackhawks who could use Sopel to shore up their 3rd defense pairing, whie having a huge expiring contract to come off their books this summer.  Also, Skille's roster spot could easily be filled by Jeremy Morin, a training camp standout who has had trouble finding a spot on the NHL roster.

 While it seems unlikely that the Hawks would unload Seabrook to open a defensive spot for a veteran defenseman in Sopel rather than a young developing guy, the chances of BOTH deals happening is slim. However, one trade or the other could easily happen, but will they? How will Bowman be able to defend his choice of breaking up the tandem of Keith and Seabrook fans were told would be the top pairing of the future?  Would the Hawks finally give up on their 2005 1st round pick? A guy picked ahead of NHL all-star Anze Kopitar and other top league talents?...February 28th can't come fast enough.