Random Thoughts

With game 12 coming up on Thursday, here are some of the things I've been thinking about lately with the Hawks:


-Glad to see Huet get it turned around again. I said it in my preseason preview and to whomever would listen - don't worry about this guy in the regular season. He's got a very long, very accomplished track record there. The fact that the fans and media don't realize this shows just how out of touch and ignorant Hawks fans are. That's no rip on us fans, just a lingering effect of us all being turned off by a decade plus of terrible hockey thanks to drunken Dollar Bill Wirtz.

That's not to say that Huet isn't at risk to be a bust, it's just that he's accomplished enough (including last year w/ the Hawks) to not have everyone doubt the guy after a couple of rough games to start the season. Goalies lose their stuff all the time, but it's gonna take more than a week or two of the season for me to worry about Huet.

Having said that, come playoff time, all bets are off. This guy has never been out of the first round, so that's when the well-founded doubting should begin.


-I can't properly express the amount of love I have for Versteeg. He is SO talented and does so much good on the ice. So far this year it hasn't brought him huge numbers, but it seems like every other shift he's out there he does something noteworthy. And it's not like his 2 goals and 5 assists are anything to scoff at, especially paired with a +5. But I've got a feeling those great plays will start turning into more goals (for him and his linemates) and before long this guy will start to have some big numbers that will get him the high end respect he deserves.

Especially now that JQ seems to have listened to my suggestion and thrown him on a line with capable offensive players in Bolland and Ladd. I really hope that line stays together for a while, because I fully believe they can be a real 2nd line force that also gives you strength in the defensive zone. That's a rare combo.


-On another Versteeg-related note, seeing him step up after Toews got laid out was just one more reason to love this guy. However, it also brings up a very necessary concern w/ Burish and Eager out - the Hawks just don't have the enforcer presence necessary to a professional hockey team.

Look, I'm not saying the Hawks need a talent-less goon out there, nor do I see any advantage such a player provides you. However, if you don't have anyone who can consistently get into fights and keep the other team honest, then you end up at a real disadvantage.

Two years ago the Hawks were missing a real heavyweight, but young scrappers like Burish and Wisniewski did everything they could to make up for it. It wasn't ideal, but it worked well enough. Last year Eager finally gave them a real enforcer while also being a good skater, the perfect mix.

But with Eager maybe looking at a long layoff due to yet another concussion, Burish out pretty much all regular season, and Wisniewski a member of the Ducks, the Hawks need to find another answer.

It's not Seabrook, who's far too valuable on the blueline to be missing 5-minute chunks, not to mention that he's suffering from some concussion issues of his own. It's not Buff, who's long said he's no fighter and really doesn't have the mentality necessary (and might just be entering the too valuable to lose zone himself, given his 5 goals in 11 games).

With the 6th defensive spot a bit of a mess (currently a mix of the unproven Hendry and horrendous Sopel), you could look to some mediocre big physical type who's floating around the AHL to give you that presence. But with Seabrook missing time, I'm not sure you want another sub-par defender out there.

One possible option is Brouwer, who's got the size and has shown an increasing appreciation for the need to become a scrappy role player. He may not be the best fighter, but just the willingness to drop the gloves would be enough. If Brouwer would add that element to his game, he might just start to deserve all the ice time JQ loves giving him.

And with so many forwards out of the lineup right now (Toews, Hossa, Eager, Burish), there definitely is some room for a big physical type on the 4th line. So again, maybe some mediocre guy floating around the AHL can come up and play an enforcer role without hurting you too bad with his lack of skill. Especially because the alternatives - Skille, Dowell, Bickell - have been underwhelming, why not?

I know it's not easy to find a capable skater who can throw down, but that 4th liner probably only gets 5-6 minutes a game - you can't find someone who can fill those and give you a physical presence for a few months during the regular season without hurting you too bad?


-Speaking of underwhelming, I am so done with Sopel. While I had some hopes last year was a fluke, his -4 through 10 games seems to suggest what I saw last year is what Sopel is - a totally worthless skater incapable of playing at an NHL level. Not a single other Hawks defenseman has below a +1, yet there's Sopel at -4 despite far less ice time. Doesn't that say it all?

I know he's got this year and next on his deal at $2.33 per, but it's time the Hawks just bite the bullet on the salary, farm him out (which clear his number from the salary cap), and open up that 6th spot for someone who might develop.

Is that guy Hendry? No idea. But let's give him regular PT and see, like we did with The Hammer last year. And if it's not Hendry, try out one of the other guys down in the minors. Or pick someone up off waivers. You never know what you'll find (Aaron Johnson and Matt Walker were nice garbage heap pick-ups last year, while The Hammer didn't come on until almost March of last season).

Sopel is done. I don't care that Seabrook is out and the D is thin - send Sopel down to the minors and try someone - anyone - else in that spot.


-It didn't get any fanfare, but I like the addition of Andrew Ebbet from the Ducks. Len Ziehm (the Sun-Times Hawks writer) had a good article that discussed how Ebbet went from their #2 center to the dog house through no real fault of his own. When the Ducks added Saku Koivu, Ebbet was moved to a wing. But he didn't fit there, as he's a smaller guy (5-10, 180) who isn't very comfortable with the position, while the Ducks like big physical wings along the boards.

That might have created a real opportunity for the Hawks. In only 48 games as a rookie last year, Ebbet had 8 goals and 24 assists (including 6 PP tallies and 5 PP helpers). Given a full season, we're talking 14 goals and 43 assists - that's the type of production Ladd gave the Hawks last year - in fact, even better!

Is Ebbet really that type of player? Seems unlikely, as he was waived rather than traded for anything of value. But he showed he was capable of producing on some level. And more importantly, I liked the look of his +8. If he can give me around 7 goals and 20 assists while playing the solid two-way game that +/- suggests, Ebbet becomes a very valuable 4th line center.

With Burish and Eager possibly gone for a while, that's something the Hawks really need. In the short term, with Toews out for a bit, Ebbet becomes even more valuable as an offensively capable center. With a Sharp and/or Kane on his wing, Ebbet could end up being plenty productive until Toews comes back, and then settle into a 3rd or 4th line slot.

What I'm worried about is that the Hawks try to use him on a wing. He's made it clear he's not comfortable there and that's not where you're gonna get the most out of him. Frasier is no great shakes as the 4th line center - so when Toews gets back, why not force him to a wing? Frasier's a scrappy type who's not overly impressive in the face-off circle, so why can't he move over?

That way Ebbet, who's shown actual talent, could remain at his center spot and maybe turn that 4th line into a little bit of an asset. With the loss of Eager and Burish, the Hawks could certainly use an upgrade down there.