Cashing in the Blue Chips

The Hawks traded former prize prospect Adam Clendening to Vancouver for a younger but apparently similar-style player in one Gustav Forsling.  Expect to see Clendening to play for the 'Nucks very soon, and for Forsling to begin his 2-4 year apprenticeship in Rockford in 2018.  He will eventually be traded to Brooklyn (Yes! I've been itching to type that!) in 2021 for a second round pick, with which The Hawks will draft an offensive defenseman.  Rinse and repeat, always repeat.

Despite Clendening's tumble from the tippy-top of The Hawks' minor-league depth chart, falling behind Stephen Johns, Ville Pokka and, hilariously, TJ Brennan, I did not see this coming.  Players have funks, off months and even years, but I seriously didn't expect Stan Bowman to pull the trigger quite this fast.

Let that be a lesson to the rest of them.  I'm talking to you, Klas Dahlbeck.

I don't typically dignify any Hawks losses in this space but regarding Wednesday's loss to the Kings:
- Soooo, neither Rozsival nor Oduya are suitable to play alongside Keith on a regular basis, but the guy who "is" plays considerably fewer minutes the afore-mentioned leadfoots...  In what world does this arrangement make any sense?
- Ditto for Teravainen vs. any number of lesser mortals.  The boy is a thoroughbred, but he need more mileage to show his stuff.
- On that topic, sort of, that was the first game that I didn't wonder why Joakim Nordstrom deserved his ice time.  Ultimately, he accomplished nothing, but he did some good things.  I expect he will sit in favour of Dennis Rasmussen on Friday, just because.

How's This For Strange?

Between 2012 and the spring of 2014, Michal Rozsival essentially platooned in the sixth defenceman position with Sheldon Brookbank.  Now that Rozsival is older, slower and generally less capable we find him locked in the fifth-D role.  This is not a good sign at all, especially given that talents like Clendening and Dahlbeck remain buried in the AHL and still have Rundblad, Erixon and Van Riemsdyk to overcome before they even get to Rozsival.

So forgive me if I am not filled with confidence when speaking of the decisions that have shaped The Hawks' blueline.

                                         All that aside, I cannot stay mad at this face.

Against All Odds: Wednesday's Big Boy (Hawks 4, River Scum 1)

You know your team will lose games, a few if they're an elite team or a lot if they're The Oilers, but there are certain games you really don't want to lose.  Any game against St. Lewis falls into the latter category, not just because giving up a four-point gap against a divisional rival is a poor result, but also because....St. Lewis.
I felt a great deal of trepidation heading into this match, mostly because Antti Raanta scares the heck out of me.  I still believe that he will be a middling-to-good-possibly-very-good goaltender at the NHL level, but his challenging style is challenging my nerves and I always feel like he's one scouting report away from being walked around eight or nine times some night in the very near future.
I also have this lingering fear that the Richards-Kane-Versteeg combo will regress to the mean, or jump the shark or be exposed as a line that should not and cannot work.
Fortunately, I appear to be worrying prematurely, as Raanta was fine - not at all perfect and still a little scary - and 91-88-23 continued to do whatever they're doing that clearly works very, very well.  It didn't seem entirely easy, but I can't decide if The Hawks let off the gas now and again, as The Blues enjoyed stretches in which they outshot The Good Guys quite decidedly, or if they were just messing with them.  

I still believe that playing with Kane is making Kris Versteeg appear far better than he has any right to as Kane, I believe, is making the most of some pretty dodgy passes but, hey, he's there and the job is getting done.  Versteeg is welcome to wear The Belt anytime he racks up three points.  I would even consider commissioning some Big Boy suspenders for him if this becomes a regular thing.

                                        Success begins with a hearty breakfast.


In other news, The Hawks have returned Adam Clendening to Rockford and summoned Klas Dahlbeck.  I knew I'd get that right, eventually.  Also, I've been spelling Clendening's name wrong for three months.  I feel shame.